The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-03
Leaders Announce That Longshore-
men viii Refuse to Work
With Wages Cut.

work in Pensacola bay today, accord
ling to announcement of some of the
leaders in the fight for retention of
the present wage scale. A general
holiday was observed yesterday, and
from the attitude that the longshore-
men are taking, and expressions from
/ their leaders, it looks as if the ship
ping business of this port is likely to
be held up for several days.
| One argument against the ten cent
cut which is made by the longshore-
men is that the members are not al
ways employed, and that, even at the
present rate of payment, the wage
scale is inadequate in many instances,
for a man with a family, who is en-
pIoyed for only part of each week.
j. H. Fricke, district president, who
has been in Pensacola for several days
in conference with the men. gave out
no statement to the public while in
the city, but it is understood that he
backed the longshoremen in the stand
they have taken.
One contention made by the MEM
Ibers Of the locals here is that Pen
sacola longshoremen are expert at
| loading, and that vessels which load
at this port do so more quickly than
in Mobile and Gulfport and for that
on an equal basis with Mobile is hard
| ly fair to this port.
on the other hand, the shipping in
terests of Pensacola feel that it will
work hardship on this port to ad-
here to the present wage scale, and
yesterday made the following state
ment of their position:
| On Sept. 30th, 1921, at a general
conference of the International Long
shoremens Association held at New
Orleans, a uniform wage scale, COW
ering general longshore work was
adopted, subject to the ratification of
the employer interests at the various
gulf ports, and the U. S. Shipping
Board
This scale was on a basis OF 60
cents per hour, straight time and s1.00
per hour for overtime,
Since October 1st, 1919, the ports
of New Orleans, Gulfport, Mobile, Pen
sacola and st. Andrews Bay we're all
working under the same general
agreements with the international
Longshoremen's Association, and were
all paying the same scale of wages. ,
The new scale was put into effect
on october LIST, 1921, and the shipping
interests of Pensacola accepted it
without any question, ana have, been
paying it since that date, feeling that
SO long as this rate applied to all gulf
ports it was fair t. all concerned.
Immediately after the aforemen-
toned wage conference at New Or
leans, certain shipping interests at
the port of MCf3!la repudated the new
wage scale, contenaing that it was
greatly in excess of the wages they
wished to adept, and announced that
they would pay $50 cents per hour,
for overtime for general longshore
work, and that the /. l.. A. could ac-
cept this, or not. as they chose.
About this time, Mobile was favored
with an official visit of two of the
members of the United States Ship
ping Board, Mr. Frederick l. ThomI,
son (who Is resident of Mobile) ana
Mr.. T. V. O'Conner, the LABOR member
of the shipping board, and former
president Of the international Long
shoremens Association
Apparently through the influence of
Iese gentlemen, one of whom is nat
urally greatly interested in the de-
velopment of the port of Mobile, Ore
CARELESS of what injustice is being
done to other gulf ports) and the
other, who is still undoubtedly a lom-
mating factor in all affairs of the 1.
=. A, in conjunction with the shipping
board operators of the port of Mobile
and other local shipping interests OF
that city, induced the local officials o.
the International Longshoremen's AS
ISOLATION to accept a compromise scale
of SIS cents per hour, straight time ano
50 IL cents per hour for overtime, anc
made an agreement with the various
l. L. A. locals on this basis, effectiv,
till Sept. 30th, 1922, and Mobile is nov
favored with these rates.
Up to this time. Gulfport had beer
paying according to the New Orleans
scale, but the shipping interests there
feeling that they were being discrim-
mated against by the I. L. A. in favol
of Mobile, attempted to put in a low
er scale. This caused a walkout OF
the longshoremen, which lasted a short |
time, or until the shipping board sem
their Mr.. jenkins. a field representa- |
tive, to Gulfport, and he succeeded in |
having the l. L. A local officials adopt /
the Mobile scale of 55 cents and SO 1-2, |
which was agreed to by the shipping |
interests of that port.
The foregoing is a statement of the |
facts leading up to the present situa
tion at the port of Pensacola.
When the I. L. A. accepted at Gulf |
port as well as at Mobile, the rates |
of SIS and 50 IL cents per hour, the |
steamship agents, and the lumber and |
TIMBER exporters of Pensacola (who |
were still paying the New Orleans |
scale) found that this discrimination
was beginning to affect their business