Jim experience in Unions

In the mid 1940s, I was in the Merchant Marine. The only happy thing, my 18th birthday was in Singapore’s harbor.

The Union controlled all. While still in Frisco, I was threaten by a cook with a meat cleaver. I went to the Captain to complain, I found he had nothing to do but look out the front window.

That ship’s trip was canceled, I was out of a job, so was the cook. We were both at the Union Hall looking for a job, he told the others that I reported him to the Captain, they screamed that I must follow Union Rules. While they were screaming, I noticed the clerk had written a new job on the blackboard, so I went over and got the job.

Now I was in big trouble, others were waiting for a job, but were hollering at me instead of watching the Blackboard. I reminded them that I had just followed Union Rules to the letter, and it was my job. Jesse Owens could not have caught me as I ran down Frisco’s Embarcadero street.

When my ship returned, by bad luck we were anchored way out in the Frisco Bay when they passed out the final pay. I was not going to sail again, so when they laid my wages in two piles, one for me and one for the Union, I picked up both and put them in my pocket.

They threaten to throw me off the water taxi, but the crew would not let them. As we neared the dock I set an Olympic record for broad jump, and was on the dock running for my life before the boat touched the dock.

A few years later, until I was re-called into the Army for the Korean War, I worked at International Harvester near Chicago, also controlled by the Union. When I wouldn’t pay, they threatened me, then forged my name to the paper needed to deduce “their” money from my paycheck. I went to the boss and demanded it be canceled, and my money returned.

He warned me that I might be beaten up, but I said I will take the chance. When several Union men were going to beat me, I just accidentally dropped a heavy Engine head on one's foot. Problem solved.