Evening star., 1936-12-06
Working Conditions
On U. S. Ships
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

is marked by violence. Grave disruption
of commerce is an inevitable result, and
direct and indirect losses are heavy.
There have been various causes for these
strikes, but the chief reasons have been
wage rates and working conditions.
That marine strikes are usually violent
is not surprising. The men who work on
ships and along shore are usually
hard-bitten lot. The work Is arduous.
1t requires hardy man. 1t is not main
tanned that longshoremen and ships
crews are innately vicious as compared
with other labor groups. but the nature
of their work and the life they live are
calculated to make them especially
formidable.
In view of the labor disturbances
which have been occurring on all Amer
ican coasts, former Federal co-ordinator
of transportation, Joseph B. Eastman,
has just made a study of wage and
working conditions in the domestic
water-transportation industry. An ex-
animation of what was revealed in this
study may supply basis for clearer
understanding of what the labor diff
culties are about.
There are some 10000 vessels Of all
sorts engaged in the domestic industry.
They aggregate 8,500.000 tons. These
figures do not include yachts, fishing
boats, bargeS and miscellaneous small
craft, nor are the ships engaged in the
foreign trade included. The vessels
which are included are those plying the
Great Lakes, the inland waterways, and
those engaged in the intercoastal and
coastwise trade. About one-fourth of
the total of domestic shipping is found
on the Great Lakes.
The report says that some 300, 900 men
are engaged In the industry. About
114000 are employed aboard ship, about
10000 as longshoremen, while the re-
mainder have other shore jobs 1t will
readily be realized that a concerted
action on the part of so large a number
of men could spell serious consequences.
Employment in the shipping industry
is far different from usual land occu-
pations. The compensation of workers
on ships takes two forms: There are the
money wages and then board and lodg-
ing aboard ship. The money wages look
rather small, but it must be remembered
that the money is net. The investigation
shows that 10 out of every 100 unli-
censed crew members on intercoastal
carriers received less than $50 a month
in cash. Fifty-nine out of every 100 on
Atlantic and Gulf coastwise ships re-
ceived $50 or less, while AZ per cent of
the unlicensed personnel on Atlantic
coastwise ships received $50 a month
or less. In the Pacific coastwise service,
81 per cent received $50 or less, and for
the Great Lakes the figure is SO per cent.
On the barge lines on the Mississippi,
more than half the men were paid be-
tween s25 and $50 a month.
Conditions are far better than they
were few years ago. There has been
a strong advance in unionization, and
wage rates now are almost entirely fxed
by collective bargaining Wage stand
ardization also has extended to the Ii.
censed personnel, the officers. The Ma
rine Engineers Beneficial Association is
the chief bargaining agency for the
engine room officers, and wages have
been standardized for chiefs at from
$3.50 to s375 a month. A sliding scale
obtains which is based on the power
tonnage of ship. First assistants get
from $l65 to $3.50, and thirds from s125
to Sl70.
Similarly the National Organization of
Masters. Mates and Pilots has made
agreements with operators for Pacific
and intercoastal services. Masters are
not covered, but the scale for first mates
is sl65 to sl95 month, for second
mates $40 to s170 and third mates $l25
to sl55.
There are some variations in the wage
scales. For example, in the Pacific off,
shore trade able seamen get $3.50 a
month and ordinary seamen $45. On
Pacific steam schooners able seamen are
paid $40. The best pay is in the Alaska
| trade, where an able seaman gets SIS
a month and an ordinary seaman $50.
The Lake Carriers Association makes
bargains with the shipping employees in
| lake service. Here masters have a scale
| ranging from s348 to $606 month. First
mates are paid from $3.50 to $500, seconds
| from $126 to $216, chief engineers from
| S216 to S420, first assistants from $50 to
S258. deck hands S72, wheelsmen s99.
firemen and oilers 500, coal passers $3.50
| and chief cooks from s135 to $3.50.
Peculiar conditions apply to longshore-
men. In the first place. employment Is
not regular. 1t is not continuous. When
| a ship comes in its cargo must be dis
| charged and the new cargo laden. but
often there are protracted spells between
| jobs. When the carrying trade is brisk
the crews may be fairly busy most of the
time but in slack periods days may pass
with no work to be done.
Wages are based on an hourly scale,
with overtime If the work falls outside
the scope of specified hours. Inasmuch
| as demurrage and port dues run into
considerable sums If a ship is tied up too
long, often crews will work all night
loading or discharging cargo. There is
the widest variation in wages per hour.
| At Charleston. S. c.. the men are paid
only SO cents an hour. Most Of them
are Negroes. On the Pacific Coast the
scale calls for IS cents an hour. while 1t
goes as high as IS cents at the port OF
New York Overtime rates also vary,
reaching as high as 81 40 an hour.
The length of a standard day Is not
the same at all ports. On the Pacific
| Coast there is a six-hour day. The
eigl1t-hour day prevails on the Atlantic
Coast. At few ports 12-hour day Is
worked before overtime begins.
Seamen stand watches in the usual
| manner, there being the usual divisions
| of four-hour watches. Each man stands
two every "a hours, thus giving him an