Working Their Way

The 21,987-ton Cunard liner Sylvania lay alongside Southampton's Ocean Ter minal ready to sail for New York. Jus before sailing time, 200 members of her 440-man crew walked off the gangplank in a wildcat strike for higher wages. Cap tain William Law called the passenger together in the tourist lounge. "Do you want to sail?" he asked. Yes, shouted th passengers. "All right," said Captain Law "I'm woefully short of catering people Working hours are from 7 in the morning until 9:30 at night. You'll make abou $22 a week. There'll be lots of overtime.

Sylvania's passengers quickly volunteered; 65, many of them students off to tour Canada, were hired as stewards, stewardesses, waiters and kitchen hands. Among them was the Rev. Alan Greene, 70, a master mariner who used to pilot his own Anglican missionary ship along Canada's west coast. As he reported for work, towel over his arm, he quipped: "What a life! From ship's captain to dumb waiter."

Other ships were not so lucky as their crews struck against a settlement already approved by officials of the National Union of Seamen. The agreement provided for a reduction in weekly working hours from 48 to 44 and a minimum monthly pay rise of 50 shillings ($7). The rebels want a minimum pay rise of -L-4 ($11.20) per month. The Queen Mary and the Canadian Pacific Co.'s Empress of Britain had to cancel their voyages, stranding 3,000 passengers--mostly U.S. tourists. In all, 80 British and Commonwealth ships had to cancel out, and ferry service across the Channel was halted. Three British ships were tied up in the Great Lakes. Cunard and Canadian Pacific set up emergency airlifts to shuttle the stranded passengers to the U.S. and Canada.

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