) Official Organ of the Atiantic and Gulf District, Seafarers International Union of North America Vol. VII. NEW YORK. N. Y.. FRIDAY. DECEMBER 14. 1945 No. 50 M: Seafarers Cendemns Truman And Cengress For Anti-Union Stand Vigorous protests against the anti-labor proposal made'tions, the following telegram was by President Truman and the union-busting bills dispatched to President Truman: now before Congress were made by the Atlantic and Gulf "The Seafarers International VABo« Union of North America, Atlantic District of the Seafarers International Union in telegrams and Gulf District, affiliated with sent to the President and to the* the AFL, and representing more wholeheartedlly condemn its an­ members of the House and Sen­ than thirty-thousand seamen on ti-union provisions." ate Labor and Military Affairs the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, Committees. NOTIFICATION went on record as being unani­ An amendment, passed at the mously opposed to your proposed- Meanwhile, Secretary-Treasurer same time, asked that the Union plan for the regulation and con­ John Hawk charged that the na­ "notify the President of the trol of Labor-Management dis­ tion's industrialists, directly aided United States, chairmen and putes through enabling legisla­ and comforted by the President members of the House and Sen­ tion, and strongly disapprove of and some of the national legisla­ ate Military Affairs Committees, such apparently anti-labor action. tors, had opened an offensive to and chairmen and members of the "We also went on record con­ negate existing collective-bar­ House and Senate Labor Com­ demning stringent labor laws now gaining contracts. mittees of our position on this pending in both House and Sen­ A motion passed on a coast­ vital issue." ate, and urge that you carefully wise basis at Port meetings stated In concurrence with the mo- consider the fact that under our "That we, members of the Sea­ democratic form of government, farers International Union of Labor's right to strike should Ndrth America (Atlantic and. Gulf not be restricted in any manner District), affiliated with the AFL, N.Y. Meetings In whatsoever." go on record as being unanimous­ (signed) John Hawk, ly opposed to the Truman pro­ Webster Hall Secretary-Treasurer 1 i posal on labor legislation, and New York Branch meetings Atlantic and Gulf are held every other Wednes­ . District, Seafarers International Union Labor Unites Against President day evening. 7 P. M. at Web­ of North America." ster Hall, 119 East 11th Street, WASHINGTON — Organized to rush through a resolution The telegram to the House and board within five days after the between 3rd and 4th Avenues. labor split definitely with Presi- creating a Congressional commit- certification. The board would Senate committees followed the dent Truman last week following tee to consider the legislation. In have complete subpoena powers. To get there take the 3rd Ave» same note, and shduld, along with his message to Congress asking the House Rep. Mary Norton (D., (3) Within 20 days the board Elevated and get off at 9th Stu the protests that have come with­ legislation for the power to ap- N. J.) introduced a bill to author- must make its report unless both or the East Side IRT Subway out exception from all parts of the Labor movement, convince point fact-finding bodies in union ize the President to appoint the groups, with presidential okay and get off at Astor Place. disputes. fact finding boards. obtain an extension. (4) Neither Congress that Labor will not tole­ AFL and CIO leaders through- The President's plan provides the union nor the company would No cards will be stamped rate any abrogation whatsoever out the country denounced the (1) If a strike is threatened in a be legally bound to accept the after 7:30 P. M. of any of its hard-won rights. idea and charged that it would major industry the Sec'y of Labor findings or abide by them. NEXT MEETING WILL BE SMASH LABOR Brother Hawk pointed out that play into the hands of union- would certify the dispute to the NO STRIKES ON DECEMBER 19th. busting employers. Truman's President. (2) The President No strike or lockout would be the shipowners under contract suggestion c-\lls for a 30-day com­ would appoint a fact-finding (Continued on 'Page 9) to the Seafarers had apparently pulsory cooling-off period, sup­ joined the anti-union drive. Their posedly patterned after the Rail­ method, he said, was to violate way Labor Act. The cooling-off the existing contracts as written, idea was the basis of the Smith- They Still Support WSA Medical Program no matter how clear the pro­ Connally Act which proved so visions are. Then, when the SIU futile that even the authors of The failure of other maritime subservience to government bu­ ousting the WSA medics from disagrees with their interpreta­ the bill have asked for its repeal, unions to follow up the Seafarers' reaus, the MFOW and the MCS, the soft jobs which the latter tion, they ask for a Port Com­ r AFL President William Green victory over the WSA Medical have failed to cash in on the were hoping to establish on a per­ mittee meeting, to which they militant victory won by the SIU, manent basis. go with a closed mind, making declared that, "In my judgment, program and do something for the recommendation of the Pres­ and continue to allow their sea­ Instead, hog-tied by their gov­ any sort of settlement impossible. ident will be unacceptable to la­ their membership was clearly men to present themselves to this ernment - subservient leadership, These moves are maneuvers bor." CIO President Philip Mur­ demonstrated this week on the government fink agency before the members of these outfits were to give the operators reason to ray charged that the government Zachary Taylor when the SUP shipping. forced to continue participation say that, since the contracts are had given in with "abject cowar­ deck crew refused to appear before When the Seafarers went after in the potential black-ball sys­ ambiguous, the dispute should go dice" to industry. President R. a War Shipping Administration the time-wasting, money-consum­ tem of being examined by men to arbitration for "clarification" J. Thomas, of the United Auto doctor for pre-shipping examina­ ing WSA Medical Division, sea­ who are practically committed to —an obvious move to change ex­ Workers-CIO, said, "I am won­ tion. In sharp contrast to the men all over the country, regard­ a program of eliminating the old- isting conditions. dering what is happening to de­ SUP sailors' action, members of less of union affiliation, cheered time (and/or more militant) sea­ Thus far, says Brother Hawk, mocracy. The right to strike is the Marine Firemen, Oilers and the move as a fight for re-estab­ men from the maritime industry. they have gotten no place with a democratic principle." The Watertenders and the Marine lishing thejr liberty. If these unions really had a this strategy and, he adds, "they, N. Y. State Federation of Labor, Cooks and Stewards who have Later, when victory was rank and file movement which won't. They won't be able to representing 1,500,000 AFL mem­ contracts with this company (Pa­ achieved (See Log. Nov. 9) and could make itself heard, there is arbitrate themselves out of agree­ bers, blasted the proposal. cific and Atlantic SS Co.) in the SIU contracted ships sailed with no doubt that the SIU action ments already signed." RUSH BILL engine and stewards departments crews examined only by a com­ would have been followed by Whatever the outcome of the While Truman's proposal was respectively, submitted meekly pany doctor as per the agree­ them. However, manipulated as present situation is, SIU officials being denounced by . union lead? to the WSA medics for examina­ ments, these seamen had good they are by their own leader­ say, the trend is unmistakenable: ers and pro-labor Congressmen, tion. reason to expect their own organ­ ship, they can do nothing to It is an all-out attempt to smash \T Rep. Howard Smith. (D., Va.) tried By following the old line of izations to follow the program of change the policy. the trade unions of America. • ,U • •. Page Two THE SEAEAREHS lOG Friday, December 14,' 1945 SEAI'ARERS LOG Published Weekly by the SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA Atlantic and Gulf District Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor At 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N. Y. HAnover 2-2784 i a, % X HARRY LUNDEBERG - - - - - - - President 105 Market Street, San Francisco, Calif. JOHN HAWK - -- -- -- - Ptecy-Treas. P. O. Box 25, Station P., New York City Entered as second class matter June 15, 1945, at the Post Office in New York, N. Y., under the Act of August 24, 1912. 2<7 Congress Acts The editorial cartoon you see on this page, like all art work in a weekly paper, was ordered a week in advance. At that time. Congress was turning its usual deaf ear to those who thought that the workingmen of this country —who have gone without so much during these war years >vhile the industrialists were working under the "profits as usual" basis—reserved and actually needed legislation to provide the essentials of decent living. And at that time Congress was on a lay-down strike, doing nothing but engaging in its favorite pastime of growling at Labor and contemplating the bills,, which'it will introduce at some near future date, that will give themselves a mere 100/( salary rise. Well, times have changed. Congress is no longer laying-down.