60,000 Dockers Strike In U.S.

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30561, 2 October 1964, Page 13

60,000 Dockers Strike In U.S.

(N.Z .P. A,-Reuter — Copyright)

NEW YORK, October 1.

About 60,000 watersiders in United States Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports went on strike today as negotiations for a new contract collapsed.

But President Johnson immediately took the first step to invoke the Taft-Hartley law’s injunction procedure in a bid to bring a swift halt to the walk-out that threatened to tie up almost 500 United States foreign-flag ships in United States east coast ports. The President last night appointed a three-man factfinding board to determine whether the strike would constitute a national emergency. As soon as the board makes its report, the President can order the Department, of Justice to seek an 80-day cool-ing-off period injunction provided under the Taft-Hartley Law. It was possible the injunction could be issued by tonight. Talks Break Down President Johnson acted soon after he was notified that the negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (1.L.A.) and the New York Shipping Association, representing the employers, had broken down. The major stumbling block toward a new contract has been the shippers’ demand for a general reduction of general

cargo work gangs from 20 to 17 men, in return for a guaranteed annual wage. The I.L.A. negotiators have refused to consider any reduction in the size of the work gangs.