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INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN AND WAREHOUSEMEN'S UNION Affiliated With Committee for Industrial Organization President, H.R. BRIDGES Secretary, MATT MEEHAN August 25, 1937 TO ALL LOCALS; Dear Sirs and Brothers: For over two weeks the charter from the Committee for
Industrial Organization has been in the District Office in San Francisco. The charter was issued to what was the Pacific Coast
District of the I.L.A., and all its affiliated locals, now under the title of
"International Longshoremen and Warehousemen's Union". Prior to the arrival of the charter, and since, Secretary
Meehan and myself have been endeavoring to call a meeting of the District
Executive Board for the purpose of passing upon our recommendations and arriving
at a program for the reorganization of the District under the new charter, The charter, as granted by the C.I.O., transforms what was
formerly the Pacific Coast District of the I.L.A. into a national union of the
C.I.O. with the pledge of its support to organize all longshoremen and other
dock workers such as clerks, warehousemen and so forth, under charters granted
by the new national union. At the present time, the C.I.O. has some 30 organizers on
the Eastern seaboard actively engaged in organizational and publicity work in
support of the I.L.W.U. Secretary Meehan and myself have been unable to call
together a meeting of the District Executive Board due to the elections of the
various members in the various Sub-Districts not yet being completed, and
apparently elections will not be concluded until some time yet. In addition to this, applications have been received from
various Pacific Coast locals requesting immediate charters under the I.L.W.U.
for their respective locals, In view of the foregoing, and because of the generally
expressed sentiment of the large majority of the members on the Pacific Coast, I
am recommending and advising the locals as follows: (1) Charters are now being printed under the name of the
International Longshoremen and Warehousemen's union and will be issued to all
locals immediately. (2) Charters will be issued in the order of applications
received and numbered accordingly. (5) Charters will be issued to all present Pacific Coast
locals without exception. (4) The District percapita tax, in addition to the
percapita tax formerly paid to the International, be remitted to the
Secretary-Treasurer. The District Officers are of the opinion that inasmuch as
the overwhelming majority of the District voted to change our affiliation, and
because of the numerous demands as to when local charters will be issued, that
the above step is necessary without further undo delay. A meeting of the Executive Board will be called as soon as
possible. In all probability the last week of August at which time the questions
of changes in the District Constitution, personnel, per-capita tax and so forth
will be discussed and acted upon. You will note in the recommendations contained herein, that
I am requesting that the percapita tax formerly paid to J. P. Ryan and the
International now be sent to the District.
Of this money, 5 cents per month per member will be forwarded to the
C.I.O. as percapita tax, the balance used exclusively for organizing. Regarding the I.L.A. organizers at the present time. All
I.L.A. organizers representing and following the policies of the Pacific Coast
District are now concentrated in Los Angeles and are being financially supported
by the donations of the locals turned into the District, and quotas of the
District Defense Fund. In addition to this, Local 58-44 of San Francisco has
donated recently $10,000,00 to keep its men in the field In Los Angeles
organizing warehousemen. Local 38-82, of San Pedro, is at present maintaining 5
organizers in the Los Angeles area - the entire expense being borne solely by
Local 58-82. District Organizer W, Craft, of Local 58-12 Seattle, is at
present working longshore due to the Inability of the District to employ him as
an organizer where he is sadly needed; namely, in British Columbia. It should be
understood that Locals 58-82 and 38-44 in donating their money towards
organizational purposes are conceded the right to select the men they wish to
have employed as organizers. It Is the District's intention, as soon as funds are
available, to immediately place W. Craft in the organizational field and as many
other organizers as we can possibly afford to assist him in the task of
organizing British Columbia. I have not mentioned E, G. Dietrich, who also was elected
by a referendum of the District, but who has openly declared his contempt for
the wishes of the District membership and his full-fledged allegiance to J. P.
Ryan and the International payroll. The Executive Board, while in session, will also act on a
design for a new emblem for all of the members affiliated with the I.L.W.U. Trusting the advice and recommendations contained in this
communication will receive your Immediate attention, and approval in your first
regular meeting following receipt of same, and that this office will be notified
accordingly, I am Fraternally yours, NOTE* All requests for charters should be accompanied with the names of the present officers of the local.
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