|
Struggle
and Changes
Port
of New York
Clayton Anti Trust Act of 1914
ILA absorbs LUPA
Gangland myths
For
longshoremen nationwide, and especially for
those in the Port of New York, this was an
era of great contradiction, where landmark
legal advances to protect the rights and
safety of workers stood in stark contrast to
the actual conditions for longshoremen.
The United States was the only
country with a large foreign commerce
without any laws to protect the safety of
its longshoremen. Even the celebrated Clayton
Anti Trust Act of 1914, which
legalized strikes, boycotts, and peaceful
picketing did little to improve actual
working conditions for longshoremen.
|
"It
is true that some
elements-encouraged by the laws of
supply and demand-engaged in
illicit behavior, but never to the
extent that first Hollywood and
later the press would have the
public believe." |
The 1914 absorption of LUPA into the ILA prompted the
creation of ILA's New York District
Council and ignited an intense period of
growth for the union both in terms of size
and power. The organization of coastwise
longshoremen in 1916 was a significant
victory that greatly improved the ILA's
position at bargaining tables-shippers no
longer had the option of diverting freight
from striking ports along the Atlantic.
As the ILA grew, power shifted increasingly to the Port of
New York, where the branch headquarters for
the International were established.
There, a young man named Joseph Ryan
was furiously organizing longshoremen while
rising through the ranks to become an
officer of the New York District Council and
in 1918, president of the Atlantic Coast
District.
In 1921, the frenzied
pace of longshoring during World War I
slackened and ILA president T.V. O'Connor
resigned. Anthony Chlopek, the last of the Great Lakes presidents, was
elected ILA International president and Ryan
served as his First Vice president for the
six years of Chlopek's presidency.
Perhaps the most significant
development during Chlopek's term was the
institution of the Prohibition Enforcement
Law. In direct contrast to its desired effect, Prohibition
actually had a demoralizing, corrupting
effect on society. Despite fictitious
portrayals of gangland capers unfolding on
the waterfront, the true state of affairs on
New York's piers never even remotely
approached the elaborate plots designed in
the artists' minds.
It is true that some
elements-encouraged by the laws of supply
and demand-engaged in illicit behavior,
but never to the extent that first Hollywood
and later the press would have the public
believe.
Back
to Top
|
