Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1935-01-04
Marine Unions
Merger Proposed


We believe that such a united
action of the two unions is pos
sible and will be greeted by the
membership of the international
Seamens Union with enthusiasm
The many Joint strikes that in
volved members of the ISU anG
MWIU has developed a strong
sentiment for unity which is tax
ing organizational form as We
see in the ships committees be,
ing organized on the West Coast
ships by ISU and MWIU mem.
bers, Sacramento, Vermar, Peter
However, there are those who
charge that the MWIU does moi
sincerely want unity but merely
wants to slarider and destroy and
disrupt the ISU. AS these charg
es are made to prejudice mem
bers of the ISU against a united
front with the MWIU we wish
to answer them.
olander's SANDER
Mr.. Olander, secretary of the
ISU, in a recent statement
makes the following charges
against the MWIU which he us
ually refers to as the Marine
Wreckers Industrial Union:"
''The so-called Marine Work
ers Industrial Union have been
pouring protests into the
shipOwners and government Of
ficials against any recognition
of the ISU and has openly an
nOunced its intentions of join
ing the ISU for the purpose of
boring from within and scut-
Ting the ship"
In this statement Mr.. Olandel
tries to create the idea that the
MWIU is opposed to the agree.
ment because it gives recogni
ton to the ISU. He also charges
that the MWIU wishes to scut.
tie the ship of the ISU. Yes, the
MWIU protests because its
membership has been refused
right of representation. But the
MWIU is opposed to the agreet
ment mainly because it does moi
meet the demands of the sea.
men, because it outlaws strike
action thereby making the work.
ers defenseless, and because the
seamen are not given the oppor.
tunity, which is their right, to
express their opinion and vote
upon the agreement.
If this agreement was accept.
able to and had met with the APP
prOval of the seamen then it
would meet no opposition from
the MWIU. But it is not-and
the proof of this is to be seen in
the protests that are pouring
in from all seamen, including
many members of the Interna-
tional Seamen's Union.
The MWIU does not seek to
"scuttle the ship of the ISU."
The MWIU has always fought
for the right of the workers to
belong to unions of their own
choosing and has supported
workers organized in other I'M
ions in their fight to obtain re-
cognition. Proof of this is to be
seen in the support the MWIU
gave to the West Coast long
shoremen in their fight to force
the shipowners to recognize the
LILA.
In fact the Marine Workers In
dustrial Union has never chal-
lenged the right of the ISU for
recognition or to represent its
own membership.
The Seattle local of the MWIU
when asked for a charter recent
ly by the Alaska longshoremen
sent a committee to the lila re-
questing that they be given an
LILA charter, thus bringing all
longshoremen into the LILA and
strengthening unity on the West
Coast.
At the marine code hearings
in Washington, D. c., last April
the MWIU demanded recogni-
tion of the lila on the West
Coast.
Amalgamation in Canada
Two months ago the MWIU
concluded a campaign of ANAL
gamation of all marine unions
on the West Coast of Canada.
Today all crafts, longshore, sea-
men, bargemen, are amalgamat-
ed.
The MWIU has, and will con-
tinue to, criticize the policies
and deeds of officials which we
believe to be against the in
terests of the workers.
On the coast here we have
fought for a rank
and file Pacific Coast Marine
and will continue to
fight for unity, despite any sab
otage by Sharrenberg and Fur
seth, who are officially on re-
cord opposing unity of seamen