The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-19
Marine Union Meet
Shows Growth of
Seamen'S Struggle
Southern Contrasts After
Two Years i'm the
Soviet Union
Continued from Page y


conditions. Ours was the only
marine workers organization that
adopted this policy from the begin
ming. The IS.U. and LILA. are part
and parcel Of the NRA. machinery,
helping to introduce its fascist gov
eminent control of labor organiza-
tons, for the benefit of the owners
of industry The I.W.W. at first hail
ed the N.R.A. as a Charter of La
Dor Rights" then later repudiated
it, but has done nothing to fight
against its enslaving codes.
Union Position Correct
The position and activity of the
M.WI.U. has proved to be correct
by the struggle the marine workers
have waged against the code pro-
visions A wage cut from imitation
has been followed by a decrease in
tonnage in operation, he pointed
out. The unemployment situation in
the industry has in no way i'm
proved. The fright to organize" is
not worth the paper it is printed on.
Men are fired daily for organizing,
and blackHsted for trying to organ
ize their fellow workers.
On the West Coast, the MIRA.
decision, putting the Blue Book
company union on the same basis
as the LILA, shows its strike break
ing character. There is no recogni-
ton of labor oranization-in fact,
$4,000 seamen and longshoremen
who endorsed the M.WIU, code
have been deliberately denied rep
resentation at code hearings, and
ignored in code preparations.
This showed our convention was
right. said Hudson He called for
more activity to develop the resist
ance of the seamen and longshore-
men to the N.RA. and the shipown-
ers' effort to reduce wages and
working conditions.
Many Strikes
Mass strikes are taking place for
the first time since 1923 in the ma
rine industry, Hudson reported. He
cited the Collier strike in Boston,
where fourteen coal boats struck,
and the threatened strike OF all
West Coast longshoremen, which
was betrayed by President Roose-
velt after Ryan, President OF the
LILA. had failed to stop it.
Because we have not carried on
sufficient work, and made sufficient
Roadway among the longshoremen,
we are still weak, he said, and
recommended more work among the
longshoremen as well as among the
seamen. He reported large growth
in union membership among ooth
longshoremen and seamen, and
recommended a drive for 5000 new
members by August. The National
Committee took this up with en-
thusiasrn.
Support to German seamen
The committee adopted resolu-
+ion supporting the German section
of the international of Seamen and
Harbor Workers, with which the M.
w. T.. U. is also affiliated, and de-
cided that the union should put out
a special 5 cent stamp, the entire
proceeds of which shall go to the
German section for its struggle
against Hitler and the German
shipowners. The committee also
resolved to strengthen the struggle
against fascism in this country. and
the fight against the ships flying
the Swastika flag.
The committee also decided to in
4 crease the sale Of the Marine
Workers Voice. which has been
growing in circulation and Influence,
raising the number printed by 1000
Immediately and by 5000 before the
August conference.
The National United Front Con-
ference, to be held in August, will
be preceded by a conference on the
Gulf Coast and on the West Coast,
to be held in June. In the mean
time. Hudson is to make tour OF
the West Coast during June, to help
in the work of developing the con-
ference into a mass struggle against
the low wages and bad conditions
on ships and docks, and to
strengthen the united front against
the shipowners and the N. R. A.
The committee meeting heard Bal
timore report on the success of its
fight for relief controlled by the
seamen themselves, and for the
Centralized Shipping Bureau, under
which the seanen control all ship
ping out of the Port of Baltimore
under a strict rotary system Of
shipping. Baltimore demanded that
the other ports take action to force
similar control Of relief and shipping
not only to support their fight, but
because it is the only way the sea-
men and longshoremen can guar
antee decent relief and a system Of
shipping that is not honey-combed
with favoritism and blacklisting,
The committee decided that prac-
tically all forces of the union should
continue work in the ports they are
now working in, and the members
of the committee are now on their
way back to carry on the fight for
the M. W. I. U. program on ships
and docks.
Down tools May list! Rally the
fight against the N.R.A.'s attacks
on living standards and workers
organizations.