“May Tie Up Shipping On the Lakes,” Kingston Whig-Standard. April 19, 1941. Page 2. ---- General tie-up of shipping on the Great Lakes loomed today following the action Friday evening of Keystone Transports Limited in sailing two ot their boats from the La Salle Causeway.
This was revealed today by E. Donne, acting general secretary of the Canadian Seamen's Union, who said there is a growing feeling among members that a general strike should be called.
"Feeling is running high and if the demand is made on the national executive we have no other course to take but call a genera strike" said Donne.
Galen Rowers, business agent of the CSU, said that dozens of union men not effected by the strike had demanded that a general tie-up be put in force.
In Protest If a general strike is called, it will be in protest of the Keystone Company taking crews through a Canadian Seamen's Union picket line and placing them aboard the Key Don and Key West. The sailors were escorted aboard the ships Friday evening by city police and shortly before 10 o'clock the vessels sailed far Montreal.
"We have done all we can," declared Donne today. “It's now up to the Government to take action. Feeling is reaching fever heat and something will soon have to be done to prevent serious trouble.”
Union officials announced that the picket line will be maintained at four other Keystone ships now docked at La Salle Causeway.
Donne said that the board of conciliation set up by the Government had recommended that the dissenting steamship companies sign agreements with the Canadian Seamen's Union.
“A year ago we had this conciliation board arbitrarily thrust on us,” continued Donne. “The dissenting companies have refused to abide by the board's decision forcing us to strike Now it is up to the Government to force the companies to do what has been recommended by the board.”
Capt. Leon Beaupre, marine superintendent of Keystone Transports, has refused to have anything to do with the CSU, said Donne. But Capt. Beaupre has signed an agreement with the National Seamen' Association.
Donne's Charge Only a handful of men aboard Keystone boats are members of the National Seamen's Association yet the company is attempting to make the Government believe that the association represents the crews charged Donne.
“You can see how it represented them when the company had to bring in strikebreakers from Montreal to take the ships out," said Donne. “The company is trying to take advantage of the war effort to force a company union on the men."
Some of the striking members of the CSU had served aboard the Key Don and Key West for as long as 15 years, he said.
There was no disturbance Friday evening when police escorted 40 Montreal seamen aboard the ships docked at LaSalle Causeway Police had night sticks out in preparation for trouble but the CSU let the strikebreakers through.
Police Chief J. Robinson said the Keystone Company had requested a police escort for the Montreal sailors.