STRIKE SETTLED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22608, 22 December 1936, Page 9

STRIKE SETTLED

THE PACIFIC COAST FORMAL AGREEMENT MADE SHIPOWNERS AND SEAMEN By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received December 21, 11.30 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 21 Mr. Harry Lundeberg, head of the Seamen's Union on the Pacific Coast, announced to-night that a formal agreement to end the Pacific Coast shipping strike had been completed and accepted by the leaders of the shipowners and strikers. The next step would be formal ratification by the memberships of both factions. Mr. Lundeberg said earlier that he had no intention of permitting the Atlantic Coast strike to delay the settlement. The strike started 53 days ago. The Maritime Union contracts expired on October 1 and negotiations for their renewal proved fruitless. Mr. Lundeberg on October 7 presented the organisation's demand to the Maritime Commission that it should bring pressure to bear on the shipowners, who had "received millions in subsidies and refused to discuss wages, hours and conditions." A truce was arranged, but on October 30 a strike against all the shipping companies began and paralysed operations on the Pacific Coast waterfronts. A vote of tho Atlantic Coaalj seamen at New York empowered the Seamen's Defence Committee to call a general strike at the Atlantic ports if the Pacific differences were not settled, and this became effective on November 7. The strike Committee then began to formulate demands to submit to the shipowners for parity between the working conditions on the Atlantic Coast and the west coast. On December 14, }lr. Lundeberg announced that the Sailors' Union had reached agreements with the major shipping companies on all but two points. the chief of which was the appointment of a port committee to arbitrate in future disputes. A speedy end to the maritime strike was hoped for, as the sailors had won their principal demands. The shipowners announced that their losses owing to the Pacific Coast strike were estimated at 350,000.000 dollars. A survey showed the loss of 7,250,000 dollars for each working day on a basis of 230 idle ships and 37,000 idle maritime workers. Thousands of employees were idle in related industries, and 10.000 were participating in walkouts not directly connected with th§ shipping strike.