New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-08-01
BIG OPEN SHOP LOCKOUT.
EMPLOYERS CONSIDER 1T.
Tired Of Violations Of Contracts by
Building Trades Unions.

bulL0tng RACES 4 HtOH"'
The subway strike through which several
trades not only violated the contract between
she rapid transit committee Il the central
Federated Union and the Rapid Transit CON
tractors Association, but also The arbitration
agreement of the Building Trades Employers
Asgacation has brought aboat state of m
fairs which is likely 20 culminote this week
n n lockout % from twenty I'VE 70 thirty thou
SAND mechanics and helpers The matter mas
passed OUT Of the hands Of the general arbitra-
ron board Of the employers association ard
VIII he :aken I'D to-day by the board Of govern
ors. which mas power 20 order general lock
out Of al the unions which have violated the
arbitration agreement.
In the subway the arbitration agreement has
been violated by the Brotherhood Of Carpenters.
she Electrical Workers Union. Operative Pas
,ere-ss Society Plumbers and Gas Filters
Union. Amalgarnated Painters Society and the
Metal Lathers' Union The unions in the Cen
fral Federated Union known the Marble In
d,Istrv have 1-iolat I'd the arbitration agreement
by a strike in the Hal of Records to force
Robert H Reid & Co. TO discharge 4 foreman
who has incurred the displeasure of the union.
The brotherhood of Painters whose members
are working in the subway, violated the arbitra-
ton agreement Saturday when its members
went on strike on all the buildings whore ] L.
Nelson & Co. have contracts.
The unions in these trades have been ordered
70 send their men back TO work but none Of
them have done so. and the marble workers last
week received until to-day 10 return 10 work
Whether the board of governors VIII give the
unions one more chance before declaring the
lockout depends on the view taken of the matter
by the hoard at its meeting to-day.
In the mean time the Operative Plasterers' So
ciety has apparently been trying TO make it inn
possible TO avoid general building trades strike
A secret mass meeting held by the society
8n Cooper Union on Saturday afternoon. which
was called TO ratify an agreement for two years.
made by President Grimes and committee of
rhe union and a committee Of the Employing
Plasterers Association.
This agreement provided union wages and con-
ditions hut after several of its sections had been
voted down It was rejected as a whole. The fol-
lowing section, which was the first rejected
shows that the evident intention of the plaster
e-s' union is to fight the arbitration agreement:
The condition Of this agreement will be con-
Eidered working in connection with the general
arbitration plan Of July 10 9 of 1905.
The arbitration plan had been practically
adopted on July 3. 1903. but some amendments
were made on July 9. aS05. after which the arbi-
sration agreement was finally accepted.
Among sections IN the agreement which were
objected 70 before the document was rejected as
a whole were the following:
Sec : The o. P. s. shall not order a strike
against the members of the f. P. A. collectively
Individually shall members of the .. P. s.
leave the work of a member of the E. P. A.
until the matter in dispute is brought before the
arbitration board for settlement and A decision
rsndered
Sec. :. The members Of the O. 2. s agree 10
work only for the members OF the E. P. A on
and after August i. 1904, on all work in the hor-
oughs OF Manhattan and The Bronx"
An officer Of the Operative Plasterers' Society
frankly admitted yesterday that the plasterers'
union expected a general lockout. He also vol
unteered the statement that in his opinion the
Building Trades Alliance. the new strike body
which has started the subway strikes and with
which the Operative Plasterers' society is at
hliated viii not have "a long existence.
Ia case general lockout OF the unions men
aCHed does not bring about observance Of the
arbitration agreement. the employers. i was
learned yesterday. may eventually start an open
shop fight. SixtY-five per cent OF the employers
are said TO favor the open shop. a member Of
said.
The organization of the Building Trades Al
lance seems TO indicate an attempt 10 fight the
arbitration agreement and bring about 3 state
Of affairs like that when sam Parks ruled the
Board of Building Trades / believe however.
that, Parks being dead, there IS probably not
another man shrewd enough TO swing the
unions he did. j appears, however.
that walking delegates can sun force the unions
10 violate agreements"
He said the open shop would be the last re-
sort. and if it was forced on the employers II
would probably be preceded by another general
shutdown and the issuing OF ultimatum that
the men could return 10 work only under the
open shop plan. Union wages would be paid
under The open shop plan, and practically the
same conditions as TO hours Of work would rule
but there would be no discrimination between
union ana non-union men b. the employers.
The subway strike was considered IN executive
session by the Central Federated Union yester-
cav. A committee was appointed TO arlalganlate
the Brotherhood Of Painters and the Amalea-
mated Painters Society. This would end at
least the ostensible cause of the strike in the
subway.
4 resolution was passed TO ask for a confer
snce between John B. Mcdonald, the rapid tran
cit contractor, the representatives Of the unions
involved IN the subway strike and the Central
Federated Union rapid transit committee 20
bring about a uniformity OF union conditions
and James Holland, chairman of the committee
was ordered TO wait on Secretary Douglass Of
the Rapid Transit Contractors Association TO-
day 70 arrange for this conference