New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-29
PRICE THREE CENTS.
A BIG STRIKE POSSIBLE.
BETWEEN 10000 AND 10000 MEN MAY BY
INVOLVED
sTEAMFITTERs AND HELPERS EMPLOYED ~
FIRMS BELONGING TO THB MASTER FITTER1
ASSOCIATION RECEIVE NOTICE THAT
THEY MUST SIGN NEW RULES IF
THEY WISH TO CONTINUE AT
wORK-LOOKED UPON AS
A LOCKOUT.


What Is looked upon by organized labor as
practical lockout Of nearly all the union men
employed in one OF the principal building trades
in this city will go into effect this morning. II
may result in the sympathetic strike OF thou
sands OF other mechanics
The men locked out are the steamhtters and
helpers employed by firms belonging to the
Master Steam and Hot Water Filters Associa.
tion and number about 1000. On applying for
their wages Saturday night the men each
received a COPY Of the following notice:
Inasmuch as the agreement heretofore existins
between the Master Filters Association and the
grossly violated by the ast-named associations tht
Master steam and Hot Water Filters, Association
has declared the said agreement null and void.
Therefore each and every steamhtter or stearnnt-
ters helper who wishes ID continue IN our ,smp.,oy
morning. March 49, at o'clock and there agree 70
and sign new rules before going TO work.
The notice was considered a lockout by steam.
filters and helpers yesterday, and the majority
OF them who were asserted that they
knew of no good reason why It should have been
issued A member OF the steamfitters union
finally said that he supposed the lockout was
due to the steamfitters going on strike at the
Columbia University buildings and other struct-
ures because CT the unions fight with the
plumbers union for the control Of the ther-
mostatic work 1t was thought that the lock-
out would interfere with Bishop Potters set
tlement of the difficulty between the two union
by arbitration.
At the request Of the Amalgamated Associa-
ton Of Plumbers and Gasftters Bishop Potter
had consented to act arbitrator, and az q
special meeting of the Board Of Walking Dele
gates Friday last committee was ap-
pointed to represent the plumbers and the boaro'
with which the plumbers affiliated at the
hearing to be held in the Bishops home.
William J. OBren. president Of the Board OF
Walking Delegates said yesterday that the
Master Filters Association had already violated
the agreement made with its men by subetting
contrac'o to nonunion firms He said that
G. A. Suter g. Co. who had the contract for the
steamfit:ing work the new buildings or
Columbia University, sublet the thermostatic
work to the Johnston Thermostatic Company
and that the latter employed non-union plump
ers at less than union wages to do II.
The steamfitters union VIII undoubtedly, II
is said refuse 70 sign the new shop rules OF the
master steamftters, unless the members nave
time to consider them and none OF the steamht-,
ters employed by the firms in the associatioh
will go TO work to-day. The union VIII oe
backed up in its fight by every building trade
represented in the Board of waking Delesates.
and general strikes will be ordered wherever
non-union steamfitter or plumber Is put 10
work The result, 1t is feared, Will be the or
Of IN srkes 1ba c,T On and ewfrE FROM nu t to s
men may be involved in them AS the Master
Masons Association has already declared its
belief that the plumbers union which Is not
affiliated with the Board of Walking Delegates
is in the right in its fight with the steamfitters.
great struggle appears to be imminent.
The Master Filters Association controls about
three -fourths Of the steam1tting work done IN
the citv and among the firms in the assocfa-
ton are Baker & Smith ellis & Geoghegan.
Morris e. Johnson. Blake e. Williams, j. Curran
& Co.. the Mercer Company. Frank Dobson &
Co. and Enoch Rutzler The associations
agreement with its men did not expire until
next August The firms In the association paid
the union rate Of wages, So 80 day. to fitter3
and 50 a day TO helpers The men worked eight
hOurG a day.