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Symposium/Workshop To Investigate Containerization Industry's Problems At Chicago Containerization Show The Fifth International Con- tainer Services and Equipment Exposition, to be held at Chicago's International Amphitheatre, April 14-17, will be the site where key representatives of interested trade unions, carrier management, gov- ernment and the shipper-users will exploit new avenues in seeking more harmonious and cooperative indus- trial relationships in the rapidly advancing area of containerization. A vital and totally unique ap- proach which hopes to seek out solutions to the problems brought about by the rapid change in tech- nology of containerization will be undertaken in the Symposium/ Workshop, according to Mack- Brooks Expositions, Inc., show and Symposium/Workshop spon- sors. The sponsors believe the meetings will open new, clear lines of communication between the in- terested parties. An open and frank dialogue between the participants of this unprecedented venture will attempt to determine satisfactory answers to the vexing areas of friction within the industry and to make progress in the areas dis- cussed. Labor and industry leaders be- lieve these discussions could have worldwide impact on the future of the shipping industry. Never be- fore in the history of labor-man- agement relations in the shipping- transportation industries have these groups come together with the expressed purpose of fully ac- quainting each other with their re- spective needs and problems. The Symposium/Workshop has its roots in the recent problems within the maritime-shipping in- dustry and in the ramifications of new developments and technology which have affected the traditional relationships between organized labor and carrier management. Cognizant of the problems beset- ting the shipping industry, Thom- as W. Gleason, president of the In- ternational Longshoremen's Asso- ciation, discussed these problems with a principal counterpart in the shipping industry. Michael R. Mc- Evoy, president of Sea-Land Serv- ices, Inc. Working mutually, they evolved the mechanics of bringing together the interested parties in a joint venture. They sought out the missing ingredient, a forum where the present and future hard- ware of the containerization indus- try might be displayed. Having spoken at meetings at prior containerization expositions, they joined forces with Mack- Brooks Expositions, Inc., the in- ternational firm which had plan- ned and staged these prior events. Mack-Brooks executives were at the time in the early stages of organ- izing the Fifth International Con- tainer Services and Equipment Ex- position, bringing together the largest displays of products and services in the area of container- ization. There was general agreement that the Symposium/Workshop should be a means of bringing to- gether labor and management and should take place as an integral part of the Exposition. Messrs. Gleason and McEvoy and the Mack-Brooks Expositions, Inc. or- ganization approached Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz and re- quested that he serve as general chairman of the Symposium/ Workshop's advisory council. Sec- retary Shultz has given his enthu- siastic cooperation and support in bringing together the various par- ticipants for these meetings. He also agreed to come to Chicago and speak. The Symposium / Workshop proper will consist of four days of meetings, with the supporting dis- plays of the Exposition, which will draw together the participants in an exchange of viewpoints on their respective areas. Present as "sha- dow" chairman of all sessions of the Symposium/Workshop (8:30 A.M.-1:00 P.M.) will be George C. McManis, vice president-con- tainer sales, Trailmobile-Division of Pullman, Inc. Thomas W. Gleason, president of the I.L.A., will chair the dis- tinguished panel of labor leaders who will discuss labor's position during the opening day's session, Tuesday, April 14. Trade unions have called long and costly work stoppages on the nation's docks in recent years. They have felt that there were almost insurmountable problems occasioned by the rapid growth of new methods and tech- nology, mainly in the area of con- tainerization. Defining organized labor's posi- tions will be speakers including Charles H. Blyth, general secre- tary, International Transport Workers Federation (London) ; Rudolph Faupl, grand lodge repre- sentative, International Associa- tion of Machinists; Thomas F. Flynn, general secretary-treasurer, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Ware- housemen and Helpers of Amer- ica; and Charles Luna, president, United Transportation Union. On Wednesday, April 15, the second day's topic will center on the changing and varied role of government. Government is vital to the effort to gain labor-manage- ment cooperation, not only as the referee in such disputes, but also through its several roles involving the regulatory agencies, the taxing agencies and as the central public body charged with the responsibil- ity of the promotion of the Amer- ican economy. Additionally, the Federal Government is one of the nation's largest single shippers. The chairman of the Govern- ment Day sessions will be Andrew E. Gibson, Maritime Administra- tor, United States Department of Commerce. Explaining the views and plans of government will be Mrs. Helen Delich Bentley, chair- man, Federal Maritime Commis- sion ; General Frank S. Besson Jr., A.U.S., chairman, Joint Logistics Review Board, Office of the Sec- retary of Defense. Yet to be named as guest speakers are commission- ers representing the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Civil Aeronautics Board. The shipper-users will have their say during the third day's session, Thursday, April 16. While other participants in the Symposium/ Workshop are concerned with the transportation, regulatory, taxing and promotional aspects, the ship- pers and users are the basic cus- tomers who use the container. The shipper, the firm with goods and products to move physically, has a vital interest in the economics aris- ing out of the use of containeriza- tion. Chairman of the User's Day ses- sion will be Edwin F. Mundy, vice president-traffic, National Biscuit Company. Speaking for the ship- pers will be Robert M. O'Mahoney, Commissioner, Transportation and Communications Service, General Services Administration; Lee Cis- neros, director of transportation, Firestone Tire & Rubber Com- pany; Richard J. Wood, director of foreign buying, Montgomery Ward and Company; and Bernard J. Hale, director of physical distri- bution, Mattel, Inc. On the final day, Friday, April 17, industry management will pre- sent its case. Although industrial friction related to containerization has, so far, been primarily limited to ports and the maritime shipping industry, other modes of transpor- tation are involved in the discus- sions. Chairing the session will be Mi- chael R. McEvoy, president, Sea- Land Service, Inc. Speaking on be- half of the industry will be O.I.M. Porton, president (USA), Atlantic Container Lines, Ltd.; D.J. Talbot, president, International Terminal Operating Company; Howard M. Pack, president, Seatrain Lines, Inc.; Capt. John W. Clark, presi- dent, Delta Steamship Lines, Inc.; and Spyros S. Skouras, president, Prudential-Grace Lines, Inc. At the conclusion of the fourth day's presentation, each of the re- spective chairmen will summarize the results of the four days of dis- cussion from the viewpoint of their specific areas of interest. Concluding the program of the Symposium/Workshop will be a wrap-up luncheon which will fea- ture Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz as principal speaker. The Containerization Exposi- tion's Symposium/Workshop is unique not only because it will bring together all major areas of interest, but it will be a vital, in- tegral part of the largest, most complete display of the hardware, services, and products ever seen in the field of containerization. The current and future state of the art will be shown as over 100 exhibi- tors covering twelve categories of displays will have been brought together. All modes of transporta- tion, container manufacturing, leasing, port, warehousing and terminals facilities, insurance, in- ternational banking, container and materials handling equipment man- ufacturers, governmental agencies, allied industries, and trade press will be present during the course of the exposition. Thousands of registrants, visit- ors and representatives of all the allied fields from more than 30 na- tions of the free world will be pres- ent for all phases of the Fifth In- ternational Container Services and Equipment Exposition. The end results of this gathering are cer- tain to have far-reaching conse- quences in the future of the trans- portation of goods and products. 14 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
