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Lifeguard Strike of 1971
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Post Lifeguard Strike of 1971 Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 6:54 pm
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What took place in 1971?

Negotiations between the State or LISPC and the Union or Local 381 of the Building Employees International Union AFL-CIO broke off on May 19th, 1971 when the lifeguards and their president Lawrence J. Byrne walked away from the table. The State had offered his 350 members less than they recieved last year while granting pay raises for 1,200 other summer employees. As Larry Byrne's said at the time "There is nothing to negotiate" It would be difficult for the State and the lifeguards to be further apart. The lifeguards want a raise, while the State wants to lower their salaries. We're not even negotiating and there isn't anything to negotiate. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lifeguards stay out all summer.
On wednesday May 26th, 1971: the lifeguards met at Jones Beach State Park. 200 members of local 381 of the Building Employees International Union AFL-CIO, voted unanomously "Not to report to work" . Lawrence J. Byrne the president of the 350 State Lifeguards stated last years contract called for salaries of $2.62 per hour for 1st year men, and $3.70 per hour for men with 4 years or more. The State or LISPC proposes to eliminate the salary scale and pay all lifeguards $2.64 per hour. Meanwhile other employees of the Park Commission have recieved pay raises.
Water at Jones Beach for the memorial day weekend was an unseasonable 52 degrees due to a cold spring. Frank Champ was the LISPC executive director at this time. Byrne pointed out the lifeguards normally make 400-500 rescues on a busy summer weekend with an average of 6,000 rescues for the summer season.
From monday June 7th till friday June 11th after a busy week recruiting the LISPC hired 145 replacement lifeguards. Plans were put in place to give the guards ocean testing over the weekend to qualify them for surf work. The test at the time was the standard 1 minute and 20 second timed 100 yard pool swim. Assistant beach superintendant George Miller was hopefull that some of the senior guards would assist in the testing. He felt the 300 yard ocean swim which had been in place for the past 40 years since the park opened in 1929 was sufficiant. The weekend showed that the veteran guards were standing together. None of the senior guards would assist in the testing, and 40 of the replacement guards participated in a sick-out in support of the veteran guards. By monday June 14th, 1971 none of the 145 replacement guards could be certified as qualified for surf lifesaving work.
The New York state Labor Department had since the season started announced that the pay dispute was moot. They recognize the prior contract between the LISPC and the lifeguards calling for last years salary rates plus a 12.5 cent an hour raise that took effect on October 1st, 1970. Among the other issues was a staff cut from the 1970 season 350 lifeguards; to 300 lifeguards for the 1971 season. The lifeguards were also in opposition to a plan by LISPC to create weekend beaches as an economy move.
The State or LISPC had also stated at this point in the season that they only need 300 lifeguards, and with the145 replacement lifeguards allready hired they only had room for 155 of the veteran guards interested in returning. They would take back lifeguards that wanted to work who were under 25 years old for lifeguarding. Other older guards would be hired back to pick the beach as beach attendants.
Post NY Times 1971 Strike Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:23 pm
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if you click the picture it will open the adobe pdf version...

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Post NY Times 1971 Settlement Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:25 pm
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Post deja vu all over again Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:15 pm
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Everybody should read both articles, but especially the second. I was a part of that strike, but until today, I didn't know the State refused to recognize our union as the official bargaining agent. Sound familiar?!

I hope the younger guards grasp some of the significance. Bottom line: nothing has changed. They try the same crap year after year, decade after decade. Solidarity and constant vigilance have kept us intact. And now it is time for fresh blood to join in that effort.

We will have elections for all EB positions the weekend of July 4th. Please join us in protecting what we have, and help us move to better conditions. Let's not have any more EB members appointed because no one ran for the position.
Post Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:14 pm
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More information on History during the Strike of 1971:

That summer the State gave a test and hired almost 200 replacement lifeguards. These rookies with little or no experiance were hopefully going to be trained to Staff the various oceanfront facilities. The LISPC first tried to get guards from Atlantic City NJ to come up and provide a training camp to prepare the newly hired guards. The Atlantic City guards had heard of the Labor discord on Long Island and declined the offer.

They next looked west. They contacted Max Bowman a Huntington Beach lifeguard and president of the relatively new NSLA or national surf lifesaving association which later became the USLA. At the time the NSLA had 11 chapters, and the LISPC through Jones Beach asst supt. Mr. Robert Ott; offered Max's group a proposal to come out and help them train lifeguards.

No mention was made of Labor discord, they were told that Long Island was suffering a lifeguard shortage and needed people to prepare the newly hired guards. They were offered $50 a day and full expenses for a week to come out. They were flown out to JFK and put up in a hotel. Max got 11 volenteers; one each from the 11 chapters, and put a trip together for them. Phil Stubbs and Logan Lockabey were two of the other volenteers, all officers of the relatively young NSLA. They thought they were helping out fellow lifeguards in need, instead they were Duped by the Assistant Supt. Robert Ott, and LISPC member Sidney Shapiro. Little prepared him for the scene he arrived into.

When they landed at JFK and were met by a "protection" force of State police, they got their first inkling that things weren't quite as they had been presented by LISPC. They were brought out to the "Compound" set up at Gligo to train the replacement lifeguards. It was bordered by a fence outside of which was a very large force of angry striking Jones Beach lifeguards. Max Bowman their manager and head met with the Union leaders and heard their gripes. He was told in no uncertain terms you guys are SCABS and were brought in to break our Strike. He offered to meet with their leaders and hear what they had to say.

They met with the leaders and were also brought into Manhatten to meet with the NY State Labor Relations board. The week was pretty tense and the California lifeguards dealt with constant harrassment as well as telephone threats to their hotel. Ott pleaded with them to stay the week and continue the training. The leaders discussed the situation in manhatten as negotiations proceeded at the Labor Relations Board.

At the end of the week, as Max Bowman and his staff were prepared to issue a report. Mr. Robert Ott drove out to their hotel in a black limosine. He told Mr. Bowman that they didn't want any written report, and wanted them to just go back to California. He cut checks for their pay and expenses, and sent them on their way.
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