Bitter Bon Voyage

When Joseph Patrick Kennedy finally settled on board the S. S. Manhattan last week to take his Irish temper to the Court of St. James, he had no fear of failing to get safely to his post. All the ship's seamen were members of the National Maritime Union, and presumably his sworn enemies, but their spokesman announced through his teeth: "Our members wall give Mr. Kennedy every courtesy no matter what they think of his attempts to wreck their union. . . ."

Why C. I. O. maritime labor regards the former chairman of the U. S. Maritime Commission as a union-wrecker was made clear by the New York Maritime Council on the eve of Mr. Kennedy's departure : Mr. Kennedy's insistence on mediation & arbitration of maritime labor disputes is a curtailment of the union's right to strike. Arbitration of minor controversies arising out of signed contracts and prohibition of strikes & lockouts (during the duration of the contracts) is now accepted in all N. M. U. agreements. But in settling basic issues like wages, hours and working conditions, the union wants free and untrammeled negotiation. Therefore, to the council, restrictive legislation is a device of the shipowners, and Mr. Kennedy is their "staunch lobbyist."

The bothersome matter of "quickie" strikes, the unions described as "practically a thing of the past . . . necessary a few months ago when the shipowners were leaving no stone unturned to break the back of a struggling new union."

By last week the description of N. M. U. as "a struggling new union" was itself practically a thing of the past. Spawned during the sweaty struggles within the old-line A. F. of L. maritime unions, it is today one of the most successful "rank & file" movements in American labor history. Since fall, it has won 43 of the 50 maritime labor elections held by the National Labor Relations Board. Of some 20,000 votes cast, exactly 16,325 were cast for it in preference to A. F. of L.'s drowning International Seamen's Union and International Longshoremen's Association. Most convincing signs of the approach of the chair-warming stage in union development are the 21 long and involved collective agreements which the N. M. U. has concluded for nearly 10,000 of its members. The contracts are mainly with the coal carriers and tankers, including Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey. Since fall, the union has wrangled unsuccessfully with the deep sea lines.

Last week it passed two more milestones : N. M. U. received a charter from C. I. 0., and it had written to 30 steamship companies, including the big International Mercantile Marine (U. S. Lines, Panama Pacific Line, etc.): "The National Maritime Union has been chosen overwhelmingly as the Collective Bargaining agency for the unlicensed personnel on your ships. It is now your duty to comply with the law ..." (i. e., bargain under the National Labor Relations Act).

To strengthen its hand in negotiations, the union began a campaign to dispel the notion that its members are an irresponsible lot given to ill-timed whimsicalities. First step was a display of testimonials to the courtesy, cleanliness, service, honesty & sobriety of American crews. Not the least expert among them was a wire from restless Cornelius Vanderbilt: "I have been up all night during storms and have never yet seen anything being destroyed by the crew. ..."

Shipowners were also well pleased by the move of the powerful New York branch of the N. M. U. to strip ships' committees of their power to discipline men during voyages. While the effect of this self-discipline was generally good, some shipmasters disapproved the principle--they believed it might mean divided authority. The proposal may meet intense opposition within the union, but the leaders favor it and there is little doubt of its passage.

Meantime New York's Senator Royal S. Copeland remained unconvinced of the N. M. U.'s good intentions. From the Senate he wheedled $20,000 for a "full and complete investigation" of the maritime labor situation.

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