All language subtitles for 1953 - The Seafarers Vo 720p

(Narrator)
'This is a story simple but dramatic.

'A story about the men
who crew our ships, the seafarers.

'Every seafarer will recognise
in what follows something of himself.

'Familiar scenes, the faces
of the men who share his calling,

'his way of life
and maybe something more.

'Call it a dream fulfilled.'

I'm Don Hollenbeck.

Joseph Conrad wrote
a lot of things about the sea,

and among other things
he wrote this:

"The true piece of God begins
at any spot 1,000 miles from land."

Here's something else
I came across the other day

that interested me very much.

"Ever since the days of sailing ships,

"seafaring has drawn to it
men of many different types,

"and yet they have one thing
in common, these men.

"It's the quality that makes men
want to live not in a city or in a town,

"but in the world.

"It's a true spirit of independence

"and it's always been deeply rooted
in the seafaring tradition."

And now to go on with this little essay,

"Nobody knows better
than a seafaring man

"that any man,
however independent he is,

"isn't entirely independent.

"He's a member of something larger.

"Of a family,
of a community, of a nation.

"Or bring it back to seafaring.

"He's a member of a crew.

"A crew of men like himself,

"banded together for one
essential common purpose."

Now, the picture
you're going to see now

is the story of men
who are banded together

for one essential common purpose.

This is a vital story in their daily lives
and their achievements.

It's a proud story made possible
by the deeds of seafaring men.

It's the story of the SIU.

(Hollenbeck) 'From Vancouver
down the long Pacific coast,

'around the great curve
of the Gulf of Mexico,

'up the rim of the Atlantic
from Tampa to Halifax,

'in every major north-American port
close by the waterfront,

'there is a headquarters
of the Seafarers' International Union.

'This is headquarters for the SIU
Atlantic and Gulf district.

'More than just a building,

'a solidly impressive symbol
of what seafarers have achieved.

'And like every SIU headquarters,

'the heart of this one
is its hiring hall,

'run by seafarers for seafarers.'

...one second cook.

Is there any more?

Have a book, group one,
April 16th.

Book, group one, April 16th...

(Hollenbeck)
'In this SIU hall, as in others,

'seafarers can pick berths
on ships of many types,

'going almost anywhere in the world,

'Antwerp, Cape Town,
London, Marseilles or Singapore.

'You name it.

'Picking his destination
is the right of every seafarer.

'And sometimes
more than a right - a duty.

'In the great seafaring tradition,
a duty voluntarily assumed.

'Every true seafarer respects courage,

'the courage of men
of all national origins and religions

'that has created seafaring tradition
and built the SIU.

'A seafarer coming ashore
in any United States' port

'no longer needs to feel cut adrift,
as many once did.

'He has a place to go.

'A union hall built by seafarers

'to meet the needs
and suit the tastes of seafarers.

'Big, efficient and safeguarding
the rights and interests

'of those who go to sea,

'but never forgetting that the machines
and the files and the figures

'are there to serve the seafarers
and not the other way around.

'Staffed by experts, but under the
supervision of men who know what it is

'to top a boom, to batten down
a hatch, to weigh an anchor.

'Financial statements
posted weekly in every port

'for seafarers to read.

'And a SIU print shop turns out
regular bulletins and reports,

'airmailed to seafarers on
SIU-contracted ships around the world.

(♪ Music over dialogue)

'A good seafarers' headquarters
has to begin where others leave off.

'For seafarers coming ashore
in the port away from home,

'it ought to be and is a second home

'where no man off a ship
is a stranger to the rest,

'and where the things he needs
are close at hand,

'like this SIU cafeteria,

'open to the public but mainly
for the convenience of seafarers.

'Lots of space,
lots of good, inexpensive food.

(♪ Music over dialogue)

'The galley well stocked
and well scrubbed.

'A pleasant sight after any voyage
is the SIU barber shop.

'Another of the many conveniences
at SIU headquarters.

'The SIU Sea Chest,
which supports ship and shore gear.

'Takes orders, makes deliveries
from SIU warehouses in SIU trucks,

'maintains this headquarters store
for those ashore

'with some refitting to do.

'The SIU's port of call,

'from the figurehead
on the ship-shaped bar

'to the faces of men
you have shipped with,

'a friendly spot for seafarers ashore

'to spend some time to relax
and meet shipmates.

'Or to bring some friends.

(♪ Music over dialogue)

'But the hiring hall
through which every job

'on every SIU ship import is filled

'is the centre of it all.

'Here, seafarers get their jobs
not as a favour but as a right,

'in the order
in which they apply for them.

'When a seafarer registers for a berth,
he gets a registration card.

'The card filled out
right in front of him

'is stamped with a number marked
with the date of his application.

'Then this information,

name, job classification,
date and number,

'is typed onto a list,
which is posted in full view.'

On the vessel, US petroleum T2 tanker.
Going Far East from Boston.

(Hollenbeck) 'When two or more
seafarers throw in for the same job,

'the one with the registration card

'showing the earlier date
and lower number gets it,

'and any seafarer in the hall
can check these for himself.'

And three boats...

Wednesday, April 22nd.

Berth one.
Berth group one, April 22nd.

(Hollenbeck) 'What's more,
a seafarer can pass up a berth

'because he would rather work
another type of ship,

'or one headed for his favourite ports

'without losing his place
on top of the list.'

Two-deck maintenance.

Do you want to stay over there?

All right, group one.

April 24th and April 25th.

Berth group one, April 25th.

(Hollenbeck) 'Shipping call
is every hour on the hour,

'but there's no standing in line
or idling on a sidewalk in between.

'A seafarer waiting for a ship

'doesn't have to kill time
in SIU headquarters.

'He can enjoy it.

'He can shoot a game of pool.

'He can shoot the breeze,
write a letter, read a book.

'Or play some cards.

'He can try his hand
at one of these games.

'Or take a look at works of art

'by fellow seafarers - carvings
and paintings done aboard ship.

'Some good enough for any gallery.

'And for those staying ashore awhile,
there's an SIU school.'

(Tutor) Well, we've pretty much
covered that subject.

All of us have had our say.

And we come to the next question.

That is, what does a union
mean to you?

George?

I'd say protection on the job,
security.

It means the boss
can't shove me around.

Anyone else? Benny?

The big thing is
how you take home pay.

Overtime, along with the penalty pay,
it buys a load of groceries.

Any other ideas? Yes, Paul.

I look at it this way,

I see other guys doing things together,

I want to be part of it.

(Hollenbeck) 'Being part of its group,

'the SIU provided benefits of many kinds
to the seafarer and his family,

'when he is likely to need them most.

'All of them financed
by company contributions

'required by SIU contracts

'and costing seafarers not a cent.

'You can sum these benefits up
in one word: security.

'The security seafarers gain

'by working together
in their common interest.

(♪ Music over dialogue)

'For example, there's
the maternity benefit of $200

'to help a seafarer and his family.

(♪ Music over dialogue)

'Plus, a $25 bond for baby.

'And later on,
the children of seafarers

'have a chance
at SIU college scholarships.

'Seafarers become eligible
for vacation pay

'after every 90 days
they have worked.

'And in the SIU, as every seafarer
knows, there is no red tape.

'This whole operation
takes five minutes or a little more.

'The SIU never loses sight of the fact

'that it exists to serve
its seafaring members

'in every way it can
wherever they may be.

'That is why seafarers created the SIU.

'Every hospitalised seafarer knows,
at least once a week,

'an SIU representative
will come by to say hello

'to fill personal requests.

(♪ Music over dialogue)

'And pay the SIU's weekly
hospital benefit of $15 in cash.

'And this goes on for as long
as a seafarer is hospitalised,

'weeks, months or years.

'For disabled seafarers
or those too old to go to sea,

'the SIU weekly disability benefit
of $25 comes in handy.

'Seafarers' gains through the SIU
have been won step by step

'in victories on ships of Isthmian,
City Service and other lines,

'through the solidarity
of seafarers themselves,

'backed by the SIU.

'Of one SIU victory on a tanker fleet,
a senate committee said,

"'It is amazing that any union
could survive

"'this heavily financed,
lawyer-led attack."

'But winning through
the democratic process

'of collective bargaining
is an SIU habit,

'as these headlines from its newspaper
the "Seafarers' Log" show.

'The "Seafarers' Log", often called
the country's best labour paper,

'is airmailed to SIU ships everywhere,

'keeping seafarers informed
of SIU progress.

'Progress such as this.

'Shipping lines under contract
up from eight to 84.

'SIU assets up from less
than $100,000 to close to $3 million.

'Cash benefits to seafarers
now running into millions.

'Seafarers' earnings tripled
through SIU contracts.

'Impressive, isn't it?

'With the best contracts
in the maritime industry,

'the SIU makes sure that seafarers
get the full benefit of those contracts.

'An SIU representative
goes aboard all incoming ships

'to represent the crew

'in ironing out all grievances,
claims and disputes

'before the payoff.

'This SIU representation
assures every seafarer

'that he will be paid off in full.

'A seafarers' union, in doing its job,

'must meet and service
its members aboard ship.

'The SIU brings its services
to its members,

'not waiting for the members
to come to it.

'Working on board ship,
every seafarer knows that his job,

'his rights on his job
and his rights and interests ashore

'are fully protected through
his cooperation with other seafarers,

'not only in his crew but in his union.

'This explains why SIU organisers,

'when they approach
members of unorganised crews,

'get a friendly welcome.

'And real cooperation
in providing SIU support

'for those who want the benefits
of SIU membership.

'Membership in the union that
represents seafarers effectively,

'because it is controlled by seafarers
in the democratic way.

'All officers of the SIU are elected.

'No one can be
a candidate for SIU office,

'unless he has spent
at least three years at sea,

'a guarantee that he will understand
seafarers' problems.

'On ship and on shore,

'all SIU policies are decided
by the majority vote of seafarers

'with plenty of time for discussion.

'Every SIU meeting
begins with a statement

'reminding seafarers of the rights
guaranteed them

'in the SIU Constitution,

'calling on them
to exercise those rights.

'The right of any seafarer

'to nominate himself or any
other seafarer as a meeting officer,

'or to any committee.

'The right of any seafarer
to speak his mind on any issue.

'The right to vote on every issue.

'The right to straight-talk
from SIU officers.

'Listen to Paul Hall,

'Secretary Treasurer
of the SIU Atlantic and Gulf district.'

Fellow chairmen,
officers of the meeting,

fellow seafarers,

you have heard
in the previous part of this meeting,

our organiser makes the report,

as we have petitioned
a very large unorganised company

for the purpose
of representing their employees

for collective bargaining reasons.

You know, as I do,

that the seamen
in that particular company

are wont to vote in our favour.

Those men are going to vote
in our favour

because they know
what kind of a union that we are

in all the things that we represent,
in all the things that we want to do.

They know, for example,
that in this union

we have the most fair,
democratic system of hiring

ever known to any industry.

They know, too,

that we have in this organisation,

the most democratic constitution
in the trade union movement,

whereby no decision can be made
to affect our people,

unless that decision is made

on the floor of meetings
just such as these.

They know, too,
that this organisation

has the finest agreements
ever negotiated

in the entire maritime history.

They know that the seamen
under those agreements

are the highest-paid seamen
in the world.

They know, too,
of our many broad benefits

that we have
in all the payments we make

for hospital benefits,
vacation benefits.

They know, too,
of disability regardless of age,

when you can't work
in this organisation,

you are put on a pension
so that you will be taken care of.

They know of all the death benefits.
They know the maternity benefits.

They know of the fact that
we have scholarship benefits.

The men in that particular fleet
also realise

that we have a tremendous
economic strength here,

an economic strength that
enables us to be protected

against the boss,
if such need arises.

They know, too, that while we do
possess such large economic strength

that we do not abuse that strength.

(Hollenbeck)
'The SIU's economic strength

'used effectively but without abuse

'has meant much to seafarers,

'security,
a higher standard of living,

'a position of respect
in their communities.

'Today, every seafarer
beginning a voyage

'goes up the gang plank
secure in the knowledge

'that he and his family
can depend on the protection

'of a great organisation.

'An organisation
the seafarers themselves,

'with their own intelligence and effort,
have brought into being.'

You've seen the story
of how the seafarers,

conscious of their rights
and their responsibility,

get together
for their common objectives,

dignity, security,

a better way of life for themselves
and for their families.

This is the story of the SIU.