New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-25
SURE OF AMALGAMATION.
h'OaI Carpenters Unions Long Bit
ter Foes Noe to Unite.

Pending the coming amaIgamation OF the United
brotherhood OF Carpenters and Joiners and the
Amalgamated Carpenters Society, on January l.
after year of preparation. every effort is TO be
made this week by the national officers of the
brotherhood to end the lockout OF the carpenters
In this city. Though the officers Of the Master
carpenters Association will not admit that there
can be any settlement. William Schardt. chairman
OF the national executive board, who still in this
city. says that he has received much encourage
ment from individual employers with whom he has
talked.
In any case" he said yesterday, "the amalga-
nation VIII take place according to programme.
mat Is an assured thing, and will have the
strongest national body in the country"
The present membership Of the brotherhood
throughout the country is one hundred and eighty
thousand. ard its absorption of the Amalgamated
Carpenters Society will bring its membership up
70 about two hundred thousand making it the
largest union in any single trade in the United
States.
1t is now the strongest union in any single trade
in the American Federation OF Labor The locals
Of the other union in this country form only g.
small proportion Of the membership of the Anal
ganated Carpenters Society, whose headquarters
are in Manchester. England. These locals will
sever their connection with the parent body.
Up 10 a. year ago all propositions to amagaruate
the two bodies were unsuccessful because by leav-
Ing the parent body. the Amalgamated carpenters
here would not only have been giving up their share
in its treasury but also its strike and insurance
benefits. Finally an agreement reached, by
which. in return for leaving the parent BODY. the
brotherhood undertook 10 make up the benefits
and other advantages it sacrificed by doing
1t was decided by both bodies that the members
Of the Brotherhood and the Amalgamated Society
should recognize each others cards and work in
harmony during 1904 the amalgamation 10 be COM
pleted on January !, 1905.
This agreement was so thoroughly carried out
that since the present lockout. which affects both
unions started the locked out Amalgamated men
have not only been receiving the strike benefit pro-
vided by their parent body OF s. week. but also
the Brotherhood strike benefit of Sc week The
name Brotherhood will be retained.
The coming settlement is the elimination OF
fight for supremacy in the trade which the Brother
hood has been waging for over ten years. The
Brotherhood fought the old board of walking dele
gates, whose policy, that Of every succeeding
body of the kind. was New-YOrk for New-Y orkers,
and which. keep out competition and keep wages
up was against exchanging cards with unions from
other cities
The Brotherhood wiped out one or two small local
unions by ordering strikes against their members
its biggest fight being against the New-York City
Carpenters Union, which had the support or the
board Of walking deli gates. During every strike
ordered by members Of this union the Brothernood
City Carpenters Union went out OF existence.
Then il started a night 10 wipe out the AIna!ga-
mated Carpenters Society in this city. about two
years ago. by ordering general strike 2u Over
greater New-York to force the discharge OF Anal
Ter Company contracts We're the first TO be at acked
though the company had an agree ment with the
time in most cases. Amalgamated men were is
charged for reason, except that the brotherhood
took out Brotherhood cards and were thus enabled
The brotherhood, when the amalgamation takes
place on January l. VIII nave no 5o az rtPatS aI
local There are about twelve thousand Brother
five thousand are affected by the lockout The lock-
out also affects the Amagamated carpenters.