New-York tribune., 1919-03-18
1872 Men Refuse to Con
t;nue Government w ork
on Tugs at Old Wages
Breach Is Growing
Wider in Port War
Owners Refuse to Meet
Union Heads, Men Will
Not Meet Their Lawyer

owned tugs eiiPloSeu III oi my anu navy
service quit work last night because
in their pay checks yesterday theil
wages had been fixed by the scale Of
wages prevailing prior to the strike
and below the rate paid for like worl
on tugs directly operated by the gov
eminent. In all 1872 men quit.
Captain William A. Maher, Weep
;dent of the Marine Workers Affilia
ton. said the men had not been ordered
TO strike, but had quit voluntaril!
rather than accept less than the gov
ernment is paying its own employe:
for the same class of work. The rail
road administration. he said, woul(
lend the army and navy four tugs this
morning, while the affiliation stoot
ready to furnish crews for all boats the
government might procure, either b.
"bare" charter or Communicating.
Getting Further Apart
Other developments yesterday, which
showed the two sides further apar
than last week, Were
/. The refusal of the boat owners
to meet union leaders, and their
declaration that they will not meet
them until the demand for the eight
hour day is abandoned, with the fur
ther declaration that they will deal
with their former employees as indi
yiduals.
.. Declaration of the union lead
ers that committees of the men will
meet employers at any time, but un-
der no circumstances will they meet
with Paul Bonynge, counsel for the
boat owners.
g. The charge by Captain William
A. Maher, vice president of the Ma
rine Workers Affiliation, that the
railroad administration has a secet
agreement with the private boat
owners not to employ any of the
latters' striking employees, and, in
compliance with this agreement, had
discharged two men from the Lack
awanna s service.
4. Vote by the Port and Terminal
Workers and the Harbor Workers
unions to press for a revision of the
recent award to them by the Rail-
road Administration.
Bitterness on Both Sides
The announcement that men wht
had been exempted from all strike
orders because of their being engaged
on government work Of pressing ma
ture had quit work came at the enc
OF day that was marked with some
display Of bitterness on both sides.
First was the emphatic refusal o.
the strike committee to look at ar
olive branch in the form of tenta
tive offer of a ten-hour day and highel
wages. The final act was the positive
declaration by Joseph H. Moran, of the
Towbcat Exchange, that under no cir
cumstances or conditions would the
employers consider the eight hour day
or hold any conferences with the
strikers or their repre- esentatives unit
they had abandoned the eight houl
demand.
James L. Hughes, the Federal medi
stor who brought about the settlement
with the railroads, army and navy anc
snipping board, made several attempts
70 bring both sides together Once
he thought he had accomplished it anc
50 announced, but after Thomas L
Delahunty, the strike leader, had con
nrmed the announcement, Mr.. Bonynge
declared none would be held.
Two Declarations of War
Subsequently Mr.. Delahunty de
ciared the men would send committee
to meet the employers at any time, bu
they would, under no circumstances
sit with Mr. Bonynge. The boat own
ers' answer to this was declaration
That they would not deal with unioI
leaders. bat would deal with the mel
as individuals. The proposal to form
JOINT harbor committee, Independent
o. the unions, was renewed, with tn
further proposition that if the mel
preferred, "shop committees" would b.
formed as recommended to Englisl
workers by the Whitley commission.
he men on government work VIII
gut Their places were employed Of
boats owned by the Moran interests
tae Merritt & Chapman Wreckin
company, leading groups in the en-
heir leaders, they supposed they wer
earning the same rate of wages tha
were being paid on boats directl
operated by the army and navy wit
winch their boats work.
Not Ordered to Quit
We. did not order the men t
e.';. s.a,xe' said Captain Maher. "Thc
guy OF their own account. The
would not work for the governmen
scr less than the government rate O
pay, which they believed they were t
xs"e ssx There cannot be two stand
Ts Tas OF wages on government wor}
rnsl government officers have don
.notning yet They cannot act unit
ne walkout is officially reported.
IN these boats the men who uui
ass ave peen working eighteen hours
~ ior iess than government men 20
tor eight hours.''
Railroad tugs, Mr. Maher said. woul
,Yp.y nj part OF the shortage the tyin
p OF these boats would cause Th
torncH Towboat Company. one Of tb
nTysst operators In the harbor. h
~aasf, had agreed TO charter it's aee.
,.;say - aany part Of it, TO the government
without crews. '''''''
a.. ~ wili supply all OF the me
nssoec," he said, "and there ahoujd +
ss..y - Delay With the transports or on IN; i
ttson,t sts,t There is delay in transnort
hIs'nz for the other side, because IN
s.a 80 owners viii not charter coal an ~
usasr noats without crews. The Adria
NJ t whien ~, was 70 sail Wednesday. car
biIIsw it'll ~ untli Thursday. The responsi
VIZ bss @ Ier this delay belongs 10 thoa
sranss,u m .s,use 70 give boats TO the 20,
B We found to-day that ~. x.uuo.
esaaxsxs have secret s ngrsnmsnt s"y snisIa ,s;s