Evening star., 1951-11-09
|DockersR Return
To n. Y: Piers
Under Truce
Rebel Loneshoremen
Agree to Work While
Mediation Proceeds
BY the Associated Press

NEW YORK, Nov. 9.-Striking
longshoremen f1ocked back to
freight-jammed piers today after
their leaders agreed to end the
ports billion dollar, 25-day Wild
cat walkout.
Along the miles of waterfront
from Hoboken and Jersey City. N.
j.. to the far reaches of Brooklyn.
thousands streamed to work be-
fore the / pm. deadline set by
their leaders.
There we're jobs aplenty for all
at the long piers. In Hoboken.
police were helping round up extra
men.
The rebel union faction. which
steamrollered the strike into New
York's longest port tieup, yielded
to a New York fact-finding board
in the pre-dawn hours to end the
strike.
Dispute Still to Be Aired.
No mention was made concern
ing settlement of intra- union diff
ferences. The dispute-principally
over wage scales in a new con-
tract and legality of the contract
itself-still must be aired by the
board.
The strike was the costliest in
the history Of the worlds biggest
port. with piers sprawled along
both New York and New Jersey.
At the peak of the walkout, ia
ships were tied up.
New York State Industrial
Commissioner Edward Corsi, who
appointed the three man inquiry
panel. announced shortly before
2 am. that the ports of New York
and Boston would be open at
pm. today.
Boston was the only other port
completely shut down by the
strike, with other East Coast ports
being affected from time to time.
Four Hour Closed Meeting.
In New York, an increasing
number Of dockers had been re-
turning to work on military
ships in recent days.
Mr.. Corsi's announcement fol-
lowed a four-hour closed meet
ing between representatives Of
rebel longshoremen and the panel.
All the stevedores are members
of the AFL International Long
shoremef1's Association, whose At
lantic Coast district represents
165. 900 dock workers from Maine
to Virginia.
More than 10000 union dockers
were affected by the minority
walkout. which began over ratif-
cation October IL of a new lila
contract with East Coast shipping
and stevedoring companies. The
Idissident group. led by John
Gene Sampson, went out three
days later.
Pickets, aided by motorcades of
strikers. barred entrance to the
docks by striking la mem
bers. In many instances, fists and
rocks few during the dispute, but
no serious incidents occurred. In
some instances. workers went to
and from the docks aided by police
details.
Concessions Unmentioned.
In announcing the back-to-work
move, Mr.. Corsi made no mention
OF concessions. if any, coming
from either side. He said the
inquiry board would continue Its
public hearings on the dispute.
The board urged that there be
no discrimination in hiring or
|re-hiring" and added:
THE Strike Committee lent its
cooperation to Board of Inquiry
in full recognition of the necessity
OF protecting the port of New York
and OF the public interest"
Joseph P. Ryan. head of tho
liza. said he was very happy"
that the walkout was over and
there would "of course" be no dis
elimination against strikers in the
Ishape-up hiring system.
Mr.. Sampson. who was present
at the board meeting, said the
settlement means approximately
%. 900 men will be going back to
work"
The strike brewed after Mr..
Ryan announced lila acceptance
OF new contract with the New
York Shipping Association. Mr..
Ryan said the stevedore balloting
among the $1,000 men showed a
2-to-l majority in favor of con-
tract acceptance.
The Sampson group contends
that the vote was fraud, and
that LILA voting machinery is out
moded. 1t demands scrapping of
the pact and re-negotiation of
wage and other issues.
The agreement gave the dockers
a $2.l0 hourly wage, a 10-cent
boost over previous wages. The
strikers wanted a 25-cent-an-hour
pay hike.