The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-01

men and licensed officers IN
Since Tuesday, Sept. IS, 1880 sea-
men have signed strike pledge cards
Of the M.W.I.U. in New York-oyer
300 of them directly from the ships.
Five hundred and seventy Baltimore
Seamen signed pledge cards the first
three days of the campaign. Prac-
tically every seaman on the beach
and on the ships who entered the
port of Philadelphia has endorsed
the M.WIU. strike call. The re-
ports from Boston and other Allan
tic ports reflect the same mood for
mass struggle throughout the North
Atlantic.
Although the drive is progressing
a little slower in the Gulf, due to
organizationa1 weaknesses and lack
of forces and financial support, tele-
grams and letters which have ar
rived from Tampa, Florida, and
Mobile, Alabama, where the NV.
III. has no organization, requesting
information on the coming strike,
indicate that the possibilities for
crystallizing the sentiment for strike
action also exist in the Gulf.
Left Wing Gains In Frisco
Finally, the election Of the Frisco
International LongShoremen's Asso-
citation left wing slate, the improved
recruiting into the M.WI.U. in
Frisco and Seattle, and the recent
strike of over 300 lockers in San
Francisco to force the removal Of
scabs on the Dollar docks-an caused
by the mass resentment against the
West Coast Presidents Arbitration
Board-indicate the possibilities Of
developing a marine strike upon a
national scale for uniform scale Of
wages, working conditions, control OF
hiring halls and union recognition.
Mass discomfort of the seamen,
and a frantic desire to check the
growth of the MWIU., forced the
International Seamen's Union lead
ers to issue a strike call for Oct.
in the hopes of winning ''recogni-
ton" for the I.S.U. leaders-to COL
lect dues-but not the demands Of
the workers. The simultaneous call
of the M.W.I.U. for joint action Of
seamen and longshoremen, and a
united front of all trade unions and
the unorganized, has aroused the
masses for action. The energetic
campaign launched by the MWIU.
has aroused the initiative of the sea-
men, organized and unorganized,
who are carrying on an energetic
campaign to organize action commit
tees on every ship.
Move For United Front
The move for a united front in
preparation for joint strike is The
most important part of the strike
Preparations Every marine union
has been approached by the NV.
III. for a united front. Joint strike
preparation committees are being
formed in all ports. The New York
Committee includes the representa-
tives of the M.WIU., the American
Radio Telegraphist Association and
the unorganized. Although the off,
Gals of the IS.U., LILA. and other
unions have sabotaged the united
front proposals, rank and file men,
bers of these unions, speaking at
meetings called by the M.WIU.
have pledged to carry on fight to
bring their organizations into the
Joint Committees. During the past
few days the action Of the workers
have forced the IS.U. leaders to re-
frain from attacking the M.WIU.
and on Friday night the seamen Of
New York refused to allow the IS.U.
speakers to continue their mass
meeting when they refused to state
their stand on the United Front.
The shipowners' fear Of the grow
ing strike movement is best reflected
in the extreme politeness with which
the Administrator of the Marine
Division of the MIRA. greeted the
small delegation of seamen who we're
elected to warn the government that
thousands of the marine workers
demanded representation of the
M.W.IU. at all meetings arranged
to discuss the demands of the work.
ers and the pending strike This
politeness and interest" in the de-
mands of the workers and assur-
ances of a square deal' did not
serve, however, to hide the fact that
already the government, through
the NR.A., is working hand in fist
with the shipowners and labor fax
ers, to prevent a strike.
Cites Bosses Alliance
After first denying that code
was even being considered" Mr..
PEBBLES the Administrator, then adj
mitted that steps might be taken to
reopen the question of a code and
stated by inference that of course
this would mean a number of hear
ings, considerable time spent, and
Of course delay in strike action if
the marine workers were to place
reliance upon the MIRA. to win en-
forcenent of their demands. Mr..
PEBBLES statement that he felt GER
tain the shipoWners would negotiate
the demands "but were unable to
determine who the representative of
the workers were show that the
shipowners hope to prevent action
for the demands of the workers by
carrying through an election to
determine the representatives of the
workers.
TIFF direct alliance of the ship
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