Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-10
BRICKLAYERS ON A STRIKE
FORCE OF MEN UNDER sUBCONTRAC-
TORS QUIT WORK.
Night Shift at Capitol and Employees
on Government Printing Of
flee Involved.


last evening to go TO work because the fore
man, Samuel Gaskins was employed dur
ing botn tie DAY and night shifts. or SIX
teen W continuously. Mr.. Gaskins is a
member of Brickiayers' Union, No l, and,
it is stated that the rules of the organiZa-
ton limit a days work to eight hours, ex-
cept in cases of extraordinary emergency.
Ever since the work at the Capitol COM
menced, several months ago, the union has
maintained that the foreman, in working
the addtionc hours, violated the rue men-
toned. and these in charge OF the "orh
were so informed.
1t is said that notwithstanding the pro-
test of the union the foreman continued "
work in a.eged vo.atiCn of the rules OF
the organization, it beng claimed by MT:
Elliot Wood. the architect in charge. ana
Messrs Richardson & Burgess, the EN-
ploycrs of MIR. Gaskins. the foreman, ma
the work is not being done under contract,
but directly by the government, ana ma
the rue of the Brick.ayers' Union, Whlcn
eXcepts those of tbs membership emptoyeu
by the government from the eSht-hour re-
Quirement, should Apply in the case OF the
foreman named.
The union, it Is stated. main aims that
the work is being done under contract ny
Richardson & Burgess, and at a meeting II
the union held last Thursday evening, 1t
was decided to call the men off If The fore
man persisted in working during DO
shifts. Failing to adjust !he matter Ia I
evening, when the day shift relieved tn Sc
of the night shift refused TO work, as
stated.
Under present conditions only one-half Of
the force of bricklayers emp Dyed at the
Capitol is al work, which se lousy dc avs
operations, as it is required that the work
| be completed before the Assem- ling of the
session of Congress in December.
1t is possible that the ma ter at issue
may be satisfactorily adjusted by the men
Immediately interested and those in charge.
If this cannot be acconlp ishcd, 1t Is ed
that a special meeting of Brick "a ers'
Union will be held next Tuesday evening,
when the matter will be considered and
definite action taken in the premise.
Statement by Mr.. Woods.
Mr.. Elliott Woods, assistant architect Of
the Capitol stated this afternoon that he did
not lJlIs unue. sand ne c"n.enion Vi tn'
bricAlayers. He said they are working on
the portion of the Capitol now being re-
modelled into committee rooms for the ac-
commodation Of Congress. In general
way, he added, it related to the employ
ment of a foreman, WhI is a member Of
the Bricklayers Union, to superintend the
work during the entire sixteen hours a day
in which the work is being done by tw
shifts of men. Some of the brick!ayers say
this is a violation of the unions rules, bu.
they were not entirely clear on the p .intS
involved in the controversy they have
ra'~"d
1n1S foreman gets QOuD.e pay or 9lO a q y
for the Xteen hours he is working. 1t
happened that the supply of glazed bricks
being used on the job ran short yesterday
and Mr. Woods and the bricklayers came
to an agreement that night work should be
stopped until the union can hold a meet
ing, which will probably be Tuesday night,
when they will formulate a protest. if dis
cussion by them results in a decision that
they have grounds for protest, VIII ch can
be considered next Wednesday. BY that
time it is expected a supply Of glazed brick
will be received. so that work at night can
be resumed.
At the Government Printing Office.
A question said to involve a conflict of the
| rules of the Bricklayers' Union and those
promulgated by Lieut.. Sewell. the engineer
| in charge of the construction of the new
government printing office, resulted in
| lay-off this morning of force of nine
| brickIayers employed on the building.
The men were employed. it is said, by
| Richardson & Burgess on subcontrlct
| work and they were required by the rules
| of their organization to quit work at p.
| The rule established by Lisut. Sewell re-
| quires all employees to commence work at 8
| am and quit at 4:30 pm.
| Yesterday a committee of the bricklayers
| orsaniza ticn waited on Lieut. Sewell and
| rsQu asted that the members of the union
| be permitted to observe the rules of their
| organization which require a days work
| between the hours of Z am. and :, pm
| Lieut.. seven stated lEdl ne required All OF
| the e!np,oSs to begin work at O'Clock in
| the morning and quit at 4::O pm, and that
| to preserve proper discipline he would in
Sst upon the men working as required by
| him. 1t is stated that quite a number of
| brickla! egS employed the building di-
! rectly for the government work until $50
p IN. commencing "a O'Clock in the morn
| ing, under the rule prescribed by Lieut.
| Sewell. This. the bricklayers say, is adj
| missable under their rules, but no member
| is permitted to work after pm. con-
| tract work.
| 1t is stated that the bricklayers employed
| by Richardson & Burgess on the job were
| willing to lose half an hour in wages daily
| if permitted to stop work at 1 o'c.ock. AS
| the requirement that they WORK unul 80
| involved an infraction Of the rules of the
| union the men refused to go to WORK this
| morning.
Eetween Men and Contractors
! Lieut.. Sewell stated tbs afternoon that
| the contention of the brick ayers over
| stopping wo.k at o'clock was really be-
| tween the contractors and the men. He
, had all the work on the build ng arrange d
from until 4:3O o'clock, and to allow the
| few br.ck.ayers setting the fl proof bricks
| to work from I:30 to O'Clock would inter-
! fere with the entire pan. He had merely
| told the contractor that he would have to
! do his work in the prescr bed hours. The
| men employed feared they would be vio-
| la ting he Iu.es of their un on, and so they
| ag. eed to stop work until their union could
| hold a meeting and take act on on the mat
| ter. The bricklayerS employed directly by
| t! government continued at work. as
| usual.
Nebraska 5000 for Mckinley.