The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-31
BOSSES FIRM I'm
THEIR POSITION
Say They Will Go Out Of Bust
ness Sooner Than Submit to
Men g Demands.
The Unions Aggressions Have
Reached a Point that De-
mands Radical Action.

~ noW ooOluS p1OUdUlo Gudt LOluOI-
row will see the beginning of the an
nual spring labor difficulties. The
struggle will be between the plumbers
local union and the master plumbers.
The masters will be backed in their
position by the members of the Build
e ers .+ol Exchange cha comprising al con,
way interested in building operations
This support will be in money and in
moral backing.
Some time ago the journeymen
plumbers adopted new schedule to
take effect April l. The master plumb
ers at once announced that they would
not accede to the demands made by
the plumbers union, and came back
the union demands $3.50 a day, the
masters announce a sliding scale of
much more as they are worth. There
are men in the business whom the mas
ters say they are willing to pay So and
Sc day.
The bosses will demand the right to
hire only competent men, and in a
TSs union m has me pen ce zee
materials which the masters will insist
shall be used. The right to hire help
ers and apprentices will be insisted
upon.
Master plumbers make the same gen
eral statements concerning the situa-
tlon. They claim that it is useless to
try to effect "a settlement with the jour
neymen so long as the actions of the
union are controlled by what they term
a certain irresponsible element which
attempts to say how the business shall
be- conducted and who may be allowed
to work at the trade. They also insist
that it is impossible to do business un-
der the proposed rules, or even to con-
tinue under the present rules. One new
rule Of the union provides that no spe-
eial plumbing permit work may be done
by a member Of the union without the
consent Of the business agent of the
union. zs.--.s
II will close my shop and 90 to
shoveling dirt for d dollar a day be.
fore j will submit to have Jack Rogan
] the business agent, tell me what ] am
to do, said one boss today. s.-4ss
"Ihe rebsic cannot begin to know
the annoyance and trouble to which We
have been put said a large employer
honest, :hardworking men, who wish tc
position of. the others, the wages they
receive. The rule Of the majority
however, is to do as little work as pos
sible and to keep others from working
The public has had about all it will
stand and so have we. I, for one, an
tired of going to the front and collect
ing for these fellows in addition to the
responsibility which I have to carry
To avoid trouble I might agree to d.
business under the present condition.
for a while, but before I will submit
to the proposed rules T. will close my
plumbing business -
| The master plumbers held a meeting
about week ago to talk over the sit
| uation and drew up set Of rules which
has since been posted in all shops. Some
fifty,-fve employers were represented
small establishments. A thoro canvass
Of the men working at the trade in tn,
1 city was made. Of $50 men in the loca
union it was found that 1876 were EN-
ployed by, the fifteen largest contrac
tors. About twenty Of the. other forty
five have political jobs Of some sor
and the remainder are employed by tn
It was found that there were less thai
I Ito plumbers in the local union reall,
satisfactory to their employers. TIL,
bosses in many cases stand ready to pa,
some OF these men more than the uniol
demands because they are good men.
The other men, according to thu
bosses, are not wanted or are not wortl
The money they demand. The sliding
scale was therefore proposed.
Unless a man is worth So day, h
is no use as plumber said one con
tractor. "We can get other men a
helpers and should be allowed to do SO
Masons and carpenters are allowed help
ers and want them. The plumbers hav
i carried affairs 80 far that they hav
nearly frozen themselves out. The,
work so slowly that prices are neces
mand for new material of such natur
that at the present time an entir
house may be fitted with few wipe,
joints. Now they say that they vii
not put in any Of this material. Mos
Of it is such as is found in the mos
modern open-plumbed homes, and is dc
manded by the builders and the pub
lie. ~
The masters feel that If the publ
will not stand by them, they will be BET
ter off to quit the business and lie
the public deal directly with the me1
It is claimed that there are competen
non-union men in the city. Some ar
running small shops Of their own, bu
would be glad to get steady work wit
large employers. Some contractor
have already made arrangements fo
securing men from outside. It is ais
: stated by several larger employers tina
the time chosen for the walkout, if sue
it is to be, could not be better.
There is no large work being don
at present, and it is sort Of between ha
and grass for the masters, = said on