Waterfront Strike Reaches Compromise
Stevedores return to work at the government dock, signaling an end to the labor dispute on the Tacoma waterfront.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There was a decided change in the strike situation on the waterfront this morning. On board the Hyades, the old crew of stevedores were at work, just as though there had never been a sign of trouble. When asked how things were, one of the men answered, 'Compromise.' Both sides seem greatly pleased over the outcome. William R. McCabe was in Seattle this morning, and his manager here had nothing to say more than that the trouble was over. Regarding the position of the government with relation to labor unions, Captain Grant said: 'When men come to work here we ask no questions regarding their affiliation with labor unions. All we want is men who do the work satisfactorily, and we will pay the scale of wages adopted by the government union when possible.' The indications are that an understanding has been reached between the quartermaster's department officials and the labor unions and no more trouble is looked for.
“All we want is men who do the work satisfactorily, and we will pay the scale of wages adopted by the government union when possible.”
Labor disputes over wages and union recognition remain a perennial reality on Tacoma’s working waterfront. Today's negotiations, while more formalized, still echo the 1904 resolution where practical necessity eventually bridged the gap between maritime employers and the unions.
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