Evening star., 1946-08-19
NhU Planning Appeal
To SfeeIworkers 10
Stop Unloading Ships
BY the Assoeiotsd Press

DETROIT, Aug. 19.-CIO sea-
men striking on the Great Lakes,
hampered by what their leaders
described as resistance of CIO
Steelworkers, planned today to
appeal directly to the Steel
workers rank and file for sup
port.
A rift within the CIO first showed
itself in the Buffalo area. Today
Joseph Stack. in charge of the CIO
National Maritime Unions strike
headquarters. told reporters I'VE are
tired of waiting" for regional di-
rectors of the Steelworkers to make
up their minds"
Mass meetings will be held at
steel docks, he said. to persuade
the steelworkers not to injure the
strike.
Meantime the NMU opened de-
termined effort to push all freight
shipping off the Great Lakes by
next Sunday. The union announced
that new charges have been filed
with the Coast Guard that 10 ship
ping companies have violated Fed
eral regulations by sailing more than
20 ships with inadequate crews.
Denounces Steelworkers.
On the fifth day of the partially
effective strike this was the picture
l. An official of the CIO Ma
tional Maritime Union denounced
the CIO Steelworkers at Lack
awanna, N. Y, for damaging" the
strike by unloading iron-ore YES
sells at steel mill. -
2. NMU leaders prepared to sit
down today with two employers
in New York and Chicago to talk
over their demand for a reduction
in the work week from 56 to 40
hours.
8. The present extent OF the
strike was still confused, but strike
headquarters in Detroit said yes
terday the outlook was excellent
for an entirely effective strike
bound Great Lakes within a week"
Negotiations Start Today.
Most lakes sailors are morgan
lied. The NMU already has tied up
some unorganized vessels by pull
ing their own members of. and
hopes to persuade many nonunion
men to join the struggle for 40
hour week.
Though today's negotiations were
with only two companies. settle
ments could conceivably influence
the rest of the industry.
NMU President Joseph Curran
was in New York to reopen talks
with the Bethlehem Transportation
Co. This firm. subsidiary of Beth
lehem Steel, operates about II ore
and coal vessels, most of which are
strikebound. Other NMU leaders
were in Chicago to talk with Stand
ard Oil of Indiana, which operates
a tanker fleet.
BY coincidence, Bethlehem Steel
is involved in the squabble among
CIO unions, too.
Cooperation Plea Spurned.
The CIO argument broke out be-
cause members of the steelworkers
nave been unloading iron ore from |
vessels at Bethlehem's Lackawanna
plant spurning an appeal for CO.
operation in the strike.
Frank Leason, Buffalo port agent
Of the NMU. said in a sharp state
ment that this activity was "damag-
ing to our cause but beneficial to
the shipping interests. 70
Joseph P. Molony, district director
of the steelworkers, retorted that he |
was amazed" at Mr.. Leason's "un-
warranted attack on the member
ship of the United Steelworkers."
He added:
ut was unexpected because we
had arranged a meeting for this
evening to devise methods of rem
dering a greater measure of support
to the NMU strike
Mr.. Molony declared that because
OF Mr.. Lessons unfortunate re-
mark" his union might consider
inviting "a more responsible" NMU
officer to meet with it, and promised
the steelworkers would continue to
render every assistance" to the sea-
men in their strike.