Evening star., 1948-08-23
Longshoremen Call
24-Hour Stoppage
On West Coast
Work to Holt Tomorrow;
Strike on September z
Declared Ce.tuin
BY the Associuted Press

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 23.-
CIO longshoremen called an
other 24-hour waterfront work
stoppage today and went ahead
with firm plans for a coast
wide strike on September 2.
About 5000 longshoremen are dis
patched daily through the hiring
hall here.
The International LongShoremen' s
and Warehousemen'S Union an
nounced that Is delegates from
Pacific Coast ports had concluded
caucus in San Francisco and were
returning to their home ports TO
speed preparations" for the coastal
Walkout.
The CIO said delegates voted to
demand one full. 24-hour day off
each week at San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Long Beach. Portland and
Seattle. They want the day off to
be uniform. with Sunday preferred
Two Passenger Ships Due.
Longshoremen say they are knock
ing off in San Francisco from
pm. tomorrow until pm. Wednes-
day so members of the union can
attend meeting called to discuss
the deadlocked maritime labor dis
pute.
Employers say the layoff was in
tended Ito demOraliZe the water
'front.' and that its timing-with
two large passenger ships due to
be handled-Was no coincidence.
There was similar layoff last
Wednesday, work being interrupted
for IA hours while the union had q
meeting.
This weeks work stoppage is
scheduled for only four hours We'd
nesday But the union says that
crews which normally work Tuesday
night are laying off to get theil
Sleep
Says Ships Will Be Serviced.
James Kearney. spokesman for the
Longshore Union, said emergency
gangs would service two large pas
senger ships which are docking OF
sailing during the 24-hour layof1
period.
The American President liner
President Cleveland will dock at
m. Wednesday. Matson's Lurline
is due to sail at 5 pm. Wednesday
American President Lines said it hao
been assured mail and baggage
would be handled on the Cleveland
Frank P. Foise of the Waterfront
Employers Association said the un-
ion layof for contract discussion
was completely unnecessary. He
argued that other unions hold sep
arate meetings for different shifts
and keep on working.
Mr.. Foise also criticized the de.
cision of the longshoremen. revealed
Saturday, to boycott an election or
the employers latest wage offer.
Strike Declared Certain.
The National Labor Relations
Board has ordered the election al
required by the Taft Hartley Act
but union spokesmen said the mer
had voted not to ballot on the wage
offer.
In announcing the boycott, unior
spokesman said September mari.
time strike is certain.
Whether the hiring halls will con.
tinue to be operated as at present
with a union dispatcher controlling
the assignment of longshoremen tt
jobs as they come up. is a bitter
issue in the West Coast dispute.
new s6,000,00G hiring hall wa
opened yesterday on the EN-
barcadero.
The National Labor Relations
Board has ruled that the Taft.
Hartley Act requires halls to be
operated impartially, with no dis.
elimination in favor of union mem.
bers or against nonunion men.
Employers, fighting to get i'm.
partial dispatchers in the hiring
halls. contend that it is impossible
to have impartiality so long as thu
union hires the dispatchers. The un'
ions adamantly refuse to chang,
the existing system and there tn,
issue is deadlocked today.