Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-02
B0YCOTTONCARNEGIE
Eastern Workmen Declare Them
selves in Favor Of II,
IF MANUFACTURERS WILL JOIN,
Demands Of New York Housesmiths Refused
by the Employers.
ABOUT foRTY-FIvE HUNDRED MEN oUl

HrecrAL TxLreRAM TO THE pIsPArcH.l
NEW YORK, May 1.-When the reports
Of the shop stewards, who had demanded
eight hours for the housesmiths on Thurs
day afternoon, were received at Clarendon
Hall to-day it was found that the demand
had been refused by all firms except one,
Carrere & Haas being the firm. This firm
is erecting the Pierce building. corner of
Franklin and Hudson streets, and has other
big contracts. All the other firms refused
the demand point blank. Not housesmith
reported for work to-day. There are 4. 900
men who work at this trade in this city,
Brooklyn and Jersey City. and all of them.
except those who will resume work on the
Pierce building tomorrow, are on strike.
The inside" men, or those who work In
the shops, also struck and reported at
Clarendon Hall. The jackson Architect
ural Iron Works employs 400 men, j. B. &
J. M. Cornell employ 700. Post & McCord
400 men, and Poulson and Eyer 400 men,
and all of these housesmiths are ON strike.
The men are perfectly satisfied with the
wages, but they want to work one hour less
day.
Six Hundred Go Out.
In the afternoon the architectural iron
workers, German union, with 500 mem-
bers, Joined the strikers. This union is
composed of housesmiths, who are opposed
to the secret methods of the Knights of
Labor. The cast iron workers, a union of
$50 men, who are commonly called chip
pers," also ordered strike. The house.
smiths passed the following resolutions:
Resolved, That we the men employed in the
several branches of the archifaetu raj iron
dustry. pledge ourselves to cooperate with such
employers as are willing to barmonize with our
present request TO defeat the unprincipled
monopolists who are making every effort to get
control of the 1ronwork for buildings in this
city;and
Resolved. That we pledge ourselves not to
piled by employers sgnifying their desire to
cooperate with us in maintaining our prin-
ciples.
This is, on its face, an overture to the
manu- acturers to grant the e;ght-hour de-
mand, in consideration of a boycott on the
product of their out-of-town competitors.
The manufacturers seem to take an entirely
different view of the matter. The Iron
Manufacturers Association held special
meeting at the Office of j. B. & j. NJ. Cor.
nell, 141 Center street, this afternoon, and
issued the following statement:
Condemning the Strike.
1--WE consider this strike as iIl-advised on
the part of the men, and it was melted by
small number of dlscontented workmen.
The great majority of the employees are en-
tirely satisfied with the hours and pay now
in force, and are much disguised with the
action of their leaders. 1t may result in
the breaking up OF the housesmith's s union,
as the inside men who manufacture the
work are not in harmony with the action of
the leading outside men who inaugurateG
this strike.
1.-THE New York housesmiths have been
working nine bours for days work. five
daysa week and eight hours Saturdays for
the last five years, and receive % per cent
class of men In other cities who work ten
hours day. There is danger of manu- fact
urers of iron work being driven out of New
York entirely by the action of the House
smiths Union. We fear the inside men,
who number about 3, ,500-who lose their oc-
cupation and suffer greatly. The employers
have for abe last five years made constant
TO their men, and now believe
that they have to come to take q firm stand
before being compelled to take their manu-
out Of New York
The employers have formed very pow
erful organization among themselves, repre-
sentlng all the iron men in New York,
Brooklyn and Jersey City, and have signed |
an agreemen. to stand by each other. and |
they are prepared to hold out indefinitely. |
From very definite information received |
they know they will have no difficulty in
filling the New York housesmiths' places |
from other parts of the country, who will !
gladly take the strikers places, but they |
hope that such necessity will not arise, as
they do not wish to displace men who have |
been in their employ SO long. Indications |
are that the men will probably return to |
work in a few days.
The men say that unless the manufact- |
urers give in within seven days over Sc. 900 |
men will be idle. The Housesmiths' Union |
has enough money in the treasury to enable |
he men to strike for month. After three
" four days the other trades employed on
will be unable to proceed with
heir work. Should the manufacturers en-
,lov non-union men, all the other trades will
trike. The big manufacturers will proba-
,ly be able TO get enough non-union men to
axe the places Of the 'inside" strikers.
The ''outside" men have promised, however,
o keep up the strike until the "inside" men
Ein their demands. so that as long as one
holds out hundreds Of build
ngs may stand idle.