The San Francisco call., 1896-04-03
Contractors Must Come to Terms
or a WaIkout Will Be
D. Ordered.
DECISION OF THE COUNCIL.
Every Other Non.Union Job in the
City Will Be Struck as Soon
as Possible.

strike the first blow at the big Parrott
building on Market street. The smaller
contracts will be attended to one by one
until not one Is left to fight.
Such is the determination OF the build
ing trades unions through their represent
atives in the central body, the Building
Trades Council. Such was the edict that
went forth from that body last night after
a long debate that lasted well nigh to the
midnight hour.
To-day the grievance committee, acting
as an arbitration body with the business
agents of the council, will call upon the
manager of the Parrott estate and the
superintendent of the Parrott building
and demand that the unions working
card be recognized by the discharge of
force of non-union workmen, providing
the latter decline to enter the unions of
their respective callings.
If the workmen will not send in their
applications for mem bership and the man.
agement and contractors will not discharge
the mont union men, the union carpenters,
GLACIERS, painters, woodworkers, finishers,
cornice- workers. etc., will be called out
The job will be struck from the base
ment to the roof and from Market street
through to Jessie street. 1t will be one of
the largest "tie-ups" the City has ever
experienced.
The trouble is all over the working-card
OF the allied building trades unions.
Under the card system no union man is
permitted to WORK on piece of work with
a non-union man. Many weeks ago the
unions decided to protect themselves and
the wages of their members by the
adoption OF the system, because it has
proved a success in many of the Eastern
cities.
Notice was sent to all union men and to
all building trades contractors that it
would be pnt into operation on April /.
Before that date the mem bers of the
Painters and Decorators Union went out
OIL strike for So a day of eight hours, and
recognition of the card system. Their
fight continued with more or less success
until April l, when they expected the
promised support of the entire building
trades.
Efforts were made on the 1st and yester-
day by the grievance committee of the
council to effect settlement between the
striking painters and the employing
painters. Their efforts were successful in
the painting contract upon the Parrott
building.
No sooner was this arranged than P. w.
Kuss, one of the most bitter enemies of
the union and a member OF the Master
Painters Association, was found to have
sub contract and a gang OF non- union
painters ana polishers in the Parrott
building. The union painters were not
desirous of going to work with the nom
union men. A little later it developed
that the San Francisco Furniture Com
pany had some kind of sub-contract and
had a small force of non-union workmen
at work in the building
Thus the interest of the allied trades
unions was centered upon the big stone
emporium. The business agents or walk
ing delegates for the council. II. NJ. Saun-
ders and r. T. McIvor, were taken to task by
many union painters for not calling out
the union workmen on Wednesday or
yesterday, but they had not received the
authority of the council to do so, and they
declined 10 take upon themselves such
responsibility.
Last night at the meeting of the Coun-
Gil the agents made their reports and
asked for instruction as to future action.
This opened the question, which was ar
gued for several hours and resulted as
stated.
The result of to-day's conference be-
tween the management Of the Parrot es-
tate and the representatives of the council
will be reported to the council tonight,
for special meeting of that body has been
called for further discussion and consid-
Grafton of the situation.
Delegate Rose of the painters stated that
at the morning meeting of his union he
had been instructed to demand an explain
alton why the working card had not been
put into operation. He said the obliga-
ton the several unions entered into would
not be maintained unless the union men
ceased working on jobs where rIon-union
men were at work. He was instructed to
protest against further delay in the
matter.
Then followed long discussion, the
conservative element arguing IN favor OF
using all possible measures to settle this
trouble without strike.
The delegate from the GLACIERS said that
laborers are being employed in putting in
the large glass plates. Another stated
that the Parrott estate management is to
great extent responsible for the compli-
cations in the suDcon.racting business.
Others thought that it was an oversight
in not giving the business agents execu-
tive powers at first.
Agent Mc1vor at last stated the situa-
tion by saying:
We are losing time by all this talk. The
question is, as the building trades working
card in operation, or is it not? ?' II is either a
case of tie-up or retreat without even facing
the enemy. We do not care to face this uncer-
tainty any longer. We want our instructions
here and now. What applies to the Parrott
building applies 10 a large number of jobs in
he City where ''scabs" are at work with union
men.
1t was proposed that an attempt be
made to arbitrate on all Jobs in the City
before calling the men out.
At last another delegate went to the
front and said:
r1.z I..t