The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-10
The Long Strike in the Building Trades

The Long Strike in the Building Trades.
The long strike In the building trades.
which has just ended by the unconditional
submission OF the men. began abou. three
months ago with strike on the new Crimi-
| nal Court building. This strike was Or
dered because PAUL CHANDLER. an engi-
neer employed by the jackson Architectu-
raj Iron Works. who had refused to pay q
| fine Of fifty dollars imposed upon him by
| the union for some alleged infraction Of its
rules. was working there.
The man had been a faithful servant. and
| when the Jackson Architectural Iron Works
were asked to discharge him. they refused.
| Attempts to compromise were made. but
| the Jackson company positively refused to
| discharge the man. and the man as posi-
| lively refused to pay the fine. On account
Of the delay occasioned by the strike. the
| Commissioner Of Public Works took hand
In settling the difficulty. Thus the fine
was paid and the strike was declared off.
No sooner was this done than new strike
was ordered against the jackson Archi-
tectural Iron Company because 1t employed
some non-union men In Its shops. and the
men were ordered out on all buildings In
which the firm had contract for iron
work. These non-union men were compe-
tent and faithful workmen. but they had an
aversion to joining the union and their en-
ployers would not force them. Then the
Iron League. Of which Mr.. J. NJ. CORNELL
OF the firm OF j. B. & j. NJ. CORNELL Is
President. took up the fight In behalf Of the
Jackson Architectural Iron Company. At
80
League resolved to lock out all tho house,
smiths and take back only such mon as
| were not union men.
The fight was next taken up by District As
| sembly 253. Knights Of Labor. representing
the building constructors. and the Master
Workman. Mr.. HENRY E. HICKS. instituted
series OF strikes against all the buildings
for which j. NJ. CORNELL had contracts. on
the ground that he was the principal sup
porter OF tho Jackson Architectural Iron
Works At first tho public cartmen and
engineers were ordered out on these build
ings. cutting short the supply Of materials.
Tho Public Cartmen's Union consists Of
small employers. each one OF whom owns
| from one to four or five horses and trucks.
| The Building Material Dealers Associa-
| tion, which controls nearly all tho build
| Ing materials supplied to New York, could
not get the public cartmen to deliver mate
rails for the blacklisted buildings. It's men,
bers represented to their workmon that
they had nothing to do with the quarrel
between tho housesmiths and j. g. 4 j. NJ.
CORNELL. but the men would only obey the
call OF the union. A meeting of the Execu-
tive Board OF the Iron League was held, at
| which fnlEap To n
poration to supply building material and
provide horses and trucks for its delivery.
The plan fell through. as the building con-
| tractors. upon whom the Iron League de-
pended for cooperation in the plan, would
have nothing to do with it.
The building material dealers followed
the example Of the Iron League and ordered
a general lockout OF all public cartmen,
taking back only those who were willing to
deliver material to any building. whether a
strike was on or not. Only a few of the
men returned to work. and the strike was
taken up by the Board OF Walking Dele
gates OF the knights of Labor. which insti-
tuted series Of general strikes against
the Building Material Dealers Association,
involving nearly all the building trades.
About 1000 people were thrown idle and
l25 buildings tied up. Tho bricklayers and
several other trades which refused to
strike. were forced out by the nom
delivery OF material: and tho building con-
tractors with whom the Walking Delegates
had no quarrel were losing money. 1t
finally became fight Of the employers
against the Walking Delegates. Although
some OF the building material dealers were
driven to the verge OF bankruptcy. they de-
cided that it was necessary to stand up
against capricious strikes ordered by the
Board OF Walking Delegates, and u resolu-
ton was passed to fight to the end, In the
mean time the men began to grow uneasy.
and the Board of Walking Delegates pro-
fessed to have plan to supply building
material from firms outside Of the Assooia,