New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-23
AGREE ON ARBITRATION.
END OF BUILDING WAR.
Employers and Unions IN COnventiOn
adopt Revised Plan.

and sincere relief last evening both at the head
quarters of the Building Trades Employers As
sociation and the unions over the adoption OF
joint arbitration agreement which will insure
peace in the building industry this season. The
agreement was adopted at a second convention
held yesterday at the Building Trades Club OF
representatives Of the trade organizations OF em-
ployers in the association and Of the unions
working under the old arbitration agreement, and
is the first and only arbitration agreement which
the unions had an equal share with the employ
ers in framing. The first convention decided that
new arbitration agreement was necessary. and
it was admitted that mistakes were made on both
sides. joint committee Of employers and en-
plOyes was then appointed to draft a new agree
ment, to be submitted again to the conven-
ton week ago from yesterday. The commit
tee was not ready last week. and the conven-
tion was postponed until yesterday. when the
new agreement, which will go into effect at
once. was unanimously adopted The new agree
ment affects nearly one thousand employers and
about ninety-five thousand mechanics engaged
in building.
Otto NJ. Eidlitz. of the Mason Builders Asso-
citation, presided at yesterdays convention. and
James Hatch. of the UphoIsterers' Union, was
vice-chairman. Out of thirty-two trade associa-
tions Of employers thirty-one were represented
by three delegates each. The thirty-two unions
were all represented by three delegates each.
With the exception of four trades. the dele
gates of all the trades represented came with
power to act. The four trades are the stone
cutters, the cement masOns. the brickIayers and
the tile layers. Their representatives as individ-
uals voted In favor Of the adoption of the new
agreement. In one case the union was not in
formed in time. and in the other three cases the
unions had not time to hold meetings 20 instruct
their delegates. Pending their ratification Of the
new agreement. which is practically. assured.
their members will work under the old arbitration
agreement. The new union Of carpenters voted
in favor of the new agreement. making the vote
unanimous pending the settlement Of their dis
pute with the Brotherhood. which will be con-
sUmmated this week
The old agreement was objected to mainly on
the ground that it was originally an employers
plan. and issued as an ultimatum by the
employers. The new agreement is the joint work
of both sides and in all its committees both sides
are represented.
The clause in reference to strikes and lockouts
is stronger in the new agreement than in the
old, and reads as follows:
not order any strike against member Of the Build
ing Trades Employers Association. nor shall any
Of the Building Trades Employers Association.
nor shall any member Of the Building Trades En-
ployers Association lock out his employees.
In Section q of the new agreement it is pro-
vided that in case Of disputes regarding juris-
diction of trade or conflicting provisions of two
more trade agreements the complainspts can
bring about conference between the unions
and the employers association interested in the
dispute. If this conference cannot settle the
dispute by concilation or arbitration. the gen.
eraI arbitration board is to take the matter UP.
and in case it fails to bring about a settlement
tee. The general arbitration board is provided
for in sections 4 and Of the new agreement,
which read:
sIsts @ 0l ,T ZION efafed WitL tb o' R1iidin Ts
Fnoers' Xssocjati5n and two Terss5ptativSs
from each union recognized party 10 this plan.
powers deIegated to ii by the several provisions
of this PLAN shall determine the manner Of 9d-
iustment Of any dispute which is not specifically
covered by this plan; shall adopt and amend
Ger in which and by whom the expenses Of special
arbitration boards shall be paid.
point which the unions consider Of great
Importance to them is provision in the new
agreement by which the secretary of the Gen
eraI Arbitration Board. instead OF being paid
empIoye Of the Employers Association shall be
paid by the unions and the employers in equal
shares. This applies also to his assistants. 1t
is further provided that his office. instead OF be-
ing AT tne BuuulnS IradeS CluDs Snal De IN
some building which is neither a union nor an
employers headquarters. The secretary is to be
elected every year. The cost of maintaining the
headquarters Of the General Arbitration Board
is to be shared equally by the unions and the
employers.
The old agreement provided for an emergency
committee, composed altogether of employers.
The new agreement substitutes for the emer-
genCy committee an executive committee, chosen
from the General Arbitration Board. and the
general arbitTatOrs cannot act without authOri-
ZatiOn from the organization represented by
them.
ing union men throughout in the skilled trades
was made more or less vague. In the new agree
ment ii is made more definite. follows:
The employers parties to this arbitration plan
agree to employ members of the trade unions only.
otherwise on the work and within the territory de-
scribed in Section OF this plan.
Under the old arbitration agreement business
agents could not be arbitrators. The union
scored point by having this restriction stricken
out on the recommendation of the agreement
committee.
\ lawyer, under the new agreement is not
allowed TO act as an arbitrator. counsel or ad-
wiser at any proceeding under the arbitration
agreement Other new sections. or sections sub
stituted for those in the old agreement give
the unions an equal voice with the employers in
all things Business agents of the unions rep
resented in the plan are permitted 10 enter all
buildings shops.
The arbitration agreement is the result
of many conferences. The feature which salts
hes the unions best is that ii is a joint agree
ment, not an ultimatum by the employers, like
the first one, the acceptance OF which was a
condition of obtaining work.
ELECTRICIAN KILLED ON STAGE.