The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-08-16
Great Lakes Teup
 Continues to Gr01U

Detroit, Aug. 16-UP)-The Ma
 tional Maritime Union (C. I. O.
 predicted today that nearly 100 ships operating on the Great Lakes would be tied up by the two- -day-old sea- mems strike by nightfall
 Forty ships and 1,120 seamen have been idled by the walkout, N. M. U. President Joseph Curran said, and more than 50 ships in transit were expected to tie up as soon as they reached layup ports today. Scores of dockWorkers also were idle be- cause of the strike which started at midnight yesterday.
 The union claim about the effec- tiveness of the strike was in direct contrast to statement issued by President A. T. Wood of the Lake Carriers Association, against whom the N. M. U. fight is centered. Wood said spot check of lake ports at 9:30 o'clock last night showed that 309 out of the 316 vessels Of mem Der companies were operating. Only seven strikebound ships were in port, he added, and out of 69 principle docks which normally service Great Lakes vessels, all but two remained in operation.
 38 Tied Up, Survey Shows
 A United Press check of ports however, showed a total of 38 vessels tied up. These included B at De- troit, II at Chicago and the nearby Indiana ports, three at Erie; five at Buffalo. four at Duluth and Super for. Wis, and one each at Milwau- kee and ManitoWic, Wis.
 Curran moved his strike head quarters here from Cleveland last night after the C. I. O. United Au- tomobile Workers had placed a fly ing squadron" Of 900 workers at the disposal of the N M U. The U. A W. also loaned Its emergency kitch- ems and other equipment 10 the sea mems union.
 The N NJ U. president estimated it would take week to get all his men out on strike He said his union had a total membership Of about 5000 seamen.
 Curran denied reports that the Ualkout would halt shipments Of grain to Europe.
 No Grain Shipped-Curran
 There is no grain shipped on the lakes he said. We will not al- | low any persons in any foreign coun- tries to starve, but they're going to try to pin all kinds of stuff Ike that on us"
 However, the Duluth tug office said that one shipload ofg grain had | cleared that port yesterday, along | with fl ships carrying iron ore
 The union claimed the strike was 100 percent effective In Detroit and | Buffalo and 80 percent effective in Duluth
 Picket lines were set up at all | ports and one instance Of violence N M. U. pickets were attacked by | men police identified as members Of the A. F. L. Seafarers Union. The strikers were attacked when they attempted to picket the dock of an excursion boat company. No one was injured and police arrested three of the four attackers.
 Union Pledge Support
 The A. F L. Seafarers Union promised to respect N. M. U picket lines i'll cases where no A F, L. contract was involved. The Can- adian Seamen's Union, a c. I O. affiliate also pledged it's support.
 Negotiations in the dispute were broken off and Noel Fox, chairman of the three-man conciliation panel which attempted to avert the strike. said he would make no effort to re- sume talks until he had made re- port to Secretary of Labor Lewis 
 Fox said he believed the core of the dispute was the demand for a shorter work week. The unions latest offer for a settlement was A hour work week with mainten- ance of membership.
 However, Curran indicated that that offer was no longer open to the operators.
 Bring Up More Demands
 Now we start from scratch on the basis of original demands" he said, that the union would hold out for a 40-hour week, wage severance pay, sick leave and preferential hiring.
 Operators called the demand for ] shorter week a camouflage for higher pay, since seamen normally ' have to work a seven-day week. The present work week is 56 hours. The disastrous effects of the strike already were being felt in port cities. Nine hundred ,seamen and dockWorkers were idle in De- ,roit and William Thorpe, N. M. U. at Erie, Pa, said that l. 500 tugmen, dock workers and other ake vessel employees would be af- 'ected there.
 Six hundred c. I. O. Oil Workers ] md A. F. L. Longshormen at To- { edo refused to load strike-bound t hips Dock workers at Manitowic, I Wis., refused to unload 1l,000 tons g )f coal fro ma struck ship. ( Both industry and shipping oper ltors hoped for an early settlement ,f the walkout before it had any effects on the production ' ,f steel and automobiles. Indus [ rial officials previouky had stated i hat strike of four weeks would a curtail the production of c teel, iron ore, automobiles and I ,ther items for months to come. D