New-York tribune., 1918-09-28
1,400 Deckhands, Ole,
and Firemen Would
Serve u. S. Oversee.
Union Makes Offer
To the Presidest
All Tugs in New York Ha,.
Dor Can Be Run by
Women, Is Claim

Harbor boatmen's local union. mar.
up Of ! 400 deck hands, oilers, fren.,
cooks and fioatmen employed on tass
ferries and other craft in and abos
New York Hasbor, has offered Pres
dent Wilson the services Of all 4,
members for duty overseas. in its os,,
it declares that the work now done b,
them, with the exception of stokipr
boilers. can be well done by women
This is the first union TO volun.e.,
in body and the first to suggest th,.
the places of its members be taken bv
women. Other organizations have I'D.
mitted women TO the work done By
them. but it remained for the boatner
to invite women to take the places Of
its members, that they may be free FOR
national service abroad.
Announcement of the offer OF the
union was made by r. Paul A
Vacarelli. international vice -presi.
dent of the Longshoremen's Associs.
tion. and business manager OF the
union. At the same time, Mr.. VacareI.
lie made public g letter from tie
United States Shipping Board. thank
ing the union for its offer. which vii.
be taken up by Henry Howard. d.
rector of recruiting.
Claim No Exemption
Nearly all of the l,400 members q
the union have dependents and are
entitled TO exemption on this ground,
as we'll as on the ground that they
are employed in commerce. This the
1,400 have agreed to waive For the
care of dependents they suggest ths,
all wages be paid over for their SUP.
port.
The resolution making this offer,
adopted at a special meeting called
for this purpose, reads as follows:
Whereas, The members of the Har.
bor Boatmen's Union, Local S21,IL.
A., are composed of experienced
deckhands, oilers. fremen, cooks and
floatmen, employed in the harbor Of
New York and familiar with the
necessary work on all steam vessels
and
Whereas. The United States gov
ernment has need of experienced
firemen. oilers and deckhands for
overseas shipping. Therefore be it
Resolved, That we unanimously
volunteer our services to the United
States government, and request our
government officials at Washington
to lnduct our entire membership into
the government service and entirely
at the disposal OF our government
and its officials. whenever and where
ever they may order US for service;
and that the salary due. or to become
due, while in the employ Of the gov.
ernment, be paid over 20 the families
depending upon the individuals who
have such dependents, and be t
further
Resolved, That we again pledge our
solid support to the President Of th,
United States, nov in time of wsr
and forever and ever afterward
CORNELIUS T. BRESLIN, Pres
dent; WILLIAM L. FINK. Secretary
+. Paul A. Naccarelli, Business Man
ager.
Letter Sent President
In the letter to the President trsns.
mitting this offer Nj Vasarell sps.
cilcally recommended the use of WON'T
IN the places nov held by these men.
''ln my opinion, and in the opinion O
ali OF our members he wrote. all ;hs
work on The tugs in this hsrbor couh
be filled by women, with the exception
OF firing, which necessi1ates the shovel
ling of many tons of coal day; in
TACT. at this time there are many boats
IN this harbor on which women cooks
are employed in places formerly Tiled
by our men"
The resolutions. said Mr vacarelli
yesterday afternoon. spoke Tor them
selves The men have noted the shor.
age Of men in this class Of goyeFT'
Y eny work for which thev are ht'ed
Careful Iteration showed then
mat women could take :be'r ''''''
mere. This left them but one th'g
10 do get INTO work VII 70 hv
do the most 10 help win the war. tbs
they decided TO do and they decided
that the best way 10 do il was 70
volunteer in body for service cV'F
seas
THE government car use all ne
Skilled men Of this class overseas tas
i can recruit and We believed the ofe
Of so large body Of men would asip
All that now remains is Tor the SaR
ping board 80 tase them.
What viii become OF the an,'u
Il Is probable that q few Of rhe oids,
,embers viii nc found physically urn
for OVERSIZE WORK. Those will remsi'
behind. Otherwise the unior viii sn9'
up shop for the period Of the vss