STRIKERS' VIEW.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1937, Page 8

STRIKERS' VIEW.

AMERICAN HOLD-UP.

MONTHS WITHOUT WORK.

LITTLE VIOLENCE SEEN.

Although the American shipping strikers were rewarded finally for their long "stay-out" with general wage increases, it will take them months, and in some cases years, to make up the wages which they lost during the strike. This opinion was expressed to-day on the arrival of the Monterey, which left the Pacific Coast a few days after the strike had ended. From comments that were passed it was gathered that the increases made were in several instances considerably below the original claims.

One man said, in fact, that the men i were, a good deal worse off than they had been. He said that with increasing business and growing general prosperity an equivalent rise would have come as a matter of course. The long strike had meant a long period without pay, and with savings severely drawn upon, and often exhausted, it would lie many months before the wage increases would make up for the lost pay. Varying Increases. The increases varied among the different classes of maritime workers. In some cases they were as low as five dollars a month; certain stewards received an additional ten dollar*, while other cla&ses were increased by 20 dollars. There was also a varying reduction in hours. During the strike, according to a passenger, a lot of money was lost on both sides. "Seventy five per cent of the men did not want to strike." he added. "They were forced into it. Radicals—'rats,' we call them—helped to stir up the trouble. Mo«t of the men, and the public a« well, were mighty glad when it was all over and they got back to work." There had been few instances of \ iolence, he added. On one occasion, however, a group of men whom he called "tigers" drove about in cars, jumping out and "beating up" a few of the picketers. He said that no one seemed to know exactly who they were. On Picket Duty. Kxperiences in San Francisco were related by a young man, who recalled that his ship had reached port after the strike had been declared, so that its men had had no part in the vote. "It seems like a dreain to look back on days.' he said. "The waterfront was like a graveyard—but what a cliunge there was the dav work besran again! "A lot of men had a pretty tough time during the strike. 1 was' luckier, for I had saved a bit of money, but some men with wives and families only just e.\i*ted. The utiions found lodgings for those who couldn't afford to pay, and soup kitchens were established down on the waterfront. You'd see trucks loaded with coffee and soap and food going backwards and forwards. I took part in the picketing down at the wharves. If you didn't want to take your turn you had to pay in two dollars a week, and you were not supposed to get a job until 90 days after the strike was over. But when we left port ships were sailing with short crews, so I think maybe they have had to alter that arrangement. Picketing went on 24 hours a day, with watches of six hours each. It wasn't so bad at first, for the nights were fine, and we used to stroll along the wharves, play cards, and generally 'chew the rag.' But later we got some mighty cold weather, and influenza was going strong through the citv.

"Happily, there wasn't much rough stuff. It was nothing like the 1934 strike, when there was a battle everv day. It seemed to be a money strikejust seeing how long the companies would hold out. A couple of picketers were beaten up pretty badly, but things were generally very well organised. It's funny how quickly time seemed to pass."