New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-13
EXPECT PLASTERERS STRIh II.
IT IS THOUGHT THAT THEY WILL GO OUT
TO HELP ENFORCE LABORERs
DEMANDS

A largely attended meeting Of the employing
plasterers' association was held yesterday after
noon at the Building Trades Club No l,l-0
Broadway to consider demands for a new wage
schedule by the Plain and Ornamental opera
tive Plasterers' Union and the Plasterers La
borers Union. The demands were to go into
effect on May /. but the employers We're IN
formed short time ago that if they were not
granted before April 10 general strike of both
unions which would affect every building on
which they had members employed, would be
declared that day. The plasterers demanded
an increase of wages from 81 30 to 81 a day, and
the laborers an increase from So to 81 % a day
Both organizations had number of other de-
mands including pay for the time occupied IN
going UP to and coming down from the upper
stories of buildings ten stories high, a
restriction on the number of apprentices and
permission for members to get days pay at the
end of a days work If they wanted IT.
1t was decided to refuse the demand of the
laborers for So 30 day and to grant the de
mands Of the plasterers. This decision was
only reached after a discussion lasting more than
an hour The busy season has set If, and some
of the employers said that TO grant the de-
mands Of the plasterers and refuse those OF the
Ia borers would not prevent a strike. The gen
eral sentiment. however was that the demand
for ~ day Tor u1Shllltu lhboi " Do iioN ~ "
thought Of Some of the employers. who left be
fore the meeting was over, said that they did not
see the logic of granting the demands OF the
plasterers and refusing those Of the laborers
The following statement made after the
meeting by James Thomson. president of the
Employing Plasterers Associations
The demand OF the laborers we regard as absor
iufely out OF the question. We could not th1nk OF
ma wing 81 30 a day for unskilled work: Al their
present wages of So day they paid higher than
any other laborers They do not even mix the
mortar Ii is made by machinery The dry mortar
comes already mixed and has only 10 be WEI cow
and the wei mortar comes ready for use in tanks
from Cow Bay Long Island. All the laDoTers nave
TO do is to carry il TO the plasterers me oliy
labor that requires any skill is the running OF lime
int lime the finishing coat heiF WoIh
does not REQUIRE any skill than that OF the
masons laborers. who only receive 81 10 day
Mr. Thomson admitted that he expected d
strike on Tuesday morning.
1t is expected that the plasterers Will strike
with the plasterers' laborers on Tuesday to help
in enforcing the laborers demands, though the
demands of the plasterers have been granted
The two unions have a membership Of about
four thousand each, and are in the Board OF
Building Trades of New-York and Vicinity, whose
affiliated unions have aggregate membership
of a bout seventy five thousand. connected with
about thirty-ive trades. They ask the
hoard to order a sympathetic strike in case they
ca mot gain their demands otherwise
Before a sympathetic strike be ordered a
committee appointed for the purpose would have
TO investigate the grievances of the unions ask
ing for il and report in favor of ordering IL.
The hoard will meet tomorrow and will prob
ably consider the situation