from a special correspondent
The ports of New York and Baltimore were hit on December 21st and 22nd by a wave of strikes by members of the International Longshoremen's Association. Several thousand were involved in New York (there are conflicting reports of the precise number) and 1,000 longshoremen walked off their jobs at Beltimore. A feature of the strikes is that they are being organised by complete work-gangs. This reflects the disatisfaction among the rank and file with last week's settlement between their union and the employers. This agreement included a clause which allows the employ:rs to reduce the size of the work-gangs "in the interests of greater efficiency" from 20 to ei mene
The employers are complaining of weak "union discipline” and the union leaders have replied by claiming that the strike merely reflects a slow flow of information.
This kind of strike, so familiar in Britain, is not so common in the U.S. It is to be hoped that the men draw the logical conclusion from the events and work through their union to discipline their leaders, or oust theme
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