The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-15
LABOR FACTIONSQUARREL
BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL DOES NOT
GET ALL 1T DEMANDS.
Printers Disposed TO Keep Out of n
Carpenters Controversy-Centra
Body REFLECTS Officers.

Difference between the building trades
and other craftsmen, or between the Cen
trail Labor Union and the Building Trades
Council. was the Cause of a heated dis
cussion at the meeting of the Central Labor
Union last night. The Carpenters Union
recently called a special meeting Of the
executive committee of the Central Labor
Union to indorse it's fight against the
Wood-Weaver Printing Company. new
building is being erected by Mr. Wood to be
occupied by his firm. A contractor named
Zook is doing the work with nonunion
carpenters. which caused the grievance.
The matter was submitted to the central
body last night for indorsment.
Edgar A. Perkins, president of the State
Federation of Labor, opposed the action.
He said it wrong to draw all the
trades into fight, that the firm was fair
to the printers, bookbinders, pressmen and
press-feeders and that such a fight might
lose the plant TO the allied printing trades.
Thaddeus Gurley, of the carpenters, and
president of the Building Trades Council,
Immediately took a stand for his union
He said ii was unable to effect settle
ment. He also stated that the contract
specified union labor, and that Wood had
not attempted to enforce it. Perkins then
suggested that the proper method was to
bring legal proceedings to enfore the con-
tract, and get a decision in court, which
would settle this common grievance of the
building trades once and for all. d. l..
Stoddard, of the carpenters. severely crit
icised Perkins for his attitude and Perkins
retorted, IF the carpenters want to fight
| the printers we will fight them"
The discussion was enlivened by E. P.
| Barry. of the Typographical Union saying
the carpenters were trying to use Wood as
a means of forcing Zook to unionize all of
| his work Then Business Agent Simon, of
| the Painters Union, took up the fight in
behalf of the building trades. Perkins had
] said that there were four trades that would
suffer by the proposed action, to which ST.
| mon replied: -Four trades, did you say?
The Building Trades Council represents
nineteen trades, and all of them stand pat.
| We are here to fight for our rights, and we
| propose to have them We represent ma
| jority of the trades unions of the city and
can outvote you" He emphasized his re-
marks by vigorously stamping his foot.
! Others took part in the discussion, which
| gradually became more modified, and the
feeling was finally lost in the decision to
appoint a delegate from the Typogra phical
! Union one from the carpenters and one
| from the pressmen TO join the grievance
| committee of the Central Labor Union and
| visit Mr. Wood in an attempt to settle the
| matter.
| At the close of the discussion Delegate
| Barry suggested that a test case be made
| on specified contracts by the labor temple
| committee letting the contract for the cot
| tage ii will build to rattle off 10 nonunion
| contractor, the contract specifying union
| labor, and then bring suit in court to en-
| force 1t. No action was taken.
| The semi-annual election last night re-
suited in the reelection of all the present
| officers, as follows: President, John L. Felt
man; vice president, George Custer; re-
cording and corresponding secretary. Harry
! Slough; financial secretary. D. l.. Stoddard
| treasurer, Miss Lille Fredericks; organizer,
| John Blue; statistician, r. r. Croft; SER
| geant-at-arms, Frank Beadle; trustees,
| Henry Friedman, +. J. Collins and James
| NJ Madden. All the officers were reelected
| by reclamation with the exception of Harry
| Slough. who over John w. Kerr by a
| vote of forty-five TO thirty-fve.