F. D. R. Board May "Crack Down"
Drastic Action Planned if New Offer for Arbitration is Refused

President Roosevelt's National Longshoremen's Board is ready to take drastic action should its latest offer of arbitration in the maritime strike be refused. The board asked that both employers and strikers submit to arbitration. "If this proposal is refused," said Assistant Secy. of Labor Edward F. McGrady, board member, "the board will immediately start to hold public hearings and conduct elections to determine who is to represent the men, possibly along the entire Pacific coast.

"Regardless of what any party may do, we propose to carry on under the mandate given us by the President of the United States." Forced into the background temporarily by the opening of the port, the board awaited replies from both sides in the maritime strike to its arbitration proposal. The latest appeal for arbitration, issued last night by the President's board, came after a message from Washington had struck a heavy blow to peace hopes.

Supplementing its appeal, the board issued another statement today pointed out it was the official agency of the federal government to deal with the strike, that it had the full confidence of Secy. of Labor Frances Perkins, and that its arbitration appeal should be recognized and responded to by all parties. The board had asked Sec;y. Perkins whether it had the right to compel ship owners to negotiate strike grievances jointly instead of individually. The Department of Labor got a ruling from U.S. Atty. Gen. Homer S. Cummings that the board had no such power.

The board had hoped to persuade striking seamen and other ship crafts to go back to work, while it took up their grievances with representatives of all ship lines. H.W. Hutton, attorney for the International Seamen's Union, had contended that a ruling of the Supreme Court make it imperative that the lines deal jointly with the strikers. In its new appeal the board pointed out that it could act as voluntary arbitrator if both parties requested such action, and asked that both strikers and employers reply to the appeal before Thursday night.

There were reports that the employers had indicated their willingness to ask for arbitration, but officials of the board said they had not yet received notification from either side. Harry Bridges, as head of the San Francisco I.L.A. strike committee, said he did not believe the longshoremen would accept any plan to have all their grievances submitted to arbitration, because, under the provisions of the NRA [National Recovery Act], they might lose their fight for the closed shop, their chief aim. He said no plans had been made to take a vote on the national board's proposal.

Representatives of all other striking maritime unions were to meet during the day and draft an answer to the board. "The board moved slowly at first, acting in the role of conciliator," said Edward F. McGrady, assistant labor secretary and member of the board. "Then when it found that conciliation was fruitless it stepped into its arbitration role. "Strike leaders were asked twice to submit the June 16 agreement to a new vote by all members of the International Longshoremen.

Both times they rejected the proposal. Now we hope that a vote will be taken on a request for arbitration and that we will have a favorable answer by Thursday, so that actual arbitration can be started by Friday morning."

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F. D. R. Board Wins Delay in Decision
San Francisco News
July 3, 1934

Stevedores Temporarily Are Talked Out of Refusal to Arbitrate Demands.

The National Longshoremen's board, in conference with longshoremen, temporarily talked the strikers out of rejecting the arbitration proposal today. William J. Lewis, district president of the International Longshoremen's Association, and John Finnegan, local ILA executive committee member, met with board members at the State Building. Harry Bridges, chairman of the joint marine strike committee, was summoned by the board soon after the meeting started. Mr. Bridges, at the conclusion of the meeting, immediately left for a conference with the joint strike committee, saying that he would discuss arbitration with the seamen later.

Other Unions Ready 

Other maritime unions were reported ready to refuse the board's arbitration suggestion as board members went ahead with plans to hold public hearings and call elections, if necessary. The board had asked that both employers and strikers answer the appeal by Thursday night, so that arbitration could start Friday. However, the joint marine strike committee was understood to have agreed that the question of a closed shop cannot be arbitrated and that arbitration would therefore be useless.

The committee also decided that instead of a joint reply to the board's request, each of the striking unions should draft its own answer. O.K. Cushing, member of the board, said he had received communications from some of the unions, but withheld a statement until he had heard from them all.

Bridges Explains

Mr. Bridges declared that the men would not go back to work and submit to arbitration until some solution of the hiring hall problem is reached, so that men will not be forced to congregate on the Embarcadero awaiting calls for work. The Waterfront Employers' Union was reported making a check of its membership in order to prepare its answer to the board's request for arbitration. The answer will be prepared at a meeting tomorrow afternoon, it was stated. The national board offices were kept open throughout today, awaiting word from either party and from Washington, it was announced by Mr. Cushing.

McGrady Ready

Edward F. McGrady, assistant labor secretary, said the board was going ahead on the supposition that its request would be accepted, but indicated that if it is rejected the board is ready to invoke its arbitrary powers, though it will naturally await instructions from Washington. Mr. McGrady said the board probably would hold public hearings, subpoenaing all concerned. Two days would be sufficient for hearings here, he believed, and the board would then hold hearings at Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland, after which it would be able to make recommendations to Washington.

If the need arose he said the board would also call elections in the various unions to determine whether the men were satisfied with their present spokesmen. "All parties to the controversy and the public must realize that the appeal for arbitration published in the press, to all parties to the controversy to use peaceful and intelligent means suggested for immediately terminating the strike is an appeal by the federal government and should be recognized and responded to accordingly," said a statement from the board.

The joint strike committee countered this with a statement that "the attempt on the part of the Industrial Association to move a few trucks and call it 'opening the port' is nothing but an attempt to scare the strikers into going back to work pending arbitration."

The statement contended the President's board has no power to force arbitration.

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The Strike Situation in Brief 
San Francisco Daily News
July 6, 1934

Developments in the waterfront strike situation today; California National Guardsmen maintained martial law on the waterfront after yesterday's bloody rioting. Threats of a general strike grew more ominous. Many unions were discussing a sympathy walkout. Delegates were named to attend a meeting called by Harry Bridges, strike committee chairman. Possibility of a sympathy strike by Atlantic dock workers increased.

State Highway Police were ordered to stop strike-connected disorders reported in the interior. A San Francisco-bound truckload of hay was turned over near Tracy, drivers refused to move cattle here, shippers were undecided whether to send tomatoes, 34 trucks with perishables were halted by asserted strikers. The waterfront was quiet. Picket dispersed gatherings of their men.

Cargo movements from the docks were speeded up by Industrial Association trucks and the state Belt Line Railroad. Many rioters arrested during recent fighting awaited trials. An Oakland striker was shot when he and four others attacked a San Francisco dock worker. Under the protection of police and guardsmen, land crews resumed local work on the San Francisco-Oakland bay bridge which they were forced to flee when yesterday's rioting swept over them.

Rocks were thrown through the windows of the Pelicano-Rossi Floral Co. in which Mayor Rossi is a partner. Labor Secy. Frances Perkins, in Washington, watched developments closely. Chief Quinn and Col. R.E. Mittelstaedt of the National Guard repeated warnings to the curious to stay away from the waterfront.