International Seamen's Union

The unions within the ISU faced "continual changeover in the makeup and leadership,"[1] and weathered the historical periods of the Great Depression and World War I.

Among other things, it: Another of ISU's successes was the strike of 1919, which resulted in wages that were "an all-time high for deep sea sailors in peace time.

Furuseth charged that the SUP was being infiltrated by "radicals" from the IWW,[1] and demanded the SUP cease activities with the Maritime Federation.

"[1] During negotiations to end the strike, the sailors received concessions including a three-watch system, pay increases, and better living conditions.

[7][9][10] Believing it was time to abandon the conservative ISU, Curran began recruiting members for a new rival union.

"[1] In May 1937, Curran and other leaders of his Seamen's Defense Committee reconstituted the group as the National Maritime Union.

Holding its first convention in July, approximately 30,000 seamen switched their membership from the ISU to the NMU and Curran was elected president of the new organization.

[9][11] In August 1937, William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, assumed control of the ISU with the goal of rebuilding it under the AFL.

[12] On October 15, 1938, at an AFL convention in Houston, Texas, Green handed Lundeberg the Seafarer's International Union charter.