The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-18
ONE SAILORS UNION.
The Separate Unions to Form a
National Body.
HOW WAGES HAVE ADVANCED.
Constant Influx of Men From Atlantic
to Pacific Coast-Secrets Of the
Bakers Strike.

The Sailors Union of the Pacific coast
has lust elected three delegates to repre-
sent the union at the national convention
to be held in Chicago in few days for the
purpose of organizing national union of
the craft. The delegates elected are John
Hast recently agent of the Seattle branch,
Frank Waterhouse and Thomas Finnerty,
all of San Francisco.
Heretofore there have been four separate
and distinct organizations of sailors in the
United States, the sailors of the Pacific
coast forming one union, those on the
Great Lakes another, those on the Allan
tic coast another and those on the Gulf of
Mexico still another. The union on this
Coast andthe one on the Lakes have been
the most successful. They succeeded in
advancing wages materially and have
maintained fair standard ever since.
The other two unions have not been
as successful in the work of Or
ganization and maintenance of wages,
coast. The result has been that large
number of sailors have been attracted
toward this Coast and the Great Lakes, I'M
til the number in excess of the demand in
these two districts has menaced the life of
Shc the COiuDetltiOu lOf
employment. One of the principal incen-
tives, therefore, for the formation of a
national union is the utilization of all these
independent unions that they may work
to the mutual interest of each other and
help the weaker to become strong without
yielding any of the advantages the
stronger ones have gained. 1t is proposed
to let each individual district take care of
its local affairs rs heretofore, aside from
working in unison with the other and hav-
ing an acknowledged head for the whole
country.
The union on the Pacific coast has had a
remarkable growth. 1t was organized in
1855 and now has about 5000 members
Aside from the regular monthly dues of 80
cents, each member is compelled to pay %
cents per month, two-thirds of which goes
toward the maintenance of journal the
union publishes in San Francisco and the
balance toward shipwreck fund which is
kept up for rendering assistance to ship
wrecked members.
Speaking OF the progress the union has
made and the necessity for organization
among the sailors generally, Agent H. A.
Thief, of the Seattle branch, said:
When the Pacific Coast union was organized,
there were about 2, 500 to 5000 sailors on the
Coast working for SIS to $50 per month. We
have increased wages from that rate to $40 to SIS
on coastwise sailing vessels, $45 to $50 on coast
wise steamers and steam schooners, and $50 to
s35 on foreign going sailing vessels. In addition
to this we have reduced the hours to ten on sail
ing vessels and nine on steamers. These ad-
vantages We gained in the face OF large influx
OF members of our craft There are now over
5000 seamen on the Coast, but If times were
lively we would have employment for about all
OF them.
People talk about employers treating their
workingmen fairly and claim that labor Or
CARNATIONS are unjust to the employer. Now
just notice how that argument compares with
the facts: Today the competition between tho
owners of vessels is so sharp that freights are
less than half what they were when the union
was organized Some of them say wages are too
high and the vessels are making nothing, but if
wages were reduced it would not lessen the COM
petition which is really the cause OF their max
ing nothing. A few years ago, when they had
things their own way, the gross earnings of
vessel were over twice what they are now, but
they only paid from one-half to three-fourths
our present rates of wages because we were at
their mercy. Yet people talk about the justice
OF employers. There 10 but one way to get justice
and that is to be in position TO demand it and
enforce your demand.