The Washington times., 1906-03-08
BUILDING TIE-UP
IS THREATENED BY
PLUMBERS STRIKE
Serious Condition of Af-
fairs Faces Washington
Contractors.
BOTH SIDES CLAIM RIGHT
Journeymen and Masters Al
Iege Violation of the Five
Year Contract.

GdE A<Ollbl att
Unless the master plumbers and the
journeymen get together and reach an
agreement between now and Saturday
night Washington viii witness gem
eraI tie-up of all spring building opera
tions.
This morning when the shops Of the
master plumbers opened for the days
work not an apprentice nor helper show
ed up In less than thirty minutes
every master plumber in the city learn
ed that the apprentices and helpers
had joined the journeymen. All work in
the plumbing line in the city is now
tied up, save where the master plumb
ers are doing the work themselves.
The action of the boys" was a sur
prise. although it was generally under
stood that if the journeymen and
masters failed to settle their differences
by Saturday the boys" would be asked
by the journeymen to come out. But
the apprentices did not wait until Mon
day.
Voted to Go Out.
The Apprentices and Helpers Union
met last night with one journeyman
present to explain the situation. After
several hours debate a vote was taken
TO go out in sympathy with the journey
men. About 250 boys were at the meet
ing, but $50. il was said today are in
volved, that many having qtit work this
morning.
Costellos Hall. headquarters for the
journeymen and the boys, was crowd
ed this morning, and everyone seemed
in the best of spirits and talked as II
they had already gained their point.
The boys opened a register book to keep
the record OF the apprentices and help
ers and for an hour or more the sscre-
taTy OF the boys union was kept busy
entering the names Of the strikers. The
boys viii receive their strike benefit
the same as the journeymeu, but the
amount viii not be so large.
The master plumbers VIII give the
boys a certain time in which to return
to work, and II they do not return their
places viii be filled from the Dendine
applications and the boys. il was stated
today, viii never be taken back
Situation Most Grave.
The situation is grave and is far more
serious TO the building trade than the
strike of three years ago.
IN the present trouble both sides 70
the controversy charge the other with
having violated the fve-year contract
which is the sole cause of the existing
differences. And it can be said the mas
ter plumbers, like the journeymen, are
thoroughly organized.
The board Of directors Of the Journey
men Plumbers Union have considered
The question at issue with the result
that they have submitted the case To
the committee representing the Struesu-
raj Building Trades Alliance. The uur-
In Tofn -.
operation and support of the alliance
in the event that the master plumbers
declare for an open shop after Monday
next
Open Shop May Follow.
The open shop. which, the masters de-
clare, viii follow the refusal of the Jour
neymen to abide by the fve-year con-
tract. which has two years to run.
will be followed by the calling out of the
apprentices and helpers, and the ques-
tion viii be up to the Structural Build
ing Trades Alliance for action.
According to the Journeymen, all work
on every building where a non-union
plumber is employed by a master will
stop. IL is because of this, the Jour
neymen say, they do not wish to have
any trouble with the masters, for If the
viii be a ue-up such as Washington
has never before seen.
Working for Agreement.
A member of the board of directors
said to The Times reporter today that
the committee of fifteen, appointed by
the journeymen to treat with a like
committee from the master plumbers
on all questions in dispute, had not
been discharged. but was ready at any
time to meet and consider any PROPOSE
ton the masters would submit. and If
the conference committees could not
agree then. under the old understand
ing, the question should be settled by
arbitration.
The journeymen say the masters have
not given any intimation that they
would like to have the present ques-
ton passed upon by the conference COM
mittees. And as the master plumbers
locked them out last Saturday. thus
putting a stop to all plumbing work,
it is up to the masters. they say, to
make the first move for a conference
that is. if the masters want to effect
settlement.
The trouble between the iourn6ymen
and the masters has nothing to do with
hours of labor or wages. bGt relates
+ solely TO the number OF apprentices and
helpers that may be employed by the
masters. The latter say the five-year
contract was violated by the journey
men last summer when the journeymen
organized the boys" into Union and
closed the books against any more ap-
Drentices or helpers. And the journey
men say the boys" were organized
with the full knowledge and consent of
the masters
The master plumbers this afternoon
gave out a signed statement setting
tween them and the journeymen. which
forced the master plumbers to order the
lockout last Saturday night