Evening star., 1937-10-22
A. F. |. BECKONS
/. SAILORS UNION
Green Offers Lundeberg Vir-
tuaI Autonomy-Ryan
Agrees.
BY JOHN c. HENRY.

BY JOHN Z. HENRY.
Bidding for the key support Of
Harry Lundeberg and his Sailors
Union of the Pacific, the American
Federation of Labor not only has
offered him virtually complete au-
tonomy in all important respects, but
also has tempted him with a pro-
posal to head contemplated ma
tional maritime federation, it was
learned here today.
The offer of autonomy by which
Lundebergs union would be granted
the right to negotiate and sign agree
ments and conduct itself in other
regards without interference from the
A. F. of L. was contained in letter
from William Green, federation presi-
dent, to the West Coast sailor leader
The supplementary proposal by
which Lundeberg personally would
head a national maritime federation
within the A. F. of L. was made
through third party, a representa-
tive of Lundeberg, who visited the
A. F. of L. convention in Denver dur
ing the first week Of sessions.
Ryan Held Favorable.
Following the tentative proposal IN
Denver, Lundeberg's travelling repre-
sentative came on to New York, where
the plan was discussed with Joseph p.
Ryan, president of the International
Longshoremens Union, powerful East
Coast affiliate Of the federation. Al
though Ryan, strongest ally Of the
A. F. of L. in the maritime industry.
would be placed in a position theoreti-
cally subordinate to that of Lundeberg
should the federation idea be culni-
mated, it is understood he agreed to
the plan.
Green's written proposition to
Lundeberg follows in part:
81 am willing TO end the existing
situation in the International Sea-
mems Union "a virtually defunct A.
F. of L. seafaring until; to place it
under a charter which will be ac-
ceptable and satisfactory to you and
your associations and to the rank and
file of seamen.'
The letter then pledges "complete
autonomy in the determination Of
policies" absolute control of funds
and property the right to nego-
tiate and sign its own agreements -
referendum vote on calling strikes
right to select and adopt the
name of the national organization
guarantee that the membership
never will be assessed for political
purposes - right to elect officials
by a referendum vote . never i'm
pose the checkof system"
Has Bid Also From c. I. o.
With the A. 2. of L. offers on hand.
Lundeberg also has a bid from the c.
I. o. to attend a national unity con-
ference of maritime workers in San
Francisco on January II.
In other respects, however, the c. I.
o. is offering less to Lundeberg per-
sonally as evident from the following
extract from the Lewis letter: y.
IF the direct representatives Of the
unlicensed seafaring personnel who
attend the San Francisco convention
establish a national union for seamen.
such union, upon application, inlme-
diately will be granted the only ma
tional charter which the C. I. o. will
issue to unlicensed seamen. -
With regard to your questions con-
cerning the autonomy of the Sailors
Union of the Pacific, control Of its
funds and property, the right TO ne
gotiate and sign agreements. the con-
duct Of referendum votes on strikes.
the name of the proposed national or
ganization, membership assessments
and election of officers or method Of
collecting dues, these questions can
and should be determined only by the
seamen themselves; they are neither
the affair nor the concrn of the q. I. o.
"The C. I. o. is interested only
in cooperating to the extent that all
American seamen will unite into one
national seamen's union, which will
become part Of a national industrial
maritime federation affiliated with the
C. 1. O."
Decidedly in Minority.
With the National Maritime Union,
c. l. o. affiliate. claiming As 900 sea-
faring members on the East Coast and
the Gulf of Mexico, Lundeberg's mem
bership of about 1000 would be a
minority group under affliation with
the C. I. o. maritime federation. If
they should join the A. F. of L., how
ever, they would be the nucleus Of the
federation's seagoing arm, since the old
International Seamen's Union, once
an A. F. of l.. power, has virtually
disappeared under encroachments Of
the N. M. U.
OF utmost practical importance to
Lundeberg and his sailors in their
eventual decision, however, is the fact
that Harry Bridges has become abso-
lutte ruler of the West Coast longshore-
men and the c. I. o. leader in that sec
ton. And although Bridges and Lun-
deberg are at odds personally, 1t is
considered doubtful if the Pacifc
sailors are desirous of engaging in
finish fight with the longshoremen on