The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-10
CITY NEWS.
MASTERS HOLD
AGREEMENT NIL
SAY BUILDERS EXCHANGE null
LIFTED ARRANGEMENT.
Master Painters Governed by Action
of Exchange just as Painters Are
Influenced by the Building Trades
Council-The Issue Is Deemed Vital
by Both Sides.

While the disposition on both sides
is friendly enough, the chances Of
friction between the master painters
and the journeymen have been multi
piled by the number of employers.
Since the conference of Wednesday
night failed of result, each employer
is planning to act at his own discre-
ton In encountering or avoiding
trouble.
The employers are charged by the
men with seeking to abrogate an
agreement entered into last April,
ostensibly for the year. The issue be-
tween the two interests is the employ
ment Of union men upon jobs with
nonunlon men. The masters do not
demand the right to employ nonunion
painters, but do wish the same priv
ilege enjoyed by local plumbing con-
tractors of sending their union crews
upon jobs where nonunion crews of
other crafts may be employed. This
would involve the retirement of the
painters union from the Building
Trades council, which it has declined
to do.
On the other hand, the Master
Painters association, thru it's secre-
tary, George w. Jones, asserts that
the April agreement is already nulli-
fed by it's own terms. Secretary
Jones says that when the agreement
was drawn, it was with the distinct
understanding that it should cease to
be effective in case it's provisions
should be found not in harmony with
the action Of the Builders and Traders
exchange, of which the Master Paint
ers' organization is subsidiary body.
Later, the exchange took up the
Haglin case and decided not to coun-
tenance any unions disposition to re-
fuse to work upon a job where Hag-
Inns men might be employed, This
action, the master painters hold, con-
ficted with the April agreement and
consequently nullified it.
AS the case now stands, the master
painters consider themselves bound to
send their men upon a job with non
| union men If occasion arises, for the
action Of the exchange represents the
| best judgment of the contractors as
| to the wisest course for all. Inasmuch
| as the builders may employ large
crew of nonunion men at one place
| to advantage, this branch of contract
| ing may run along with no particular
danger of a clash, until it comes to
necessary to finish structure. En-
| ploying painters, however, handle
their men in smaller crews which must
be Jumped about to various places
when their work is ready. With the
contractors in primary building
!
crews, the painters are thus likely to
be the first ones to encounter trouble
| thru the inOpportune meeting Of their
crews with those of builders employ
| ing nonunionists. to
| While the unions have expressed
no fear as to their own. existence, the
employers say that the issue as out
lined above will tend strongly to de-
unionize the crews employed by all
contractors, inasmuch as a ,nonunion-
| ist will work anywhere, while a union
man will be apt to find certain places
where the rules of his organization
bar him. Aside from this one point
Of difference, the master painters and
their men agree. This settled, the for
mer are willing to restrict their crews
| to union men, to pay union wages and
to observe union hours. The issue,
| however, involves a point which is re
garded vital by the labor union, and
If the leaders Of the union painters
did not have the reputation Of pos
sessing cool heads, the situation would
be decidedly more portentous OF
trouble than 1t Is at present. In this
trade there has been the best of feel.
ing between employers and employed
Each year there has been a for1na
agreement between the two interests
as to wages and hours and class o.
men to be employed. In, the last five
years wages have advanced from 81
cents an hour to 37k cents, the hours
have been reduced from ten to eight
and the agreement has been to emplo!
none but union men. While the mas
tiers feel that in some individual case
they have been obliged to pay highe
wages than earned because union
cards had been issued to men Of in
ferior ability, no formal complain
has been made on this score. TIL
only issue Is the working of uniol
painters on Jobs with nonunionists o
other trades. s