Grand Rapids herald., 1893-04-09
STATEMENT OF Ths MEN.

W v0s WkNs
Eiaros GsANp RArins HsxAIp To
set ourselves right before the build
Tag public in regard 10 tn. present
,afiicuity between the 80 styled Master
Nssonsl and the Bricklayers' union.
heretofore x~ have said nothing through
the press one Way or another. although
they Ithe msster masons, have used the
Eress quite freely in trying Ia poison the
,ainds Il the building public against
this union. During the winter Ne Ia
vited the contractors liaasonl a. discuss
the eight hour day with us. which
was accepted. and goodiy rep
resentaiion from that body ap
peafed aud discussed the question.
when by request from their cs,n.mit,ee
we appointed committee to confer
with them, We giving our committee
power Ia act. This committee met sey
"ral times by appointment but Cor Ger
tain reasons they could not come 10 an
understanding. We then notified the
mason contractors that on and after
April l. lsss,. eight hours would consti-
tute "a days work The wages were left
me same rate per hour As cents as lest
season. that is $50 per day IL eight
lays work we ask nothing tnat would
be deirimen, To- the mason contractors
Or the public. neither would il interfere
IN the least with the construction ~
buildings. a. they are trying 10 make
the public believe. IL is "A veil known
fact that in constructing ordinary build
ings. the masons are compelled L. wait
for carpenters. IL did not seem L.
make any difference 10 those contractors
when the masons were working nine
hours and the carpenters ten
hours per day, which was the
case for several Years: but today
the carpenters are working nine hours.
Why then should we be refused our just
demands: In the proceedings 81 the
exchange meeting last night. that part
given Ia the press. il says they consider
il d question reaching farther than its
face. They well know that is false:
they don't believe any such thing. They
well know that this union is composed
OF AZ honorable. sober and industrious
men as you will find. not barring the ex
change. They have never de
waited from any action taken 10y
them yet. They never have
had any trouble with their
employers during the building season.
When work has started il always has
moved along smoothly. II you listen
you will hear another faint wall from
those contractors. They are bemcanirg
the fate Of the poor tenders. What viii
they do il compelled to work eigh,
hours? They say they cannot live on
those wages The price of one hour s
work taken from them would he starva-
ton for their families. They are not
compelled to cut the hour from those
men. Mason tenders are the hardest
worked men in the city. and considering
the lost time those men have during the
building season they well earn their
$l.'O per day.
The shortness Of the building season
and the rapidly increasing number of
mechanics compel us to adopt the eight.
hour day. which will certainly give EN-.
ployment to more men.
The majority Of our masons through
their own industry. own their own little
homes. 1t don't look reasonable that
such men are looking for trouble
Every job in this city can he under way
Monday morning il the contractors oi
the exchange 20 wish, without any
material injury to them or the public.
We only ask what is just and right.
We also wish to set ourselves right be
fore the public in regard to the story the
mason contractors have been very dill
gently circulating TO the effect that il
the union gets the eight hours they will in
the course of a few months raise their
wages. We assure the public such will
not be the case. Such talk is Ill bosh
HOsKEN,
FLAGG,
COURTNEY,
Arbitration Committee