The San Francisco call., 1896-03-23
ALAMEDA GIVES SUPPORT
No Financial Aid Asked-Are
Prepared to Maintain
the Needy.
CAUSE OF GENERAL STRIKE.
Concession by Association, by United
Shops, or Demand by Paint.
Dealers.
,AUsE OF GENERAL STRIKE

Nearly 1900 journeymen painters in this
City are not at work, and their rapidly
perfected strike shows stronger front
daily.
To-day about forty more painters will
be initiated into the union. The number
of non-union painters at work il the City
is so insignificant that the strikers declare
and are confident that they control the
situation.
NJ A. Roberts, secretary of the Alameda
County Federated Trades, called at head
quarters in the Temple last night and
pledged his vote and the moral and tinan-
cial support OF the organization he repre-
sented to stand by the striking painters of
San Francisco. He declared that the sem
timent in Alameda is that the painters are
in the right, and are not asking any unjust
demands.
The great majority of other labor trades
in this City have, with a very few excep-
tions, sent messages of sympathy to the
union men on strike and have guaranteed
financial aid ii it become necessary. The
bricklayers, the plumbers, the cornice
makers are all union men and are sympa-
thetic although they are not in the Build
ing Trades Council.
So far the strikers have asked no finan-
cial aid either OF other unions or of the
public On the contrary they are indie
pendent. Unnecessary, explained one of
the men last night. I'VE are prepared to
rent house, furnish it, and lodge and
board the needy on strike, and we have
funds to do it,"
Tonight the painters will hold a meet
ing and attempt to arrive at final line of
action to bring the strike to an end. But
there is no talk of a compromise.
Their fear is that if the strike continues
much longer 1t will spread to neighboring
towns beyond the power of anything to
prevent it. And it holds until the first
week in April the painters think that
fully Is 900 men will be out of employ
ment through the extension OF the inter-
linked trades unions acting in sympathy
with the original movers
''The strike could be settled" said AL
bert Fallen, sin one of three ways: First
by the Master Painters Association acced-
ing to our demands; secondly the shops
outside of the Association and represent
ing much larger mum Der of master paint
ers forming an organization and acceding
to our demand: thirdly the wholesale
paint dealers inviting and demanding that
the master painters accede to the Journey
men painters demands"
There are two propositions mooted for
to-night's meeting: Shall the journeymen
painters form cooperative union and go
into active competition with the so-called
master painters? Or shall they go back to
those master painters who, having ac-
ceded to their demands, will agree not to
sublet contracts to nor take them from the
Objectionable master painters?
"The real reason why we called the gen.
eral strike" explained r. I. McIvor, the
business agent of the strikers, was te-
cause We found that some employers who
had acceded to our demands were actually
helping OUT other employers who were
opposed to us. The only way was to clean
up the whole market.
"My private opinion is that the best
way out of the strike is for the painters to
go back to the employers that are willing
to do the right thing and tnen to continue
the war against the unfavorable en-
ployers."
The strike is virtually in the hands of
the Labor Council, although the Painters
Union has the right to settle its own
affairs. But the principle is one that af-
fects all the building trades; it is the card
system. Each union man carries his Gre
dentials on n card and he refuses to work
on job on which a non-union man is en-
ployed. By the extension of the principle
union carpenters, Tor instance, would dis
continue work on building if non-
unioh PainleI we're SIiploVeu Inere and
refused to accept an application to join the
Painters Union.
The great fight IS against what is known
as the Master Painters Association of the
Pacific Coast, the only organization OF en-
ployers of iourneymen painters But the
strikers assert that the best and most re-
sponsible firms of the city do not belong to
the association. Furthermore they say
they will admit that the association COM
prises forty firms in the City, but they de-
clare that there are $50 shops not in the
association and among them the best paw
ing and largest concerns in town.
Some of these non-association firms pay