The Portland daily press., 1900-11-03
An Eight Hour Work
Day Will be Asked
By the Building Trade Unions
Next Year.

The past season has not been very
lively one with the building trades and
this is becauss the price OF materials
have been so unusually high that those
contemplating bnilding have been walt
ing until the drop in prices comes, as 1t
must come some time. It is anticipated
that next SEASON Will be very lively one
with all the builders and that a great
many houses and even more pretentious
buildings will be erected in Portland and
its suburbs.
The building trade laborers have been
organizing In this city during the past
few months with definite object IN
view. The carpenters have union with
about two hundred members, the brick
layers have a strong organization as have
the plumbers and plasterers. Another
building trades union was organized last
night BY O. +. Stubs, the pal nters, dec-
orators and paper hangers, commencing
with sixty-three members and prospects
for many more. 1t is said that these
unions will enueavor to perfect them
sslves by another season and will ask
for an eight hour working day. BY
that time they feel that they will be
strong enough to grapple with the situa-
tion ana they have great hopes OF being
able to make their point.
Portland was at one time a very strong
labor union city for Its size. During the
depression of '93 to '96 the unions were
not strong enough to stand the strain
and greater part OF them went to
pieces. Since then they have been re-
organizing and are now getting back into
some kind of shape again. With the
Central Labor Union, which is affiliated
with the American Federation of Labor,
are the Typographical Union, the Print
ing Pressmen, the Plasterers, the Carpen-
ters the Iron Mouiders, the strest Rail-
way Employees, the Brick Masons and the
Journeymen Barriers The Central La Dor
Union meets every two weeks and dis
cusses questions which ara OF interest to
organized labor.
Until short time ago there was
union OF boiler makers in Portland sbut
they went ON a strike and were not very
successful in 1t and at this time are
partially disorganized. The Hatters'
union was also a very strong organization
until few months ago when after a
strike which was not settled satisfactory
to them, many Of the leaders In the or
ganization left the city.
The officers Of the Central Labor Union
are: President, f. 8. Jewett; fnancia
secretary, Daniel Mahony; recording and
corresponding secretary, q. +. Stubs
and Mr.. Porter az treasurer. Each union
has i've delegates to the Central Labor
Union. 1t is estimated that there are at
least seven hundred lsboring men of the
several trades organised into unions in
Portland.7
The strongest local union in the city In
without doubt the Longshoremen's Asso-
citation. This is not affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor. 1t abso-
lutely controls the stevedore work In this
city ami has been successful in many OF
the demands 1t has made aven ag ainst the
strongest Of corporations. 1t is also q
benevolent order and carefully looks after
the welfare OF its members. 1t has done
a great deal OF good among the longshore-
men and 1t Is carefully managed ana
conservativeIy handled.