The Minneapolis journal., 1901-04-13
'InLabor' 'sFieId
INTEREST IS TENSE
Differences Between Builders and
Carpenters Closely Watched.
AMICABLE ADJUSTMENT DESIRED
WOodworkers Meet TO-night-Other
Local Labor News of the
Past Week.

Local labor circles are intensely inter-
ested in the outcome of the troubles be-
| tween the Master Builders Association and
the carpenters. Both sides are firm and
insistent. The builders declare an in
tention of dodging the old union labal is
| sue no longer, but of settling this vexa-
tious point once for all right now. The
sas and door manufacturers will prob
ably take the field early next week, when
/ there will be another crisis on.
! 1t is said that all the dozen or SO firms
in the city stand ready to unite in an
! agreement to use the union label no
| longer, in which event every carpenter in
| the city, outside the builders association
as we'll as in it, will be involved in the
union label difficulty
| 1t is quite the nose serious crisis in Ia
| Dor circles in years, and both sides real
iZe that it is going to take some very
careful management to avoid dangerous
breach. This is going to be one of the
largest building years, year of the
! greatest industrial development in the
city's history if all goes well between en-
ployer and employe, and in the face of
such a situation, the universal hope among
all classes of people in Minneapolis is
that war may be averted.
The woodwOrkers meet tonight for a
discussion of the situation in their field.
May l is the time for signing the new
scale. They will ask for substantial in
crease in wages to correspond with the
advance in all other lines of labor. and
presumably will take common ground with
their carpenter brethren that the union
label be put into universal use in Mime
apolls on all woOdworkers material.
OF the forty-one sheet iron firms in
the city, thirty-two have closed contracts
for the ensuing year with the Amalga-
mated Sheet Iron Workers Union and it is
said that the others are ready to sign at
any time. committee of arbitration was
appointed at the last meeting, consisting
of N. E. Green, C. NJ. Peet, VIM. Hohage,
G. II. Knapp, and T. j. Foster. r. C.
Spencer was elected recording secretary of
the union.
The troubles between the Swift Packing
company and its employees have been set
tied satisfactorily. The firm has been
under boycott for the past two years.
The eight hour labor bill, which the
union forces of the state have been push
ing hard the last two months, passed the
legislature Thursday. Under the provi-
sions of the bill all contracts for state
work must contain an eight-hour clause.
Violation of the law invites penalty of
SO on the contractor. and the state Off
Ger making any contract without an eight
hour stipulation may be fined $500.
Permanent organization Of the Mime
apolis branch of the Eight Hour League of
America was effected at meeting held at
Alexander's Hall last Saturday evening
with the election of the following officers:
President, John ODonnell vice president
NJ. e. Neary; secretary, G. l.. ROCKWELL
financial secretary, l.. S. Ogden; treasurer
Louis Hansen: board of directors, F. W. Bell
j. j. Reynolds. Perley Rhoads. I. j. Rooney,
E. E. Stevens
1t is purposed to push the movement
vigorously from this end.
The Union. the organ Of local union la
Dor, insists in it's last issue that there
Is not the slightest ground for the story
that there is likely to be lockout Of
any of the building trades on account of
differences over the use Of the union label
on goods from the wood working factories,