The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-02
WRECK OF A LABOR UNION.
Heavy Loss of the Building Trades
Council of Chicago


CHICAGO. Jan. 1.-Chicago is just end
ing one Of the most disastrous conflicts
/ between labor and capital known to any
municipality in the United States Statis-
ties at hand. gathered from twenty
leading architects of the city and ten rep
resentatives of large building corpora
tons. show that in the fifteen months OF
this conflict labor lost more than $50. 000.-
COO in wages. building contractors more
than s75. 100000 in profits. and material
supply men 1900, 0G0 through stock IN
sold. The retail business of this city has
been practically stagnant for fifteen
months
On October 1, 1899 the Building Trades
Council of Chicago. representing part of
the union labor of this city, engaged in
building work, ordered a strike. on ac-
count of differences existing between it
and the Building Contractors Counsil.
These differences related. not to the scale
of wages paid, as they were very high
but to the right of the Building Trades
Council to order sympathetic strike at
any time. the rights of walking delegates,
the rights of apprentices in the plumb
ing trade. and similar questions.
The Building Trades Council was con-
trolled at the outset of the strike by a
set of politicians. The Building Contrac-
tors Council was regulated by some we'll
meaning men. and by some who meant
well, were exceedingly stiff-necked. The
two bodies could not get together. and the
strike followed. Politics was rapidly in
troduced in its progress. When the strike
was declared the highest rate of wage paid
to any laborer in the building trades was
s. per day Of eight hours. The lowest
rate Of wage paid to any laborer In the
building trades was S2.25 per day. The
average was about SO per day of eight
hours
The total number Of members Of the
Building Trades Council on October 1,
1899 was 2s.453. The total number OF
union men Of the building trades In the
city at that time and not affiliated with
the Building Trades Council was -. 20
There were also employed besides these
two classes 3.112 Eon-union men. The to-
tai number of building trades workmen and
non-union building trades workmen in the
city was 5S,7S5. The value of the building
in progress in this city on 0ctob1r 1, 1899
was $10,0c0.000. By January 1, 1900, the
value of the building in progress had
shrunk to S3,5C0.000 and the amount of
building work planned, but stopped on ac-
count of the strike. was s50.C0O,G COO.
During the fifteen months OF the strike
five persons were killed and 221 assaulted
and more or less seriously injured. The
assaults were usually made by union men
upon nonunion men. For time the pO-
lice force of the city appeared to act in
harmony with the strikers, but this merely
aggravated the situation, as the general
public was not only paying the salaries
of the police force, but WAS also paying
in another way for the suspended build
ing operations. Finally the political Off
GERS of the Building Trades Council were
ousted and large number OF the unions
affiliated with it Withdrew and are now
making their peace with the contractors
and resuming work.
The membership of the Building Trades
Council has diminished from 26,453 to
9, 1886. There are now in this city $500
union men engaged in the building trades,
but not affiliated with the council. There
have left the city to seek work in ether
places II $50 men. As most of these de-
partures have an average of three persons
dependent upon them and their labor, 1t
is estimated that in all nearly 81 coo per-
sons have left this city on account of the
strike.
As to the cost to labor and capital of
the strike the following table gives ap-
proXlmaIe HguTeS.
Fifty-eight thousand workngmen at
an average wage of 50 per day.
twenty days work per month for
fifteen months ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $50 200, 600
Loss to contractors in profits..-.... 100000
Loss to real estate. merchants. etc. 100000
The value of the amount OF building
operations suspended during the
year 1900 is placed at............. I27 10000
The amount Of building in progress at
the present time is valued at...-.. 1900, 0c0
The individual unions engaged in the
building trades are now making their own
agreements with the contractors and are
resum;ng work. The withdrawal last week
from the Building Trades Council of the
Hod Carriers Union, numbering about
4 600 men, marks the end of the strike.
Not one Of the questions for which the
strike was precipitated has been settled
by the council.