Cheyenne record., 1921-04-28
,7s mn II 8 SHIP WORKERS RE-
JEcr NEW CONTRACT PRO-
posAL BY OWNERS.
Marine STRIKE MAY |
ALL OVERSEAS AND coASTw'ss
SHIPPING is INVOLVED IN
LABOR STRUGGLE.
western Newspaper uniou News ser'ice''

New York, April 26.-Lines tendlhs
toward nationwide strike on May
of more than 10000 unioniZeu murine
un,inccrs. firemen and seamen, were
c,osolv drawn here when the unions
refused to consider a new c"h''"e'
nronosrd by the owners carrying wage
cuts averaging 25 to 81 per cent.
The engineers, through their ma
,fonoI nresident, William X. Ryan, 1ol-
lowed their refusal by issuing strike
order effective that date If the cut Is
mt into effect. The flremen anu sea-
men, through Andrew Furusetil' pres'-
,lent of the International Seaihehs
Union, said their men, had voted on
the matter and they, Sbo, would qult
work If the wage cut was made etiect'
I've Overseas and coastwise Amerl'
can flag ships on the Atlantic, Gulf OF
Mexico and Pacific will be involved
unless the differences are adjusted.
The conferences were the ctllmiha'
tiOn of a series of meetings between
representatives of the unions anu the
owners, The engineers last week an
nOl,nced II wage cut would rot be nc-
repted and the declaration was reit-
Grated. AT previous conferences, the
firemen and seamcn insisted that wage
questions be made secondary to en-
forcement of alleged violations OF the
La Toilette law, nbOlishment or the
Shippng Boards Sea Service Bureau,
and preference in employment OF union
men.
The answer of the owners was that
the La Toilette seamen's law was
federal statute, and the sea service bu'
reau was n government agency. 1t was
further stated that this bureau was
furnishing American ships with sea
men, so per cent Of whom were Amer
lean citizens, while the seamen's
unions were furnishing negligible
percentage of Americans. Preference
| in employment of union men was de
clnred to be discrimination against
Americans and the demands were re
fused.
As II result of the refusal, Mr.. Furu
seth and his associates left the meet
ing and declared that the men wOul'
refuse to work after May l, If the wag
reduction was put into effect.
Ships on the Great Lakes and tugs
barges and other craft employed II
harbor transportation would not be al
fected by the strike, union leaders said
as they are under separate contracts
A tleup Of deep sea and coastwis
ships would be felt by several hundred
thousand men. Recent reports o
American shipping show that tn
United States shipping board owns l
773 ocean going ships. of 7,79O.73
gross tons. the majority in the hand
Of private operators.
In addition there are 1917 ships Q
5.125,273 gross tons owned by privat
companies. The American flag pas
senger vessels which possibly would b
affected by strike include those Q
the International Mercantile Marine
Hamburg and Antwerp service; til
United States Mail Steamship Com
pany and the United American line
In the European trade, and all coast
wise lines operated on the Atlantic an
Pacific coasts and between cities OF
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
The engineer representatives dc
clared that the American strike woul,
throw out of work approximate,
5OOOOO men of the allied marin
trades.