The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-05-20
FEW KNOW There
IS A STRIKE ON
THE GREAT LAKES
Sailors Of Inland Seas Went Out in
1909 and Still Hold on After
Three Years
RY John Fitch.
Exclusive Service The Survey Press
Bureau

There is a strike today Of sailor!
OBJ the Great Lakes Few people
know 1t, and If you were around tht
docks in Buffalo or Conneaut or Du.
luth you might not suspect such q
thing unless you happened K
notice a placard in some little shop
proclaiming that God Almighty
hates a scab."
But the strike has been on since
the spring 1909. During that time
| the personnel of the seamen on the
boats has radically changed The
lake boats were II y last to fly the
American flag and to employ Ameri-
| can seamen. both having largely
disappeared from the high seas. To-
day the flag Is still to be seen on the
Great Lakes, but, according TO recent
testimony before the Stanley Com
mittee, the American seaman has
been displaced by the foreigner
The strike began officially with
| the opening of navigation in 1903
but the trouble began in the spring
of 1905 For the seven years 1901
10 1907 inclusive. the Lake Car.
rters' Association, which includes
most of the shipping on the Great
Lakes, made contracts with the un-
ions. That the boat owners were not
| satisfied with the relations existing
| during those years Is shown by q
| resolution adopted April Q, 1908
which declared that the experience.
OF the ship owners, managers anc
licensed officers for the past year
| mas demonstrated the necessity O.
what is known as the open-shol
| principle, in order to give that con
troll and direction of the ships which
is required for the equal good of the
owner, the employe Of the ships anc
the independent trade" The shiI
owners accordingly refused in 1905
to renew their contracts with thu
union.
According to the sworn testimon,
Of Victor Olander. secretary of tn
Lake Seamens Union, before tn,
Stanley Committee on February &
| 1912, Series of events followed
which indicated that the Lake Car
riers Association had determines
to eliminate union men from tn
Great Lakes. In May, 1908, accord
| ing to Mr.. Olander, the Lake Car
riers' Association decreed that mel
could be hired only through tn
shipping officers of the Association
Prior to that they had been employ
| ed wherever they could be secured
through the union headquarters. a
heir homes, or wherever they nigh
be found. Then the association is
J sued what were known as shippin
cards which a man had to have t
ret employment On the back of
was a space for the ship master t
write his opinion Of the mans sci
vices when he left the ship Olande
displayed at Washington a card o
which was written, Good vince
nau. but had too much to say abot
lnions, II. G. Regain, Masts
Steamer Mataafa"
In June, 1908. the ship owner
began to require the men to give u
heir union books The union eli
'umyented this plan by issuing dul
'icate cards Next the officers can
to the seamen with two slips OF
per, each one containing a stat
ment to be signed by the man; Of
statement being an admission tn
the signer was union man, and Il
other a statement that he was a no
tnlon man. To meet this new NOV
the union officials advised the
members to sign the non-union sli
When the season Of 1909 open
here was put into operation by t
ship owners what was known as
ri welfare plan, and on the introdt
+, ion OF this plan the men went
'trike It is claimed by the uni
Fl, men that the motive behind the pl
q and the effect Of it Is utterly to
~ rive them of their freedom.
r. The feature which they consit
Az inconsistent with their rights is
II method of employment through
Welfare assembly rooms which WI
established. Each assembly room
O be an employment bureau for 8
a men, The men In charge OF
m rooms issue certificates to those
or plying for employment limJted
lip one year, At the same time Il
We furnish a record discharge boo
G. bearing the same number as the {
III ltifipatp Thu pm plpva Ia thnn