Waterbury Democrat., 1902-07-09
EXCITED WORKME:N
Crowded Around Contractors at
 Bank Street Buildings.
WERE TO GO TO WORK AT NOON

tori1y to Both Sides and Business Was to Have Been Started-At Least That is What the Contractors and
 Many of the Men Supposed--A Mis- understanding in Regard to the Chat field Masons and Laborers on the New Camp Buildings Caused the
 Trouble.
 The strike of the hod carriers, which threatened to paralyze the building business in Waterbury for the present season, was settled this forenoon on a basis which might be regarded as a victory for united labor, though, to be sure, the contractors had their own way to a certain extent. They refused to sign an agreement to employ none but union men, but agreed to give tue hod carriers and masons' tenders the increase of 21a cents an hour begin- hing August 1. The committee talked the matter over this morning with John w. Gaffney, and to all appear- ances everything was satisfactory. No discrimination will be used against Ias borers whether they belong to tlie union or not, bnt all the same 1t was | plain that the non-union man might l just as well make up his mind to join the crowd. Where the organization l has secured such a foothold as 1t has 1 in Waterbury it would be folly for a new man to try to learn the trade, if such it might rightfully be termed4 The builders don't want green" hands carrying hods or mixing mortar, SO that there appears to be no way for, apprentices to make much headway outside the union. If the union is the only thing keeping the men and their employers apart they might as we'll shake hands over the chasm at once. The unions are here to stay and people l might as well make up their minds to this fact. The only thing to be won- dered at about the bod carriers club is | that such an organization was not formed long ago. They are the only | body of laborers in the market that | have not done something before this hour of the day to put themselves in a position so that they could have a word to say regarding the price of their 1 labor. The same class of men have unions in other towns, and why not in Waterbury? A few of the bosses in the factories made a big fuss over the unions when they began to be organ ized here years ago, but according as \ manufacturing concerns realized that they didn't exist for the purpose of en- couraging strikes or in any other way 1 hindering Business, but solely for mu- tual protection, then the opposition died | out until finally the bosses got to
 point where they preferred union labor. | It will be so with the contractors by
 and bye. They'll want nobody about their buildings but union men. because
 all competent men will be affiliated
 with the union. It isn't long ago since
 a question of this kind came on city
 work about bricklayers. A contractor tried to get man holes built by others than union men. After resorting to various schemes to ignore the union he 1 was forced to give in after loosing con- siderable time and money. While the | fight was on the question was asked at one of the city boards if it was possible 1 for the contractor to win out, and the enginer remarked that he didn't think
 so for the reason that every bricldayer l in Waterbury who knew how to do that class of work was a member of the
 union and that so far as he knew the
 same thing was true in other towns.
 It was organization of this character
 and not for any love for the union that gave the bricklayers and masons their
 
 rooney fighting them, but finally saw l that opposition was nothing short of | the height of folly and concluded t0 1 make terms with them.
 The laborers behaved well since thG, strike started. While they kept close
 eve upon what was going on, still they
 showed no signs of disturbing the pubs l lie peace, and this. coupled with the fact that their demands were consid- cred reasonable, they held a good share
 of public sympathy.
 l Much credit is due to James Bahau | of the BricKlayers' union John TracY
 of the Hod Carriers union; Patrick l O'Brien. Thomas Buckley and MT Man- | gini for their efforts in bringing about
 a settlement of the strike; but it ought | to be said that the bod carriers would | not be in it had it not been for the l0yA
 altv of the bricklayers and masons. | The above version of the strike waa
 written at noon to-day after our report~
 CT had had an interview with repre-
 sentatives of the contra ctors and the
 bod carriers. Contrary to expectations
 however. the men did not go to work this afternoon They congregated about the buildings. but owing to the fact that MT Chatfield's bricklayers were
 not on hand the tenders had nothing to do and the others thought this was
 a shut out for some of their number
 and concluded not to commence opera- tions until all commenced together. 1t Is understood that all will go back to work in the morning. The bod car- riers were assured this afternoon by the bricSlayers that unless they stand by the agreement entered into this morning they need not look for any more support from them. You fei-
 lows can suit yourselves about it." said one of the masons to crowd of the strikers, "but if you persist in staying out any longer we'll go to work and take stuff from anybody that puts it up to us. The contractors will stand
 by the terms of the conference. What else do you want?' Later on few turned in and worked and the others
 promised to be on hand tomorrow
 morning. The bricklayers got scatter~ ed about and those of them who are i'm
 town were not all aware that the difs ference had been adjusted.
 At o'clock this afternoon bricklays CTS, masons, bod carriers and others
 in the employ of Bergen & Sons and John w Gaffney X Go, were hustling on the O'Connor. Buckner and Greene < I,orr I,,,iJdir,re oY. Rank sfraat mA