Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-05-22
! Loading of Alaska Ships
Cracks Stevedore Front;
Seaman Cause BETRAYED
NEGOTIATIONS IN HANDS OF
DISTRICT OFFICIALS,
NOT MEMBERSHIP
BY ALAN MAX

Seattle, May 19-All Alaska ships
to be loaded by the strikers, is the
latest sell-out move considered 10y
the lila and AF'L leaders at the
Frisco conference with the ship
owners and McGrady, MIRA repre-
sentative. This follows on the heels
of yesterdays Vancouver whereby
complete power was vested In the
district misleaders, Biorklund
Lewis and Peterson, by the Seattle
local.
The loading OF the Alaska ships,
unless Immediately stopped by the
rank al file longshoremen and sea-
men, will be the first complete
break in the strike, paving the way
for separate agreements through
out the coast. For the seamen 1t
means special agreement on the
Alaska line and an attempt by
the International Seamen's Union
leaders to drive the rest Of the
seamen back to work.
Rank and File Trioked
Yesterdays move TO give full
power to the district takers, was
fast one, thrown onto the floor
without any warning and high
pressured by Morton, Croft and
others with the help of a telegram
from McGrady, assistant secretary
of labor and chief of Roosevelts
personal strike breaking corps.
The district leaders have been
able to put across these sell-out
moves with the cooperation of the
local officials, who took no steps
to prepare for the strike, have pro-
vided no leadership during IL and
now haven't raised the question Of
strike benefits and relief. The rank
and file is not even kept posted
on what is happening. All inform
alton from the leaders comes thru
the capitalist press, from rumors
and from the noisy strike meetings
where motions pass so fast that the
longshoremen often don't realize
until later what has happened.
Leaders Ignore Convention
At the district convention held
in San Francisco Feb %, the rank
and file were able to force through
measures and resolutions, which II
carried out, would lead to winning
their demands. But the leadership
had no intention Of carrying them
out. No steps were taken to form
the waterfront federation which the
San Francisco convention called for
and which would unite seamen,
longshoremen teamsters and all
harbor workers. No steps were
taken to form the gang committees
out of which would have grown
a rank and file leadership capable
of handling a strike situation.
The greatest betrayal Of the lead
ers has been on the question Of
arbitration. The San Francisco
convention, the highest body Of the
union, ruled that there was to he
no arbitration - only mediation.
Mediation calls for a third part but
with final decisions TO be approved
by the rank and file. II is not nearly
as safe for the strikers as direct
negotiations, but il is a great step
beyond arbitration.
At Least Two Locals Solid
As soon as the strike broke out,
the leaders forced the local to agree
to submit wages and hours TO arbi-
tration. Yesterday fun power was
given to the district leaders at
their conference in San Francisco
to make final binding decisions.
The strike is not over. In San
Francisco and Everett the rank and
file are holding tight. In Seattle,
there is still time for the member
ship to take the strike in their
own hands and by refusing to sub
NIT to arbitration, win all the de-
mands.