The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-03-18
Strike AT
ShipYard
Uncertainty Is
Affecting Bids
On Future Work

The strike of electricians at the
ingalls, Shipyard drew towards
the close of its second week
Thursday with picketing still ir
force at the yard gates but with
the other union crafts employed
in the yard largely ignoring the
picket line.
The present strike by approx.
mately 1870 electricians, members
of Local 1888. International Broth.
erhood of Electrical Workers, A
F. of L.. was called March 7th
after contract negotiations with
the ingalls, yard collapsed.
Although work, other than elec.
trical work, is proceeding nor
mally at the yard, the uncertain.
ty caused by the strike is affect
ing the bidding on multi-millior
dollar contracts contemplated by
the Maritime Commission in the
very near future, James r. Mo
ran, industrial relations director
and w. R. Guest, Sr., executive
vice president of ingalls,, said in
a statement this week.
The Maritime Commission con-
tracts will be for luxury passen-
ger-cargo vessels for the Missis-
sippi Shipping Company and the
Grace Lines, as well as new-type
C-3 cargo vessels. The ingalls,
yard completed the majority OF
C-3 vessels constructed during
the wartime building program.
They also constructed the three
"De1" liners now in use by the
Mississippi Shipping Co.
In Favorable Position
Under these circumstances, the
statement pointed out, it would
be reasonable to expect the In
gals yard to be in a favorable
position on bidding for construc-
ton of these vessels.
1t is also hoped, the statement
added, that the current labor diff
ficulties can be settled in order
that the conversion of the La
guardia can be completed on a
time schedule that will not i'm
pair the company's standing with
the Maritime Commission.
Chief points of disagreement
in the collapse of contract nego-
tiations were the union demand
for increased wage scale and a
union shop,
The union asked for $1.70 an
hour for electricians, and were
offered $l.65 by ingalls,. Th e
rate offered, ingalls, management
said in previous statements, is
the highest paid electricians in
any of the nations major ship
yards, and 10-cents an hour high
er than the rate in other Gulf
yards. The company also offered
maintenance of union member
ship and dues checkoff. These
latter provisions were contained
in a contract negotiated between
the company and the Metal Trades
Council, representing all of the
other A. T. of L. crafts employed
in the yard, last January. T h e
electrical union took no part in
these negotiations.
In a statement issued last week
union officials said that union
shop agreement would constitute
the only insurance for future
work for workers in the ingalls,
yard. Union officials declined to
make a formal statement Thurs
day of this week, saying they
were awaiting developments.
The ingalls, statement follows:
with the exception of cleo
trical work all the company's op-
erations are proceeding in a nor
NAL manner. However, the un-
certainty caused by the strike is
affecting bids on several import
ant projects and may cause a loss
of some future work.
I'VE have received reports from
Washington that bids on the pas
senger liner for the Mississippi
Shipping Company and the Grace
Lines and the C-3 prototype car
go vessels will probably be re-
ceived in the near future. ingalls,,
because of their experience with
vessels of this type, would ordin-
arily receive favorable considera-
ton on this work.
The Company still hopes the
current labor difficulties can be
settled in time to complete the
LaGuardia in such time as not to
impair our standing with the u.