Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-18
UNDER BAN OF UNIONS
Municipal Building One of Many
on Black List.
SITUATION MOST SERIOUS
Strike Breaking Company May Take
Hold.
CONGRESS BUILDINGS ARE FAIR
Views Of Labor Leader on Present
Situation-The Tie-Up
In Detail.
SITUATION MOST SERIOUS
CONGRESS BUILDINGS ARE FAIR

Oh organized LABOR because II Is said the
contract for the plumbing and gasflttiny
work has been awarded to a firm that will
employ non-union workmen. Fifty-seven
building contracts, involving about $50
structures, have been entered upon the
BLACK list" of the trades unions. The tie
most serious aspect, and 1t Is said fall build
ing will be generally abandoned In the
District. 1t Is reported that non-unionists
will be brought here by a strike breaking
company.
The journeymen painters at a meeting OF
their union last night at HOS E street de-
cided to join in the strike movement now
In progress in this city. The action OF
the painters. it is said. practically arrays
all the building trades against master build
erS who have made contracts with master
plumbers who have declared for the open
shop and are employing non-union me-
chanicS
Each of the. building trades have been
furnished with a '.black list" on which ap-
pears the building jobs in the District and
the names of the contractors who have en-
tered into agreements with members of the
Master Plumbers Association for plumb
ing. steamfitting and gasfitting on build
ingS In course of construction. 1t Is as
summed that the master plumbers on the
black list will employ non-union workmen,
and therefore the mechanics comprising
the other building. trades are enjoined by
their unions not to work on such struc-
lures, or If they have been employed on
them, to go on strike fOrthWlth.
Buildings on Black List.
Prominent on this black list is the partly
constructed municipal or District govern
ment building at 14th street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue. Other structures that have
been placed under the ban of organized
labor are the Industrial Home for Colored
Children, a public school building on .
street between Wisconsin avenue and Po-
torac street northwest several large
apartment buildings and the new mess
hall structure at the Soldiers Home,
which. it is estimated. will cost about
81 ZOO, 900.
The "bIack list" was seen by a Star re-
porter today. 1t Is long one, and con-
tains fifty-sev building contracts, repre-
senting approximately $50 buildings Of va
rious sizes in a partly completed condition.
A labor leader informed a Star reporter
this afternoon that an erroneous statement
had been made as to the House Of Repre-
sentatives and Senate office buildings be-
ing placed on the unfair list Of organized
labor
THE fact is" he added, "that the work
on both buildings Is being conducted along
strictly union zines, and that many of the
bricklayers who walked out from other Jobs
on which non-union plumbers had been en-
ployed have been put to work on the House
and Senate buildings. There Is a great de-
mand for bricklayers throughout the coun-
try, and unless the difficulty here is settled
quickly the local men wilt depart for new
fields, and then the building operations here
will be tied up for fair. The brickiayers are
fighting against the open shop, and. they
will not return to work until they are salts
fed that conditions are satisfactory and
the open shop movement of the bosses In
the District has been put upon the shelf for
good
Leading members of the Painters Union
are equally positive In their statements,
and declare they will hold out as long as is
necessary Ito insure success"
Locked Horns for Struggle.
Appearances today indicated that the
masters and the journeymen of the build
ing trades have locked horns and that the
contest may be long drawn out. In the
mean time real ,state men say the former
fall building operations have been declared
of and that the contractors will bend their
efforts toward finishing up the work now
In an unfinished state.
The contractor for the new municipal
building Is James L. Parsons, who. 1t Is
said, has entered into sub-contract with
a plumbing firm here which is employing
non-union workmen. Members OF orgal-
ICED labor say, therefore, that all the MEM
bers of building trades will be called on
this work next week, as 1t is understood
Mr.. Parsons cannot abrogate his contract
with the master plumber without mourning
quently between his satanic majesty and
the deep blue sea-" one of his friends
expressed 1t today Other contractors IN
the District are declared to be In the same
unpleasant situation.
It was reported today that an agent OF
a "strike-breaking'' company is expected
to visit this city the first of next week for
the purpose of providing certain contractors
with non-union bricklayers and other
building tradesmen to take the places Of
the strikers here. 1t Is also said that this
company Is securing the counties of Mary
land, Virginia and other states to secure
country workmen of both colors
The rumor that the master plumbers had
decided to hold a conference with the
locked-out journeymen of that trade was
pronounced to be untrue bya leading en-
ploying plumber this afternoon.
Delegates from the several trades unions
to the Central Labor Union are said to be
arrang ing a program of action to be pre-
scented to the central body at its meeting
Monday evening, with the view of def
nitely determining the status of the pres
emit tangled condition of affairs in the
building trades and a method of proceed
ure so that the action of organized labor
can he unanimous.
Interference Hardly Probable.
Members of the local bricklayers' union
say that the master builders are endeay-
oring to persuade their international body
to Interfere in the local trouble, but that
they are confident that such action will
not be taken unless the appeal comes
from the bricklayers themselves.
The master builders are said to insist that
they will do nothing until the bricklayers
return to work. and the bricklayers declare
that they will not work until the master
plumbers adjust their differences with the
journeyman plumbers. The latter are hold
ing frequent secret meetings, but their
transactions are closely yelled from the
public.
Torpedo Boat Warden Sailed.