The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-07-06

place 1000 residents with outsiders who have absolutely no stake in the Territory.
 What makes this entire situation lmaddening, is to see these honest hard working natives leave the canneries with so little understands ing of what happened to them Yes, they want to work. No, they don't want to go home with nc wages. But Jim Downey told them lnot to work.
 l Jim Downey doesn't want them to work-so quietly with no sign oi any antagonism, they left for their homes.
 Who is this Jim Downey whose nod could have kept the jobs of 1000 native Alaskans? Jim Downey is business agent of two unions He is the agent for the resident cannery workers union and he's also the business agent for the Der ing Sea Fisheripen's Union.
 Tt was his Jekyll-Hyde mani pulation that caused the conflict.
 The industry and the cannery workers had no conflict. There was absolutely no dispute.
 "Gravely concerned when it ap- peared that Alaska's valuable red salmon pack would not be pro- cessed, the industry desperately tried to get Downey to give his cannery workers the nod. The in- dustry offered the workers l5Fo increase in pay. improved living conditions and fund equal to ten cents per case on all red salmon packed in Bristol Bay this season This fund, which would approxi- mate S50,000 would be expended under the direction of four men who have worked with the natives for years. The men proposed by the industry to handle this fund for the benefit of native workers and their families were Father Endal, Father Convert, the Rev. erend Franklin Smith and Sarge Connick.
 Jim Downey, business agent for two unions, turned down both these offers. On the fourth day of the 16-day season, the industry sent the natives home and started bring ing in other workers.
 Why wouldn't Jim Downey give his cannery workers the nod' We ll the industry feel that Jim Dow ney sacrificed the jobs of 1000 cannery workers for the sole pos sible benefit of his smaller group of fishermen.
 "Downey's union is engaged in a iurisdictional dispute with the Alas ka Fishermens Union. The A.F.U is sponsored and supported by Harry Bridges International Long, shoremen's and Waref1ousemen's Union. Members of the A. F. U are fishing in Bristol Bay Dow ney's fishermen are sponsored by the Seafarer's International Union [ headed Icy Harry Lundberg. Both unions have their headquarters in San Francisco and the active direction of the jurisdictional squabble was conducted by union officials flown to Bristol Bay.
 At the. start of the season, Downey's cannery workers were af- filiated with the Congress of In- dustrial Organization. But as late as June 29 Downey notified the in- dustry that his cannery workers had switched their utilization from the CI.O. to AFL. affiliated with SIU.
 Legality of this zero hour switch is seriously questioned by Roy Atkinson, Seattle. CT. o. regional director. But whether CIO., AF.L or independent, the native cannery workers were told by Downey not to work until his fishermen win their jurisdictional dispute.
 Jim Downey's fishermen and the | industry were at odds over two de- mands that actually required action 1 by governmental agencies. They are:
 l. UNION JURISDICTION - the