Page ACCION April 1, 1949 BRODSKY (Cont. from Page 1)
Chapter held its regular chapter meeting. Angry speeches were made by the officers and rank and file members de.
nouncing this new attack against their union and the anembership unanimously passed a resolution of protest. Cris tobal prompt and decisive action served as a rallying cry for the entire union.
On Sunday, March 18th, the Local Executive Board held a special meeting. Here, the leaders of the union planned Local 718 participation in the campaign which broke with fury during the following week. The Executive adopted a statement This photograpn, taken during the demonstration, shows of policy condemning the expulsion of the Regional Director one of the detachments of police near De Lesseps Park.
and called upon the entire squelched.
number of those who had waitunion membership to fight this The circular of the Admi. ed on the sidelines gathered attack against their union. nistration was mimeographed courage from the bold group Petition campaign launched and distributed to all depart that had assembled and began At this meeting the Execu ments with unprecedented stepping out in front of the tive Board decided to circulate haste. Copies were distributed drawn sabers and the muzzles a petition among union mem to the employees in some areas of the rifles. By five o clock bers calling upon Presidente personally, in others they were hundreds and hundreds of peoDomingo Diaz of the Republic plastered all over bulletin ple had gathered in the park.
of Panama to revoke the ex boards and, as if to make sure, One union member remarked pulsión order against Brodsky. some supervisors held emer as he looked around at the arWhile the petitions were gency meetings with their em med might on foot and on horse being circulated hundreds of ployees informing them of the back. My God, if Local 713 UPW members and Panama statement. Cocoli Dispensary, can cause all this, sure didn nian citizens exercised their which has three employees re realize our strength!
constitutional rights and dis ceived 32 copies of the circular. Sabotage in Colon patched telegram to President In Army areas many emMeanwhile, in Colon UPW Diaz urging him to correct the ployees were told by their su members and their friends Foreign Minister action. pervisors that any participa were scurrying around for Officials attempt crack down tion at all in the mass meet transportation to Panama. For On Tuesday plans were an ing would mean immediate dis 24 hours union officials had nounced to hold a monster de charge, although they were care been attempting to obtain monstration and parade of pro ful not to display any written special train to carry members test starting from De Lesseps statements to this effect. to the demonstration. Finally, Park and proceeding to the Pre As Thursday rolled around on Thursday morning at 10 sident Palace. It was then the air was charged with an o clock the word came. It was that the crack down came. electric intensity. Everyone no. Then they started to look, On uesday, the Foreign Mi wondered if, in the face of all for busses.
nister issued a statement that the intimidation, the employees Wherever they went the he would summarily deport any would have shown their faces found that some official had alien who was caught soliciting at the demonstration.
been there first and had warnsignatures, on the petition. The Display of Armed Might ed against using busses to carstatement of the Foreign Mi Then early Thursday after ry people to Panama. Despite nister was blown up and dis noon, as if in preparation of this however, near heroic eftorted by the press so as to the final threat, the military forts of union officials were make it appear that the Foreign and police forces started as able to obtain 18 large busses Minister was threatening to de scmbling in the Canal Zone and to carry the members across.
port anyone signing the peti in Panama. Military police The busses started rolling to tion. Immediately afterward, were stationed at intervals all Panama at 4:30. At Sabanitas Deputy Jorge Illueca declared along Fourth of July Avenue. the busses were stopped by popublicly that the right of pro Canal Zone policemen were out lice who demanded to see their test, public opinion, and peti in unusual force. It appeared permits. After the leader showtion belonged to all residents that the whole Atlantic side ed the permits, the police said of the Republic whether citi force had been called over. Pa that they were not signed prozens or not under the Constitu trol cars buzzed up and down perly and ordered the busses tion and quoted sections of the Fourth of July Avenue in see to return until they could preConstitution of the Republic to mingly angry anticipation. sent properly signed permits.
clarify the rights of the peo Meanwhile formidable look The busses returned to Colon, ple.
ing armored cars were located the officials were looked up and Although the press reported in Ancon and a number of am the permits were signed once that hundreds of persons asked bulances were stationed nearby again.
that their names be removed In front of Hotel Tivoli was a As they stopped at Sabanitas from the petition as a result fire truck with hoses trained again, this time the police askof the intimidation, the fact on the Canal Zone border. Plain eci the bus drivers to show their was that only 12 persons came clothesmen seemed to be at flashlights. When some were into the union office to scratch every strategic vantage point. unable to do so they were forout their names.
The over In Panama the armed dis ced to return to Colon. After whelming portion of the Union play was an awesome sight. flashlights were picked up, membership stood firm in the Along De Lesseps Park were they were stopped again at Saface of this threat. They re sixty mounted policemen and banitas.
fused to be intimidated.
at least double that number This time the divers were On the following day came on foot. They were in full bat asked for spare tires and all the next blow. The press wild tle dress with sparkling hel sorts of technical and unheard ly headlined a release from the mets and knapsacks. num of regulations were pressed Administration which stated ber of them clutched riot guns upon the vehicles. Then the that employees who were guilty and tear gas rifles. Across the riders were systematically seof disorderly conduct during street stood dozens of armed arched for weapons and everythe demonstration would be Panamanian police poised by one had to produce their cesummarily discharged. Again their waiting motorcycles. dulas. The names of the riders the statement was distorted and To observers it appeared that were taken down in a menacing: some newspaper accounts went the combined military might of manner.
so far as to state that any em the Canal Zone and the Repub Even after all the technicaliployees who participated at all lic was being massed to repel ties and regulations were comin the demonstration would be some foreign invader.
rlied with, only two busses discharged from the Panama De Lesseps Park Filled were allowed to proceted. All Canal or Panama Railroad. The Nevertheless, in the face of the others were forced to regleeful press had a hey day in this terrifying armed display, turn to Colon with their ocexaggerating and distorting the a crowd began collecting in the cupants. Thus, all except a few news and happily predicted that Park. By four o clock it had from the hardy band of 500 the demonstration would be grown to large proportions. union members were forced to sit it out in Colon while their Section Head brothers and sisters protested (Continued from page 1)
in Panama.
Thronged Park an entrance grade or training By o clock in De Lesseps position yet commissary emPark and nearby, a tremen ployees are found with as much dous throng of over 4, 000 peo as three and four years expeple had collected. The area in rience still in grade one.
front of the Toldo structure Sales Clerk job can hardwas filled to capacity and the ly be called an unskilled posicrowd had spilled over to the tion. She or he is responsible adjacent streets and sidewalks.
for selling, assisting in invenThe traffic island in Central tory, preparation of reports, Avenue was even covered.
and efficient arrangement and Here again the newspaper display of merchandise.
gave misleading reports. Some Finally it was pointed out of them conveniently left off that both Section Heads and a zero as they stated that only Sales Clerk are responsible 500 people were present. Anfor stock shortage. An emother paper pointed out that ployee who has worked for there were over a thousand.
many years in a commissary They couldn even agree among and given faithful service may themselve Anyone who was be summarily disciplined, rangpresent in De Lesseps Park ing from transfer and demothat Thursday afternoon knows tion to discharge, because the fully well that there were over inventory is short.
4, 000 union members and PaThe Union pointed out that namanians in and around the sometimes these shortages ocarea. There were union memcur as a result of thefts, shopbers present from Cristobal, lifting, clerical errors, etc. Gatun, Gamboa, Paraiso, Red which are not under the control Tank, and Balboa. Every com of the employees, yet they are munity was represented.
disciplined for them. Not only Despite all the threats, inti does this subject them to a midations, the faint hearted grave responsibility, but it who spread their confusion, sa juts them under great emotiobotage of Colon bus transpor nal strain and pressure as intation, and the display of armed ventory time rolls around each might, union members came out month.
in thousands to voice their pro In some cases, employees test and to stand by their with perfect work records and union. It was an inspiring sight years of service have been as the young and old, men and suddenly fired because of an women stood side by side and unfavorable inventory check.
shouted Viva! in answer to the This wasn all however. They speakers who voiced their feel also received the kind of clearings in Viva Brodsky! Viva Lo ance which made it very difcal 718! Viva La Democracia! ficult or impossible for them Vica log Obreros de la Zona! to find employment again on There was not a single union the Canal Zone.
member who left De Lesseps If the Commissary Division Park that night without a feel was going to place such resing of pride that he had braved Tonsibility on the employee, the the utmost in opposition to Union pointed out, then the e exercise his constitutional ployees are not being properly rights and to demonstrate to paid and their pay rates should the world his support to Max el substantially increased.
Brodsky and to his union.
As Brother Brodsky left AlUnion Appeal Spares brook Field early Saturday mor Canal Seamen ning he stated, The last word Midnight Walk has not yet been spoken nor has the last blow been struck! When the 10 train vas And the following morning, the cut out on February 21st, it people read in the papers that looked like many Canal Seamen a formal protest had already would have a long trek home been filed with the United Naat night from the Diablo crostions against Brodsky expulsing.
sion. It seemed that this acThe elimination of the 10 tion would reverberate for o clock passenger train meant weeks to come. It had been tathat the Canal Seamen returken out of Panama and the ning from the Atlantic side Canal Zong and into the eyes would travel back on the 11:30 of the world. freight in special coach All Paid Up. hitched on the train.
This train however went no (Continued from page 1)
farther than the Diablo yard, nient fee. In the case of new and when the eighty or so seamembers, they will not become eligible until three months folmen jumped off at 1:30 in the lowing the payment of their morning there was no bus to first months dues.
take them to their homes in The next issue of Accion will Panama or La Boca.
carry more information of the delegation from the MaDeath Benefit Fund and will rine Division, consisting of Hercarry the full text of the rebert Mckenzie, Oswald Hogan gulations.
and Herman Moore, Organizer, talked the matter over with Union Wins Captain Hutchinson, Balboa (Cont. from Page 1) Port Captain and requested ed employee effective January that some kind of transporta1, 1947, at 213. 96 per year tion be furnished the Canal and from April 1, 1948 at the Seamen to avoid the long walk rate of 267. 48 per year. Dehome.
ducted from the total amount Within a few days time, the que him will be 92. 56 as a Seamen returning on the train service credit deposit.
early in morning found three Brother Moody upon the reor four trucks waiting to spare ceipt of his annuity expressed them the exhausting walk his heartfelt appreciation to home.
Organizer Garcia and Local Chalk up another grievance 713, for the assistance given settlement to prompt Union achin is securing a pension in his tion and exemplary cooperation by the Marine Division.
cld age. BIBLIOTECA NACIONAL ERNESTO CASTILLERO