200,000 MEN INVOLVED

Northern Advocate, 17 June 1947, Page 5

200,000 MEN INVOLVED

Two hundred thousand . maritime workers affiliated to the Congress of Industrial Organisations, began to walk off their ships at midnight, thus paralysing shipping in all major ports of the United States, an earlier message stated. Eleventh-hour efforts had failed tc break the deadlock with the shipowners over the negotiations of new contracts. ’

When the existing contracts expired at midnight, seamen and dock work-

ci's, accusing the owners of imposing a lockout and of failing to bargain in good faith, left their jobs under their “no contract, no work” policy. Not all American shipping is idle. The maritime unions affiliated to the American Federation of Labour announced that they would continue to work, but would not operate ships owned by firms whose employees are on strike. Neither would they cross CIO picket lines around individual ships.

The first ships affected were thejise at east coast ports. The tie-up ot Gulf and west coast shipping followed as the midnight deadline moved west. The joint policy committee of the five CIO unions concerned announced early today it had directed the members of the unions to stay on board their ships and to refuse to work until ordered off. then to begin picketing on the contention that they were locked cut.

This strategy was designed to force the owners into driving the men from the ships, thus creating in fact what the seamen claimed already existed —a lockout.

As the committee sent out these instructions eight minutes after midnight, they presumably applied to those men who had not yet walked off.

The west coast unions were conducting separate negotiations with the Pacific Coast shipowners, but were pledged to walk out if the east coast unions failed to win contracts.

Pacific shipowners estimate that 200 of their ships will be tied up in west coast ports.

The National Maritime Union, 90.000 strong and the largest of the five CIC unions involved, walked out after the shipowners had rejected its demands for a 20 per cent, wages increase, a 40hour week, six weeks’ paid holiday and other benefits. The owners offered extension for a year of the existing contract, with provision for a review of wages on December 15.

Two other CIO unions directly involved in the east coast and Gulf negotiations walked out with the National Maritime Union. They were the American Communications Association, which asked for a 15 per cent, wages increase and other benefits, and the Marine Cooks and Stewards, whose 12,000 members asked for an extension for a year of the existing contract.

Will Affect N.Z.

(P.A.) WETXIN&TCN, This Day. It is expected that New Zealand will be affected by the United States maritime strike.

Definite information is expected within the next few days concerning the sailing of various slips trading between New Zealand and America.