The San Francisco call., 1896-05-01
WILL STRIKE
On LABOR DAY
Building Trades to Enforce
the Working Card
at Once.
WILL DELAY NO LONGER.
A Mass-Meeting of the Unem-
ployed at us Turk
Street.
TO ORGANIZE COMMITTEES
Large Bodies of Men Will Strike
Every Non-Union Job They
Can Find in This City.

May is not TO pass without a demon
stratlon on the part of the laboring
people. AS predicted in The CALL on
Thursday the Building Trades Council
has decided upon radical measures to
enforce its working card and the first
movement VIII be taken to-day.
Last night after a long and spirited dis
cussion the council decided that it was OF
no use to dilly-daIly with the principles OF
unionism any longer. Nothing remained
but to strike every unfair" job in San
Francisco and fight the non-union men
and enemies of organized labor to the
bitter end.
This does not mean a general strike at
the present, but such a course may have
to be resorted to If the plan adopted fails
to accomplish the desired results speedily.
The councils working card went into
effect April 1, but in many cases it was
more honored in the breach than in the
observance, and manv union men are
working with non-union men. Further
more, the carpenters sent out notice TO all
building contractors that on May they
would demand So as the minimum wage
for nine hours work.
Last night, Business Agent McIvor, in
asking for instructions, called attention to
the condition of affairs.
Delegate Zant offered a resolution that
the affiliated unions stand no more nom
sense, but proceed to enforce the card
system.
The plan finally adopted shows more
judgment than in some difficulties OF re-
cent date. 1t was to call together at 10
O'Clock this morning, at 115 Turk street,
all the unemployed mem bers of the un-
ions affiliated with the Building Trades
Council In will ha
meeting.
Committees of from twenty-five to fifty
men will be appointed for each of dozen
districts Ill the City. These committees,
under the direction of the two business
agents and the grievance committee, will
sally forth in bodies and call a strike on
every "scab" job in their respective dis
tricts. No union jobs will be molested,
but there will be trouble for the non-union
ones.
In the first place, demands will be made
on the contractors that the non-union
men be unionized or discharged.
In the event of refusal the union men
at work, II there be any, will be ordered
out and the Objectionable job will be
''plcketed" by goodly number of the
com mittee.
To make it still palmer, the life of the
non-unlon workman will be made miser-
able as well as that of the unfriendly boss.
By simultaneous strike of this descrip-
ton the union men expect TO unionize the
City by force of numbers.
The unions that will participate in this
movement are the five Carpenters unions,
Lathers', Plasterers' Iron-roofers', Cornice.
workers, Laborers' or Hodcarriers', Stone.
cutters, GlaZiers', Painters and several
other organizations, numbering nearly
5000 men. OF this mum Der there is 8 re-
markably small proportion at work, and
1t is believed that the committees them
selves will be small armies
These will march over their respective
districts in bodies and no doubt present a
formidable appearance to the non-union
workmen who have refused to fraternize
with their feIlow-workmen.
In the afternoon at o'clock a second
mass-mt citing OF the unemployed working
men will be held at lis Turk street to
further perfect the plans and ins truct the
committees.
1t is doubtful if more than one or two
jobs Will be "struck" to-day, but on Sat
urday and Monday the active work will
begin.
If moral sussion with the non-union
men and unfriendly contractors does not
succeed there is little doubt but that a
general strike of all the building trades in
the City will be ordered AT any rate
Lively times among the trades unions may
be expected within the next ten days.
The matter of providing fund for the
rele1 OF those men who will be ordered
out on strike was discussed by the council
and referred to a special committee.