Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-19
BECOMING SERIOUS.
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Thursdays conference are preparins
for the strike which they think will fol
low. Members of other unions, wnt
will be out of work because they can
not proceed with the building with
out the bricklayers are said to be in
disnant that the bricklayers SHOULD
tie up the whole building industry.
Twenty-Five hundred Iithogra pher.
nave struck rather than be locked out
Inc work was at the direction of thei.
district officers when they found thai
they must sign arbitration agrremen,
or be discharged. The employers say
that % men have already signed the
agreement and are ready to go to work
but the officers of the union declare
positively that only 16 men have sign
eG.
This afternoon. another conference
vas held, a committee representing the
! Drlcklayers meeting g committee from
the master builders. Terms could not
be agreed upon and the master build
ers referred the matter to the board of
governors of The Employers Associa
ton. This body asked the master
builders to renew negotiations with
the bricklayers and report the result.
next Wednesday. If a peace agreement
has not been reached before that time
/ The Employers Association will take
action in the matter.
There was every indication. TODAY.
| that the fight between the members of
the Building committee and the skilled
workers in the building trades will be
a stubborn one. although the EMPLOYERS
are doing everything in their power to
avert conflict like that of a year ago.
when 10000 employees were out of work
for five months, involving a loss Of
a bout $50, 100000 in wages. A committee
of tie employers held a meeting at the
Building Trades Club, yesterday. and
issued the following statement to the
public:
The recent alarming prophecies that
ali building operations in New York
are again to be stopped are utterly alb
surd, as neither employer nor mechan-
ic wishes another season of idleness.
The masons' laborers, which has caused
the enforced idleness of the bricklayers
and a few men in other branches, We
expect will be settled.
1t is not true that the employers are
aiming to establish the open shop pol
icy in New York. The employers and
the union men are getting along salts
factOrly upon an equitable business
basis and there is no desire to disturb
present conditions by attempting to
inaugurate the open shop policy. If
that comes it will he forced upon the
employers as a last resort after the
arbitration policy has failed.
We believe that the common-sense of
both employers and workment will in
the light Of past experiences, prevent a
further serious disturbance of settled
conditions and that any and all minor
differences that may arise will be set
tied in calm and reasonable manner
as provided for in the arbitration agree
ment. The interests of the city, the
interests of the employers and the in
terest of the men all demand steady
work instead of another summer of
fighting and stagnation.
! The trouble was extended, early YES
terday. to several buildings in course
of construction. Work on almost ev-
cry building was practically at stand
still. Three hundred additional iron
workers were thrown out of employ
ment. A thousand iron workers mad
been compelled to stop work the day
| before, end when the iron workers got
together they were angry at the pros
pect of another spell Of ideness.
There was almost a riot, yesterday
at the site of the old Seventy-first
Regiment armory at Thirty-first street
and Fourth avenue. About 50 non
union men were at work as laborers at
the foundations when more than a
hundred striking building laborers
threw stones and other missiles at the
non-union men. Many of the nom
uEioEists were struck and receiver
scalp wounds. The non-union men
fled and were pursued by the strikers
There were no policemen IN sight dur
ing the trouble.
The employers said. last night. that
| they were making every effort to bring
about peace and some action may be
taken ut a meeting of the joint board
of arbitration of the Mason Builders
| association and the bricklayers to-
| morrow. Chairman Finn. of the
Bricislayers' Executive board wants
harmony.
The Mason Builders" said he made
a mistake in increasing the hours of
! work of the building laborers thus fore
| ing 1000 men to go on strike. but as soon
| as the Mason Builders recognized that
! they had violated the arbitration agree
ment they quickly rescinded their resolu-
| ton and left no trouble to he adjusted.
Right here the building laborers should
| have taken advantage of the point they
| had gained. But they went further and
| tried to force theemployers to agree on an
| impossible plan, When the bricklayers
went on strike there was no grievance
whatever. and in taking the action they
| violated the arbitration agreement. The
| whole thing is a series of blunders.'
| Public School No. g. at Hester Esse y
! and Norfolk Streets. one of the largest in
| the CITY. was the first to be tied up by
the present strike. 1t is intended to ac-
commodate 400 pupils. The following
public schools which should have been
| completed. last year. are still unfinished.
| and will be still further delayed by any
| extension of this strike:
! Manmattan-No. 81 Gouveneur and
Monroe streets. seats 100: No. 81. East
1.6th street. near End avenue. seats 1900.