The Washington times., 1903-08-08
MORE PAY FOR STEAM
FILTERS HELPERS
Board of Arbitration Grants
Increase Asked For.
TO GET TWO DOLLARS A DAY
Men Will Go to Work Monday After
Having Been Idle for Nearly
Five Weeks.

Arbitration is a good thing" said
Secretary Flanagan. OF the Steam Fit
ters' Helpers Union. last night. after
the board of arbitration of the District
of Columbia handed down decision in
favor of the helpers of Washington. who
have been on a strike for the past thir-
ty-two days for 50 a day, instead of
$3.50
The helpers Joy knew no bounds.
They have been on strikes before. but
this was their first victory. An agree
ment will be signed to pay the men 81
per day. and the forty or forty-five men
who have struggled to win will return
to work Monday morning
Secretary Flanagan and the other
members of the Helpers Union did not
think so much of arbitration until last
night. The master filters. who have
been fighting the strikers as unit. and
several outside firms, preached arbitra-
ton shortly after the strike began, but
the ninety helpers who went out would
have no arbitration. They wanted the
increase in wages, and thought the
safest. surest, and best way to get it
Fought Against Arbitration.
Then again. they knew full well that
If the arbitration board decided against
them their efforts to get the increase
would go for nothing, and they fought
against arbitration all along
After a week. or a little more. a num-
Der of the firms acceded TO the de-
mands, and half of the strikers returned
to work at the new scale of wages. This
left forty-f1ve men still ION the bricks"
These two score and five men put up
hard fight. They held special meetings
about twice a week and renewed their
vows to stand pat" and win or die, and
until yesterday afternoon they elimi-
mated the word arbitration" from their
vocabularies.
The master filters continued TO offer ar
hitration, but they could not make any
impression on the strikers with it, Yes
terday afternoon. however. the strikers
received almost positive assurances that
they would get the decision of the board
of arbitration If the matter ever went
before 1t. and they then agreed to let
the arbiters take the matter in hand.
Action Of Arbitrators.
The board of arbitration is composed
of ten members. Five of these are from
the building trades of the Central Labor
Union. and the others represent the en-
ploying contractors OF the city There
were not ten members on hand last
night, because of the suddenness with
which the matter came up. but there was
! a quorum. and business was transacted.
The first thing on the program was
! to throw out a member OF the board who
was also master filter. The next thing
was for the helpers to present their side
OF the case. and state just why they
should be granted an increase of wages
of 40 cents a day. The chief reason
seemed to be that they had been work
ing since 1900 for $3.50 a day, and the
New York helpers were receiving SO a
day for their work The master filters,
who at no time said anything about re-
fusing to grant the demand. presented
their side OF the case. They were rep
resented by two members of their asso-
citation.
After brief open session the board of
arbitration went into secret session. and
after some consultation the doors were
reopened and the decision in favor of
| the strikers was announced. Attorney
siddons was summoned as umpire Of the
dispute, and would have had a vote if
there had been tie. but it is said by
one in position to know whereof no
speaks. that the vote TO grant the In
crease was unanimous. and Mr.. Siddons'
vote was not necessary.
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