Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-25
AGREEMENT REACHED
Wage Scale Fixed Upon by
Bricklayers.
TO LAST FOR A YEAR
CONFERENCE Committee FOB
QUESTIONS THAT ARISE.
Meetings to Be Held Monthly = Ar
rangement Said to Be Purely
Business One.
TO LAST FOR A YEAR

An agreement has been made between the
Master Bricklayers Association and Brick
layers Union, No. 1. Of this city. to remain
in effect for one year, beginning May 1
next, by which the union wages of a brick
layer are increased, and provision is made
for a joint committee for conference once
a month on questions that may arise from
time to time.
1t was stated positively today by union
man, acquainted with the reasons for this
action, that 1t is not intended to place
the master bricklayers in a favored posi-
ton in the eyes of the union to the exclu-
sion of general contractors and construc-
ton companies, nor was the action for in
creased wages taken without due consid-
Grafton of the increased demand for brick
layers in the District and the increased
cost of living. 1t is said to be merely a
business agreement.
The wording of the first article in the
agreement is as follows: That the union
April 30. 1906 shall be sixty-two and one
half (621s) cents per hour; that eight hours
shall constitute a days work, and that all
parties to this agreement shall quit work at
o'clock"
The present scale Is 52A cents for an
eight-hour day.
The agreement also provides that when
necessary to work relay gangs the brick
and am. shall be paid at the rate of time
and half, but no member of Bricklayers'
Union, No. L. Of Washington, shall work
more than eight hours in any twenty-four
hours; members of Bricklayers' Union. No.
/, shall not work for any but members of
this union or members Of the Master Brick
layers Association of Washington, or Of
such parties as Bricklayers' Union, No. 1.
shall recognize as employers of bricklayers.
Other Important Provisions.
Other important provisions of the agree
ment are as follows:
ut is hereby agreed that the members OF
the Bricklayers' Union, No. 1. will not, un-
der any circumstances, authorize or COM
tenance a strike against the Master Brick
layers Association until every honorable
means of settlement has been exhausted. 1t
is further agreed that the Master Brick
layers Association shall not recognize an
association or union of bricklayers or stone
maSOnS except the ones named as parties
to this agreement.
mo party to this agreement shall work
after 4 pm, except in the following cases,
which shall be considered extraordinary
emergencies, viz: UNDERMINING, the repair
ing of boiler or engine beds, or elevators
which have been broken down. All other
extraordinary work shall be submitted to q
committee. composed of the employer, the
foreman bricklayer and the oldest hand.
and the work shall progress, if they SO de-
eide, and the matter be reported to the
board of arbitration for approval or other
wise.
mo member of Bricklayers' Union, No.
1. shall work for any one laying bricks by
the thousand, nor shall any of the parties
mentioned in this agreement lay bricks by
the thousand; and. Furthermore, each party
must have written contract before enter
ing upon any work of any description, and
in case of any controversy submit contract
to a committee of equal members of the
Master Bricklayers' Association and Brick
layers Union, No. 1, which shall try all
cases and submit all findings to the re-
spective organizations for final decision.
The signers of the agreement for the
Master Bricklayers' are George Hughes
chairman; James Martin, w. c. Freeman,
George c. Humphrey and F. D. McAuliffe
and for the union, John T. Kenealy, secre-
tary: ]. A. Hutton, T. ]. Costello, James
Murtaugh and John G. Wolfe.
To Work for Association.
A local contractor is quoted as saying
that the agreement was brought about by
master bricklayers in order that the union
would make 1t a rule that no contractor
should be allowed to give out any bid for
brick work except subject to the associa-
ton The union it was stated, intends to
work for the association alone, and, in turn
to receive the higher wages. 1t was also
stated by this contractor that the agree
ment looks toward regulation by the
union of the time of accomplishing all work
on building, through the article which
provides for brick work to be done by the
job instead of by the thousand This is
said to be hard blow at the general con-
tractor and the construction company ac-
cording to the man quoted.
The view taken by this contractor, how
ever, is said TO be utterly erroneous by a
prominent union man, interviewed by a
Star reporter today. Among other things
this man said:
"The statement has been made that the
union has asked for increased hours This
is false. for we have worked for eight hours
day for the last fifteen years.
las for the opposition to the agreement,
the union does not anticipate any trouble
as result of refusal of employers to
pay the higher wages. The Master Builders
Association Is composed of forty-one of the
most responsible employers in the District,
and they have been anticipating the in
crease for some months and without any
particular opposition. They employ at least
IS per cent Of the bricklayers here.
The General Contractors.
1--WE don't know the attitude of the gen.
eral contractors and the construction COM
panies to this agreement, but on the whole
our membership has gotten along very well
with them. Certainly the man who takes
exception to the article in the agreement
providing for job work instead of work by
the thousand bricks has not had much ex-
perience in the building trade. For a boss
or master bricklayer who has a Job by
the thousand has to satisfy his employer
no more certainly than does the boss who
has the lump job. 1t is foolish to make
an assertion to the contrary and no man
Will make 1t who has had experience.
The objection of the union to LAYING
bricks by the thousand is that every con-
tract of this sort has been huckstered to
such an extent that the party having the
contract has to require the bricklayers un-
der him to sweat blood or to do one and a
half days work in an eight-hour day, to
enable him to secure small profit He has
10 force his men, and the result is poor
Workmanship. It is inevitable The poor
est work In this city has always been done
by the thousand
This action was taken to protect reliable
bosses of the city and to drive out of the
business those who, without any capital or
responsibility. simply act as middlemen to
drive bricklayers for the benefit of the
owner or general builder"
No Trouble Evidenced.
1t is claimed by those who are opposed to
the recent agreement that the common
ia We hon