Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-07
PLUMBERS ON STRIKE
THE EMPLOYMENT OF BOY HELP
ERs OBJECTED TO.
President Of Masters Association De-
clares the Employers Will Not
Yield--Makes a Statement.

The union plumbers Of this city. COM
prising Local NJ. 3 of the Federation of
Labor, have gone on 8 strike. Notice was
given the master plumbers last week that
the 5ourneymen would go on a strike the
list OF May. and their going out this morn
ing was, therefore, wholly unexpected
Mr.. w. d. Nolan. the president of the
Master Plumbers Association. says: I'VE
were given formal notice that the Jour-
neymen would strike next month IL the
custom Of employing boy helpers to aid
them In their work was not done away
with by the bosses.
This Is very unreasonable demand on
the part or the 3ourneymen. and We do not
intend TO accede to it. Several years age
they demanded that each shop should be
alio~ed only two apprentices, but as many
BOY heipers as they required. and as this
was satisfactory to both masters and jour
neymen the terms were accepted Now
however. they demand that We be allowed
only two apprentices and no helpers.
For instance, ii we send q man out or
job and pay him $3.50 a day and his
helper ST. we charge for their services 81
a day, whereas II We are not allowed any
helpers we will have to send two journey
men and charge our employer SO day fol
their services.
Ii this demand was to become a rule with
US, where could we find boys for apprentf-
ces? As 1t Is a boy has to serve three years
as helper before he becomes an appren-
ice ana can work with the tools and If
this rule went into effect suppose that
We would have to go out and pick boys
from the street and start them right in as
apprentices. and after they serve three
years promote them to be apprentices
Refuse to Submit.
This dictation will not be tolerated by
the master plumbers, and it is not likely
that the demand of the journeymen will be
acceeded to. Other master plumbers
throughout the city expressed their senti-
ments in regard to the strike in much the
same manner as MIR. Nolan.
An officer of the Local, No 5. Fedora tion
OF Labor, told reporter this morning:
Inc Master Plumbers have for the past
year been employing boy helpers who have
worked at the trade for six months or a
year 10 take the place of journeymen. The
boys were employed with the understand
Ing that they should help the journeymen
on small Jobs that required only one man
but where boy would be useful to the
Journeyman to hand him his tools and do
several small things that would take up the
time of the skilled laborer
Ihis progressed all right until the bows
learned something of the trade and were
taught to do these things themselves. and
then the bosses would send them to 40
THESE small jobs and take the place of a
1ourneyman, whom they would have to nav
regular time to do this work. In this way
e,ie oo!S nave gradually worked into the
places OF the regular men and consequently
there are many plumbers out of work ali
the year round go
Inc busy season is now coming on and
II the master plumbers do not take action
to remedy the injustice there will he no
union hands at work at the time they are
most needed
Men All Out.
Ihere are several hundred plumbers in
this city who belong to Local No. 8, and as
Tar as could be learned they are all out.
Nearly all the plumbing houses have sus-
pended business this morning
regular meeting of the master plumbers
has been called for tonight 1t is, of
course, not known what action will be
.aken. rms action Of the plumbers, 1t is
claimed by the journeymen. leaves about
6ou boys out of employment The master
plumbers, however, state that this action
leaves only about 200 unemployed.