Evening star., 1946-09-30
Hope Appears Dim
For Aveting Second
Ship Strike Tonight
By the As.oeioted Press

With midnight tonight as the
zero hour, Government labor
. experts fought against time here
and in San Francisco today tc
avert a new strike tieup of Amer
ican shipping.
Cancellation Director Edgar War
rem said he did not expect a "final
statement" on negotiations until
late tonight"
His statement lent strength to an
increasing feeling that If a strike OF
merchant marine officers is to be
averted, the settlement probably
will not come until shortly before
zero hour when contracts of two
unions Of officers are due to expire
The Government ordered repre-
sentatives of the marine officers
and shipowners from both coasts
into continuous session here in a
final effort to achieve agreement
before the deadline.
The Labor Department concili-
alton chief said, I'D hate to make
any predictions on the outcome"
Walkout Would Be Second.
II the walkout comes off on sched-
ule, it will be the second shutdown
OF this countrys ports in less than
month. AFL and CIO seamen's
unions paralyzed the greater part of
the shipping industry for II days
earlier in September
None of the three unions involved
In the current crisis shared in the
settlement terms of that walkout.
AT issue in the Government nego-
tlatlonS here are 80 and IS per cent
wage increase demands plus union
security clauses sought by the CIO
Marine Engineers and the AFL
Mates Unions.
Federal conciliators on the West
Coast simultaneously are trying to
write a new contract for Harry
Bridges CIO longshoremen, who are
seeking worker-safety guarantees
and a 33-cent-an-hour pay raise for
Pacific stevedores.
In New York, James Romanof.
local CIO marine engineers busi-
ness manager, was quoted as saying
his union was unwilling to sign any
agreement" unless Bridges long
shoremen got a new contract, too.
Both the engineers and longshore-
men are affiliated with CLOS Com
mittee for Maritime Unity.
Hope for Postponement.
One hope was that if Bridges
reached an agreement, the two ship
officers unions here might agree to
postponement.
The Government tried to head off
any port stoppages ahead of the
midnight deadline. Mr. Warren said
that any jumping of the gun"
would only jeopardize chances of
last-minute settlement.
7 have assurances from leaders
OF both unions (the engineers and
mates" he said, that they will not
Jump the gun. There must be no
Walkout prior to the expiration of
the contracts. Earlier this month
q Nationwide tieup of our mer-
chant marine was precipitated when
seamen began quitting their ships
hours before the deadline they had
set for strike. This time we are
asking a fair chance to work out a
peaceful settlement"
Before Mr.. Warren's statement
was issued, the CIO longshoremen
notified Los Angeles dock employees
that stevedores in that port would
strike at 6 pm, six hours ahead
of the deadline.
James Romanoff, assistant busi-
ness manager of Local SO, Marine
Engineers Beneficial Association
(CIO), said in New York that ship
owners had made only one offer in
the Washington negotiations and
that was unacceptable"
Mr.. Romanoff did not amplify
that comment, but said the 5000
union members in the port of New
York would meet at 8 o'clock to-
night to receive "last-minute in
structions"