The Michigan Daily-Thursday, May 21, 1981-Page 9
Ferry
strike
strands
commuters
SEATTLE (UPI) - A wildcat walkout by 140
marine engineers shut down the Washington state
ferry system yesterday, leaving 45,000 commuters
scrambling to find other ways to get to work.
Hundreds of workers boarded several passenger-
only, private vessels to travel between Vashon and
Bainbridge Islands, two bedroom communities
within sight of the Seattle skyline but separated by
several miles of open water in Puget Sound.
THE FERRY system was trying to put together a
limited service to the San Juan Islands and Vashon
which have no bridge links to the outside world.
Bainbridge Island residents can commute by auto in
along land route to Seattle.
The walkout that shut down the 21-boat ferry fleet
began Tuesday night, about three hours after Gov.
John Spellman allowed a bill ending collective
bargaining rights for ferry workers to become law
without his signature.
The ferry workers wanted the governor to veto the
measure.
IN A STATEMENT issued by his office, Spellman
said he would not "now or in the immediate future"
exercise his emergency authority to operate the
ferries.
The governor said he hoped the walkout was a tem-
porary reaction - a "blowing off steam" of the
engineers and other ferry workers supporting their
walkout.
Fred Piel, state Department of Transportation
assistant secretary for marine transportation, war-
ned that ferry employees calling in sick were con-
sidered to be illegal strikers.
IT WASN'T clear how long the walkout might con-
tinue. About the only thing union leaders and ferry of-
ficials agreed on was that the action was not a strike,
hutsa walkout.
The distinction gave no comfort to stranded com-
muters, some of whom yelled abusive calls at ferry
workers as they walked off idled boats. One elderly
man was arrested Tuesday night at a Seattle ferry
dock after he brandished a pistol and forced two ferry
workers to go back aboard their vessel.
THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE MAN BEHIND
THE MASK AND THE LEGEND BEHIND THE MAN.
LORD GRADE and JACK WRATHER Present A MARTIN STARGER Production "THE LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER"
Starring KLINTON SPILSBURY MICHAEL HORSE CHRISTOPHER LLOYD and JASON ROBARDS as PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT
Executive Producer MARTIN STARGER Screenplay by IVAN GOFF & BEN ROBERTS and MICHAEL KANE and WILLIAM ROBERTS
Adaptation by JERRY DERLOSHON Original Music by JOHN BARRY Director of Photography LASZLO KOVACS, A.S.C.
Produced by WALTER COBLENZ Directed by WILLIAM A. FRAKER DiSTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND ASSOCIATED FILM DISTRIBUTION 'CORPORATION
"The Man in the Mask" Sung by MERLE HAGGARD T IrC' w'", , ns PG PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTEO
Original Soundtrack Available on MCA Records g \19i i 5IVERSAL CITYSTIDIOS, 'IC SOME MATERIAL MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN
STARTS FRIDAY MAY 22ND AT SPECIALLY SELECTED THEATRES