The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-28
TIME TO REFLECT.
Rain Prevented Work
on Kelley-Delehan-
tyBlock Yesterday.
STRIKE OF Y men THREATENED.
Secretary and Treasurer
Spencer Reviews the
Situation.
STRIKE OF u men THREATENED.

w yin On the helley az DeleHdnly
building was hampered yesterday by
the elements, weather and labor diff
culties. In the morning the Bricklay-
ers and Plasterers' Union employees
were discussing the probability of
strike. Rain stopped work in the af-
ternoon, and Drs. Kelley and Dele
hanty had an excellent opportunity to
reflect.
A committee from the Bricklayers
and Plasterers' Union will wait upon
the owners, and if nothing is gained a
strike of the II union men employed in
that capacity will probably follow.
After Secretary and Treasurer Will
liam ]. Spencer had left the city yes
terday morning for Holyoke, members
OF the committee from the Journeyman
Plumbers Union returned to work.
Nothing was done towards forcing
the doctors into submission, and the
olive branch was not extended to the
labor union men, but the day was not
without action. John b. Ratigan, who
has acted as attorney for the physi-
clans, claims that he has been tech
nically misquoted. He said that he
had asserted that if Ashley & Horan
had hired non-union men, the contract
was void. Mr.. Ratigan said that he is
not yet convinced that the men are not
union men.
Mr.. Ratigan has proposed to the
Journeyman Plumbers Union that a
bond of $4,000 be given, and the doctors
VIII break the contract with Ashley q
Koran. Webster Thayer lawyer for
the union, advised the president, T. F.
Harvey, not to do so. The doctors and
their lawyer claim that the plumbers in
Ashley & Horan's employ must be
proved non-union men before the con-
tract with the plumbing contractors
will be dropped.
The entire case and it's attendant
features, as already told in The Spy,
were discussed yesterday by members
of labor unions, and the legal men in
terested. Public opinion seemed to
tend towards the belief that it had been
proved that Ashley & Horan had non
union men in their employ.
Before leaving yesterday morning,
Secretary and Treasurer Spencer gave
the following statement to The Spy
man:
The Plumbers Union has exhausted
every effort to bring about an amicable
settlement with the firm of Ashley &
Koran and Drs. Delehanty and Kelly.
They have had repeated conferences
with both of these firms but all at
tempts at Cancellation have proved flu
tile. The firm of Ashley & Horan ac-
| cepted a contract from Drs Delehanty
and Kelly wherein they agreed to fur
| nish union labor. Wher they accepted
| this contract, they knew what were the
| requirements of the Plumbers Union,
| and accepted this contract, knowing
| they would have to conform to them.
They are that the entire shop shall be
unionized. They now say they win not
unionize their shop because of existing
| contracts, which were entered into as
| far back as March, while the demands
| of the journeymen We're agreed to by
| the master plumbers of Worcester dur
| ing the month of February.
The journeyman plumbers insist that
Ashley & Koran shall conform to the
same conditions regarding apprentices
and helpers as are in vogue in all other
Shops, for these conditions We're i'm
| posed previous to Ashley & Koran ac-
cepting any of their present contracts,
and the local canno. allow this firm to
| employ boy labor while all other shops
are employing man labor.
Since Ashley & Koran have refused to
| observe the recognized rules of the To-
| cal their shop cannot be recognized,
| and as consequence their contract
| with Drs. Delehanty and Kelly has been
| broken. The doctors know this, for
| they have been so informed by both
| their lawyer and counsel for the jour
neymen, AMI their unwillingness to ter
! inmate or annul the contract
| they positively know to have
been violated by Ashley & Ho-
| ran Is an evidence of their insincerity
| with the journeymen, to whom they
| have repeatedly professed the most pro-
found sympathy. This statement is
| made to the public for the purpose Of
| refuting the charge made by a member
| OF certain combine that the plumbers
are fighting the battle of the Master
| Plumbers Association.
| A written statement was obtained
| from Ashley & Koran and signed by
| them that they would not unionize their
| shops, although they have been assured
| that if they would do so the entire con-
| troversy would be permanently adjust
| ed.