The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-25
A STRIKE ON AT
FEDERAL BUILDING
Eighty Union Men Walk Out Be
cause Non Union Men Are
Employed.
Strike IS the First Since the In
junction by Judge
%... Cray.
Men Say They Quit for Personal
Reasons, Observing Injunction's
Requirements.

/ Because subcontractor put two sus-
pended members Of the Electrical Work
ers' union to work on the federal build
ing, over eighty union men, members OF
| the unions affiliated with the Building
Trades Council, went on strike at 9 o'clock
this morning and there is a prospect that
the work on the federal building may be
indefinitely delayed.
The strike Is of especial interest be-
cause it is the first time members Of the
Building Trades Council have gone on
sympathetic strike since the granting Of
the Cray injunction. 1t will be exceed
sibility upon the Building Trades Council,
since the council has not officially APP
peared at any stage of the proceedings,
there has been no conference between
| employer and employee preliminary to the
strike, and the walking delegate has not
| been in evidence.
Acted as individuals.
| The strikers went out this morning, not
| as members of any union, but as individ-
uals and they offered to the electrical!
contractor. John Trevor, and the general
contractor, H. N. Leighton, no explana-
| ton of their quitting except that they
did not want to work. No complaint was
made of wages or hours, but to a Journal
reporter one Of the strikers, member
of the Bricklayers' union, said:
| union electrical workers on this job and
we won't work with non-union men,
The strikers were not prone to talk,
however, most of them asserting that
they had a right to quit when they wanted
to, and that they were quitting as indi-
viduals and for personal reasons.
Alderman Leighton, who holds the con-
tract for the remodeling, has been ex
pecting the strike ever since the nom
| union electrical workers went to work,
and hence he was not surprised when'he
received word shortly after o'clock this
| morning that the hosting engineers en-
ployed the building had sent word to
the men employed on the upper floors that
| they could hoist no more plaster.
There was a large amount Of plaster on
| hand and Alderman Leighton made
| personal request to the hosting engineers
| that they ge this to the upper floors so
| that he would not have to stand any I'M
necessary loss. This the hosting en-
gineers consented to do and, altho the
members Of the pasterers' union did not
appear at all, the other men on the job
kept at work until the plaster was used
up and at 8 o'clock all walked out with the.
exception Of the two electricians and sew
eral non-union laborers. .. .-."-'
Contractor Is Embarrassed.
Nothing had been said formally or Off
| cially about a strike, altho the hosting
| engineers ceased work about five minutes
| after Foreman Duffy told a union man
| that Alderman Leighton would continue
| work on the job as long AS he could.
There Is a time limit on my contract
| and l suffer a penalty Of $50 day after
| March 49, said Alderman Leighton, this
| morning. 1.-THE government will not let
| me lay any stone after Nov. and if the
| walls of the new fourth story Of the
| building are not up by that time it will
| be all off with me until next spring, which
will mean big loss to me. could not,
| if 1 chose, abrogate my contract with Mr..
Trevor without being in danger Of con-
| tempt of court on account Of the Cray in
| junction. I avoided this crisis as long
| as could, but the work got so far along
| that had to have some wiring done or
| stop work altogether. That is why the
electricians went to work and why the
| strike is on. I have no strike clause in
| the contract"
! contractor, will use none but non-union
| men and says he will stand pat
Zone Of the men on this job wired big
| new house on Park avenune," said Mr..
| Trevor, land altho the painters with him
| objected, the job was finished after I had
| threatened a walking delegate with ar
| rest. This same electrician finished a job
| with union men in the O'Brien fiat smear
| Tenth street and Fifth avenue S. l pay
| the union scale and work the men the
union hours, but I will not recognize the
| union.'
Among the men who went out on strike
! this morning were members of the hoist
| ing engineers, plasterers', carpenters,
bricklayers', plumbers and gasftters'
unions. all affiliated with the Building
| Trades Council. 1t is regarded as pos
! sible that the fact that the strike has
| been declared on a government job may
| complicate the situation.