Evening star., 1934-07-15
BOARD
REV|EWSSTR|KE
National Labor Board Sums
Up Differences in Long,
Shoremen'S Walkout.
BY the Associated Press


lowing is the statement Of the gen
eral strike situation here issued late
today by the National Longshore-
mems Board appointed by President
Roosevelt
The members of the National Long
Shoremens Board. since their ap-
pointment on June 26. have given
their undivided attention TO the
problems confronting them.
In the longshoremen's strike the
employers have submitted to arbi-
tration by this board the issues in
dispute and agree to be bound by the
decision of the board
Agree to Referendum.
The longshoremen have agreed to
conduct a referendum of their entire
membership on the question, Are
you willing to submit all of the issues
in dispute between the l. L. A. and the
Water Front Employers Union to the
National LongshOremen' Board for
arbitration and agree to be bound
by its decision?" But the longshore-
men have made a condition Of such
vote that it shall not be effective
unless the maritime unions can con-
temporaneously come to an under
standing with the steamship COM
panies for the submission of their
controversies to this board for de-
ciSion.
The longShoremen's controversy in
wolves companies which do not en-
ploy seafaring men and the mari
time unions controversy involves
companie9 which do not employ long
shoremen. The longshoremen's in
duStry is a land industry. The mari
time unions industries are seafaring
industries.
Association Recognized.
The waterfront employers unions.
representing the employers of long
shoremen, have recognized the In
ternatlonal Longshoremen's Associa-
ton for the purpose of collective bar
gaining
The maritime unions have not been
recognized by the employers of the
Sea-faring men for the purpose of
collective bargaining because the en-
ployers claim that up to this time
they do not know who is authorized
to represent their employees for the
purpose of collective bargaining.
The maritime unions have pre-
sented, at the public hearings. state
ments OF their grievances, which on
their face appear to be genuine and
serious. They are not admitted by
he
to hear the grievances and, with
consent of the parties, to arbitrate
them. This board has power to con-
duct elections of the employees or
any employers to determine by what
person, or persons, or organizations
they desire to be represented in
order to insure the right of employees
to organize and to select their rep
resentatives for the purpose Of col
lective bargaining The board has
taken preliminary steps to conduct
such elections. Because the industry
involves men moving about on ships
at sea the completion of these elec-
tionS will necessarily take time. In
the meantime the board will. at the
earliest possible date, conduct elec-
tionS of the seamen now on shore so
that before they go to sea they may
express themselves as to the person or
persons or organizations they desire
to represent them in collective bar
gaining. The men ashore will, so
far as reasonable. be allocated to the
employers that they last served in
order to give the widest possible
scope for their representation in col
lective bargaining.
Make Answer Conditional.
The maritime unions have agreed TO
submit to their memberships, TO be
determined by referendum vote. the
questions whether they will agree to
place the entire questions at issue in
the boards hands for arbitration, but
they have made the answer condi-
tional upon acceptance by the other
unions on strike.
Forty-two steamship companies have
agreed to meet with representatives
of their Seafaring employees for the
purpose of collective bargaining, such
representatives to be selected in cleo
tions held in such manner as this
board shall determine, but they are
unwilling to agree in advance to sub
NIT to arbitration possible disputes on
unknown demands from unknown rep
resentatives. They state that the ac-
ton of the water front employers in
submitting their controversy with the
longshoremen to arbitration should be
an earnest Of the fair attitude of the
steamship companies in this regard.
The parties on both sides are con-
fronted with difficulties. The unions
are convinced that they can gain
more by standing together than by
acting separately. The steamship COM
panies are unwilling to agree, in ad-
vance of the selection OF representa-
tiyes Of the unions. to arbitration on
matters in controversy the extent OF
which. until the representatives are
selected, they cannot know.
The unions answer that the steam
ship companies know the nature of
their demands. which were disclosed
at the public bearings. But no one
can say until elections of representa-
tives are held, who will represent the
employees of any employer.
Companies Can Help.
The unions cannot be compelled to
deal independently of one another.
The steamship companies cannot be
compelled to agree to arbitrate.
The steamship companies can help If
they could agree now on a basis Of
arbitration. should collective bargain
IL q