Official Organ of the Atlantic and Gulf District, Seafarers International Union of North America Vol. VIII. NEW YORK. N. Y., FRIDAY. MAY 31. 1946 No. 22 Attention Maritime Unions: Defeat The Coast Guard Now! Seafarers Won't Gross Representative William A. Pittinger of Minnesota has introduced a bill in the House (H. R. 154) that will defeat the President's Reorganization Plan No. 3 which would Picketlines, CIO Maritime put the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation per­ manently under the Coast Guard. The Bill is now before the House Committee on Ex­ Unity Committee Is Told ecutive Expenditures. NEW YORK, May 28—The Seafarers International Union, Atlantic & If the resolution is not passed by both Houses of Gulf District, will respect the picket lines of the Committee for Maritime Congress within 45 days, the merchant marine will be Unity, but will sail contracted ships provided members do not have to cross handed over to the Coast Guard lock, stock and barrel. any picket lines to do so. This information was passed out on May 28 to the The Brass will then sit in kangeroo-court judgment pf Committee for Maritime Unity, composed of five CIO Unions and one inde- seamen at every turn. ' — — 4 pendent, and to all of the ship To defeat the Coast Guard grab for power, members THE VOTING BEGINS operators with which the SIU is of all maritime unions should immediately write or wire contracted in letters from SIU their congressmen to support passage of H. R. 154. Secretary-Treasurer John Hawk. The SIU, Hawk also said, will Seamen must act now to free themselves from mili­ not sail any struck ships which tary shackles! are reallocated. The statement of policy was made in view of the projected strike action which the Commit­ SlU Protests Transfer tee for Maritime Unity has called for June 15. Of Marine Bureau To C. G. COMPOSITION The Committee is composed of A request for a public hearing and a review of the the American Communications Association, CIO; the Inland plan to put the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Naviga­ Boatmen's Union, CIO; the In­ tion under Coast Guard jurisdiction was transmitted to ternational Longshoremen's and President Truman in a letter sent out May 28 by SlU Warehousemen's Union, CIO; Vice President John Hawk. the National Maritime Union, The President submitted an ex­ CIO and the National Union of ecutive order to Congress last SIU Streamliiiss Marine Cooks and Stewards, week to make permanent under CIO. the Coast Guard the functions of In his letter to the CMU, Hawk the Bureau. Prior to the war Apparatus For said the policy of not crossing the Bureau had operated under picket lines was traditional with the Department of Commerce. Future Action the Union, and would be carried The executive order comes with­ Scene in New York Hall as balloting on referendum on changes out in every instance, "despite in the scope of the President's The Seafarers are preparing in Union Constitution and Shipping Rules gets under way. Voting the instances prior to and during Reorganization Bill, as passed by for the struggles ahead—regard­ will sontinue until June 26, HAVE YOU VOTED YET? the war when the SIU was con­ Congress recently. less of what they may be. The demned for strike action to en­ Hawk's letter expressed sur­ membership went on record at force its contracts and improve prise at the action of the Presi­ the last meeting to instruct the 'Draft Strikers', Truman Asks wages and working conditions by dent' in putting the executive or­ organizing staff of the union to member unions of the Commit­ der before Congress without "streamline the union apparatus tee for Maritime Unity." holding public hearings where so that it can be changed from In New Strikebreaking Move normal operation to the point NO PRECEDENT interested parties and organiza­ WASHINGTON—In a message the President requested would where it can be turned over night tions could express their opinions. which went far beyond the wild­ provide him with powers which One specific instance, to which to one of either strike action or Hawk has written to the Presi­ est expectations of the industrial­ no previous Chief Executive has Hawk had reference was the oc­ whatever type of action that may dent on several previous occa­ ists, President Truman on Satur­ ever enjoyed. casion of the major bonus strike be necessary to preserve the life sions, requesting a public hear­ day asked Congress for emer­ of the SIU in 1941. At that time and welfare of our Union." He made it clear that the mea­ ing on the matter. gency powers which will, if en­ sure which he advocated was of the headquarters of the NMU Each time his letters were In an open discussion it was acted into law, pave the way for temporary nature and should last and MFOW went on record to passed on to the Bureau of the pointed out. that the Seafarens a return to the days when labor for only six months, after the deem this a bum beef and to man Budget, which has no real say is going to be in for what may had to beg for the crumbs of its official end of the war, never­ ships which the SIU had operated in the matter, but operates by be the most critical time of the existence. theless, he followed this up with and struck. directive from the President, pur­ Union's life. Further, that re­ The restrictive measures which the proposal that the whole sub­ Then Hawk demanded that no suant to Congressional approval. gardless of what we would like he requested were no doubt the ject of labor relations should be picket lines be established at to see happen—it must be pre­ deciding factor in forcing the studied afresh, and that long docks where only SIU contracted OLD FIGHT pared to take the offensive if the striking railroad workers to set­ range legislation which will re­ ships are concerned. The opposition of the Seafar­ shipowners or finky government tle the strike on the President's duce labor's need to .strike should Provisions to make this step ers to placing the Bureau under bureaus have any ideas or plans original terms. be recommended. unnecessary and out of order about giving the Seafarers a bad the Coast Guard is well known. The President stated that the were taken by Hawk in a letter time. Mr. Truman appeared before a The SIU has carried the ball in joint session of the Senate and emergency powers for which he to the ship operators, in which Organizational Director Paul opposition to the Coast Guard for the House of Representatives, asked would be invoked, "In such Hawk told the companies they Hall, who has been working in some time. Recently, Hawk ap­ and his speech was marked by situations where the President must arrange tnat all vessels op­ pealed to other maritime unions conjunction with Earl Sheppard, great applause. Such ovations has requested men either to re­ erated by them are not berthed to present a united front oppos­ Atlantic Coast Co-Ordinator, Cal have not been accorded Mr. Tru­ main at work, or to return to at any pier where the unions oii ing the action which would place Tanner and Lindsey Williams, man in his previous appearances work and where such request is strike have one or more strike­ brass hats permanently over sea­ field representatives, on these before Congress to request the ignored." bound vessels and picket lines plans for the past week announ- men. Some answered, pledging passage of liberal legislation. In such cases he asked for au- established. (Continued ott Page 4) (Conthmed on Page 4) The emergency powers which (Continued on Page 6) (Continued on Page 4) .:y\ ' • f ••J.v Page Two THE SEAFARERS LOG Friday, May 31, 1846 SEAFARERS LOG Published Weekly by the SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA Atlantic and Gulf District Affiliated vHth the American federation of Labor At 51 Beaver Street, New York 4, N. Y. HAnovef 2-2784 t 1 » HARRY LUNDEBERG ------- President lOJ Market Street, San Francisco, Calif. JoMM HAWK Secy-Treas. P. O. Box 25, Station P., New York Gty Entered as second class matter June 15, 1945, at the Post Office in New York, N. Y., under the Act of August 24, 1912. 267 Again, And Again Any one who has ever trusted the so-called "friends of labor" got a rude shock this past weekend. Elected with support of a large segment of labor, and having labor backing in the carrying out of his domestic and foreign program, Harry S. Truman bit the hand that fed him, and showed himself to be a front man for reac­ tionary big business. "Friend" Harry obviously had no thought in his mind other than to coerce labor, and to intimidate labor leaders. No other reasons can be given for the authority, which the President wants, to draft striking workers into the armed services of the United States; to deprive workers of their seniority rights if they strike, without good cause, against the government; and to prevent union leaders from encouraging or inciting members of the union to strike or remain on strike. Restrictive measures such as these are not proposed Hospital Patients by people who believe in a free and independent labor When entering the hospital movement. notify the delegate by post­ card, giving your name and It is not an easy thing to write harsh words about the the number of your ward.