The Indianapolis journal., 1891-02-21
MADE A BAD JOB OF IT.
The Uuion Painters Demands the Masters Will
Not Grant-The Masters Ultimatum.

It appears that the union painters have
made q bad job of 1T in dealing with the
Master Painters Association. Representa-
tiyes of the latter say that last year they
paid better prices, and granted more privi-
leges, and worked their men less hours
than in any other city in the country. In
trying to reach an agreement for this sea-
sons work several conferences between
committees of the two organizations have
been held. These were attended with every
promise of success until the union men sent
in an agreement that made the masters
mad. The journeymen. it IS claimed, were
not satisfied with letting we'll enough alone,
but demanded an increase of wages to
30 and S2l2 cents an hour. 1t was
set forth that eight hours must be
q days work and that extra time mnst be
paid as time and half. Working hours, it
was stipulated. should be settled by agree
ment In the various shops. The mast ers
say they could have considered these de-
mands with some degree of equanimity but
articles relating to their own organization
put any agreement on basis proposed by
the union men beyond question. Ii the
in any particular they were To be fined by
the j0urneymen not less than 81 nor more
than $40. Any offer to pay less wages than
those agreed upon would also subject the
masters to fine: II was further demanded
that they should increase the initiation fee
in their ASSOCIATION for one year or impose
unreasonable and excessive fines upon its
members.
With these demands before them the
masters met last night and decided that
their last years experiment of working
only eight hours aday was not satisfactory.
They had been assured that the movement
to introduce and adopt eight hours as q
days work would be made general in all
the building and other trades in this and
neighboring States bnt instead Indianap-
oils was nearly alone in adopting the move
ment. This placed the city at dlsadvan-
tage with other and neighboring cities.
Even in this city the building trades,
whose number Of days work are limited by
ones, they said, working the shorter day:
while shops. fOundries. plauing-mills. NOT
limited by weather, continue to work the
longer day. Again" said :he contractors
In their preamble, I'VE have at certain sea-
sons rush of work which must be done
within a certain time or be lost. AS re-
suit, we are compelled to employ FIVE
men at eight hours to do the work OF
four men at ten hours which demand brings
men from other points to assist during the
rush, thus depriving our home journeymen
from earning as much money es they other
wise could" 1t was therefore resolved
that the members of the association be per-
mltted to make any special agreement with
their employees TO work any number of
hours day. not to exceed i'm the aggregate
sixty hours in any one week. for which
they shall pay the regular price per hour
agreed upon. For over time the paw Is 10
be at the rate of time and one-half time,
and for Sunday work double time. IL was
further resolved that as near as practicable
the masters will pay for 1891. for first class
workmen, 27l2 cents per tour; second-class.
% cents: third class. 2212 cents per hour.
The union painters are given until the 18th
inst. to accept the masters propositions,
tion. III they do not the masters will look
only to their own interests in employing
man.