Strike Cripples Firm’s Catalina Boat Service

Two of Catalina Cruises Co.’s five boats were in operation Monday, carrying about 35% to 40% of the usual number of passengers between the mainland and Santa Catalina Island in the third day of a strike by about 100 employees, a company spokesman said.

No new talks were scheduled between the striking Inland Boatman’s Union (IBU) and the company, a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corp. of San Francisco.

Bob Forrester, spokesman for the union, said it suspended at least temporarily the picketing of Crowley fuel barges in Los Angeles Harbor on Monday afternoon after being notified by the company that it was filing a secondary boycott complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. Earlier, the unloading of two cargo ships was disrupted when members of the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union refused to cross IBU picket lines at the fuel barges.

Forrester said the IBU is willing to accept a wage freeze, but the company wants to cut pay by 15% and eliminate overtime. The union’s contract with the firm expired in January.

He said the company had mentioned a 4% wage increase when it applied to the state Public Utilities Commission for a fare rate hike last year.

A PUC spokeswoman said Catalina Cruises was granted a 10.6% fare increase in February to meet higher operating costs, which presumably would include higher wages.

However, Catalina Cruises spokesman Sam Sacco said the 4% figure was “speculative.” He also said that during the three years of the contract that expired in January, IBU members received raises of 15% to 19%, while the PUC rejected three fare-increase applications made by the company.

Sacco also said growing competition from the smaller Catalina Express, which carries fewer passengers on faster boats, was another factor in his firm’s decision to seek a wage cut.

Forrester discounted competition from Catalina Express and said he believes that Catalina Cruises’ parent corporation wants to cut wages to make up for losses suffered elsewhere in its international operations.

Sacco said boats were operating only between Long Beach and Avalon on Monday. But he predicted that by next weekend four boats would be in service, making runs from both Long Beach and San Pedro to Avalon and carrying at least 70% of their normal passengers.

He said supervisory and temporary employees are substituting for union crew members. Avalon City Manager John Longley said the strike’s impact on the island’s economy was scheduled for discussion at the City Council’s regular Monday night meeting. This is peak tourist season on the island.