Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-04
LOCKOUT IN EFFECT
Journeymen Plumbers Notified
at Close Of Business Yesterday.
EMPLOYERS ULTiMATUM
Agreement Alleged to Have Been
Signed Must Be Respected.
EMPLOYEES DECLARE FIGHT
Rent Headquarters and Resolve to
Resist the Demand-Protracted
Struggle Probable.

The lockout II the journeymen plumbers
by the employers who are members OF the
Master Plumbers Association Of Washing
ton went into effect at the close of BUSH
ness yesterday evening, as exclusively
given by The Star. AS the men and boys
went to their employers counting rooms
to get the envelopes containing their
weeks pay they were informed that they
need not come back to work Monday MORN
ing unless they were willing to abide by
the terms of the agreement or contract
that had been entered into by the Masters
Association and the union OF journeymen
plumbers. The terms of the contract were
explained to them and they were given
until Monday morning to decide. In some
Instances the workmen stated that the
matter would be brought before the union
at a special meeting to be called. Others
went out without making any comment
whatever.
The decision to lock out the Journeynen
was arrived at II is said, at a recent
meeting Of the executive committee OF e..e
masters association, after the entire si.-
uation had been gone over.
The ofIicers of the plumbers. union hefd
an informal meeting after the masters nae
announced their intention OF locking .asns
out, and decided to rent Costeiios RAJ =.
9th and G streets northwest, to be used as
strike, or lockout. headquarters, ana TO
hold q snecial meeting there Monday morn
inx to discuss the outlook. As the nali was
rented for one week, 1t Is said. It looks as
he the tourneymen are going to resist the
demands of their employers and make
protracted fight
Views of Journeymen.
A statement of the journeymen's side OF
the case was made last night to Star re-
porter 1t was to the effect that the en-
ploying plumbers had violated a verbal
agreement they had made with the union
as to the employment of apprentice boys
and helpers-that is to say, the agreement
that they would employ only boys ana
helpers who are members of the Helpers
Union This promise, it was alleged, was
made by the masters at the time of the
controversy last summer. The members OF
the Plumbers Union claim the employers
have decided that they will employ any
boys and helpers they please, without re-
gard to the helpers the plumbers
unions; that they will employe helpers who
are without the union card and all IN an
effort, the journeymen believe. to destroy
the union of helpers and apprentices
I'VE have come to the determination TO
stick to the helpers, said lourheymdA
plumber last night land Will hight II out IN
that line if it takes all summer
The Other Side.
Mr.. Robert B. Caverly. chairman of the
committee or the IluiIiUeiS <As'S'
citation, Interfering to the statement of the
iourneymen's side of the controversy, said:
sAt the time of the last strike, about
four years ago, which was on the question
of boys the tourneymen did not want US 20
have any boys at all. They wanted US to do
away with them entirely. After contest
OF nine weeks duration we won and en-
tered into an agreement with their union
that the master plumbers were to employ
two helpers to every three journeymen, and
that the agreement TO that effect was TO
continussin effect until l!33S.
Last summer. when we were very busy
In the height of the building season. con-
tinued Mr.. Caverly. I'VE were notified as
individuals that the iourneymen had formed
the boys into union, and that they would
not take any further boys into the organiza-
ton. they had closed the books. We
acceded to this condition unwillingiy, owing
to the business necessities of the building
season, but we impressed 1t upon the jour-
neymen that their action was a technical
violation of the agreement between the
union and the association of master plumb
ers.
LAS a matter of fact we have not had
one helper to four iourneymen plumbers
since that time. In canvass of fifteen
members of the masters association 1t was
found that had 125 journeymen and but
twenty-five boys. and We discovered as the
reason of this condition that We were una
BILE to procure the quota of boys allowed by
the agreement because of the helpers
union, the books having been closed, as
they stated it.
"We thereupon notifieH the union that
we were dissatisfied with the existing
ditions and informed its officers that the
agreement was not being lived UP to and
that its provisions should be carried into
effect. Our association agreed to put up
a bond of 81 900 cash to stand as forfeit
IL the masters failed to live up to their
side of the agreement, and insisted that
the union put up like bond as guaran-
tee that it's members would do likewise
until the expiration of the contract in 1908,
but the union failed to do SO.
Wanted Full Quota Of Helpers.
Eve also asked for the number of help
ers we were entitled to under the agree
nent. two boys to three men. This the
union refused to do and we were unable
to reach any agreement on the matter after
several meetings Of the joint committee
representing both organiza TONS hence the
lockout.
This Is the principal grievance" con-
cIuded Mr.. Caverly. but there are others,
and it is the intention of the Master
Plumbers Association to have all of them
adjusted at this time in order that the
coming building season shall not be inter-
rupted"
Another employing plumber said to Star
reporter that last summer 500 plumbers
were needed here because OF the rush of
work at the busiest part Of the building
season. and there were only 200 members
of the local plumbers union 1.-The master
plumbers wanted to send to other cities for
additional men to help them out OF the
rush. but the Washington union, learning
of our purpose, advertised in their trade
journal advising plumbers to keep away
from Washington. Thus we were greatly
embarrassed, and general delay was caused