The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-03-18
A STEVEDORING
COMPANY MAKES
TROUBLE AGAIN

i -
with the Longshoremen's Union and
red blood in their veins to 90 to
work under the Company's super
vision.
The company claims that it is
| justified in the steps taken and
that it is vital to Everett that ships
be loaded in Everett under precise
ly the same conditions that ships
are loaded elsewhere on the sound.
As a matter of fact there is no
justification for the Company's ac-
ton. The company has a signed
agreement with the Longshoremen
which it takes frequent opportuni-
ties to break, notwithstanding that
there is in that agreement provision
for a conference when either party
becomes dissatisfied, which ends the
agreement until differences are set
tied. This provision the company
ignored
The company is right when it
says "it is vital to Everett" Should
this stevedoring outfit have its
way the longshoremen here would
be compelled to work for less I'M
der humiiating conditions while the
company would continue to further
enrich itself off their labor What
the company would get the mer-
chants of Everett would lose The
longshoremen of Everett are bona
fide residents who earn and spend
their money here, and at that they
do not get enough the year around
to sustain a decent American stand
ard of living.
What this stevedoring company
wants to do is to maintain sort
of migratory gang of workers with
headquarters in Seattle. No good
for the men and not much good
for any but the headquarters town.
The company talks about ineffi-
cheney. There is nowhere a more
efficient gang of workers when it
comes to loading and unloading ships
than organized longshoremen. The
company takes percentage from
the shipmasters based on the earn
ings of the crews doing the work,
and the more inefficient the crews
the longer it takes them to do
the work and the more the steve
dores make for doing practically
nothing. They wish to disorganize
the longshoremen to- reduce their
pay.
The stevedores would take money
both from the longshoremen and
the company. Where there is
we'll organized union the work is
done in shorter time and the ship
has to pay less if it makes it's CON
tract with the union, which charges
nothing for the contract. The ship
does not have to pay a do-nothing
company for doing nothing but
make trouble.
The company makes much fuss
about the "list SYSTEM" which is
nothing but a rotation of work tax
en- from a list of members Of
union.
LongshOremen's Statement
Read the longshoremen's state
ment, reprinted from the Herald,
which is a fair, honest manly state
ment of the case. Business Agent
Frank Preston of the Longshore-
mems Union says:
First that the West Toges would
be in harbor this morning.
Second, that his company in
tended choosing its own men for
loading the vessel.
Third, that his company intend
ed abolishing double time for meal
hour work and pay only straight
time.
Fourth, that his company intend
ed paying only for actual time
worked.
"The hour Of 1870 o'clock yester-
day afternoon was named by Carl
son as the time he intended choos-
ing men for the job To our
knowledge he picked no men from
this union. He probably chose some
union men. Of that l am not sure.
81 do know that someone in Sc
attic recruited gang of about 40
men, most of them from the two
Seattle longshoremen's locals. They
arrived in Everett about 10 o'clock
this morning. We held a confer
ence with them and after they
learned the situation all but about
eight of them went home. Those
who remained, l understand, are
working on the boat.
eve have an agreement with the
stevedoring company. 1t provides
that when either party wishes to
break the contract at least 80 days
notice shall be given. The COM
pany has broken the agreement on
two hours notice. We were not even
given chance to get together and
talk it over. Last night was our
regular meeting night and no OPP
then. The company simply decided
to break the agreement and then
locked us out.
1--WE maintain that it is unf9ir to
us. Most of our men either own
homes or are paying for them. One
of our trustees, o. Burnett, has
Just shown me a receipt for taxes
he paid, SOL. We were blamed
for running the Steelworker out of
town and letting $4,000 in wages
go to Seattle. How about this sit
uation? How about the stevedor-
ing company going OF Seattle and
bringing 40 men up here to take
the places of Everett taxpayers
who honestly need the money to
feed their children? 1t doesn't look
like square deal for us.
"We do not dispute the bosses
right to fire a man who is no good
on the Job. If he is inefficient we
are willing that he should go and
let man who will work, take his
place. The list system gives us a
chance to apportion out the Jobs. 1t
gives everyone a chance to do some
work on these lean days
"There is no wage dispute al
though the bosses order on the ex-
ira time is a wage cut"