Evening star., 1947-06-16
'Sitdown
Threatens 1ieup
0fA|I Shipping
Crews Won't Leuve
Vessels Until Owners
Order Them Off
BY the Assoeioted Press

NEW 4ORh, June lO.-C1O
seamen "sat down" today under
a union mo contract, no work
policy which threatened ~com-
plete paralysis of American flag
ships on all United States coasts
Although no pickets showed up
on piers, the work stoppage ordered
by Joseph Curran, National Mari
time Union president. went into ef-
feet shortly after the expiration OF
contracts at midnight yesterday, de-
mobilizing hundreds of ships.
The unions were insistent that nc
strike had been called but that the
men would not work without con-
tract. The seamen were ordered to
remain on board ships "as long as
possible" and a union spokesman
said that if they were ordered off, a
lockout would be in effect.
Union ports agents said $50 ships
were affected in New York harbor,
40 in Philadelphia, 40 in Baltimore
4 in Boston and lin Portland, Me.
In Houston, approximately 1000
men quit work shortly after the
midnight deadline and in Seattle,
$4,000 Puget Sound waterfront
workers were ordered to quit their
Jobs.
Curran Says 700 Are Tied Up.
However, Mr.. Curran said nearly
TOO ships we're tied up and predicted
that if union demands were not
met by ship owners l,150 ships
would be affected in few days.
Although Mr.. Curran did not
detail the ports and the number OF
ships in each, in his estimate, he
said 500 of the nearly TOO ships
were in East Coast ports.
More than 1000 ships would be
affected, Mr.. Curran claimed, if
current negotiations between the
union and tanker companies failed
Tankers are not affected by the
present stoppage.
A spokesman for the Association
of American Railroads said, mean
while, that if the seamen stage a
complete walkout, an embargo prob
ably would be placed on rail freight
consignments to United States flag
ships. There has been no Interrupt
ton so far of deliveries of freight to
steamers, the spokesman said.
He added that the pattern of the
embargo probably would follow that
put into effect by the association
during the AFL seamen's strike last
September.
One West Coast Agreement.
On the West Coast, contract ex-
tension was agreed on by ship
owners of the CIO Ship Clerks,
Checkers and Supercargoes, an affil-
late of the International Longshore-
men and Warehousemen's Union,
and tentative" meetings were
scheduled for later in the day with
the marine cooks and stewards and
the American Communications As
ISOLATION.
A West Coast CIO Maritime
Committee spokesman, however, said
that similar to the East Coast pat
tern as announced,s the West Coast
unions which are locked out will
have their members remain on the
jobs"
Pledges of mutual support by five
CIO maritime unions indicated that
a solid front of 100000 CIO mari
time workers would be involved in
the stoppage.
The unions and their claimed
memberships are the NMU, 10000;
American Communications Associa-
ton, 5000: longshoremen, 10000;
Marine Engineers Beneficial Asso-
citation, $4,000; cooks and stewards,
1900.
AFL Support Promised.
Mr.. Curran also made public a
telegram from the AFL Seafarer'S
International Union pledging com
plete support" of the CIO seamen
and promising that AFTL men would
refuse to work on ships that might
be allocated by operators of struck
lines to those not affected.
The stoppage hinged on demands
by the NMU and the radiomen for
wage increases of 20 and Is per
cent, respectively, plus other con-
tract improvements, and extension
of the expired contract by the
cooks. The engineers and long
shoremen on the West Coast have
agreed on contract extensions, but
promised to follow the lead of the
others in the event of a lockout" ;"
A threat that the stoppage
would be extended to tankers
was smade by NMU Vice President
Sec NAPIT1AGr pnnn A