The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-25
johnson Struts in
to Hear Demands Of
MMarineDelegates
Only Bosses Can Write
Codes He Tells
Workers
BY II. JONES
Editor of Marine Workers Voice"

EdNor OF Marine WORKERS voice
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24.-The
codes under the NRA will be made
by the employers, General Johnson
told a delegation from the Marine
Workers Industrial Union yester-
day. The workers have no right to
introduce their own demands and
opinions of what a days work or
wages should be, till after the
bosses have presented their codes.
Then the workers can protest, at
the public hearing, and make sug-
gestions. But until the bosses de-
eide they want the benefits of the
NRA the workers haven't anything
to say about it, Johnson said. The
only other way "code" can be put
into an industry is for the Presi-
dent to decide that the industry
must have one.
The delegation of the Marine
Workers Industrial Union consisted
of twenty seamen, longshoremen
and harborworkers, elected at meet
ings in the three North Atlantic
ports, New York, Philadelphia and
Baltimore. The whole delegation
was not admitted to hear the NRA
general do his stuff.
When they arrived at the Com
merce Building the delegation was
met by battery of plain clothes
bulls and reporters, expecting an
attempted revolution" The news
papers had re- orted the delegation.
as strikers from the ships, Diamond
Cement and Cornore, whose crews
walked off demanding wage in
creases and better working con-
Everything Ready
The delegates found that an APP
pointment had already been made
for them,-to see Ed McGrady.
chief labor skate of the NRA, who
tricked the miners into going back
to work a few weeks ago. The del
egates were informed that only
three of them could see McGrady
AS for seeing General Johnson, the
chief of the Blue Eagle, that was
impossible.
The delegation demanded that at
least four see whoever they talked
w OliC W ICplCoCAt CdSA NJ at III
the industry, and General spokes-
man for the Marine Workers In
dustrial Union. Four went to see
McGrady.
In McGrady's office they found
another of the A. F. of L. officials
who are pushing the NRA down the
workers Threats. McGrady wasn't
there. The delegates renewed their
demand TO see johnson, and finally
the general came in, for a few min
utes, which stretched to a whole hour
as the workers drove nome poms
after point on the desperate condi-
ton of the marine workers, md the
robbery that IS practiced AGAINST
them by the A. F. Of L. unions in
the industry.
No Right to Organize
Asked whether the NRA gave the
right to organize or not, Gen. John
son said that it didn't, but SO far
as he knew there was "no law" to
stop the workers organizing. The
general is rn+ familiar with the
laws under which organization is
stopped and crushed-when he talks
to workers. The delegates pointed
out how the bosses fired any one
who joined an organization, how
police and other government agen-
cies were used to smash labor or
CARNATIONS.
Johnson said that the NRA had
"no jurisdiction" till the employers
had decided to get the benefits of
the NRA by abandoning their OPP
position to collective bargaining"
and a code was passed.
A delegate pointed out that at
present the government "recogn-
ized" the International Seamen's
Union as the spokesman" of the
seamen, in spite of the fact that
not one in 500 of the seamen be-
longed to that organization. In
fact, the seamen have repudiated
the I. S. U. completely The MWIU
on the other hand, is endorsed by
thousands of seamen beside it's
membership. and is growing rapidly.
The delegate asked Gen. johnson
which organization would represent
the seamen under the shipping code.
"That's tough nut to crack" said
Johnson. The delegation pointed
out that the MWIU was cracking
that nut" by organizing the sea-
men and leading their fight for bet
ter wages, full crews and shorter
hours.