Evening star., 1947-06-26
Tieup on Eost
And Gulf Coasts
Seen Next Week
By ths Asseeie'ed Press

NEW YORK, June 26.-Repa1r
and construction work in ten
-shipyards, nine OF them owned
by the Bethlehem Steel Co., shut
down today as the Industrial
Union of Marine and Shipbuild-
ing workers (CIo) called more
than 10000 repair and construc-
ton workers on strike.
The strike against the Bethlehem
yards, which were building or over
hauling more than so vessels, was
called one minute after contracts
expired at midnight. The Atlantic
Basin Iron Works in Brooklyn
Joined the strike a few hours later.
Picket lines we're established at
the yards a short time after the
strike headlines but the union
agreed to permit maintenance and
security stats to work.
Further Talks Scheduled.
While union officials scheduled
further conferences today with the
Todd Shipyards Corp. and the Fed
eral Shipbuilding 81 Dry Dock Corp.
they have predicted the strike would
spread early next week to include
all yards. except Navy, on the East
and Gulf coasts. The yards employ
more than 10000 men.
John Green, union president, an
nounced failure of negotiations late
yesterday, after two-hour confer
ence with j. M. Larkin, Bethlehem
vice president in charge of indus
trial relations, and W. H. Collins,
vice president in charge of ship
building.
Mr.. Green said the company had
made no counter offer on any of
the unions demands, which in
cluded a 13-cent hourly wage in
crease and other contract benefits.
Mr.. Jarkin said the present base
rate Of $138 for mechanics, boosted
to an average of s1.53 by overtime,
incentive pay and other factors, :"
was to blame for current decline
In American shipbuilding. He said
that Bethlehem's employment had
dropped from a wartime peak of
1a2, 900 to $4,000 currently, and that
the company could make no offer
that would increase costs.
Plight Laid to High Costs.
"shipbuilding in this country is
near extinction Larkin said
British yards have 1000 ships
building or ordered. There Is
world boom in shipbuilding in which
American yards are not participat-
ing. The plight of the industry is
due to high costs and these are
due to high wage rates"
The Bethlehem official said that
4 statement by Mr.. Green that the
company had raised wages on the
West Coast two weeks ago, but had
made no similar offer here calls
Attention to a mistake, which has
handicapped the West Coast in the
past and will have serious effects
on its ability to obtain business"
Mr.. Green said he had sent tele-
grams to President Truman and
Senator Taft, Republican, of Ohio,
co-sponsor of the new labor bill,
charging that all shipbuilding COM
panies are violating a seven-year-
old labor management Government
agreement to air contract differences
before the Shipbuilding Sterilization
Board. Mr.. Green said this amount
ed to lockout of labor from
peaceful means of negotiations.
The Bethlehem yards are in
Brooklyn, Staten Island, Hoboken,
N. j.; Quincy and Boston. Mass,
and Baltimore and Sparrows Point,
Md.
Plant Chief Swung On.
They have 13 large ships under
construction. including two new IT,
000-ton heavy cruisers for the Navy,
the Des Moines and Salem. Mr..
Larkin said 10 of these were con-
tracted for on the basis of 1945 wage
scales, adding that an 18-cent hour
ly wage increase was forced on the
industry last year.
Bethlehem has more than so ships
under repair. and the Atlantic Basin
Works has six.
At Bethlehem's Staten Island
yard about 500 night-shift workers
left work two hours before the strike
deadline. Charles A Leone re-
gional director for the union, said
q plant superintendent swung on
one of our machinist shop stewards"
during an argument, and the work