The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-05
Coast Seamens Union Expected to
Demand More Pay.
PREVAILING RATE IS NOW s35.
Cannery and Sealing Rusiness at the
rether with the Great Alaska
Trade. Makes sailors I'm Demand
and as q Result the Seamen Will
Likely Ask for at Least $40.

Seattle shipowners and shipping masters
are looking for demand for an increase
in wages on the part of the Coast Sea-
mems Union. The prevailing rate out or
this port Is now SIS and a demand for
raise to $40 will be made very shortly.
The prevailing rate out of San Francisco
has been $50 all winter, but for the past
few weeks s35 has been paid in many in
stances. A few days ago $40 was demand
ed and shipping men say that Seattle sea-
men will not be long behind their San
Francisco brethren in making similar
demand
1t is not so very long ago that the sea-
men on the Pacific coast were glad 10
get ss5 a month for their work on steam
ers and sailing vessels. The Alaskan
rush, which brought every steamer that
had been laid up for the past ten years
and all of the sailing craft on the coast
into service, soon changed the status Oh
things. Instead of there being more sea-
men than jobs demand for seamen was
instantly created. The Klondike rush
also increased the coasting business be-
tween Seattle and San Francisco and this
made the demand greater. Wages went
from SIS and S35 in short order.
This is the time of year when seamen
are in most demand. The cannery steam
ers and sealing vessels are shipping crews
and have to offer good prices to get them.
AS high as $40 has been paid in several
instances by vessels getting crews at this
port, and shipping men say that raise
to $45 is in sight if the kiondike steamers
keep running.
The crews shipped last fall are still
drawing but So month and it is in their
behalf that the Coast Seamen's Union
will demand $40. The San Francisco Ship
owners Association does not desire to pay
more than $50 a month. but will probably
come to time after few more experiences
like that which happened 10 the ship Luz
cie last week.
Capt. Anderson, of the Lucille. had
shipped union crew at San Francisco at
s35 a month for the trip to Seattle. He
was just getting ready to haul out into
the stream from his wharf when a walk
ing delegate of the Coast Seamen's Union
came aboard. The walking delegate ord
cred the men to demand $40. and in event
of their being refused, walk ashore. The
men had shipped at s. more than the pre-
vailing rate and refused TO leave the ves-
sci. The delegate informed the men that
if they refused they would be blacklisted
and barred from ever shipping from the
port of San Francisco. The men decided
to stay aboard and the delegate collected
their books OF membership. He left the
ship presumably TO get men to remove the
Iuciles crew by force. but before he
returned a tug had come alongside and she
was safely out in the stream
If a fight is made for S45 out of this port
there is liable to be clash between the
Shipowners' Association and the Coast
Seamen's Union. Several of the local ship
owners say they will have to come TO the
demands of the union as they have no
remedy. Others say they will ship nom
union crews and IL this is attempted there
will be trouble. II has been some time
since the two organizations came together
on the Sound and the trouble is likely to
be interesting.