1945
As a first step toward a National Labor Relations Board election covering the Isthmian fleet, the SIU this week notified Isthmian that the SIU represented a majority of Isthmian seamen and demanded full recognition as the sole collective bargaining agent. In the event Isthmian refuses the recognition, the SIU will then petition the Labor Board for an election covering all the unlicensed seamen aboard Isthmian ships. In the meantime the organizational drive continued in full swing.1955
A new high in both the number of benefits and total sums paid out was established by the dependents’ hospital and surgical plan for the month of October. Sixty Seafarer families benefited from payment of over $9,500 in hospital bills and surgical-medical fees during the month. In the four months since the plan started operating, 196 benefits of this kind have been paid to Seafarers at a total outlay of better than $31,000.
1965
Three more foreign-flag ships transporting military cargoes to South Vietnam for the Defense Department are tied up at various ports around the world due to the refusal of the foreign crews to sail the vessels with their vitally needed cargoes to the war zone…. The Craftsman was first tied up in Kobe, Japan by the desertion of her Indian crew, who would not sail with her Vietnam-bound supplies. A Chinese crew was flown in to man the vessel, but upon reaching Hong Kong, they too refused to continue with the U.S. military cargo. Both of the other ships (London Craftsman and Elys Harbour) are also manned by Chinese crews who refuse to take their cargoes to Vietnam.
1975
Seventeen ships under contract to the SIU this month received charters to carry U.S. grain to Russia after strong political pressure by labor forced the Ford administration to negotiate a new long-term, five-year shipping agreement with the USSR, which includes higher freight rates and a ceiling on the amount of grain that can be sold to the Russians.
Labor’s unified stand against the uncontrolled sale of grain to Russia not only has given a much-needed shot in the arm to the ailing U.S. tanker industry, but will help stabilize all grain-related consumer prices in this country. U.S. tankers will haul an estimated 890,000 tons of grain to the Soviet Union in October.
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