Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-05-01
i EIGHT HOURS
For a Days Work Will Be
Fought For
IN The VARIOUS SECTIONS
Of the Country To-day Where Build
ing Trades Are Strong.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND AFFECTED,
In the City OF PlttSburg Where a Deter
mined Fight VIII be Made--Many
Branches VIII Join in the Struggle
in St. Louis---The Miners VIII
Obey the Mandate Of the Ex-
ecutve Board of United
Nine Workers.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND AFFECTED.

PrrrsBURG, PA, April 3O.-ThiS city
is now fairly started on the eight hour
movement with 5000 carpenters out,
and placing other trades in such a
peculiar position that 10000 members
of other building organizations must
soon follow. The last and decisive
meeting that forces this struggle was
held late tonight, when the Master
Builders Association met, and decided
positively not to grant the carpenters
demands for eight hours and an increase
of five cents per hour.
As decided upon by the carpenters,
5000 of them tonight quit work for
their demands. The action Of the mas
ter builders in deciding to do actually
nothing in regard to the other building
organizations places the latter in rather
queer position.
In order TO back up the carpenters
the other building trades had decided
10 strike for eight hours, providing only
that the master builders locked the car
penterS out. If they did not lock The
carpenters out, the other unions were
simply to ask for certain local adjust
mentS and fair average OF wages, ig-
noring entirely the eight hour day.
Tonight the Master Builders con-
cluded they will not lock out the car
penters, and the result will be that
10000 men, comprising stone maSOnS,
rooferS, marble cutters, planning men,
etc, will work on present contracts un-
I'll they have gone as far as they can
without the carpenters, when they will
find themselves simply worked out of a
iob-not locked out. The Master Build
ers were a unit in coming to their
agreement tonight, and say they have
done this to protect in other cities mas
ter builders, in order that the other
building trades outside of the carpen-
terS could not have 4 preteXt for Strik-
ing for eight hours, and thus causing
the movement TO spread.
The bricklayerS, numbering l,2OO, are
also brought into the fight owing TO a
refusal OF their demands for uniform
wage of $3.50 per day, the masters haY-
ing deSided to pay a uniform rate OF
81 per day.
Inc plaSLcftrS, duOLucT independent
organization, will also be forced into
idleneSS as soon as they have completed
this work TO where the carpenters left
it tonight.
Altogether, it is hardly likely that
more than $4,000 men, comprising all
builders within a radius of - miles Of
this city, will be idle as L result of the
move tonight. The building trades,
being by all odds the most COM
pete organization in this section,
will go out almost to a
man, and say they will remain out. On
the other hand the Master Builders say
they have had ample warning, and
have their contracts in such shape that
they can lay idle all summer.
But one firm, the Ballinger Bros, of
Philadelphia, are willing to grant the
eiCht-hour move, but are unable to DO
SO. This firm is building the Davis
(Alvin Joslinl theatre, and master
builders have 50 tied up all MATERIAL
they cannot go on with the work.
Reports from McKeeSport, Braddock
and other surrounding towns, say car
penterS generally are striking for eight
hours, and indications rather point to
the strike spreading rapidly.