The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-07-03
BUILDING IN SALT LAKE
COMES TO A STANDSTILL
Contractors Call Halt in Work, and 5000 Men
Are Thrown Out of Employment
Strike Ordered by Unions Cause of the ShutdOwuLOss to La
bOrers Will Be So, 500 Day.

j
ID have decided 10 suspend all work
in the city for an indefinite time.
"ork on buildings that have been
started win cease today and no more
Dlus for the construction of any kind
81 structures viii be made.
It is proposed to shut everything
doWn tight and keep it in that condition
until the various labor troubles that
nave stirred Salt Lake for months past
nave been satisfactorily settled and
the contractors have some assurance
mat no more troubles of a like nature
VIII occur. In other words, there is to
De war 20 the knife between the con-
tractors and the Building Trades coun-
GU and its various unions
The action of the contractors in de-
caring all work off Will directly affect
AT least 1000 men, throwing this num-
Der out of work completely. Indirect
~ about 1000 more men will be af-
aected, the brick yards will be forced
10 shut down, the lumber companies
VIII have to suspend business so far as
salt Lake building is concerned. the
Stone ana lime QuarrieS will be af-
aected' carpenters, bricklayers masOns,
stonecutters, nod carriers and electric
Mlfers VIII be thrown out of work
numbers, steamfitters, painters, pa
perers and many other classes of Ia
oorers will feel the shutdown to a con-
siderable extent 1t is estimated that
loss of at least $500 a day will be
caused TO the wage-earners who work
at these various trades.
Work on Buildings Stops.
Among some OF the larger buildings
upon which work viii cease this morn
ing, it is said, are the new federal build
ing, the Independent Telephone com
pany offices. the Holmes flats at State
and Brigham streets. the Eighteenth
ward school house and the new Atlas
block.
The decision of the contractors to call
on all work was made yesterday They
met and prepared a statement Of the
reasons why they propose to stop work
ana sent out notices TO the men work
ing under them on the various Jobs
mat their services would not be re-
CURED after last night until further no
Uce All the larger contractors in the
city signed the agreement to suspend
operations and the only work that can
be done in the construction line now
VIII have TO be done by private in
diViduals.
As to how long this condition Of af-
.tairs may be expected to last, no one
KNOWS at present. The contractors say
they do not care how long: that they
propose to. let the union laboringmen
walk the streets and hunt for work un-
III they decide 70 pay less attention to
unionism and more to work and the
interests Of those who employ them
The statement given out by the con-
tractors In explanation Of their action is
as follows:
Statement of Contractors.
The public may be interested in know
Ing why so large number of contractors
and builders OF this city have determines
20 suspend all labor on existing contracts
"a NJ on h
tilrC as they can be assured that they
viii be able to fill their obligations.
for months past we have had trouble
known to they would be called off
work on which they were engaged. No
complaint has been made TO the hours.
scale of wages, or as to conditions: yet
we have been harassed, and all our
work has vcen 50 uncertain that il has
become praC tically unsafe TO bid on new
contracts. Your readers know that we
are compelled to give bonds for the full
fillment OF each contract within the time
SPECIFIED. ta'hng III which we are sub
1ect to pecuniary loss. II. therefore must
follow that il the men engaged In va
rious trades connected with building are
so dissatisfied that they cannot be relied
on TO stay with us and aid us in filling
our agreements. ii would be folly for us
20 make contracts involving the com
pletion of work within specified dates. /
Moreover. every contract Is based upon
the scale Of wages obtaining at the time
the contract IS made Any increase in
wages would involve us i'm serious loss on
contracts already entered into, and the
competition is so great among contractors |
and the margin Of profit is small that
we can in afford to take any chances.
We have already stated that no COM
plant has been made to us by men who /
have been called off from work. and for
that reason we cannot say there is any
desire for an increase in wages: but that (
IS not unlikely to be a cause sooner or
later and Il Is better for us that we have
this subject, as well as others that cause [
dissatisfaction among the men. settled I
definitely and at once, so that we may |
4go ahead with reasonable assurance.
Building Is Crippled.
As il is nearly every Important building
contract in the city IS crippled one way /
or another. and we have concluded il will 4
be best for our interests. best for the I
building public and best also for the men !
10 stop all work until such time as we /
can learn the grievances of the trades /
men and can settle upon a basis that viii 4
give us reasonable assurance for making I
new contra It's
except the feeling that should be told /
why they arc called off from their work /
and given an opportunity Of removing /
list We do not think the men will as
sert that in the past we have not con- /
ceded everything possible asked Of us. I
and 10 must be apparent we cannot WELD I
70 complaints that we know nothing Of
AS a matter of fact. many Of those \
contemplating building have put il off be-
cause of the uncertainty of getting work /
done. because OF the growing cost and be- /
cause of the humidity Of contractors IN /
view of existing conditions. In bidding on
work. We think il safe to assert that
there IS SO 1-3 per cent less work this .
year than would have been contracted for /
had the existing unfavorable features OF I
the business not arisen.
As before stated. we find no fault with .
any one, but feel our position is war
Tantahle. reasonable and will really be d
best for al the interests involved.