The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-15
ULIAAIUM Is ISSUED
PAINTERS UNION DEMANDS THAT
MASTERS ASSOCIATION SIGN
THE AGREEMENT
STRIKE MAY FOLLOW REFUSAL
building Trades Council Likely
to Become Involved
II There Is Amy
Trouble.

ABOUT two hundred members of the
fainters' union met yesterday afternoon
IN Assembly hall and decided not ITO wcr.l,
Tor any OF the firms Of the Master Paint
ers association until the agreement.
papers, drawn up some1three weeks ago.
are signed. This means that in the near
future the lockout of the painters. which
has existed ever since the middle of last
december, will come to an end. or that
a big strike will be inaugurated in
which all the crafts In the Building
trades council will have a hand
The painters, judging from their attt.
tude yesterday, are determined to gain
their point, and viii stick to the last
ditch to get it.
The painters allege that as long ago
as last December, they were ordered TO
report on certain day as non-union
men. This the members Of the union re-
FUSED to do, and most Of them lost their
situations in consequence. The first
dffnculty led on to Others The Master
Painters association was dissatisfied
with the system of making small con-
tractors honorary members, and no sooner
was this adjusted than complaints wera
mace about other little things, the out
come OF which was an order to the
Painters union to draw out of the Build
ing Trades council
The members of the Painters union
alleged yesterday that this, in broad
terms, was merely a preliminary step
toward plan to break up the Building
Trades council. In support Of this thew
aaded that certain members OF the
Master Painters association refused to
take a hand IN the troubles, because they
saw that they were on the wrong side Of
the fence. and they felt that right is
right wherever it exists It is under
stood that these members have with
drawn from the association.
UP TO TILE MASTER PAINTERS.
From the above facts 1t can be seen
That the lockout has now reached a point
where everything depends on the future
action of the Master Painters. Ever since
the trouble began, the members of the
union say they have done everything in
their power to adjust matters amicably
AT the meeting of the Master Painters
association, held some time ago. a COM
m1ttee of painters tried to gain admit
tanee but, according to statements made
in Assembly hall yesterday their dele
gates have been practically ignored Time
and again. committees have tried to Sc
cure conference with the members Of
the association, but all their cvertures,
they assert, have been turned down. and
every attempt they have made to adjust
the trouble has resulted IN failure. The
only ray of hope that the strained re-
,fations existing between the painters and
the association will soon be ended .es
In the assertion made yesterday that sew
7eraa of the master painters have signifed
a. Willingness to sign the agreement, pro-
yid1ng other members of the assoc. a.
stion will do the same
During the time that the lockout has
existed, the raster painters have been
able to secure enough non-unfon men, and
those who have deserted the union, to do
all the work that came to them The busy
season Is now opening, and the painters
are confident thai unless the association
makes terms It's members will not be
able to handle the~wolk. Fer this reason
they think that a settlement will be eff
fected within the present week, and they
say they would he surprised If trouble
should follow. There is no disagree ement
over wages or hours, but simply over the
matters mentioned above.
Among the painters with whom re-
porter of the G O b e talked at the con-
clusion of the meeting, tie coneen sus
of opinion was that there would be no
further trouble. This view was also
shared by A. G. cambridge, first vice
president of the National Brotherhood Of
Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers,
who lives at Minneapolis, and who was
present at the meeting as presiding
officer.