Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-07
ANOTHER NEW MOVE.
Building Contractors Employ New
Means to Fight the Strike.
CONTRACTORS COUNCIL FORMED
Agent Irwin Claims to Be Gradually Win.
ming the Struggle. -
QUARTERLY MEETING OFD.A.s. Z. OF l.

The building contractors made new
move yesterday and are now better prepared
than ever to proceed with the present strike.
A new organization was formed In the after
noon, composed of representatives from
as the Master Builders, Master Bricklayers
and Master Stonemasons. The purpose Of
the organization is to decide u pom all mat
tiers which may be referred to it from either
of the trades pertaining to the strike or any
other subject affecting the general interests
Of all the organizations.
= Hereafter the strike will be in the hands
of this organization, which is to be known
rs the Contractor Council. During the
strike meetings will be held every day and
thereafter regular weekly meetings will suf-
fee to transact the business before it The
builders have taken peculiar stand against
the press and its representatives. Hester-
day an order was issued that ne one should
be admitted to the Builders Exchange e
headquarters unless he could show MEM
bership card. and when the reporters. made
their daily visit to the place they were. in
formed that their presence was not desired
at the Exchange until after the strike is
settled.
The safety of the building abutting Alvin
Joslyn's new theater was brought before the
attention of the Contractors. Council yester-
-dav. 1t was reported that the Building
Inspector had declared it unsafe. The
contractor, Mr. Ballinger, asked for four
days time in which to underpin them in
order to render them perfectly secure. The
time was granted and Mr. Huckenstein
will proceed with the stone work this morn
Ing. az.
Men Going Back to the Mills.
Murphy & Diebold had % MEN at work in
their West End mill yesterday and expect to
start their East End mill to-day. Nine of their
men now at work are non-union and allsare
working nine hours at last years nay. Evans,
Cunningham & Jones have seven 1nen at work
and conld have more. but Mr.. Evans said
yesterday they had very few orders IN Tor
material. Several master builders reported
yesterday morning that carpenters had ex.
pressed a willingness to return to work at last
years hours and wages. t-lsi ~.
The strike committee of the carpenters was
kept busy all day yesterday looking after new
developments. 1t was claimed thatseveral new
firms mad conceded the demands. hut as usual,
no names of firms granting them. were furn-
ished by the LEADERS.
Z,
win. II had a talk to-day with a number of
the master builders and I am satisfied
from their tone that they are frightened over
the result. We. are gaining ground daily. and.
while believe none of the members of the
Builders Exchange have yielded. as soon as
they begin to feel the effects of the work being
done by those now working under eight hours.
they will begin to weaken. There are yet some
of the strikers who cling to the nine-hour idea.
Some Questions as to Leaders Methods.
A well.known member of Union No. 230 said
last evening that he regarded the movement of
the FLAMING Mill Association rs very unfor-
tnnate. off they had not adopted those rules
which were posted in their mills, half their
men would have been at work by this time"
slider their action, l believe every mill in the
city could be running by next Monday. have
been opposed to the eight-hOur movement from
for an advance in wages, but regard
the eight-hour question as q soclalistic
measure that is doing organized labor
more harm than GOOD, wherever it
is being agitated. There is too much deceit in
our organization for US TO win this hight. The
leaders are claiming that over 200 men are at
work under the new system. l have been
certain that not more than 250 are at work.
Why don't our leaders furnish list OF the
firms that have granted the demands"
Marble cutters, marble and granite podshers
and wheel rubbers and cemetery settlers en-
ployed by Samuel Young, Of Jackson street,
and Alexander Biggs & Son, Anderson street.
are ON strike. These firms agreed to pay IS 05
for inside men, but would not grant S3 80 for
building settlers according to the provisions of
the scale. and on this point the trouble arose.
About so men are out.
There is probability of the plumbers de-
manding eight hours. The men employed by
several firms are out of work now because their
employers have nothing for them to do. We'll
don d kellys men quit yesterday. sVhe men
claim it is lockout. and a general meeting
will be held tomorrow night at which it will be
decided whether hours shall be demanded or
not. If the plumbers demand eIght hours then
all other trades who are forced out OF work
through the carpenters strike will make the
same demand, and the fight for shorter hours in
Pittsburg will have only rightly begun. ,,.
The skaters and tile roofers are ont for nine
hours and an advance of so cents DAY. Presi-
dent Munro stated yesterday he had had some
trouble with union carpenters working with
timers who had falsely represented themselves
as being members of the slaters' union.
There have been no developments so far that
indicate settlement Of the strike. So will
complete the first week since work stopped.
The men have lost nearly S50.000 in wages and
the contractors many times that amount
will be is yet impossible to predict Both sides
seem firm, and, strange as it may seem, both
sides are endeayoring to keep the most import
ant information from the public by refusing to
furnish facts to the reporters.
Local Union No. 402 OF Carpenters issued
notice last night that the members are now
prepared to finish buildings already begun, as
well as to undertake all kinds of repairs.
Headquarters have been established at Odd
Fellows Hall. where all kinds of materials will
be furnished on application.