The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-05
WILL FIGHT TO:
A FINISH
Contractors Declare They VIII Make
No More Concessions to Plumbers
Open Shop in Fargo After the Eighth
of Next Month,

open Shop In Fargo After the Eighth
Of Next Month.
$50 far as we are concerned it will
be a fight to the finish with an open
shop as the result" said R. C. Spriggs,
member of the firm of Spriggs Bros,
heating and plumbing contractors,
this morning, in referring to the
plumbers strike.
There is no backing out now. We
gave the strikers an opportunity to
return to work, but they refused it,
and now the master plumbers have
made determined stand for the open
shop. Two years ago the plumbers
demanded an increase in wages-and
got 1t. A year ago another demand
for Increase was made and that was
acceded to. This time. however, there
will be no concessions. OF the five
employing firms in Grand Forks, at
least four, and probably all, will stay
for the finish"
AS CLEANED in conversations with
the master plumbers, one reason why
they desire an open shop is to avoid
the abuses that follow the employment
of transient plumbers who represent
themselves as first-class tradesmen
and demand union wages, when de-
velopments very often show they are
not worth the money. The regular
union men refuse to work unless these
alleged incompetents receive the un-
ion scale. The employers are willing
to pay first-class men the scale of IS
for ten hours work, but object to pay
Ing incompetent men the same money
I'VE would as soon employ union
men as any Others" said Mr.. Spriggs
in referring to this point, "but we
don't propose to pay the scale to men
who are not worth it, or to stand for
an increased wage with decrease of
hours at this time. In other words
we would like to be permitted to run
our own business"
Mr.. Spriggs asserted that the strik-
ers numbered only six men-four
plumbers and two steam-fitters. The
firms affected by the strike are B. o.
Paulsness, Spriggs Bros, F. L. Dixon,
+. Norquist and Frank Maloney.
The master plumbers at Fargo have
notified the union in that city that on
and after May s, when the unions con-
tract will expire, an open shop will be
the rule. Winnipeg already has the
open shop and it is for the same thing
that the Grand Forks master plumb
ers are fighting. They expect num-
Der of men here from the Twin Cities
next week to take the places of the
strikers. 2>'.Se. ~.
Statement of the Plumbers.
A representative of The Evening
Times this afternoon interviewed
Harry Helps, who until the first of
the ~
union. Said Mr.. Helps:
"The fight between the master
plumbers and the journeymen at the
present time is not SO much one OF
wages and hours, as it is one to de-
eide whether or not open shop is to
be maintained in this city and the un-
ion killed of. We were willing to
meet with the employing firms and
talk the matter over, but they stead
lastly refused to treat with us as a
union, Offering, however, to take up
the matter with us as individuals.
This, in view of the fact that to fail
to recognize our union would be to
sound Its death knell, we refused to do.
Grand Forks is the only city in the
northwest where the plumbers work
ten hours a day. At Fargo they work
oAis CiSAI uOuIS anu Tue union mas a
contract with the master plumbers
"The agreement which the local
union here had with the employers
expired on April l., and prior to that
date, we formulated scale for pre-
sentation, notifying the employing
firms before that time. They COM
pletely ignored us, however, and COM
PEELED us to take measures for our
own protection. Q'
THE probable outcome of the pres
ent strike" continued Mr.. Helps, will
be that the men affected, or some of
them, will start cooperative shops in
this city and give the present firms
some good, hard competition.
People may perhaps think that a
plumber when he received IS a day
is being well paid. So he would if
it We're not for the fact that he works
only about half the time. there not
being steady employment
A woman calls a man good hus-
band when he will blame anything she
does tn annov him nm tho woothor