Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-30
A LARGE ORDER LOST
Because the Knights of Labor Mold
ers Refuse to do Piece Work.
YOKES WILL BE MADE ELSEWHERE
An Important Interview with D. B. Oliver,
of Oliver Bros. & Phillips.
A CONVENTION OF COLLIERs TO-DAY.

Local assembly 1890, K. of L., composed
OF moIders, held very important meeting
last night, as announced in this paper
yesterday. The object, as stated, was to
consider the advisability of allowing the
men employed at Oliver Bros & Phillips
foundry, on the Southside, to work by the
piece instead Of by the day, on contract
for yokes for the Central traction road.
There was lively discussion on the sub
ject, and almost all of the members of the
!. local we're present and participated. The
meeting did not adjourn until after IL
o'clock, when an official was seen and said:
"We have law in our local which pro-
hibits piece work, and no matter how much
trade is driven away from Pittsburg by en-
forcing it we decided almost unanimously
to live up to it. If we violate the rule in
this case we will establish precedent
that will injure the order. The molders are
now receiving 50 75 day. and if they work
by the piece may be enabled to make from
Sc to 81 day. There was long discussion
on the subject when it was agreed to enforce
the rule rather than allow one firm to get
contract by violating it. The contract may
be filled by some firm outside of the city,
but we have decided to do no piece work,
no matter what the consequence may be.
There is work enough for our members with
out violating the piece work clause in our
bylaws"
A MOST SIGNIFICANT STATEMENT.
For the purpose of getting at the other
side of the question, a DISPATCH reporter
called upon Mr.. D. B. Oliver, of the firm of
Oliver Bros. & Phillips, and questioned him
in regard to the matter. Mr.. Oliver em-
phatically stated that if the men persisted
in their present course they would drive all
this trade away from Pittsburg. They
would not only hurt themselves by losing
the work, but they would entail great loss
to their employers. Mr.. Oliver said:
The Pittsburg Traction road. the first one |
laid here was put down by Oliver Bros & |
Phillips and Ritter & COuley. Each firm had |
one-half Of the road. The castings amounted |
to several thousand tons, and were all made in |
this city. In making the yokes the union |
molders would only make one yoke per day per |
man, and then work by the day.
The yokes weigh 460 pounds each, and this |
makes very expensive molding: In other cities
the men work by the piece. and make three or
more yokes per day per man.
When the Citizens Traction Company job |
was let, the high cost of Pittsburg castings lost
the job to this city, and the entire lot was taken
by Eastern parties at prices much below cost in
Pittsburg. at our rates for labor.
AS the Central Traction job is about being
let, suggested to our men the necessity of
their removing their restrictions as to piece |
work. so as they could work by the piece and
make all the money they can, or else the job
would go away from Pittsburg, as the Citizens
contract did.
MUST BE MADE QUICKLY.
When the work on the building of the line
begins the castings are wanted as quick as they
can be furnished in very large quantities. l
urged that the men should make hay while !
they can instead of restricting themselges to
s. so day, and likely lose the chance of earn.
ing even that
How is labor in other cities as compared
with PIttsburg in this respect?' was asked of
Mr. Oliver.
"When we failed to get the Citizens road be-
cause of the failure to compete on castings. q
investigated the situation elsewhere, and l
found that instead of one yoke constituting a
days work, that the men worked by the piece,
and one molder and one laborer turned out five
and six per day. and, in some instances, more
than that. These men are making great deal
more money for themselves and working for
the interests of their employers at the same
time.
II might here say that our molders in Pitts
burg are doing themselves and their employers
great injustice in the course they are pursuing.
know of thousands of tons Of castings annual
Iy that have been made elsewhere and brought
to Pittsburg and used here, every pound of
which should have been made in this city, and
would have been made here but for the unwise
restrictions the men have placed ON themselves.
They are keeping themselves poor, and choking
their employers by driving trade away from our
city that belongs here"