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Events leading to the 1971 Lifeguard Strike
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Post Events leading to the 1971 Lifeguard Strike Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 1:36 pm
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Chronological order of events which led to lifeguard job action at four Long Island State Park Commission beaches - Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Sunken Meadow, and Hecksher State Parks.

I. Saturday , May 22, 1971. Lifeguards were informed of the following:

A. Salary Cuts

1970

1st year guards $2.62 per hour
2nd year guards $3.03 per hour
3rd year guards $3.35 per hour

1971 All lifeguards will make one rate $2.64 per hour.

Bos'n (asst supv) $3.70 /hr Cut to $2.64 per hour.
Lieut. (supv ) $4.20 /hr Cut to $3.12 per hour.
Capt. $5.15 /hr Cut to $3.49 per hour.

These were major cuts: If you guarded in 1970 you took a 39 cent an hour cut, all other guards took a 71 cent an hour cut. Boatswains were facing a $1.06 an hour pay cut, Lieutenants were facing a $1.08 an hour pay cut, and Captains would face a $1.66 an hour pay cut.

Note: The lifeguard department was the only department which took a salary
cut. Every other department recieved a raise. For example, attendants (paper
pickers, etc.) went from $2.14 per hour to $2.52 per hour in 1971.

B. Loss of Personel

1.Since the administration was planning on closing four beaches ( West End #1,
Field #1, Field #2, and Robert Moses #4) during the week, it would be
neccessary to lay off 80 steady men.
2.On May 29, 1971 the number of men scheduled to open the beaches was cut
from eight men to six men per beach and at some places to four men per beach.
This dropped the level of safety to a bare minimum for that time of year.

The rough estimate was the Lifeguard Force of 1970 was 360 lifeguards, the Park Commission was proposing to drop the staff to 300 lifeguards.

II. Sunday, May 23, 1971.

George Marth and Frank Russell the water Safety Directors become increasingly frustrated trying to call the scheduled list that Jones Beach Superintendant Robert Ott held them to. The number of men on the schedule had to be increased if the beach was to open with adequate coverage. Frank Russell spoke to Ott and told him they could not open unless they had a back-up list of available men notified in order to get enough men on the beach. Ott said to hold the list to what they had. Frank Russell told him he would not get all the men in as they always contacted over the minimum to cover the percent who would not show. Ott said, "Spread the men around."

III. Saturday, May 29, 1971.

The lifeguards took job-action and did not report for work.

Comment: The park Commission could not have opened the beach, even if they wanted to, because George Marth and Frank Russell were not allowed to contact enough men to open the beaches. The Administration kept pushing, forcing the guards and union into an unworkable situation.

IV. Friday, June 4, 1971.

Beach announced that pay cut was restored +12 and half cent/ hr raise.

V. Saturday, June 5, 1971.

No lifeguards show up. ( Ott held George Marth and Frank Russell to the same schedule of May 30, 1971 - still not enough guards were notified to open beach. Beach still inoperable because not enough lfeguards had been told to report to work. Roberta (office clerk) was told to notify by phone all lifeguards on re-hire list. She said she completed calls.

Comment: Having six years experiance in contacting lifeguards, George Marth and Frank Russell knew that on a sunny weekend it is impossible to get messages to 360 guards in one day. Many guards are out, are still in school, are living throughout the country, are a day from home travelling, etc. Most of the guards were awaiting the normal re-hire method of letters being sent out a minimum of three weeks before beach was scheduled to be opened. In their opinion, although they did not fully realize this at the time, the beach administration had set up the guise of rehire when actually they had no plans to bring regular guards back.

VI. Sunday, June 6, 1971.
The administration started advertising on the radio and in the newspapers for lifeguards. Office personnel and special events personnel started lifeguard tests and timed candidates. The test was 100 yards in 1 minute and 20 seconds plus a cros chest carry in the pool. The physical requirements were lowered on weight, height, and eyesight. No Ocean Test was given.

Comment: The reason the administration was in such a rush to process 150 substitute guards was to prevent a settlement with the union by preventing the hiring back of all the union guards.
The objective was to select 100 of last years guards (under 25 years of age) and combine them with the 150 substitute guards and form a new lifeguard corps.

VII. Saturday, June 12, 1971.
The regular scheduled Civil Service competitive lifeguard test was to be given by the approved board of examiners. Since only five examiners showed up there was no official test given.

VIII Sunday, June 27, 1971.
Three Atlantic City Chiefs (From Atlantic City Beach Patrol)plus two Y.M.C.A. instructors reported to train the substitute lifeguards at the Gilgo Pavilion, the former Coast Guard Station at Gilgo Beach. Seventeen substitute lifeguards showed up. Marth and Russell assisted and directed training. Free Lunches provided by the State.

IX. Monday June 28, 1971.
The two Y.M.C.A. instructors did not report for training. The Atlantic City lifeguards said the situation was poor and went back to New Jersey. Marth was still in school. This left Frank Russell alone. Free lunches were provided 70 candidates. Since trainers were recieving $100 per day, Mr. Ott offered Marth and Russell $100 per day which was turned down by them.

X. Tuesday, June 29, 1971.
Frank Russell worked out substitute guards and George Miller, assistant superintendent of Jones Beach told him they were to be assigned beaches for this coming weekend (4th of July). Marth still in school. Free lunches to sixty-five candidates. Miller took names of substitute guards to report to Sunken Meadow and Hecksher State Parks on Thursday, July 1st.

XI. Wednesday, June 30, 1971.
Frank Russell off as he had a previous commitment as Civil Service Examiner for Suffolk County ocean lifeguard test. George Marth worked out substitute guards. Marth's opinion was tha guads were of poor quality and poor attitude. 52 candidates recieved free lunches. Henry Hartmann, Nassau County Red Cross Director, observed training operations.

XII. Thursday, July 1, 1971.
Marth and Russell went to Mr. Robert Ott (superintendent of Jones Beach) and told him they made an attempt to train the substitute guards but the job was impossible for the following reasons:

1. Only 20% of the candidates were qualified swimmers.
2. After a candidate is trained they are assigned with an experienced crew to learn:
a. Spotting. (Ability to pick out swimmers in trouble.)
b. Knowledge of water conditions.
c. Boat handling.
d. Crowd control.
e. First-Aid Emergencies.
f. Use of surfboard and other rescue equipment.
g. Teamwork during rescues.

Since there were no experienced lifeguards working, They in good conscience could not put these inexperienced lifeguards on the ocean beaches and give the public a false sense of security while providing no real protection.

Mr. Ott said to come back and see him at 4:00 PM. At 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM Mr. Champ said on the radio that Mr. Marth & Mr. Russell had resigned.
At 4:00 PM Mr. Marth & Mr. Russell went back to see Mr. Ott. Mr. Danny Kehoe was also in Mr. Otts office. They talked about the continuation of training these substitute lifeguards. Mr. Mart & Mr. Russell stated that the situation was hopeless as it was impossible to open the ocean beaches without experianced lifeguards. To certify these substitutes, even those who could swim well, was inviting tragedy. Therefore, they refused to continue this operation as it was against their better judgement and their moral standings.
Mr. Ott said they were of no further use. Marth asked him if they were fired and he replied yes. They then requested a hearing which Mr. Ott said had to be put in writing. They went to Mrs. Valerio and had the request typed and returned to Mr. Ott.

XIII. Saturday, July 3, 1971.
No swimming allowed on the beach. However, there are:

220 State Police on overtime
100 Pinkerton guards along the shore
150 substitute guards

470 men doing the work of 300 Lifeguards and not one of these 470 men is
a qualified ocean guard.

The cost of this operation using taxpayers' money is $ 75,000 more per week than if the union guards were working. All this money is being spent for a situation where the public can't even swim.

XIV. Tuesday, July 6, 1971.
Eleven members of the beaches of the State of California arrived and were quartered at the Roosevelt Inn, 1650 Hempstead Tnpk. They are being paid $100 per day each plus expenses for seven days.

XV. Wednesday, July 7, 1971.
Californians started training the substitute guards at Gilgo Pavilion. Approximately 60 candidates showed.

Jones Beach union guards made contact with the Californians. The Californian guards requested a meeting with the union guards and with George Marth and Frank Russell. A meeting was set up for that evening.

The meeting took place at Bill's Meadowbrook. George Marth opened the meeting with a summary of the turn of events since May 22nd to the present.

The Californians were here to sell their association. They admitted they were not supposed to get involved in any labor dispute. The union lifeguards requested they take the next plane home as they were only preventing a settlement while they were here.

XVI. Saturday, July 10, 1971.
The Californians stopped training the substitute guards and said they had gone as far as they can with them. Max Bowman, their spokesman, assured the union guards he was reccomending to the Park Commission not to put these guards on the ocean without the experianced guards to back them up.

Comment: The Californians started training on Wednesday, July 7, and stopped on Saturday, July 10, making a total of four days of actual training. Pretty expensive as they were here for seven days at $100 per day per man plus air fare and expenses. The last three days were devoted to R and R (rest and recuperation) on New York State taxpayeres' money.

If the same training program was conducted with union lifeguards the cost would have been as follows:
10 instructors paid $3.35 per hour
2 Captains paid $5.15 per hour

total cost with union guards per day, $350.40.

Cost of Californians per day, $1,000.00 plus meals, motel rooms and plane fare.

The reason the Commission is spending this money is to break the lifeguard union.




Solution to the problem:
1) Negotiate a contract with Mr. Lawrence J. Byrne.
2) Be prepared to take back every union lifeguard who is available now and next year.
3) Transfer the substitute guards out of Jones Beach and Robert Moses State Parks.
4) Have the Park Commission change their philosophy towards lifeguards.
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