The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-21
Monster Strike of All the Build
ing Trades
In New York City to Be
Declared
At Late Hour This After
noon.
THOUSANDS OF MEN
THOUSANDS OF MEN
the Most Skilled and
Best Paid
In the City, Will Lay Down
Their Tools.
WANT SHORTER HOURS
The Men Say the Law Has Been
Violated.

'
NEW YORK, Feb 21-The labor situ-
alton involved in the strike of the elec-
trical workers, declared on Monday, has
assumed grave aspect The threat Of
calling a general strike in the building
trades was in part carried out when 750
men employed on two of the biggest
building enterprises in the city, threw
down their tools.
Today two more great buildings were
deserted, and at O'Clock this
afternoon, at a conference of The
state committee and the board
of walking delegates, IA general
strike of the building trades in tais city
and Brooklyn will be declared, stopping
the construction of tnirty-seven Iarge
buildings and innumerable small ones,
and throwing out Of work, at very con-
servative estimate, 10000 men.
The loss involved IA such strike as
this, the very height of the building
season, can scarcely be estimated.
The threat had brought the master
builders almost to their knees to the
electrical contractors whom they en-
pIoyed not to bring down such calam-
lty
| The walking delegates threaten to ex-
tend the strike still further if the o-hour
! demand is not conceded to
At p. N. the 400 men employed on
! the new Presbyterian mission and the
450 men. at iworK on the - story building
| of the American Tract society at Spruce
and Nassau streets put on thelr eoat5 and
1 walked quietly away b Contractors
stormed and pleaded in vain.
In the meantime the electrical con-
| tractors, in their rooms in the building
trades club, passed resolutions that "the
! Brotherhood of Electrical Workers be
officially notified that and after Mon
| day, Feb. 25, the members of this asso-
| citation will begin to fill the places of the
electrical workers now on strike who fail
to- report for duty on their respective
| jobs"
The walking delegates did not wait for
! an official notification of alock-ou They
| promptly resolved to declare ympathetic
! strikes on the American Surety building
| and the new ST. Luke's hospital, at 10Th
street and Western boulevard. More
| than 700 men are employed on these
| buildings. They also agree that at the
! Joint meeting of the walking delegates
| and the electrical workers at p m. a
general sympathetic strike would be
! ordered on all buildings in this city and
| Brooklyn.
Masons, plasterers, plumbers, iron
| workers, carpenters, wood carvers, mar
BILE cutters, house smiths, bricklayers
and painters to the number of thousands,
will be called out and practically build
| ing operations will cease.
| The contractors claim that their
profits on $35J,000 worth of contracts
that expire within ninety days will be
seriously affected by granting the de-
mands of the strikers, and that if the
| wire men had kept to their agreement,
by which ninety days notice was to be
given of changes in the working rules of
! the union, contracts could be re-adj justed
to meet the new scale ofxhours and
wages.
The demands of the wiremen for re-
duction of working hours from nine to
eight and for an increase of wages from
! So to So % day, were made on Eebrua-
ry II, and the contractors are willing to
| consider this demand providing it does
not take effect before May Is.
The strikers declare that the old agree
ment, containing the ninety day clause,
terminated on February II, and that they
have not broken faith.
/ 100000 MEN INVOLVED.
The Building Trades strike the Greatest
in Its History.
New YORK. Feb. 21-2:30 o. m.-The
strike of the building trades in sympa-
thy with that of the electrical wire men,
bids fair to surpass any other in the his
tory of these organizations. 1t is not i'm
probable that it may affect nearly 100.
OO0
So far 1000 men are out, and the 9th
ers said to be simply awaiting the word
The board of walking delegates con-
troll 5000 men, all of whom will
doubtless be called out. With these
$4,000 mechanics who are in no
way affiliated with the organizations rep
resented, will be dragged out.
Pickets have been stationed by the
strikers in the vicinity Of every bnilding
where a strike has been declared or is
/ proposed A long struggle Is predicted
and both sides feel confident
William H. Slaughter died at his resi-
dence at 1407 Monroe street, of pneu-
monia last evening Mr.. Slaughter was
member of Euclid lodge No. 2, A F.
and A. NJ, eminent commander of Cyrene
Commandery No. 3, Z. T., and grand
generalissino of Prince Hall Grand Com
mandery, and member of ZorasteI
Consistory No 6, A. and A. S. b oi
Mecco Temple of n. N. s. A