Longshoremen Walk Out Over Wages
Workers at the Seattle steamship wharves demand a raise to 50 cents an hour, sparking a labor standoff.
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.
The longshoremen are on a strike, both here and in Portland. The men on the Steamship Company's wharf have been receiving 30 cents an hour for their time and work. They now demand 50, and 40 was offered them yesterday, but refused. The first vessel to unload was the Walla Walla, the work all being done by her crew and the regular warehousemen. It was slow work, but it was the best the Company could do under the circumstances. No ill feeling is manifested on either side, and it is thought a compromise will be effected today.
“They now demand 50, and 40 was offered them yesterday, but refused.”
The waterfront remains the literal and metaphorical engine of Seattle's economy. While the technology of shipping has evolved, the tension between labor costs, shipping schedules, and industrial action persists.
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