St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-08
CARPENTERS QUIT WORK.
Six Thousand Strike in Chicago
for a Shorter Day and More
Wages.

Six Thousand Strike in Chicago
for a Shorter Day and More
Wages.
CHICAGO, April7.-Between 5000 and
5000 carpenters are out on strike in
Chicago this morning. The strike really
began at 10 o'clock last night, and when
to-day dawned not union carpenter
was at work within the city limits. All
had left their hammers, saws and planes
and Joined the movement for shorter
day and 40 cents an hour. A great
many of the nOn-union men quit work
out of sympathy with their union
brethren, and it was claimed that most
of them would join the carpenters
union. Secretary Johns, of the master
carpenters, said that. so lar as he could
tell, about all the union carpenters IN
the city had left their tools. I'VE shall
with the help of non-union men," said
he, ssbut will wait until our Thursday
meeting before doing anything de-
cisive.n The bricklayers and stonema-
sons have notified the strikers that they
will refuse to work on jobs with nom
union carpenters. Similar action Is
looked for on the part of the latherS,
plasterers and painters.
Other Building Trades Affected.
Nearly all of the other building trades
will have to stop work soon unless
terms are reached between the carpen-
tiers and the bosses. In that event 50,-
900 men will be idle. There was no dis
turbance during the day. The men
needed the advance warning of their
leaders to keep away from the saloons,
and the result was quiet and orderly
gatherings at their various headquar-
ters throughout the city. Some of the
contractors who must complete the
work they have on hand to-day offered
to accept the mems terms, but the
brotherhood is cunning for the builders
association, and refuse to let any one
return to work until that body has rec
nell. of the carpenters brotherhood,
said: "The strike is not now
so much for either higher wages
or shorter days labor; the whole thing
resolves itself into whether or not the
bosses propose to recognize the brother
hood as such or whether they intend to
continue treating with us as individuals.
That is, we want the boss carpenters to
sign contract with us each year, fixing
the number of hours we shall work each
day and the amount to be received an
hour. As for the 40-cents-an-hOur prop
osition, we are willing to arbitrate that
with the boss carpenters committee at
any time" William Goldie. president
of the builders and traders exchange,
said ''that. in his opinion, many OF the
men had been intimidated by threats,
and struck to-day because OF fear,
but that they would be back to
work again in few days, and
would receive 35 cents an hour.
IL think it will be at least a week be-
fore the strike is settled, and by that
time all building trades will be blocked,
which means that there will be between
10000 and $4,000 idle laborers on the
streets of Chicago" The carpenters
claim that before the middle of the
week nearly every carpenter in Cook
county will have joined the brother
hood, and that not carpenter will be
found working on any other conditions
than those proposed by the strike COM
mittee.>' A number of bosses who were
interviewed said that they will be will
ing to pay 40 cents per hour after their
present contracts had been filled, but
that on these they had figured at 30
cents per hour, and would lose money
on them if they should pay 40 cents per
hour,