The daily worker., 1935-01-12
MARINE MEN FIGHT
HOPKINS POLICY
OF FORCED LABOR
Seamen Organize Against Relief Administrator 5
Strikebreaking Decentralization Plan
Walk Out in New Orleans

/ receive 1t they left Wickenden's Of
| fee and went to Hopkins Office tc
lay the seamens demands before
/ Williams.
Williams Defines Relief Policy
Aubrey williams met the dele
| cation with an outstretched hand
and a broad demagogic smile but
Z quickly changed his attitude when
! presented with four basic demands
mo forced IaDOr-au work
TO be paid for at the union
stanG-oy rate OF S4.5U per day
with a minimum Of three days
work per week.
Cash relief equivalent to at
least three IS cent meals a day
IS cents for bed-this a mini
mum to vary according to locality.
Two carfares day, plus tobacco
money in addition to be furnished
with toilet articles, clothing, etc.
Passage of H. R. 2S2f.
S.-Open hearings on relief,
seamen's occupational status, etc.
to be held Immediately in all
ports.
4.-Immediate reinstatement of
all seamen in Baltimore who
nave Deen denied reIief because
Of their refusal to work and in
New Orleans where they are
striking against work.
The delegation stated that these
demands constituted an ultimatum.
that the refusal to grant these de-
mands meant that strikes would be
instituted against forced labor in
all ports as soon as it was started
and that in addition, relief strikes
would be organized in sympathy
with the striking New Orleans sea-
men. Giving the seamen's definition
Of their own status and the neces-
sity of a special occupational sta
tus on relief, the chairman of the
delegation stated:
The seamen have a definite
home-there home is the sea
therefore, any port where a sea-
man may be or any ship upon
which he works, is his legal resi-
dence. Ship schedules vary and
seaman in order to obtain en-
ployment, must be on the water
front "a hours a day. This pre-
cludes any form of forced labor
or concentration camp existence.
We want work but we also want
union wages for our work-any
other arrangement is not suitable
and will not be accepted by the
seamen."
Unable to given an answer with
out consultation with the brain
trust, Aubrey Williams asked the
delegation to return later, saying
at the same time: You searnen
give us more trouble and worry
than all other persons on relief" "
The delegation returned at si,;
o'clock and Williams made the
statement that an agreement could
only be reached on the basis of sea-
men accepting the work plan. He
intimated that the new work
schedule would mean work in Navy
Yards and on laid up ships. The
answer Of the delegation was to
refuse any form of compromise on
forced labor and to announce that
they would fight to the finish for
their demands.
Strike Against Forced Labor
The government New Deal relief
policy is clear. Through work re-
lief their intention is to isolate the
militants and "unemployables" from
the marine industry. To take hun
dreds of young seamen and put
them abroad training ships as they
have already done on the hospital
ship, Mercy" in PHILADELPHIA. and
to train these young seamen as
naval reserves and strikebreakers
In the past, the seamen have
forced many important and far
reaching concessions from the re-
lief takers. In all ports seamen
nave won important victories. In
Baltimore the relief struggles of
the seamen forced the granting for
a time OF seamen's control of re-
llet and the recognition of the sea-
men controlled Centralized Ship
ping Bureau. Forced labor is no
longer a threat. It has now become
part and parcel of the entire
relief administration. In every
port the seanen in the Waterfront
Unemployment Council, the Inter
national Seamen's Union ard the
Marine Workers Industrial Unien
mus forge a mighty united front
against forced labor and for cash
relief and the passage of the Work
or5 Unemployment Insurance Bill,
Fl. R. 1927 What was accomplised
in Baltimore last year can be done
IN all ports. United action. a
united struggle of all seamen for
their demands and against forced
labor will do this. We must pre-
pare now to strike against forced
labor as soon as it is initiated. We
must support the strike of the IN
employed Seamen in New Orleans.
We must institute actions inmedi-
ately in the flop houses, in the
Seamen's Institutes, in the projects.
we must visit ships and get flood
OF protest kilograms sent in from
the employed seamen protesting
against forced labor. We must mo-
ollize the non-seamsn transients
and all fraternal organizations and
trade unions in our defense. The
battle is on. Forward to cash re-
llef-for the passage of the Work
ers Unemployment Insurance Bill
II. r. 2827.