The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-17
PLUMBERS ON A STRIKE
WALKING DELEGATE CALLS OUT
THOSE ON STEVENSON BUILDING.
Result of the Chicago Trouble Be-
Many Helpers, 1t Is Claimed.

The plumbers who have been working on
the new Stevenson building are on a strike.
Work stopped Saturday at noon, when a
representative of the Chicago Journeyman
Plumbers Union came to this city and bade
the men leave off work. The representative
met the men shortly before noon Saturday,
and at noon every man walked out. The
work is now at a standstill and will remain
so doubtless until the plumbers strike in
Chicago is settled
The local strike is not a sympathetic one
entirely The contractor who is doing the
plumbing work on the Stevenson building
is Edward Baggett, of Chicago. He is one
of the biggest boss" plumbers in Chicago,
and one of the leaders in the Master
Plumbers Association in opposition to the
demands of the journeymen plumbers. Bag
gett's employees in Chicago are out on the
strike, and the union is seeking to cripple
him everywhere he has a contract.
The probability is that this strike will
cause the completion of the building to be
delayed. 1t is true that there were only
six plumbers engaged on the building, but
it will be a hard matter to get other plumb
ers to take their places. The order for
them to leave their work came from M. j.
Counnahan, secretary of the National Jour
neyman Plumbers Association. The local
union in this city, as well as in Chicago, IS
a part of the national organization, and 1t
will, therefore, be impossible to secure the
services of any union men to take the
places of the strikers. Three of the men
who walked out are from Chicago and
three live in this city.
The grievance of the plumbers in Chicago
which is causing all the trouble, is not
great, yet the master plumbers are holding
out against the mems demand with great
persistency. Several weeks ago the union
decided that there were too many plumbers
out of work and too many alleged plumbers
holding positions. They arrived at the
conclusion that this was due to the fact
that too many helpers are employed in
shops In Chicago there are about seven
hundred shops and about two thousand
plumbers, but there are many half-rate
plumbers who can handle tools after a
fashion Of their own and get work at half
price The result is that every one of the
incompetent men holds a place, Which, the
plumbers think, ought to be filled by a man
who is competent to hold a tirst-class place
and draw union wages. The Journeymen
necessary. They claim, Furthermore, that
too often helpers are put at work doing
that which ought to be done by the jour
neymen. In fact, the helper, at almost
nothing week, supplants the plumber IN a
great deal of work, to the profit of the
master plImber and to the loss OF the jour
the master plumbers to limit the number
of apprentices to one in a shop. No matter
NOW large IHe SuOp OF uOW u1dIly journey
men employed, it was insisted that there
should be but a single apprentice.
To this proposition the Master Plumbers
Association objected and the result was
that fifteen hundred plumbers of Chicago
ceased work. The strike has now been on
about two weeks, and in that time two
hundred of the master plumbers have
signed the agreement of the journeymen.
But the two hundred are mostly small deal
ers, and the big plumbers have in turn
formed a pool with the supply men against
them. An agreement has been made where
by the supply men refuse to sell to the
master plumbers who have signed the
agreement. This has practically tied up
plumbing work in Chicago. If the big mas
ter plumbers can't get men to do the work
they have been powerful enough to see that
others could not get material with which
to do it,
The Chicago representative who was here
to call the men out of the Stevenson build
ing said yesterday that the journeymen
would eventually win the fight. I'VE have
the building in the city tied up he said.
"That means d great deal. The masters
association cannot stand out against us
long. 1t means q cessation of business, and
in a few weeks more the other building
trades will be affected and we will have
the support of carpenters, plasterers and
bricklayers The strike has the indorse-
ment and hearty support of the national
organization, and there is no chance to i'm
port men to take the places of the Chicago
plumbers
Mr. Baggett is in Chicago. He is expect
ed here in q day or two