United labor bulletin., 1910-04-08
The Lake Seamen
and Their Strike
They Continue Their Struggle for Free
dom With the Lake Carriers Associa-
ton While They Appeal to American
Patriotism.
(Ry V. A. oIander, Chairman Lake Dis
trict Grievance Committee.)

jectS, great deal OF attention mas been
called to the fact, disputed by none, that
on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts
there are very few native American sea-
men, such as would be needed to man our
navy in event of war.
Upon the Great Lakes, however, for
several years the exact opposite has been
true over SIS per cent. of our seamen on
the Lakes are either native or natural
lied citizens, very large majority being
native Americans.
Do you believe it to the best interests
of our common country that these remain
ing American seamen should be driven
ashore, compelled to leave their calling
because of unreasonable and decidedly
un- American WORKING conditions being
forced upon them?
These men have found it necessary to
go on strike against the dangerously I'M
fair terms of employment which an or
ganzation of shipowners, known as the
Lake Carriers Association, is seeking to
impose upon the seamen of the Great
Lakes.
The strike began May list, 1909, is still
in progress, and will be continued during
this season unless some honorable settle
ment can be reached.
For several years previous to 1908 the
unions had entered into agreements with
the Lake Carriers Association. Such
differences as existed were each year dis
cussed and settled for the season, usually
by compromise on the part of the unions.
In the spring of 1908 We wrote to the
Lake Carriers requesting that date be
set for the usual conference, having in
81 ,f thn old a
which had then expired. No demand was
made for any change in either wages or
working conditions.
Much to our surprise the Lake Carriers
entirely ignored our communication.
Shortly after the opening of navigation
in 1908 the Lake Carriers, through their
captains and shipping masters, demanded
that all seamen employed on their YES
sells must quit the unions. Seamen who
refused to do this were discharged. IL
went from bad to worse until many OF
the men were even required to take an
oath renouncing all allegiance to the
unions and to agree. under oath to re
main nonunion men as long as they sailed
for a living"
This continued throughout the season
of 1908, both on board the ships and in
the shipping offices. But by lodging each
blow and exercising unlimited patience
we pulled through the year, and while
avoiding strike we actually succeeded
in also partially avoiding the lockout
and at the same time we kept our unions
in good shape
/ In the spring of 1909 the Lake Carriers
Association again declined to meet repre-
sentatives of the unions, and inaugurated
an absolutely merciless industrial pass
port system. On May list, 1903, we went
on strike against this passport scheme
the main features of which are: A GER
ltifcate of membership in a so-called wei
fare plan" controlled by the Lake Car
riers; payment of fees by seamen to the
Lake Carriers; registration of name, age,
personal appearance, etc; an Industrial
passport, called a Discharge Book the
holder of which is to be thus identified;
a system of character marks, such as the
master of the vessel may choose to give,
upon which future employment or nom
employment is to depend; authority in
the hands of any ships officer to arbi-
trarily deprive seamen of the passport
regardless of the number of good" char
acter marks the sailor may have pre-
seamen must, when employed, deposit the
passport with the ships captain in order
that it may be readily and easily revoked;
system of so-called Assembly rooms"
on shore where seamen must congregate
when unemployed, preference in employ
ment being given TO those who frequent
these places to the greatest extent,
watch being kept on their attendance
while unemployed; an agreement by each
individual seaman, in writing, to submit
to all rules and regulations OF the as
sembly rooms" when ashore. and to take
no part in any organized effort to better
conditions, or to prevent deterioration
thereof, when employed on board ship;
obedience to such other rules and regula-
tions as the Lake Carriers Association
may See fit to inaugurate from time to
time.
This, sir, is the welfare plan" of the
Lake Carriers ASSOCIATION against which
we are now on strike 1t is a deliberate
attempt to deprive us of our liberty and
to establish industrial serfdom.
Do you believe american seamen VIII
ever submit to it? DO you think we ought
to submit? Do you believe that any body
of American seamen can continue TO ex-
list under it? Borl free men. taught from
boyhood to hold 5acred the American
concept of human liberty, our very ma
lures would compel us to leave the sea,
rather than to give up the freedom which
is ours by right Of birth and country.
1t is true that the Lake Carriers. as
part of their "plan' also offer to bury
seaman-if he has a passport-provided
he dies while on board one of their ships.
That is the excuse they give for having
named their scheme welfare plan.
Well we do not object to their providing
a funeral for us after death-though we
see no need of Lake Carriers Associa-
ton passport to secure entry to grave.
But we do emphatlcally protest against
their attempt to bury our hopes and am
billions for reasonably decent lives while
our souls still clinr 70 our hndieS