Morning journal and courier., 1890-05-05
rO STRIKE TO-DAY.

The Bricklayers and Plasscrers 10
 Commence Their Contest for Higher
 Wages this MOrnina-What she Con.
 sess is About-DiGercnce of Opinion.
 To-day the crisis. which has been threat- | ened for several weeks, will be precipitated in a strike by the Brioklayers and Plasterers union of this city and of the Hod Carriers or Laborers' union. There seems to be difference of opinion on the subject of the conference which was held between com- mittee of the former bodies and the matter
 builders, the former claiming that the ems ployers acceded to the request of the masons for an additional five cents an hour, and a similar increase for the helper, and after wards changed their minds, the builders maintaining that their reply was not . con- cession to the terms demanded, but mani- festation of @ spirit to treat equitably and amiably in the matter. Friday night, as has been stated, the master masons, issued their ultimatum which was that they would meet the mason journeymen half way and give forty-thres cents an hour instead of forty for the masons and plaster CTS. This the mason journeymen hold was g deviation from their former position, and they insist upon forty-fve cents an hour. No change in the hours of labor. nine hours, Is asked for, but an increase of five cents an hour is demanded. The builders say that the advance they offer is sufficient and all that they can reasonably yield to. The journey. men hold that they were not fairly treated as they took the impression that the Ave cents an hour was to be grant, ed and that had they known at first that the full demand was not to be acceeded to they could have notified the national body. which would have officially authorized the strike which is to be precipi- tAted to-day, whereas now if they go on strike to. day they cannot draw an allowance | of money from the national body until two weeks have elapsed. The national body pays married men on strike $10 per week, the sins l gle men $5. The local mason union has about 1855 members, and there are about 25o men hold that they are both to precipitate Q strike as such action will, to considerable extent, put out of work the carpenters, painters and work men of other trades identified with building l operations. The mason builders are both to | have strike started, but maintain that the
 concession offered Is fair and equitable and
 that with the competition in trade, theil
 contracts based upon the old rates of day
 wages, and the low rates of their contracts they cannot afford to yield further. The
 masons claim that there has been two months
 notice given by them. The carpenters
 union, it is expected, will also announce [
 strike for to-day. The price the builderl offered to advance the wages of the masons
 helpers to is $2.12% day. This latter body
 has $5,000 in bank in this city
 and the Bricklsyers' and Plasterers' unioI
 has considerable sum on deposit. The car penters ask for 35 cents an hour at min,
 hours. They now receive as rule 30 cent
 at nine hours. If the masons strike, as they probably will, to-day, there will still be :, good many non-union masons at work il
 town. So also as regards the carpenters
 There are some large shops where nearly al
 the carpenters employed are non.union men
 There are also quite number of carpenter
 who get $3 day for nine hours work.
 tug-of-war seems impending and no one vii say how long the contest will last.