Evening star., 1946-05-31
Truman Declares He Will Use
Army and Navy, Every Resource
To Run Ships if Seomen Strike
Operators Studying
Demand for Ruise
OF n to 35Cents

PreSlQenC truman SAID today
he would use every resource at his
command-the full power of the
Navy, Coast Guard, War Ship
ping Administration and even
the Army-to keep the ships
running in event of a Nation
wide maritime strike June Is.
The President told his news con-
ference that hope of averting the
threatened strike led by a group OF
CIO unions appeared very dark at
the present time. Meanwhile, he
said, the necessary steps were being
taken to keep the ships operating
Negotiations here under Labor
Department auspices have been re-
cessed until 2 pm. tomorrow while
ship operators study unified de-
mands of 100000 longshoremen and
seamen for wage increases of % to
IS cents an hour as the price for
calling off the strike.
Says His Program Would Help.
Mr.. Truman declared it would
take the full power of the Govern
ment to prevent shutdown of ship
ping, and that he intended to 60
as far as present legislation will
permit to prevent such an eventual
ity.
He commented that the emer-
gency strike-control legislation he
requested of Congress would go far
toward enabling him to meet the
crisis.
Harry Bridges, president of the
CIO Longshoremen's and Ware
housemen's Union on the West
Coast, and Joseph Curran, preSi-
dent of the CIO National Maritime
Union, made the demands yester-
day as co-chairmen of a union
Committee for Maritime Unity"
They asked:
For longshoremen-35 cents an
hour more pay; overtime pay for
all Saturday work.
Seek Retroactive Pay.
For seagoing workers-22 cents
an hour more for those now max
ing $40 a month, 27 for those
earning $140 to SITS and IS for
those making more than SITS; a
40-hour week and 8-hour day,
compared with the present work
week of Sc to 63 hours; overtime
pay ranging from $1.25 to $1.75 an
hour. All increases, the unions said,
should be retroactive to october 1,
1945, the date principal contracts
expired.
An operator spokesman said these
proposals go far beyond anything
asked before" Mr.. Bridges, how
ever, declared some of the unions
had made similar ones Individually
during negotiations which began
seven months ago.
The joint union committee said
that failing agreement by June Is
"all ships will be struck with the
exception of troop ships and relief
ships, with agreement to be reached
either with the Government or
private employers to operate such
ships under fair and equitable con-
ditions."
If it materializes, the walkout
would tie up shipping on both coasts
and the Gulf.
Present Minimum Rates.
The present minimum pay for
seamen of $140 for four weeks of 56
hours each, or :24 hours a month,
figures approximately 621s cents an
hour. Thus, with 22-cent-an-ho
increase, or 841a certs an hour, for
40 hours, plus 81 Is an hour for the
remaining Is hours, the seamen
under the new proposa, would get
$3.50 for a 56-nour week.
No demand for shorter working
hours was made in behalf of long
shoremen. They now work six hours
a day, six days a week, with over
time paid on the sixth day.
The longshoremen asked elimina-
tion of "carloading diferential.' .
They now get 10 cents less per hour
for unloading cargo from rail cars
to docks than they get for unloading
the same type cargo from rail cars
to shipboard.