Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-02
Union Labor at War With the
Catholic University.
ACTION TAKEN BY ORGANIZED LABOR
Carpenters Appeal for Standard
Wages Said to Have Been Ignored.
APPEALS TO BISHOP KEANE

| 1t was announced last night at meetings
| held of bodies of organized labor, whose
members are identified with the building
trades in this city, that all members of the
Washington unions employed on carpenter
work at the Catholic University buildings
were yesterday called off the job, and that
as result war has been declared between
that branch, at least, Of organized labor
and the authorities of the university.
1t is expected that the trouble will also
involve a number of carpenters from Bal
| timore, who are employed at the same in
sttution by Otto Duker & Co., and who be-
long to Union No. 90 of that city, letter
having last night been sent to the Balti-
more organization by local Union No. 100,
Brotherhood Of Carpenters and Joiners,
stating that the continuance of work by
their members under the circumstances
which surround the case will be clear
violation of the constitution of the order.
The prediction was made last night by
members of the building trades that the
questions at issue between the union car
penters on the one side and the authorities
at the Catholic University on the other
will, to certain extent, become national
in their character, as it is the Intention of
the members of the local union affected to
take their grievances to the highest au-
thority in labor matters, laying them first
before the Carpenters Council then the
reaching the power of final resort the
Building Trades Council.
How the Difficulty Originated.
The difficulty of yesterday is stated to
have been the outcome of trouble which
originated last winter, when it is alleged
Superintendent Brady, who, it is said, was
representing Bishop keane in the matter,
| reduced the pay of the carpenters from
s. so to $3.50 for eight hours work per day.
This seemed to have given great dissatis-
FACTION to the members of organized labor
generally, and a committee was appointed
to call on Bishop Keane and ask him to re-
yoke the orders of Superintendent Brady
There were then, now, a number of
ncn-union carpenters from Virginia en-
ployed at the university, and these were
paid at the rate of 500 per day, and were
apparently content with that sum. AS soon
as the attention of Bishop Keane was called
to the rule of the union on the subject, and
the reasons for the maintenance of that
standard or wages explained to him, he it
is said, conceded their fairness and order
ed that the former rate be restored and
paid in the future.
According to the union men they waited
some time for the bishops order to be put
into effect, but nothing it is said was done
IN the matter, and second committee.
this time TO call on Superintendent Brady,
was appointed. The committee waited on
MIR. Brady and learned. it is said, to their
surprise that the contractor, who had the
Virgnians in his employ was, it was true
paying them but $50 per day of eight
hours, but that he also had an outside con-
tract away from the university upon which
he worked the men until or 8 o'clock at
right, and paid them for their overtime.
Another Appeal.
The committee again appealed to Bishop
Keane. and the latter. it is said, at once
ordered the boss to give up his outside con-
tract. which the latter did
Still the union men were not getting the
$3.50 per day asked for. and a third COM
mittee was sent to see Mr.. Brady. and
again ask that Bishop Keanes known
wishes in the matter be respected.
This time, it is alleged. Mr.. Brady said
that he would be willing to pay the rate
asked by the union men if the names of
few Washington builders who paid the
rate asked for the same number of hours
be furnished him, and the committee re-
sponded with list of thirty-three firms,
all of whom, they asserted, We're paying
$3.50 for eight hours work.
Again the news of the trouble reached
Bishop Keane's ears, and the bishop, it is
said, asked if some agreement could not
be made by which all the carpenters, union
| and non-union, would receive the same
pay per day, at the same time expressing
his Willingness to pay $3.50 each alike.
The Men Called OF.
Notwithstanding all these efforts at recon-
Citation the advance in wages. it is claim
ed, was not made. the breach grew wider
and wider, and last Saturday committee
from the Carpenters Union went out to
see Mr.. Brady and informed him that IN
less the pay Of $3.50 granted at once
all the union men would be called off i'm
medately.
Brady and several Of the foremen, and one
of the latter, representing Otto Duker g.
Co., said, it is claimed that he had written
to his principal at Baltimore in regard to
Tho hh hnI az in
crease would be granted by the firm to the
union men employed by them. 1t was then
agreed TO wait until yesterday, and at ]
o'clock yesterday afternoon word was
ceived from the Baltimore firm declining to
grant the advance.
The union men belonging to the Washing
ton organizations then at once ceased
work.
At the University.
Bishop Keane is at Cape May and DIR.
Garrigan, his private secretary, to whom
Star reporter applied for information this
morning, said that Mr. Brady, the super
int endent in charge of the work, had all
such matters entirely under his own di-
rection. Dr. Garrigan added that he did
not believe that the bishop had promised
the workmens committee that the $50
rate of wages would be restored, as he had
from the beginning left all such things to
be settled by Mr.. Brady, who was re-
sponsible man and understood his business.
Mr.. Brady said that the delegates had
been to see him several times, but that the
troube did not amount to anything serious.
When the work was under way at first he
added, the higher rate Of wages was PAID,
but when the work was resumed in Feb
ruary last he asked the men what wages
thew expected to receive. The carpenters
agreed upon $3.50 a day, which is the Bal
t.more rate.
MIR. Brady's Statement.
at is not true continued Mr.. Brady,
that the Washington builders are paying
$3.50 a day When the delegates called on
me 1 asked them to furnish me with a list
of local employers who were paying the
higher rate, and they responded with
list of thirty-three names. l looked into
the matter, and at the very start discovered
that at least three of the men named were
paying only $3.50 day, and tehn went no
further l presume the whole list is de-
fective / understand the plan of these
men exactly. They want to force the uni
versity to pay the high rate, and that will
be a good card to scatter around. l can
assure you that this rate is as high as
great majority of the carpenters are now
getting in the District. There Is one job