The San Francisco call., 1896-03-26
THE STRIKE SITUATION.
Union Painters Confident They
VIII Yet Defeat the Un-
friendly Bosses.

VIII Yet Defeat the Un-
friendly Eosses.
The members of the Painters Union are
well pleased with their action of Tuesday
in permitting the men to go back to the
bosses who are friendly to the union.
They are more than ever confident of win
ming the strike now waged against the
estimated at the headquarters that be-
tween 100 and It's journeymen found en-
ployment with those who have acceded to
avowed enemies of the union. 1t is roughly
the unions demands. This will relieve
the pressure considerably, and quiets
the restlessness of the impatient. Be-
sides it provides a fund for those who
on account of their enforced idleness may
come to want. This fund will no doubt be
greatly increased Immediately after the
benefit to be given next Wednesday even
ing in the Bush-street Theater. w.
Danielson of the entertainment committee
reports that enough first-olass professional
talent has volunteered to run three shows.
Every company in the City has volun-
teered.
AT Tuesdays meeting it was decided that
every man not working must register daily
at the headquarters. AS might be expected,
there was a good-sized registration yester-
UdH. Oubll LIlc DOSScS die COuFluC6u Dy
the unions guarantee that the painters are
in earnest and not leading them into a
trap the registration will be large. Re-
ports were made that since the strike has
been declared off with the friendly bosses
the latter have been out for contracts that
they have been nursing along until the
strike should be, settled. 1t is said that
there will be plenty of work that has been
accumulating to be done in the very near
future.
The strike has brought to the front a
new element in the painting line. A num-
ber of the journeymen have determined
to take work for themselves, and several
have already made good fat contracts. 1t
is estimated that between $4,000 and $13,-
900 worth of work has been secured. These
men will not appear on the field as rivals
to friendly bosses, but will pay full wages
and Did at the standard rates. Several
journeymen yesterday turned their con-
tracts over to friendly bosses and went to
work at regular days wages. 1t is sort
of open secret that these contracts were
gathered in during the progress of the
strike to be fulfilled should it become nee
essary to enter into competition with all
the master painters.
There has been sharp stick cut for
those union men who have violated the
rules of the union by going to
work after being called out. They
will be formally charged and tried. In the
event of their conviction they will be fined
$50 or expelled from the union and put on
the blacklist.
The statement made by certain MEM
bers of the Master Painters Association
that the demands of the union we're un-
Just, that the union was interfering with
the masters private business affairs and
that, to comply, would work a hardship
on property-Owners, seems to rankle in
the breasts of the strike leaders. Several
of the latter have advocated challenging
the master painters to a public debate OF
the questions. As a result the following
open letter has been addressed by r. T.
McIvor:
To the Master Painters Association of the
Pacific C0dst-GENTLEMEN: l am informed that
prominent members OF your association have
caused to be published the statement that the
controversy are unjust and to comply with the
same will be an interference with '.your" busi-
ness, and that it will cost the property-owners
more for work performed. Now will submit
for your consideration the following. PROPOSE
ton: Our uuon will select three of its mem
bers who will meet three members of your
association H. public debate. The subject
matter to be discussed will be the demands of
the Painters Union, namely, So for eight
hours work and our right to decline to work
with non-union men.
Should any member of your association de-
eide to accept this suggestion we will meet the
gentlemen at any time and place convenient
to yourselves. Respectfully, r. T. MCIvoR.