Evening star., 1947-10-19

ganizer and boss of American sea-
men. The school officially is operated
by the San Francisco Board Of
Education.
THE board pays the bills, we run
it," is the way Mr.. Lundeberg puts
it, bluntly.
Professors" of the school are all
dyed-in-the-wool union men, mem
bers of the SUP.
80 far as we know" said q
representative of the employers, "a
nonunion man or one who wouldn't
promise to join the union has never
finished the course"
Mr.. Lundeberg not only claims he
has closed-shop contract, but he
boasts that it has the blessings of
Senator Taft, Republican, of Ohio,
co-sponsor of the new labor law.
Mr. Lundeberg talked at length
with Senator Taft when he was
through here on his Western tour
last month.
Il told Taft our problem" ex-
plains Mr.. Lundeberg Il told him
that if I didn't have the say-so on
who can belong to our union and
sail the ships, them stew-bum Com
munists of Harry Bridges and the
others would take over"
Shipowners' Views
HE saw our problem and said my
plan was okay."
Mr.. Lundeberg further claimed
that Mr.. Taft told him he thought
the new law should be amended to
provide for the closed shop under
certain conditions-if a majority of
employers wanted it. Senator Taft
has denied that he went that far.
But the doughty Mr.. Lundeberg
insists he did. ]. B. Bryant, presi-
dent of the Pacific ship owners, de-
nies that the contract violates the
Taft-Hartley law.
"The employers" he says, ARE
not committed in any way with re-
Dpect to union membership. Neither
are they limited as to where they
may go to hire men. The law is
not violated in any way, shape or
manner. The very author of the law
(Senator Taft) has expressed this
same opinion"
Mr.. Bryan said the contract hiring
clause provides advantages for both
the employers and the union.
l. 1t gives seniority to men pre-
viously employed who want to return
to jobs in the industry.
2. 1t provides the employers with
a reservoir of experienced seafaring
personnel.
Other representatives of ship man.
agement admit privately that behind
the agreement is the fear Of Mr..
Bridges and other leftist elements.
Mr.. Lundeberg's union Is the only
bulwark there against the further
spread Of what they call communism
along the water front and they de-
clare the theology is already RAM
pant.
Bridges Branches Out
Mr.. Bridges activities no longer
are confined to the water front. He
has organized the Hawaiian planta-
ton workers, and has something
more than toehold in the vast
California canning industry.
Ship operators say privately that
they will give Mr.. Lundeberg more
in contract than they will any
other front union leader. Ac-
tually the liberal wage settlements
made in the past with the Pacific
sailors have been used by the East
and Gulf Coast sailors of the CIO
National MARITIME Union and other -
maritime organizations to "whipsaw"
their employers for more pay. Then,
Mr.. Lundeberg is apt to come back
for another raise, and so 1t goes.
Several West Coast ports, includ-
ing Los Angeles, have been tied up
the past several weeks. 1t Is billed
as strike of walking Bosses" the
men who direct longshoremen in the
loading and unloading of ships. Mr..
Bridges International Longshore-
men and Warehousemen Unions have
supported the strike. He wants to
take over the bosses" and the en-
ployers say he already has them in
his pocket.
The longshoremen's contract has
some time to run. When it expires
it will beTinteresting to see If Mr..
Bridges is able to get as favorable
hiring terms as those given Mr..
Lundeberg. There Is a huge long
shoremen's hiring hall here. But 1t
is operated jointly by the union and
the Water Front EMPLOYERS As
soc:ation.
Tieup Seems Certain
There is record of employer re-
si5oance to Mr.. Bridges demands
that is in marked contrast to the
comparative ease with which Mr..
Lundeberg manages to come up with
an agreement. Employers repre-
|sentatives will tell you privately they
are backing the AFL sailors in their
long-standing fight with the CIO.
Mr.. Bridges cries collusion and
charges that Mr.. Lundeberg operates
a company union.
Sooner or later, a long tieup of
West Coast shipping seems inevita-
BILE, as the employers attempt to
crack down on Mr.. Bridges activ-
tiles. t..,-
Mr.. Lundeberg says that he has
been tough" with Communists for
so long it no longer is problem in
his union so long as he maintains
the right to police the sailors. How
ever, actually that is violation Of
the Taft-Hartiey Act which states
that a member may be expelled from
a ,,nion or,lv for Yot1nav vnoent nf