New-York tribune., 1903-05-12
STRIKE FEVER HIGHER.
Men an Tzco More Trades Break
Agreements and Quit.

The upheavaI in the building industry caused
by the shutdown lin the yards of the Lumber
and Building Material Dealers associations.
and the strike which caused the shutdown
and the complete closing Of all building
operations have brought about a new de-
parture among the various associations OF
employers i'll the building trades For the first
time in thei- history SO far as is known theF
have decided to issue a call for mass meeting
of representatives of al the associations. 10
take place some time this week at the bulidlhe
Trades Club No. 1925 Broadway. to take unlteo
action in the present crisis The present abnor-
NAL conditions in the building industry threat.
ened they believe. if the strike fever is not
checked bv some radical action on the part of
the employers to put sudden end to the act
ivity in the buiI0ing trade which marked the
baqinning of this season and seemed likely 70
last for several years
The enpIovers' associations in the buildlng
trades are all affiliated with the BUILDING 1ra0es
Association, which has its headquarters at the
Building Trades Club. The coming mass meet
ing will be attended by representatives OF the
following associations of employers, all animated
with the Building Trades Association: Cnited
Building Trades. Marble Industry Employers
Association. Master Carpenters Assoclalloh'
Master League of Cement Workers, Electrical
tel Association. Lighting Fixtures Assocla-
tion Mason Builders Association, New-1 ork
Electrical Appliance Association Iron League
Employing Plasterers' Association. Hosting AS
sociation, Society of Architectural Iron Manu-
| facturers Employers Association of Roofers
! and Sheet Metal Workers, Association OF IN
| terror Decorators and Cabinet Makers and the
Manufacturing Wood Workers Association OF
| Greater New-York.
Other organizations which will send repre-
sentatives will include the Lumber Dealers AS
| sociation and the Building Material Dealers AS
! socation
| The associations represent a capital of $500
| 100000 and want to put end 10 the cease
| less strikes and other labor troubles Vnlcn nave
| threatened to kill the entire building industry
| They say that unless matters are on Iooths
| which they have confidence in it VIII be lnpos
| sibIe to take building contracts
The Master Carpenters Association met yes
I terdav in the Building Trades Club and was
| addressed by ]. Sherlock Davis, of the LUMBER
Dealers Association Mr.. Davis talked to them
| on the necessity of united action. He believed
| that the building boom would last If the en-
| pIovers were united. and urged the master car
! penters to take similar action to that OF the
| Mason Builders Association.
! The Master Carpenters Association will looi
! I'D it's constitution and bylaws. and If they ALLOW
| of its taking the same action the Masor
| Builders Association did in deciding TO buy
| from no non-association dealer while the smut
| down lasts such action will be taken
| A member of the Mason Builders Association
| who was seen at the Building Trades Club said
! that the wages of the hundred thousand
skilled men who were thrown idle by the strikes
! of the unskilIed trades, which the Board OF
| Building Trades indorsed. averaged 81 day
! This means 100000 a day in wages lost during
the present trouble. to skilled mechanics, ano
| this money. ne said. would never he recovered.
| T. Prince. of Prince & Rinkel. iron manu-
| facturers said that the strike Of the Inside
| Architectural Iron Workers Union for an in
| crease of wages and union conditions. nov
| affected the entire city. About 5000 were out
About eleven shops" he said, refused
| the demands and a strike followed. Then the
| larger employers who in the Iron League
shut down to head off a strike they did no
| want to grant the demands. We are employing
| non-union men ourselves. We had fight will
| the union some years ego and won
The strike of the structural iron workers ir
| svmpathy with the portable hoisting engineer:
! spread over the city yesterday. A representa-
tive of the American Bridge Company. which
| made an agreement for year. going into effect
on Nav l. with the structural iron workers, one
provision of which was that there should be nc
sympa thetic strikes. said:
.'This shows how little dependence can be
| placed on an agreement with union The
union will break it without tompunction, a thing
| the employers dare not do
The Iron League will meet to-day at the Hoh-
man House. It is said that it is its regular
| meeting but the question Of the strike VIII
| probably be discussed.
It was stated by the labor committee OF the
| Lumber Dealers Association yesterday that the
small dealers in the East Side had conference
| with the association and decided to shut down
This made the shutdown complete. except in tht
Yards of the Yellow Pine Company and the foul
| other cornpa nfes il controls
| About eleven hundred members of the Brotn
| erhood of Carpenters struck yesterday IN tne
| shops of the Employing Cabinet Makers ano
| Interior Decorators Association A committee
| Of the association called at yesterdays meeting
| Of the Board of Building Trades and complained
| that the strike was in viola ton OF an agree
| Y7ent The committee received no satisfaction
| '"Tbe Building Trades Bulletin" for this monti
saws that 263 buildings have been contracted
| for in this city most OF which were starteC
| after Nav l. Their cost is estimated at SIi-
| III $50 and all these buildings will be involved
| in the present shutdown and strikes In tn'
| building trades