Woman Speaks On Shipping Dispute

Northern Advocate, 18 July 1949, Page 4

Woman Speaks On Shipping Dispute

AUCKLAND, Mon. (Sp.) Miss Agnes Ireland, a member of the stall of the Canadian High Commissioner’s Office, spoke at a union meeting last night on the Canadian shipping dispute. After the audience had listened to an address by Mr D. Williams, a member of the Canadian Seamen's Union crew of the Tridale, idle for three months at Wellington, Miss Ireland spoke about the dispute which has paralysed Canadian shipping throughout the world and also about the rival Seafarers’ International Union. Members of the latter union form the crew of the Ottawa Valley, now at Auckland, under threat not to be worked by the watersiders and other unions. POINTS MADE Points which Miss Ireland claimed had not been mentioned by Mr Williams were that the Canadian Seamen’s Union executive had refused to accept the terms of ‘he arbitration committee, although the union’s representative on the committee had already done so on their behalf; that the shipowners had agreed to the award in February but the union had given no definite decision by March 21, when it called a “sit in” strike on the ships. It was not until March 33 that it had made known its decision. - Miss Ireland said that it was not until April that the owners had signed a separate agreement with the Seafarers’ International Union. The Seafarers’ International Union now had a larger membership than the Canadian Seaman’s Union, Miss Ireland claimed, although in 1047 the figures showed that the membership of the Seafarers’ Union was 2000 as against 10,000 in the Canadian Union. She also said that the Canadian Seamen’s Union was suspended following the unanimous decision of the executive of tire Trades and Labour Congress of Canada. PRIVATE CAPACITY Miss Ireland emphasised that she was not representing the Canadian High Commissioner’s Office by being present at the meeting. She said that she was visiting Auckland for the purpose of opening the exhibition of Canadian art tomorrow. She had seen the advertisement relating to the meeting and had decided to attend it in a purely personal capacity. The meeting unanimously decided to express its solidarity with the Canadian Seamen’s Union and the London dockers, and to support the decision of the Transport Workers’ Federation not to work tiie Ottawa Valley. Mr H. Barnes, president of the Auckland Waterside Workci's’ Union, said his union would work the ship when a crew belonging to the Canadian Seamen’s Union was flown out to replace the present Seafarers’ International Union crew.