The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-04-27
BY Peter Power.

fiercest struggle ever waged be-
tween labor and capital on the
great lakes is now under way.
The Lake Carriers association,
composed of all the large vessel
owning interests, headed by the
Pittsburg Steamship Co., subsidi-
airy concern of the United States
Steel corporation, has delivered its
that no association of
labor will be recognized or dealt
with, that employees will be dealt
with as individuals, and that they
must sign a document pledging
them to refrain from acting col
lectively or in sympathy with one
another to adjust grievances.
In other words, the open shop
has been made the issue in this
contest.
The Spokesman for the Lake
Carriers association deny that they
are attempting to destroy the
unions, but the men point out that
the establishing of -socalled
welfare plan" is meant to serve
as a substitute for the union bene-
fits. Thus the vessel owners pro-
pose to pay employees a small in
surance in case of death or total
disability, while in the service,
ranging from SIS to seaman OF
his beneficiaries, to $500 to a
chief engineer. In case of ship
wreck and loss of their personal
-fxy IN rnpaiUQ
$40 and officers $50.
Assembly or club rooms are be-
ing established at all principal
ports to take the place of the pres
ent union rooms, where employees
may loaf while waiting for jobs
These club rooms will be provided
with soap and towels, newspapers,
periodicals, etc. Seamen are to be
assessed 1-3 cents per month and
officers somewhat more for these
benefits.
But the men of the lakes and
along shore are defiant. They de-
clare that under no circumstances
will they work under the condi-
lions imposed by the vessel own
ers; that to do so would be sign.
ing the death warrant of their
unions, which have required years
of effort to build up, and through
which many improvements in their
livelihood have been obtained.
In all probability some 10000
men will be directly involved in
this contest by the time the navi-
cation season is in full swing. As
many more employed on and along
the rivers and oceans who are af.
filiated with the men of the lakes
will also be affected in the matter
of extending moral and financia
support. 1t is not at all improba
BILE that upward of $4,000 team
sters, railway freight handlers ant
others may be drawn into this
struggle, if neither side recedes
and finally that the entire machin
cry of the American Federation Of
Labor, numbering 100000 work
ers, will be set in motion.
For several months the Lake
Carriers association has been di
recting its batteries against the
Marine Engineers Beneficial asso
citation, numerically the smallest oil
the lake unions. but the most com.
pactly organized, and it's members
are the most skilled and best paid
Of the workers who sail. Several
weeks ago the Pittsburg Steamship
Co. and several other large inter-
ests succeeded in creating a break
in the ranks of the engineers, a
hundred odd withdrawing from the
union and signing the open shop
contract. However, quite few
have since repudiated their con-
tracts and returned to the union
fold, and 1t Is now claimed that the
vessel owners have less than 10
per cent of engineers signed up,
and therefore are nearly helpless.
The firemen, oilers and water
tenders, credited with being the
most militant of the marine organ
izations, have followed the engi-
neers, declaring a general strike
against the contract system. Other
affiliated unions are on the point
of throwing their forces into the
fight.
That this war between labor and
capital will prove costly one is
but many of the union
while sincerely anxious
to avoid 1t, believe 1t will not
prove an unmixed evil. For a
number of years the marine unions
have been at loggerheads. Now
with a common enemy to fight
they argue that they must get to-
gether and present solid front,
and that is what is happening.
Another feature that tic labor
officials believe is in their favor
is the object lesson that will be
taught the public relative to the
encroachments of the United
States Steel corporation, which not
only seeks to domineer in iron
and steel production, but to die
tate what conditions shall prevail
in the marine industry. Just az
the small iron and steel manufac-
|turers are being crushed by the
|cut-throat competition inaugurated
by the trust, SO the small vesse
lownore are being eWept off the