Evening star., 1948-09-03
Bridges and Shippers
See Coast Port Strike
As Fight for Survival
BY the Associoied Press

BY the Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. "a
strike paralyzing Pacific Coast ports
was accepted today by the shipping
industry and Harry Bridges CIO
longshoremen as a battle for sur
vival.
The walkout, stretching from the
Mexican to the Canadian borders,
held about 120 ships in port, made
about 10000 dock workers idle and
kept 10000 seafarers ashore.
Mr.. Bridges warned his union
members to prepare to pound the
waterfront pavements in picket
lines for four to six months.
In Washington, President Truman
said the Government was powerless
to act further except through nego-
tlation. A Federal Court injunction
banning the strike for an 80-day
cooling-off period expired yesterday
as the walkout began.
Emergency Powers Exhausted.
The President told a news confer
ence the administration is still try
ing to settle the dispute by negotia-
ton, but that he has no emergency
powers left.
Across the Nation, effects of the
tieup were felt as railroads halted
shipments of most export freight to
the coast, and some exporting man
ufacturers cut production.
The Waterfront Employers ASso-
citation and Pacific American Ship
owners Association declared survival
of the industry was at stake.
They announced they no longer
would deal with any union whose
officers refused to file -Commu-
mist affidavits with the National
Labor Relations Board. Such affi-
davits are required to qualify unions
for NLRB services. Mr.. Bridges has
refused to make such an affidavit.
but said he was willing to refer the
question to the union membership.
Four Unions Back Strikers.
He told 5000 cheering longshore-
men that losing the strike would
put the union out of business. Dis
cussing negotiations which collapsed
Wednesday night, Mr.. Bridges said:
L crawled on my hands and knees
and all l got was spit in the eye.
I'VE will prepare for a four to six
months strike now. There will be
no more talks with the employers
except on our terms"
Four other unions backed the
longshoremen with pledges Of all
for one, one for all"
The CIO Marine Cooks and Stew
ards and independent Marine Fire
men ordered picket lines today
Further meetings to discuss their
participation we're called by the
CIO Marine Engineers and AFL
Radio Officers.
The Federal Cancellation Service
tried to get negotiators back into
Joint sessions yesterday but failed
Mr.. Bridges said employer evidence
of intention to negotiate in good
faith to end the strike" was a union
requirement before talking further.
Lumber Mills Close.
Longshore employers withdrew a
l0-cents-an-ho wage increase Of
fer and proposal to continue with
the present union-named dispatch
ers at hiring halls until the Supreme
Court determines whether they are
legal In any new talks employers
will 90 back to their original offer
of a scent raise and an impartial
dispatcher, the announcement said.
Meanwhile. the Coos Bay Lumber
Co., Southwestern Oregons largest
lumber firm, announced it will close
two lumber mills at the end of the
work day today because it cannot
ship the lumber. About 900 workers
will be laid off.
The ShipoWnerS made statement
of policy adopted by the associations
and 152 American and foreign lines,
stevedore firms and terminals.
Text of Statement.
It said
Fourteen years Of strikes, G.s-
ruption and chaos in the maritime
industry on this coast, caused di-
rectly by union leadership following
the Communist Party line, have
eliminated in the strike announced
by Harry Bridges
THE WEA of the Pacific Coast
and the Pacific American Shipown-
ers' Association and their members
are now convinced that survival OF
the industry and the public welfare
demand adoption of the policy here
by declared: That these associa-
tions and their members cease to
bargain or contract with any labor
organization unless each of its Of
f1cers files with the National Labor
Relations Board, in pursuance Of
law, his affidavit stating that he is
not member of the Communist
Party or affiliated with such party;
that he does not believe in and is
not member of or supports any Or
ganiZation that believes in or teaches
the overthrow of the United States
Government by force or by any