The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-12-29
LABOR IN /: FRANCE
THEY HAVE ARBITRATION BOARDS
AND ALSO HAVE STRIKES.

An Employers' Syndicate Fixes the
Rate of Wages and the Cost ot
Building-While Labor IL a Grca,
Deal Cheaper There Than in Ann.
erica, Yet the Cost Of Living L.
Higher-Sugar 123 Cents.
Employers and employees in France
including all classes of labor, are or.
ganized into societies called "syndi.
Gates" the more important of the first.
class having large and well-appointet
headquarters, with from two to eight
officers to look after their business. Ir
Lyons and in many other cities, the
municipality provides a building called
la bourse du travail, or labor exchange
in which the workingmen hold their
more important meetings. 1t comprises
one large hall and number of small
rooms, in which meetings are held
nightly, often seven and eight at a
time
AS the different trades that cooper
ate in building are about the same the
world over, take that trade in Lyons
the second city Of France, to illustrate
the rates of wages in this country
There is much activity in building here
Many streets are on lines laid four
hundred years ago, and modern con-
venience and health require continual
tearing down and reconstruction. This
is everywhere in progress since electric
tramways are relieving the congested
quarters of the old city.
The employers syndicate of Lyons
comprises 625 members. Its object, as
stated in it's last report, is:
ITO further the interests of builders,
buildings, Ito secure the employment of
the best material, to give opinions up
on questions relating to the work of
building: to decide, with the aid of ex-
perts, all disputes relating to the exc
cution or the Interpretation Of con-
tracts; the fixing Of prices; and, if
deemed advisable, to establish yearly,
with the aid Of whomsoever it may con-
Germ, list of prices for building work
to study, devise and employ every
method to advance the interests of it's
members
This syndicate was organized in 1862.
Since that date twenty-three strikes
have occurred among the employees in
the building trades, all of which it has
settled. No outside partiesrnot even
the government board of arbitration
le Conseil des Prud d'hommes-have ever
been permitted to interfere in the ad-
justment. of labor troubles in the build
Ing trades. s;4T They Ii have been settled.
1vitls hat
fxker1s a commit tee OF u the strikers
themselves and. representatives Of the
syndicate. -
In the statement of the principles of
the syndicate, it is set forth that one
object is to enforce all agreements be-
tween employers and employees, and
that it will not recognize or support any
member who seeks to violate a con-
tract once entered with his employees.
The syndicate is often asked to in
vestigate and to report upon disputes
arising between building contractors
and men or companies for whom they
are doing work, or between furnishers
of materials. Nearly five thousand
cases have been sent to it by the
courts, with the request that it render a
decision upon point in litigation. or
that it appoint committee to investf-
gate and agree upon the technical de-
tails of some question, and report the
same to a court of record. This COM
promise by arbitration is provided for
by section 1908 of the code. Although
the parties bind themselves to abide
by the decision of the arbitrators, they
can and do appeal from it. From 1863
to 1899, 1910 cases were tried before
this syndicate, and of that number 542
were appealed to a court, on the COM
plant that one of the experts had not
fairly reported the facts within his
knowledge. These cases are all settled
in very short time and at small ex-
pense.
The society has a reserve fund de-
rived from monthly dues and fees i'm
posed for hearing cases, from which
prizes are given yearly to students in
architecture and other pursuits pertain
ing to building.
:, In connection with committee ap-
pointed by the workingmen, the So
:ciety fixes the wages of all persons en-
ployed in the building trades. The Sec
:retary, M. Alfred Fond, gave the fol-
lowing schedule of wages per hour in
Lyons at the present time.
= Carpenters, 1917 cents; masons IL
cents; locksmiths, II cents; plasters
and painters, II cents; plumbers, II to
~ cents; stone cutters, II to 12 cents:
chimney builders II to 12 cents: lay
ers Of mosaic paving. IL cents; labor
ers, 9 cents,
:. The fact that the syndicate, in con-
junction with representatives of the
trades. fixes the rates Of wages does
not prevent strikes. Officers Of the
syndicate inform me that when q
schedule OF wages is fixed it is expected
to last only until the workingman think
they can exact better figures from their
employers,
. 1t 10 through this syndicate that the
price for constructing building is
hxed, committee named by the
syndicate agress upon what will be,
charged, according to cost of material
and current rate. of wages Of carmen
ters, stonecutters, masons. etc. The
findings Of this eammittee are revised
hHye