The National Longshoremen's Board hereby appeals to all parties to the existing dispute between the longshoremen and the maritime workers and the employers to end at once the intolerable situation existing in the Pacific coast. To that end it presents the following suggestions:

By virtue of the order of the President of the United States creating this board, it may act as voluntary arbitrator on request in adjudicating cases at issue in the longshoremen's strike.

The board is of the opinion that an amicable settlement of the issues involved in the controversy between the longshoremen and their employers can be reached by arbitration, if both parties to the controversy will request this board to act as arbitrator and agree to abide by its decisions.

If such arrangement can be made, all men on strike should be immediately returned to the positions they respectively occupied the day before the strike without discrimination against any worker for membership in the union or participation in the strike.

The board will immediately, upon completion of the longshoremen's arbitration, take up the grievance and demands of the maritime unions.

We recognize that there are difficulties in establishing a basis for collective bargaining between the maritime unions and the employers that do not exist to the same extent in the longshoremen's case.

The joint resolution of Congress, under which this board is acting, empowers the board, "When it shall appear to the public interest to order and conduct an election by secret ballot of any of the employes of any employer, to determine by what person or persons, or organizations they desire to be represented in order to insure the right of the employes to organize and select their representatives for the purpose of collective bargaining as defined in Section 7a" of the National Industrial Recovery Act.

To aid in the adjustment of grievances of the workers, the board will exercise that power. The power of the board to investigate and report will be exercised to aid in the solution of the controversy.

The board will also use its good offices to bring about an arrangement making it unnecessary for seamen meanwhile to apply for work to the maritime Service Bureau.

Because of the acuteness of the situation the board requests that you reply not later than Thursday, July 5, midnight; so that arrangements for arbitration proceedings can be begun Friday morning, July 6.

In the interests of justice to all parties and in order to restore immediately the normal flow of business and commerce, we earnestly urge that all parties to the controversy accept the suggestion of this board.

(Signed): National Longshoremen's Board:
[Archbishop] Edward J. Hanna, Chairman;
O[scar]. K. Cushing, Edward F. McGrady.

July 3, 1934