Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-10
STRIKE IN SYMPATHY
BrickIayers Decline to Work
With Non-Union Plumbers.
The PAINTERS MAY FOLLOW
General Tie-Up in Local Building
Operations Predicted.
BRICKLAYERS ARE UNANIMOUS
Penalty Imposed Upon Union Men
Who Disregard Command-Ac-
ton Last Night.
The PAINTERS MAY FOLLOW
BRICKLAYERS ARE UNANIMOUS

At largely attended meeting of the
journeymen bricklayers last night a reso-
luton was adopted unanimously setting
forth:
That no member of Brickfayers' Union,
No. 1. District Of Columbia, shall be per-
mitted to work on any job on which non
union plumbers are employed: and
member after leaving a job shall not be
permitted to return until members of
local Plumbers Union, No. 5, are en-
ployed.
Noncompliance with this resolution
will incur a penalty of So for every day
worked"
The building situation in the District has
reached the crisis stage, it is declared.
and the outlook is that building opera
lions. present and prospective, here will
be seriously hampered unless some
speedy settlement is effected in the mat
ter of the journeymen plumbers who
were locked out by their former employ
ers last March.
Action Taken Last Night.
This acute stage was reached last night
at a meeting of Bricklayers' Union. No. /.
at Costello's Hall. that apartment being
packed to the walls with more than 300
members of the organization. The resolu-
ton given was adopted after a report had
been made by the committee Of the union
which recently met with the Master Build
ers Association Unc.), the original Master
Builders Association and the master brick
layers. The conference had been called for
the purpose of determining whether the
master plumbers or the journeymen plumb
ers were In error in the matter Of the lock-
out. The result Of this conference has al
ready been given in The Star. The COM
mittee which made the report last night
was composed of Messrs Milford Spohn. H
II. Shook, John ]. Mccarthy, James M.
Murtagh and John G. Wolfe.
leading bricklayer said today that the
unusually large attendance at the union
meeting last night indicated the great inter-
est OF the membership on the report of the
committee. Prior to the formation of the
joint commission of the association named
the bricklayers became interested In the
conditions that existed between the master
plumbers and the journeymen plumbers,
and several weeks ago they took the initia-
gether and restore amicable relations. The
bricklayers believed that a continuance of
the trouble would seriously affect the build
ing interests of the city, and through their
efforts. 1t Is said, the joint committee from
the several master builder associations was
formed in an endeavor to effect q reconcil-
iation.
Reach Decision.
When the final reports Of the committee
of the Bricklayers' Union was made last
evening and the published. statements of
the master plumbers were analysed the
bricklayers decided, 1t Is said, that the EN-
ployers Association of Plumbers would not
agree to submit the questions at issue be-
tween them and the journeymen to arbitra-
ton and settlement and that this disposition
on the part OF the master plumbers would
not be tolerated by the bricklayers. They
decline, they state, to permit any class of
employers to pursue the open shop policy,
for the reason that 1t would in time result
in the absolute disintegratiOn of all trades
unions
The action of the bricklayers last evening,
said The Stars informant, was done after
mature and deliberate consideration of the
situation. The Bricklayers' Union has al
ways been very considerable and conserv-
alive body of workmen, he said and has
always been opposed to sympathetic strikes
or, in fact, to strikes OF any kind except as
a last resort after all peaceful means have
failed.
There has been no strike of the local
brickiaye-s, he stated, since 1885, when a
strike was declared to secure an eight-hour
workday. Since then the relations between
the members of the union and the employ
ers have been generally satisfactory to both
parties. He added that the committee in
its report last night made no recommended
ers' Union shows their spirit and feeling in
the matter.
Opinion in Labor Circles.
In local labor circles today the opinion
was freely expressed that the journeyman
painters and other building trades will fol-
low the lead of the bricklayers, and that a
general tie-up of building operations Of the
District will result. unless the master
plumbers recede from the position they
have taken. 1t was also stated that building
operations have already been retarded be-
cause of the insufticiency Of the number OF
journeymen plumbers to keep up with the
operations Of the other workmen.
1t was reported this afternoon that there
had been one or two walk-outs Of bricklay-
ers from buildings In this city and vicinity
on which non-union plumbers were en-
ployed. 1t was also said this afternoon that
1t is likely meeting Of the two master
builders association and that Of the master
bricklayerS will be called at once