The New York herald., 1921-09-27
NEW HARBOR union
GATHERS MEMBERS.
Revolts Against Fat Sal
aries for Officials Who
Work in Taxicabs.
ONLY ONE ON PAYROLL
Organizer Will Receive Pay
Of TOWbOat Deckhand,
$40 a Month.
OLD LEADERS CRITICAL
Hint That Organization Is
Backed by Employers or
the /. w. w.
ONLY ONE ON PAYROLL
OLD LEADERS CRITICAL

oul aioHS Soutn afd west streets,
where the men congregate who handle
tugs, barges and other harbor craft,
eight volunteers. headed by Albert
Laugel, circulated yesterday gather
ing new members for the new indepen-
dent marine union, the United Harbor
Workers Union, which has its head
quarters at 21 Coenties Slip.
Thomas Allison, president of the
new organization, made 1t plain that
none of the eight save Laugel is or
will be on the payroll of the new
union. The payroll of the new union,
unlike that from which the revolving
boatmen seeded, will contain only one
name. that Of Lauge. and he will re-
ceive merely the pay of railroad
towboat deckhand, S140 a month. The
revolters are through with high paid
union officials
TITS tough work hauling on a wet
hauscr all night out in the river with
Broadway lights giving you the wink for
paying out 4 dollar a month that some
fat union delegate blows in on taxi
cab" said Ole man. I'VE members did
n ten hour day six or seven days a
payroll never showed up at headquarters
some weeks until Saturday came round
and they needed our money"
Old Union Leaders Oppose II.
According to Allison. who holds a
license as marine captain. the union
jumped to 1,490 men yesterday. Many
men OF the old port and terminal union
and the Hoboken Beneficial Association
were signed w and paid in their dues
so cents a month, and 10 cents initia-
tion fee Many fioatmen and deckhands
on railroad tugs and barges also Joined.
1t is the intention of the new organiza-
ton to gather in not only the old MEM
bers Of the Harbor Boatmen's Union but
also from the Masters. Mates and Pilots
Association and the Marine Engineers
Beneficial Association. consolidating the
$4,000 harbor workers. not including
longshoremen, into one big union, with
out affiliation with either the American
Federation of Labor or the l. W. w.
Emphatic denial was made yesterday
of the engineers organization, and by
Capt. William Maher, business agent OF
the mssfers 1ss ad9 9niant iH ntsA Aa aardeton oas
of their members had resigned. both off,
cials declared. On the other hand the
United HarbJr Workers head asserted
that they had some licensed men al
ready and exrected to bring in more
as soon as their volunteer organizers got
really into action. The officials Of har-
Dor unions already organized and affili-
Gted with the A. r. OF l.. were obviously
very much opposed to the new organiza-
ton and were divided in calling It a
"scab OUTFIT possibly having the bless
ing of the employers. and a "wobbly
OUTFIT brought into being through /. w.
w. influence.
No Use for Beach Loafers.
At the Coenties slip headquarters hot
retorts to both charges were made. AS
soon as the organization had a sizable
membership. IL was intimated the other
unions would see that II had no fond
ness for employers. The only radical
thing about the organization was its
determination that II would have one
man payroll, the leaders declared. No
union officials SHOULD pull down" big
pay and then sell soap. or jewelry. or
make contracts with employers to fur
nish non-union foreign labor instead of
fighting for their own men.
Bitterness against certain employers,
voiced by several men who had Just
come off towboat on which they had
been paid for only one eight hour shift.
although they worked longer. was about
equal to tn, bitterness OF others against
certain union officials who got from
s45 TO $50 a week for their services "on
the beach,"
An effort to reach Arthur Olsen, secrc-
tary of the old Harbor Boatmens Union.
at his headuuarters at Hamilton ave-
rue. Brooklyn. failed yesterday. An
other union man refused to say anything
about the split.
On Thursday night n big meeting OF
Tie revolving men Is planned at the
Coenties slir building. There the pro-
posaI to form one big union. 50 that
when deckhands strike captains VIII also
strike. or vice versa. Will be discussed
and forwarded. Organization on SHOP
steward" lines. by which one unpaid
man In each railroad or towboat COM
ppny collects dues and turns the money
ever 10 the secretary. will also be made.
n