À BILL TO ESTABLISH HIRING HALLS UNDER THE CONTROL OF SHIPPING COMMISSIONERS FOR THE ENGAGING OF SEA- MEN FOR CERTAIN VESSELS, TO CONTROL SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES AMONG SEAMEN, TO IMPOSE ADDITIONAL CITI- ZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS FOR MANNING VESSELS OF THE UNITED STATES, TO ESTABLISH MORE STABLE LABOR RELA- TIONS IN THE MERCHANT MARINE, AND TO PROTECT THE FEBRUARY 26, 27, 28, MARCH 5, 6, 7, AND 11, 1941 Printed for the use of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries H 12039 Suala COMMITTEE ON THE MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES SCHUYLER OTIS BLAND, Virginia, Chairman RICHARD J. WELCH, California FRANCIS D. CULKIN, New York J. C. OLIVER, Maine JOSEPH J. O'BRIEN, New York FRED BRADLEY, Michigan JAMES E. VAN ZANDT, Pennsylvania GORDON CANFIELD, New Jersey ANTHONY J. DIMOND, Alaska SAMUEL W. KING, Hawaii JAMES W. GULICK, Clerk ELSIE N. KĐEFER, Assistant Clerk LIBRARY OF CONGRESS APR 23 941 DIVISION UF BOCUMENTS CONTENTS 398 Statements of Page Collins, John J., representing certain licensed officers' unions and unlicensed seamen's unions. 43 Cooley, E. H., Massachusetts Fisheries Association. 49 Curran, Joseph, National Maritime Union.. 115, 189 Delaney, James J., Masters, Mates, and Pilots of America. 53 Dirksen, Hon. Everett M., Representative in Congress from Illinois. 2 Halling, Bjorne, Congress of Industrial Organizations Maritime Committee. 382 Hogan, Samuel J., National Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association. 51 Lundeberg, Harry, Sailors Union of the Pacific. 337 Malone, Vincent J., Pacific Coast Marine Firemen, Oilers, Water Tenders, and Wipers Association. 71 McHugh, Patrick, Atlantic Fishermen's Union.. 63 McKenzie, Howard, National Maritime Union. 180 O'Donnell, Jack, Marine Cooks' and Stewards' Associations of the Pacific Coast 251 Owens, John R., International Longshoremen's Association. 362 Petersen, Capt. W. J., Pacific American Steamship Association, Ship owners' Association of the Pacific Coast. Popper, artin W., National Lawyers Guild. 392 Radcliffe, Dr. Lewis, Oyster Institute of North America 68 Shanley, Hon. James A., Representative in Congress from Connecticut. 305 Standard, William L., National Maritime Union.. Walker, Francis B., American Merchant Marine Institute. 28 Winocur, Murray, Maritime Department, American Communications Association. 366 Statements for the record filed by— Rear Admiral S. C. Hooper, representing the Chief of Naval Operations, 402 Lake Carriers' Association. 404 Great Lakes Towing Co.. 406 Mississippi River System Carriers' Association.. 406 National Council of American Shipbuilders 407 Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.- 408 Masters, Mates and Pilots of America, West Coast Local No. 90 409 Philip Murray, President, Congress of Industrial Organizations. 414 Silas B. Axtell, attorney, Friends of Andrew Furuseth Legislative Association. 414 Bill, text of 416 Recommendations of the Maritime Labor Board. 424 306 III MERCHANT SEAMEN WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1941 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C. The committee met, at 9:58 a. m., pursuant to notice, Hon. Schuyler O. Bland, chairman, presiding, for consideration of H. R. 2662, referred to as the Merchant Seamen Act, 1941. In this connection, see also the hearings entitled “Experience Requirements for Radio Operators on Cargo Ships,” held February 21, 1941, on H. R. 2074. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen, the committee will come to order. We have up for consideration this morning H. R. 2662 a bill introduced by Mr. Dirksen, and in connection therewith certain recommendations have been made by the Maritime Labor Board. (NOTE: The recommendations of the Maritime Labor Board will be found in the appendix.) I have a telegram from Mr. Callaghan, manager, Maritime Association of the Port of New York, that he has asked me to read, and I will put that in the record without objection. He states: We are sending by air mail the views of our association on H. R. 2662, as follows: "The Maritime Association of the Port of New York does not look with favor upon H. R. 2662, the Dirksen bill, for the following reasons: (1) We believe that the enactment of the bill would not accomplish the principal purpose for which it was intended, i. e., to establish more stable labor relations in the merchant marine. We believe that the establishment of a hiring hall, as proposed in the bill, would be most impractical of operation and would have the effect of creating and fostering intraunion and interunion strife rather than promote harmony in the industry generally. (2) We are convinced that there is no necessity for the establishment of a Maritime Labor Board as the powers proposed for this Board are already in the hands of the Department of Labor through its conciliation service. The conciliation service of the Department of Labor has functioned for a great many years, and we believe has successfully settled all labor disputes which have come before them. (3) The great majority of the steamship companies have existing contracts with maritime unions which provide for the settlement of all disputes by the conciliation service of the Department of Labor and there appears to be no need for the establishment at this time of another board to perform the same service." We would appreciate if you will have read at the hearing this statement for the record. The undersigned is prevented by illness from being present tomorrow. C. H. CALLAGHAN, of the Port of New York. I am simply reading these to give time for a few more members of the committee to come, but if you want to proceed, Mr. Dirksen, you may do so. Mr. DIRKSEN. No, go ahead, Mr. Chairman. 1 |