Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-06
CHARLEsroN's LABOR UNION.
Imported Bricklayers Burning
Ihin0s with a High Hand.

Imported Bricklayers Burning
Things with a High Hand.
CHARLESTON, Nov. 5.-Charleston on
Wednesday last witnessed the first labor
demonstration of any consequence that
has ever taken place n this city. 1t was
the parade of the Bricklayers' Union.
There were over 300 men in line-whites
and blacks indlscriminately mixed. AS
far as can be learned, the parade was not
intended TO indicate ii strike, but simply
to show the strength OF the union.
very significant fact was
that there were not one
hundred Charleston men in the process.
sion, the bulk of which was composed OF
Northern bricklayers who had been at
tracted to the city by the demand for
skilled mechanics created by the earth
quake. The MANAGERS of the union are
shrewd men. As soon as they saw that
an influx of mechanics would naturally
follow the earthquake they took the bull
by the horns and revived interest in the
union, which had previously been a COM
paratiyely insignificant affair.
sCOoPING IN NEW COMERs.
Each immigrant as he arrived was
waited upon and persuaded to join the
union. The Northern Immigrants were
accus Omed to the union dodge, and under
the impression that they were as power
tu here as they were at the North, so
they joined. AS matter of fact, IL they
had refused to join the union, the union
would have been powerless. The
parade was a creditable one The men
wore white aprons and presented a
fine appearance, but there were
comparatively few familiar faces
in the procession. The parade
was an enforced one. Each man who par
ticipated in it had to lose a half days
wages, 81 90, If be didn't parade, being
member OF the union, he had to pay
fine of IS. Hence the largeness Of the
procession.
There is no doubt OF the fact that the
union regulates wages, TO which there can
be no reasonable objection; but the union
goes further than this-it does not per-
nit non-union bricklayers 10 work,
which is tyranny OF the W orst kind.
UNION TYRANNY,
A case in point occurred a short time
ago. A frst-class bricklayer, who came
here from Virginia, was az work on the
Cathedral. He was receiving So per day,
the union prices. A walking delegate
walked around, found him at work and
inquired if he was member of the union.
He replied in the negative, but stated
that he was working for union prices.
The walking delegate was not
satisfied, but insisted upon his
Joining the union. This the man re-
fused TO do, whereupon the walking dele
gate ordered all the union men to quit
WORK, and the order would have been
o6eyed but for the fact that the non-union
man himself quit woik and departed
bOmeward. His employer offered to pay
his initiation fees to the union, but he re-
fused to submit TO any such tyranny.
EMPLOYERS UNITING
The contractors and builders have Or
ganiZed protective association. the OBJ
ject OF which Is to prevent one contractor
from hiring the hands employed by an
other. A good deal Of this kind OF work
has been going on heretofore, and this Is
what caused an advance in the wages of
plasterers and bricklayers to from 81 TO
$40 a day.
There is promise of a difficulty between
the builders and brcklayers tomorrow,
and as usual the difficulty is caused bv a
very trifilng affair. The union has given
notice that hereafter ali unios bricklayers
will quit work at O'Clock on Saturdays.
The inference is that they intend TO de-
mand full days pay for Saturday. The
contractors will not pay it. Tae usual
hours OF work here are from a. IN. TO 6 D,
M, with one hour for dinner, making a
total OF ten hours day. Toe union has
decided that Its memb ers shall work only
nine bours on Saturdays. The rule goes
into effect tomorrow, and the result 10
looked Tor with interest.