246 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



tists told me the thing was not working, they couldn't do their work. 

 But the fact remains I got through 3 months after I started the union. 

 It is my opinion and the opinion of tlie men I was fired as a result of 

 union activities. 



Now, let's get to the wage side of it. Some people are mixed up, but 

 the way to do that is by a survey of the wages in the industry. There 

 was no survey of wages until 1 got through, and then they came out 

 the following March with a survey, w^hen orders came out to hold both 

 boats at the dock until they made a survey. Then everyone got a sub- 

 stantial pay increase, I believe it was $1,000; and some, instead of get- 

 ting a big raise of $1,000, said the}'' had to get $500 each year. Now, if 

 the fishermen's salary is decreased down to below what they are getting 

 now, we would be decreased. There is no other way around it. If 

 they do decrease, or if they do take a cut, Ave will take a cut, too, and 

 we are willing to do that. 



Chairman Miller. That is the basis of the so-called uniformity in 

 the Government pay. They are paid on that basis and apply the 

 same theory. 



Mr. Powers. Well, the wage scale, the way it was handled the last 

 time was on what they call two scales, one while at sea and one while 

 in port. That is how they handled that. But, anyway, they came up 

 with another raise in February, this year, amounting to about another 

 $1,000. But the crew of the Albatross did not request any raise of 

 wages in 1958. We didn't request any raise, they just shipped that 

 order out to us in line with a deactivation notice, both on the same 

 day. If you want to go back to 1955, 1 can, but I know you men don't 

 have the time. I can go back to 1950 and compare both the Albatross 

 and the Delaware. 



Chairman Miller. Would you want to prepare a little memo on it 

 and submit it to us ? 



Mr. Powers. Yes, sir. 



Chairman Miller. And we will make it part of the record. 



(The following was furnished for insertion :) 



Dorchester, Mass., June 3, 1959. 

 Hon. George P. Miller, 

 House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 



Dear Sir : I want to thank you for the opportunity of appearing before your 

 subcommittee. 



There is a few things that stick out in my mind that was not brought out at 

 committee hearing. One was the labor relations. It's impossible to have good 

 relations with department head. Ever since I started the union there is a 

 feeling that union should not be in there. I cannot understand Dr. Graham's 

 attitude. I was told he is class conscience. I was also told on several occasions 

 he was a labor hater. I know it was common knowledge in Woods Hole that 

 getting rid of crew was the first order of business. 



I am convinced he was and Ls against me. 



I started the union in June of 10.56 and got fired with two other men in 

 September of WrA',. Short time after I was through on the boat they shipped 

 two men. I think that's proof enough of discrimination. The day the boat left 

 Woods Hole for the scrapyard Mr. Macksey said it was a victory to get rid of 

 boat and crew. In April of 1958 a brazen conspiracy was started on me by 

 trying to give me a bad performance rating. In fact I termed it a smear. I 

 appealed it and had them change it. Dr. Graham signed it. 



Waste of funds such as spending $15,000 on installing a winch on Albatross 

 that never worked and was not necessary in the first place. Spending thousands 

 on a boat called T-l)oat tliat was on loan from the Army. This boat lay at the 

 dock for months at a time with a crew on board ; sometimes as much as three 



