The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-05-27
UNION L.ABOR'SF
Mayors Refusal to Employ
Local Men on Schools
Denounced at Coun-
Gil Hall.
BUILDING TRADES TO INTERFERE
Fagan and His Commissions
ers' Action May Throw
City Work to
"scabs.

The antipathy Of Mayor Fagan's ad-
rninistration towards local organized la
Dor. as again demonstrated by the action
Of his representatives in refusing to as
sist the local union steamfitters IN their
efforts to compel the contractors erecting
the new Public Schools No. 2 and % to
employ home union labor, was discussed
at length at last nights meeting Of the
District Council of Plumbers, Steam and
Gas Filters of Hudson County. at Coun-
Gil Hall, No. II HobolSen avenue
Much indignation was expressed by the
different delegates and the matter is now
likely to be carried TO the floor of the
United Building Trades Council, with
which the local union steamftters are
affiliated If this is done It may result
in all Of the allied industries refusing TO
complete their work on the buildings
and the unusual spectacle presented OF
the city being obliged to hire outside
..scab'' labor to finish its public buildings.
1t was explained that when a delegation
OF the local union steam filters waited on
Mayor Fagan, before the strike was or
dered on the two schools, ne referred
them to President John Ward of the
Board OF Education, and his action in the
matter is regarded as having the endorse
ment of the Chief Exec3ive.
The relations between Local Union No.
274, United Association of Steam Filters
and Helpers of Hudson County, and the
New York Enterprise and Progressive
Association of the trade, were fully ex-
planned to Mayor Fagan's mouthpiece in
the Board of Education. He was told
that the men employed by Frank Dobson
on No. 2 Scnool, az well as those ems
ployed by the Baldwin Engineering Co.
on No. 20, belonged to the New York orr
ganization, which claimed a Jurisdiction
within fifty miles of the Metropolis and
refused to recognize the Hudson county
union or allow them to work in New
York.
The unfairness of the position of the
New York men. who held that they could
come here without being subject to the
jurisdiction OF the Hudson county body,
was pointed out to President Ward and it
was explained that the board of which
HE was a members could be of vast as
s,istance to the local union men by COM
pelling the contractors to recognize them
lin short. that the situation was prac-
tically whether the Pagan administration
would or would not recognize local union
labor
Business Agent W. J. Gallagher of the
Hudson county steamfitters declared last
night that President Ward would do abb
solutely nothing for them. even declining
TO request the contractors to withdraw
the New York men until after the con-
ference of the local Steamfitters with the
Master Steam and Hot Water Filters As
sociation of New York, which is to be
held this afternoon.
This was certainly not an unreason-
able request declared Business Agent
Gallagher, and if Mr. Ward or Mayer
Pagan had any sympathy with local or
ganized labor it would have been at once
granted. Their action practically means
a refusal to recognize home union labor.
.As an evidence of this, continued Mr..
Gallagher, when we first went to Presi-
dent Ward in reference to No. % School
he said he was powerless to act. but
that things would be different with No. 2
School. He sad he was chairman OF the
committee In charge of that school and
we would certainly be recognized. How
we'll he has kept his word events have
shown.
Mr.. Ward seems to take it for granted
that as soon as tho New York stemftters
have completed their work the other
building trades with which we are allied
VIII go into the two school buildings and
finish them. He may be disappointed in
tnat as we shall certainly bring this
ignoring of our rights by Mayor Fagan's
Representatives before the Building Trades
Council. for action