Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-02
MUST BE BRETHREN.
UNION CARPENTERS WON'T WORK
WITH k-UNIoN MEN.
Thirteen of Those on tho Chamber OF
Commerce Quit for n D"y-many
Join-No Trouble Expected.

For over two weeks there nave oeeh fu-
mors that there would be strike OF hich-
mond carpenters the ist of May. lester-
day the rumors materIalized by number
of the carpenters declining TO go to work.
They will, however. resume work THIS
morning and when the affair is explained
il will be seen that 1T could hardly be
called strike, after all.
No question of wages was involved.
There was no excitement and no ill-feel,ng
between contractors aud employees or be-
tween union and nOn-union men. Ac-
cordlng to the Directory there are 6O0 cor
penters in Richmond, including those
employed IN the railroad-shops, sash ana
blind makers. etc. OF the whole number
about 300-say five TO each contractor
are employed on buildings, and Of the 800
some two thirds belonged prior 10 the l3th
of last month to the Carpenters Union OK
Richmond, No. 1872.
NOTIFIED TIE CONTRACTORS.
The members OF the union work nine
hours day. Some of the nou-union men
work ten hours. On the 18th of last month
the union notified the contractors that
on and after the lst OF May II would adopt
the card system that IL. that its members
would not work with men who could not
produce a card showing that they were IN
good standing IN some carpenters uDloh'
They did not take the position that the non
union men should not work. but said they
the union men would not work with non-
union men. At the time the notice was
served about half the carpenters emplovel
on the City Hall were nOn-unlOn men ana
these joined the ualOn.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE..
On the Chamber.of.Commerco building
! the carpenter force consisted OF nineteen
men. Thirteen of these belonged to the
union and SIX, including the foreman,
were outside OF il. Yesterday morning the
union-men, IN pursuance of the nOtthca-
| ton to the contractors, quit work. Inc
result was that the foreman and two OF the
! other non-union men decided 20 Join tho
union: the other three nOn.unlOn men
will 60 out, and an entire union tocce VIII
! 20 IN this morning.
| The non-unOn men%ho decline 10 en-
| ter the union take the position that they
| see no benefit 10 be derived from joining
! the organization. The union men claim
! that working an entire union force IL bet
| ter for the men and better Tor the con-
: tractors. For example" SAID we'll
! known member OF the uuion last night,
" and a non-union man may be working
side bv side on the same job and be essen
tial TO each other. II | quit work AZ the
end of nine hours and the other ;aan keeps
/ on he practically accOmplshes nothing
Again, IN "a steady Job a contractor gets
more work out of IA nIne-hour than out OF
a ten-hour man.
MEETING OF THE UNION.
There was regular meeting OF the union
at lncorda Hall last night. Tho hall
wa densely packed and there were thirty
.,.-nt mutations and twenty applications
for admission filed. At the two meetings
the week previous there were about forty
admissions.
A DISPATCH representative mingled free
" with the men aud failed 20 hear single
harsh word used against any non-unior
man or any contractor. Mr.. Trower said
the union had been III existence FOR some
eight years and the only trouble It had
had was with the MasteT-Rullders Union.
That was five years ago, and the question
involved was one Of wOrkinG-hours.
THE crrY-HALL wooD-woRKEs.
| Mr.. Gibbs. another Influential member
| Of the union, SAID the DIsPATCH would be
safe IN stating that there was really nC
trouble, and that there would DO none
When asked about the demand OF the City
Hall wOod-workers for more pay no re
Piled that that had nothing 10 do with th,
present issue ind he expected 1t wOuid
be settled wednesday night.
There are one or two contractors IN th
city who employ nOn-union men only, an'
il was reported Yesterday that the force o
one Of these would 60 Oslt Several OF th
men belonging 70 the union said, how
ever. that they knew nothing Of this, an'
that the union had not made any effort t
cettne men. twas intimated, however. tina
if stone-cutters and bricklayers employed
with the non-unlOn carpenters SAID so th'
latter would enter the union. In respec
10 the force of another contractor whose
men did not belong to tho union It Wa
said that If one man came over TO tue or
ganization oil would Get II straight.
said carpenter who has done good dca
of work on the DIsrArCH building. Tel
the people that We do not want TO trampl'
on anv one or run over ANYBODY and tina
there Is no dissatisfaction about wages. L
| ia sitnulv a roatftr pf un.Onn