Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-07
COMMITTEES CONFER
Representatives of Local Labor
Discussing Differences.
CAUSE OF THE WALK0UT
Disagreement Regarding the Terms Of
Recent Arbitration.
PLUMBERS AND JOURNEYMEN
Thirty-Five Men Quit Job at Metro
politan Club-Statement by
the Employers.
CAUSE OF THE WALK0UT
PLUMBERS AND JouRNEYMEN

the Employers.
The "straightening-out committee" OF
the Building Trades Alliance. which has
been engaged since yesterday morning
in pulling of all bricklayers carpenters
and other mechanics found working on
jobs with non union plumbers, is holding
a conference late this afternoon at head
quarters in Costello's Hall. 9Th and G
streets northwest.
The committee started out bright and
early this morning. and visited many
houses in course of construction on which
non union plumbers were said to be en-
ployed At 2:30 o'clock this afternoon a
member Of the committee said that I'D to
that time. no walkouts had been ordered
additional to those of yesterday.
Mr.. Foley, business agent of the plumb
ers, said the published reports as to the
number of men pulled off" Jobs had been
greatly exaggerated. 1t is believed 125 will
cover the total amount.
Serious trouble was threatened today on
the express building being erected al the
| afternoon that the matter may be amieably
settled
Had Proposition to Make.
call strike of the large number of me-
chanics working on tie two-story residence
| buildings being erected for Middaugh &
Shannon near the Soldiers Home. TIE COM
mttee was stopped before it reached the
buildings and returned to Costellos Hall
| at the request of Mr.. Middaugh. who said
he had a proposition to make to them which
he believes may avert the threatened strike.
Richardson Burgess reported today that
thirty-one mechanics walked out yesterday
on the Metropolitan Club. This necessarily
caused eleven laborers to quit work. as they
were employed in assisting the plasterers.
This is the only job where Richardson &
Burgess have had trouble.
The men quit work because. it is alleged.
the Messrs. Nolan. master plumbers, were
claimed is operating strictly in accordance
with Judge DeLacy's decision.
Mechanics Walk Out.
A number of mechanics of the building
trades who were employed on jobs On which
non-union plumbers were at work walked
out yesterday afternoon at the instigation
of the committee of the Building Trades
Alliance, as forecasted in The Star yester-
day evening 1t is estimated that approx
mately 10 men of the various building
trades went a strike yesterday after
noon.
This action was taken, 1t Is stated, as
protest on the part of the Building Trades
Alliance against the tendency Of certain
master plumbers to run the open shop In
Washington An officer OF the 1ournesman
plumbers said to Star reporter today that
| the Plumbers Union, No. D. has nothing
whatever to do with these walkouts of the
| carpenters brIcklayers. plasterers and other
/ the Building Trades Alliance. which Or
ganization proposes to take drastic, action
! to stop the open shop tendency in the Dis
trict.
The committee of the alliance which went
about town yesterday pulling off" from
| their jobs men who were found working
with non-union plumbers Is the same COM
mittee which brought about the final ar
bitration between the master and journey
man plumbers. 1t is understood they claim
that neither the master builders nor the
|. master plumbers are living up to the final
award of the arbitrators.
Judge DeLacey's last words as umpire
were,'' said the onicer Of the plumbers
union, that If the master plumbers en-
ploy non-union workmen. 1t must be done
under the terms of their contract with the
| plumbers union to the number OF hours
| the men shall work per day and the wage
| scale adopted Some Of the master plub-
| ers are not doing this. They are employ
| ing non-uniOn men at lower price than
the wage scale, and requiring them to
work a greater number of hours than is
provided by the contract of 1906. which
was in vogue when the plumbers lockout
occurred and under the terms of which
| they promised to conduct their shops"
1t was the belief of this officer that If
one shop can employ non-unien plumbers
under such conditions in the District all
I shops can do likewise, with the result that
the open shop. so far as the plumbers are
concerned. would prevail throughout this
jurisdiction. The journeyman plumbers say
they do not want a strike as much as they
do to have all the SHOES controlled BY the
members Of the Master Plumbers Asso-
citation become union shops. He added that
| In the alliance will not stand for the
open shop anywhere in the District of CO.
lumbia
Statements Of Contractors.
1t was asserted that there are six non
| union shops in this city. the proprietors of
! which are members of the Master Plumb
| ers' Association. 1t was said to be the
hope of the Plumbers Union that these
| shops should be unionized at the earliest
practical time.
foreman. Mr.. w. l. Martin. who are in
charge Of the erection of the big apart
ment house at Goth and streets deny the
public statement this morning that the
bricklayers, carpenters and others employed
on their work went on strike yesterday aft
ernoon.
Mr.. Dunn said: I'VE have had no trouble
whatever There are no plumbers at work
on our job. We have had no strike and do
not expect to have one. We employ forty
| five mechanics bricklayers, carpenters etc,
on the 30th and P streets Job. and instead
of walking out. these men were transferred
to another job this morning because of the
failure Of the brickmaker to send US front
brick that work could be continued.
When We get the front brick required. the
men win Immediately go back to work on
tha. job
The contractors who are erecting the
Metropolitan Club house deny the publish
ed statement that 100 mechanics walked out
from that job. They say the number win
not exceed twenty-five.
The plumbers report that as a result of
the action OF the Building Trades Alliance
several plumbing shops have dismissed
their nonunionists and express their inten-
| tons of unionizing their shops.
Statement by Master Plumbers.
The Master Plumbers. Association last
| evening issued the following statement de-