Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-12
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE p1sPATcH.i


NEW YORK, April 1.-THE trouble be-
tween the Housesmiths' Union and Poulson
& Eyer, proprietors of the Hecla Architec-
tural Bronze and Iron Works, in Williams
burg, eliminated this afternoon in gen.
eral strike of the workmen employed on
buildings in which the iron work is being
done by that firm. During the noon recess
the Board of Walking Delegates informed
the union men employed on half dozen
large buildings in this city that strike
had been ordered, and at 1 o'clock more
than 900 men refused to resume their work.
and, for the most part, left the buildings
where they were employed. Few of them
knew the reason for the strike, as only the
housesmiths were directly interested in it.
ONLY UNION MEN WANTED.
The strikers in New York were at work
on the Pulitzer, Union Trust Company,
Lancashire, Brown Bros, Mechanics Bank
and Oriental Insurance buildings, and on
the buildings that are being erected on
Eighty-frst street and Ninth avenue. They
comprise housesmiths, plumbers, gas filters,
steam filters, carpenters, stair builders,
painters, varnishers, marble cutters, hod
hoisting engineers, electric house wlremen,
tile layers and trainers.
Last week strike was ordered on several
of Poulson & Eger's buildings in this city,
to compel the firm to employ union men in
the Hecla Iron Works. Only the house
smiths stopped work, and the Board of
Walking Delegates threatened then that
general strike would be ordered if an at
tempt was made to fill the places Of the
housesmiths with non-union men. Charles
Hardy, the shop delegate of the House
smiths Union, says that Mr.. Poulson
signed an agreement with him and the out
side delegates of Brooklyn and New York
on Thursday afternoon.
AN AGREEMENT SIGNED.
By this agreement the firm was to employ
none but union men, under the nine-hour
rule; that the walking delegates of the
housesmiths' unions of Brooklyn and this
city should have the privilege of visiting
the company's shops to learn whether the
workmen were in good standing in their
union.
In accordance with this agreement the
strides were ordered of, and Shop Delegate
Hardy intended this morning to organize
the Hecla Iron Works as a union shop.
De1tSdte tudt uc
delegates called at the Hecla Iron Works
this morning and asked to be permitted to
go through the shops. Mr.. Paulson, he
saws, called in his foreman, and pointing
out the delegate, said: ''These are the men
who want to go through our shops" Then he
ordered the delegates to leave the Office.
The delegates returned to this city and laid
the matter before the Board of Walking
Delegates, which was then in session. The
Board ordered general strike in all the
buildings where the Hecla Iron Company is
doing work.
WILL FORCE A FIGHT.
Shop Delegate Hardy said to-day that the
Union would force Paulson
& Eyer to comply with union rules or for
felt their contracts on the buildings where
other than union men are employed. There
are about 500 men employed in the Pulitzer
building and about the same number in the
Union Trust Company's building on Broad
way, near Wall street.
Meetings were held tonight of the differ
ent branches of the housesmith workers of
Williamsburg, and committees were ap-
pointed to confer with the Housesmiths'
Union and to ask the cooperation of the
Central Labor Union, of Brooklyn, and the
District Assembly of the Knights of Labor,
which will hold their meetings on Sunday.