Editor’s note: The Seafarers LOG reserves the right to edit letters for grammar as well as space provisions without changing the writer’s intent. The LOG welcomes letters from members, pensioners, their families and shipmates and will publish them on a timely basis.Good Calls
My wife and I simply want to say “thank you” for the many years of pleasurable service the union has given us, especially the friendly help on the telephone.
Captain Richard J. Conner
Boyertown, Penn.
Many Thanks
I am 85 years old and wish to thank the Seafarers Plans and all Seafarers who’ve helped me and my family over the years. I sailed from July 30, 1946 to December 6, 1981. I sailed on 50 ships, plus or minus, and went to that many countries, too. I walked the strike lines in 1946 and I made two round-the-world trips.
I never can thank the SIU enough for all they have done for me.
Lester J. Moore
Livingston, Texas
‘If You Don’t Like It…’
How many of you who work for a paycheck have run into a situation like this or know someone who has?
You need a day off to take an aging and infirm parent to the doctor, but your boss says no.
The boss tells you to go punch out so he won’t be responsible for overtime pay, but says you have to come back and finish a job.
You train a new employee and that person immediately gets the higher paying position that you are qualified for.
In all of the above cases, or in any other arbitrary or unfair work situation, you may be told that “if you don’t like it, you can go work someplace else.”
These scenarios are not farfetched. Communication, energy, hotel and retail corporations have committed these and many other unfair labor practices. What’s worse, they’ve gotten away with them for years. The one thing they all have in common: unorganized workers!
Employees who don’t have union representation often give their company’s management a docile, pliable and, in many cases, fearful work force. Each employee can be dealt with as management sees fit. Favoritism, harassment, arbitrary policy changes and indiscriminate layoffs or firings are all common tools of management when labor lies down.
However, when workers unite and organize, these conditions change. Unfortunately, the reality is that in today’s work environment, many companies will fight viciously to keep their employees from organizing.
The question is: Why? What does management have to fear from organized labor? The average American corporate CEO makes 117 times the salary of an hourly worker employed by the company. Corporate board members get similar salaries. Along with the inflated executive salaries come perks that include large stock options, “golden parachute” retirement and severance packages that pay even if the company fails, homes and “loans” that never have to be paid back. Investors and major stockholders want 15-20 percent short-term returns on their money. All of this is paid out of the corporation’s profits.
Organized workers help ensure, through collective bargaining, that a fair share of the profit goes to those whose labor produces the goods or services that generate the earnings. Management’s fear is sharing the wealth. In their view, treating their work force with dignity and giving them a greater share of the profits through higher wages, benefits and job security amounts to “bad business.”
It’s no secret that workers who decide to organize face an uphill battle. Many companies spend millions of dollars on union busters. These “union avoidance consultants” train front line supervisors in how to identify and harass organizing leaders. On their advice, management will hold mandatory meetings, in order to force-feed employees many myths, half-truths and outright lies about unions.
Nevertheless, committed and educated union activists can overcome these obstacles. Here are some of the union “urban legends” management will put out and the truth behind them.
1. “Unions are dinosaurs. They aren’t necessary anymore.”
Anyone who believes this has never heard of Enron, Global Crossing or K-mart. A contract with any of these giants could have put union officials in a position to keep the company honest. Even if they couldn’t prevent the failures, they could have seen to it that those who lost their jobs got the severance pay and benefits they deserved before the board members ran off with the company treasury.
2. “Our company treats employees like family. We don’t need a ‘third party’ to interfere.”
All of the companies mentioned above made a point of telling employees that they were part of a “family.” Unions are not “third-parties.” Unions are you, the employees, standing together and acting collectively.
3. “Unions are corrupt, and they only want your dues.”
Human beings run unions. For every individual guilty of corruption in any union, there are many thousands of decent, hard-working people in unions advancing the cause of work with dignity and living wages.
Also, dues are needed to pay operating costs and salaries. Elected committees monitor costs and set salaries. Unions are democratic organizations that can be changed from within. Any eligible member can aspire to any union office and work to help ensure the union remains true to its membership. If union negotiators get you a contract that raises your annual salary, provides for paid overtime, includes health and life insurance, creates a pension plan and provides job security, then doesn’t paying dues make sense?
The list goes on but the picture of what organized labor can do for a company and community is very different from what management often would have you believe. Workers who have secure jobs with good wages, benefits and job security are happy, more productive and help the company improve its product or service. They can be as active in helping cut costs and making an operation more efficient as any corporate bean counter if given the opportunity.
Communities that support organized labor benefit as well. Workers who earn more buy homes and shop for higher-end consumer goods. This drives local economies and creates more jobs. Higher wages and home ownership increase tax bases, allowing local governments to provide better service and build better schools. Secure, living-wage jobs benefit everyone in a community, not just company employees.
So the next time you hear the “If you don’t like it, leave” refrain, don’t leave. Remember that dignity and respect in the workplace are worthwhile goals that can be achieved through solidarity and perseverance. Organize, unionize and change your company and community for the better!
AB Billy Bushey
Aboard the USNS Kilauea
New Bill for WWII Mariners
We have found a U.S. Congressman, Bob Filner of the California 51st Congressional District, who has recognized the efforts of our committee to secure recognition for World War II merchant marine veterans and will help secure “just compensation” for those of us surviving.
After much discussion with Congressman Filner and his staff, we have modified the bill completely, from title to contents. Here are the major changes:
Title has been changed to Combat Merchant Mariners Adjustment Act of 2004.
Eligibility has been modified to any service “in harm’s way,” in the period from Dec. 5, 1941 through Dec. 31, 1946 (the same period as all other G.I. bills of World War II).
Compensation has been modified to $1,000 per month, tax-free.
Widows will be recognized. Any surviving wife of a qualified veteran shall be eligible to receive the same benefit as the veteran….
We will advise when the bill is introduced and a number has been assigned. What you can do then to help ensure passage of the Combat Merchant Mariners Adjustment Act of 2004 is, write telephone, fax or email your representative and the senators from your state, and send a copy of the correspondence to Congressman Filner to show your support. Write an extra letter or two to the editor of your local newspaper. Get the bill mentioned on your local television or radio station.
Ask your congressmen to not only support our bill, but to become a cosponsor. We will have a senator introduce the bill in the Senate at the same time, as a companion bill….
Ian T. Allison, Santa Rosa, Calif.
and
Henry Van Gemert, Palmetto, Fla.
Co-Chairmen, Just Compensation Committee
The committee consists of representatives from the American Merchant Marine Veterans (AMMV).
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