New-York tribune., 1920-08-18
Longshore1llen
Call Off Strike
Begun Mar. IL
Coastwise Pier Workers
Vote to Return To-day
or Tomorrow, Waving
Wage Increase Demand
germs Are Kept Secret
Employers Are Said to Have
Agreed to Clear Piers
of All Strike Breakers

coastwise longshoremen, members of
~. International Longshoremen's AS
.oe,ation, who have been on strike
.;nca last March, have voted to return
"a work at once. The decision was
uads at individual meetings OF the
v,rious locals yesterday afternoon and
confirmed at joint meeting at St.
yeronica's Hall last night.
Thomas V O'Connor. president of the
International Longshoremen's Associ-
atom declared last night that the men
would go back to work to-day or to-
norrow. He declined to make public
the terms under which the men agreed
10 resume their jobs.
II is understood, however. that the
steamship owners complied with the
workers demands that all strike
breakers now on the piers be removed
I. was also ntimated that, ,f the men
returned to work at once. 1t would
plsce them in better position in the
negotiations now in progress for new
contract to become effective Septem-
ber /.
Strike Began March II
This brings to q close one of the
longest struggles in the history of the
hsrbor, which for \ time caused a com
pete temp of freight steamships in
the coastwise trade and threatened to
bring about serious open shop" war.
The strike began on March u, when
hte men were refused their demand for
an increase Of Is cents an hour in
order to make their wages equal to
that OF the deep-sea workers. The
chip owners insisted they were not
able to meet the demand because of
the competition of the railroads and
we're supported in their position by
the National Adjustment Commission,
which had already ruled on the subject.
The fight continued for several weeks
until me unionized truckmen coycotted
the piers. completely tying UP all in
the city losing more than $1.0C0,000 a
pendent trucking system to break the
>
by the Citizens Trucking Company,
backed by the six strongest commercial
bodies in the city. Disregarding union
threats TO tie-up every industry IN the
city, the committee cleared the piers
AID in a measure restored coastwiSe
commerce.
week ago, James J. Riordan presi-
dent Of the United States Trucking
Corporation announced that an agree
ment had been reached whereby the
union teamsters had consented to haul
freight from the coastwise piers. The
citizens trucking committee then de-
clared that its trucking system would
be withdrawn on September l, but that
its organization would be kept alive as
a permanent weapon against strikes
snd boycotts that threatened the city's
trade
Waive Pay Raise Demand
1t was intimated then that the strug-
gle was near It's end. Conferences were
held almost daily between the ship
owners and the union officials, the last
Of which took place yesterday in the
ofice of H. II. Raymond, vice-pres ident
Of the Savanna Line and spokesman
for the steamship officials. Mr.. O'Con-
AoT and Joseph Ryan, vice president OF
the International Longshoremen's As
ISOLATION. acted for the workers. The
union heads it appears, we're finally
convinced that the ship owners were
unable to grant the raise in wages at
the present time and decided to waive
the question.
The matter was placed before the
seven locals involved, comprising about
5000 men, and vote or the question
Of returning to work taken. The de-
clsion TO return 10 work was confirmed
At a joint meeting Of the locals during
the night
we didn'- get all we asked for
commented Mr.. Ryan, after last nights
meeting, but under the circumstances
the deal seems favnrahln .