|
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.
|
|
This unofficial site was created and is
maintained by rank and file ILWU members ©1999/2009 ilwu19.com |
