The San Francisco call., 1895-12-01
CARPENTERS CALLED OUT
A Strike Ordered on the New
Haight-Street SchoolhouSe
Work.
George w. HanSbrough, the Contractor
Refused to Pay the Men Stand.
ard Wages.

The carpenters employed on the con-
struction of the new schoolhouse on
Haight street, between Mason and Central
avenue, have been called off the job, and
tomorrow morning Contractor George
w. Hansbrough is liable to find him self
short-haaded. The trouble has been
caused by his underpaying the carpenters,
and Business Agent Johnson of the dis
trict council last evening decided to call
out the union men until the matter is
straightened out.
The work in question is being done for
the School Department. Last September
Hansbrough Bros. received the contract
from the Board of Education, and the
price was S15,395. The plans call for a
twC-story eight-classroom frame school
house.
For time the preparatory work dragged
along with few men working at odd
times. but the active work did not begin
until the first of the past week, when a
| force of ten frst-class union carpenters
| was put to work. Heretofore Hansbrough
insisted upon paying 81 80 a day. He
must have known that when the union
! carpenters and ioiners went to work they
| would insist upon receiving at least So per
day, as required by the rules of the local
unions. The fact that the contractor had
| been paying less than the minimum rate
| caused little uneasiness among the men
and the situation was explained at the
| last meeting of the district council.
| The advice of the latter body was that
| the men should not anticipate trouble,
| but continue until Saturday night Qast
| EVENING", and if the contractor refused to
| pay the same wages that all the first-class
contractors are paying, it would then be
| time enough for them to quit.
When the men arrived at the Carpen-
| ters' Labor Bureau last evening they all
reported to Mr.. Johnson that Hansbrough
was 'cheap" contractor and would not
| pay them more than 81 so a DAY for the
| time they had worked. They were di-
rected not to go to work on Monday morn
| ing unless Hansbrough changed his mind
| and agreed to pay standard wages.
/ Mr.. Johnson will call upon the contrac-
| tor tomorrow morning and endeavor to
induce him to pay standard wages. particu-
larly where it is City job, and the Board
of Education is willing to pay fair prices
for good school buildings.
| So far only the outer shell of the building
is up, and fight with the union carpenters
| will be q hotly contested affair. 1t is the
| first trouble of it's kind that has occurred
| for many years. The carpenters are now
we'll organized and 16, 600 men are enrolled
| in its membership. Such matters as faulty
work, arising from incompetent workmen,
will be watched carefully, and a powerful
| influence will be brought to bear upon the
mem bers of the Board of Education to see
that every detail of the contract is complied
with.
| The time allowed for the construction of
the building will also be considered, and
| if there is any lasting trouble the house
cannot be built in the specified time. A
| building trades association, composed OF
fnasons, bricklayers. plasterers, plumbers
and other craftsmen, is being formed for
| lust such emergencies, and if this matter
| is not speedily settled the contractor 8
bondsmen may be somewhat embarrassed.
G. +. Schadt, the president of the Dis
| trict Council of Carpenters, last evening
said
The price we ask for a days work is not un
reasonable and the other contractors are pay
ing it, The men who are called out because o
| these low wages are ali taxpayers whose money
| is assisting in paying for the schoolhouse. II
| is a shame that anv contractor by his action:
| should show o preference for cheap tramI
labor for this class does not spend its earning:
in this City in taxes and the necessaries of life
| as do the men who live here and belong to the
| union.