Evening star., 1946-06-06
AFL Seamen Start Leavinq Jobs
AtNew York and Baltimore Ports
To Attend Grievance MeetinQs
Stoppoge Is 100%
In Manhattan,
Union Reports
Nv the Associated Press

Baltimore and other ports be-
gan begging down as AFL sea-
men started quitting work to
attend simultaneous emergency
meetings on all United States
seacoaStS.
The surprise AFL walkout was
scheduled at 2 pm. but the men
were leaving their ships several
hours sooner in some cases.
A union official in New York said
he contacted rs ships in the port and
found 100 per cent stoppage" on
those manned by AFL crews. The
stoppage was reported underway in
Baltimore also. CIO-manned ships
were not affected.
Meanwhile. a congressional COM
mittee decided to try to avert C1O
maritime strike scheduled June Is.
At the same time, group of CIO
unions continued to negotiate with
ship operators here.
Parade Held in Boston.
To bring our story before the
people," about 200 members of the
CIO National Maritime Union pa
raded through downtown Boston to-
day, a few hours before their rivals
the AFL seamen-Were to attend
their "stop-work" meeting in the
same city.
Thousands of AFL Seafarers on
on the Atlantic, Gulf, Pacific and
Hawaiian Coasts called the work
stoppage to discuss matters OF great
Importance"
At their meetings the AFL Sea-
farers were expected to discuss their
course of action in the event of the
scheduled CIO maritime strike.
They also were protesting against a
delay in the start of wage-hour ne
gotiations for AFL seamen on the
West Coast.
The call for the sudden walkout-
of uncertain duration-crashed into
the already tense maritime labor
situation.
The House Labor Committee en-
powered subcommittee headed by
Representative Kelley, Democrat, of
Pennsylvania, to intervene in an
effort to prevent shipping strike.
Mr.. Kelley said he would open
hearings "as soon as possible
maybe tomorrow. He said "key fig
ures" in the dispute between en-
ployers and CIO seamen and dock
workers would be called to testify.
The AFL "stop-wo meeting
will halt activity aboard ships for
as many hours as the discussions
continue. Seamen on the Great
Lakes are not affected.
Involved in today's walkout are
members of the AFL Seafarers In
ternational Union and its West Coast
affiliate, the Sailors Union of the
Pacific.
AFL Negotiations Delayed.
The purpose apparently was to pro-
test the fact that Pacific ship oper-
ators are in Washington for the CIO
talks and have not returned to San
Francisco to begin negotiations with
the Sailors Union of the Pacific.
AS maritime labor troubles spread
rapidly, the news in Washington in
Guided:
l. Eastern ship operators last
night rejected the latest undisclosed
offer of the CIO National Maritime
Union. It was believed to call for
overtime pay after A hours week
at sea, instead of the original union
demand of 40 hours. The operators
insist on the present 56-hour stand
ard work week at sea.
2. President Truman called on the
CIO maritime unions and the en-
ployers to buckle down and settle
this matter through collective bar
gaining"
He said in a statement late yes
terday he thought it could be set
tied in that way. Declaring that the
Labor Department is handling the
dispute, the President added all
steps by other agencies are purely
precautionary"
Mr.. Truman already had said the
Government will run the ships if
necessary.
3. The CIO unions published full
page advertisements in several
newspapers asserting that "the
threat of a strike will disappear
overnight if the ship operators offer
something reasonable" on a shorter
work-week aboard ships and higher
wages.
The AFL "stop-work' meetings
were announced last night after
Harry IJIndphero of Son Erorcicco
head of both the Seafarers' Union
and the Sailors Union of the Pa
ciflc, issued a statement criticizing
the Labor Department for "detain-
ing the shipowners in Washington"
Mr.. Lundeberg called this gov
ernmental interference with collec-
tive bargaining" and said he had
refused an invitation from Secre-
tSee MARITIME, Page A-23D