Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-28
UNION LABOR MEN
DECLARE STRIKE
In Sympathy With Movement
Against Open Shop.
ABANDON MUNICIPAL WORK
New District Building Among the
Structures Under Ban.
RESULT OF ACTION LAST NIGHT
Emergency Committee Addresses Com
munication to Bricklayers' Union.
Master Builders Will Act.

The principal building operations in the
District, including work on the municipal
building at 18th street and Pennsylvania
avenue, practically came to standstill
today when several hundred bricklayers,
union stone workers. hod carriers and
other craftsmen went out on a sympathetic
strike against the open shop, was stated
by labor leaders.
This walkout followed the action of the
Bricklayers Union at a largely attending
meeting last night at Costello's Hall. The
union is said to have a membership of near
ly leo, and it was stated that about two
thirds of the members were in attendance.
The decision was reached to call strike this
morning on all work where union workmen
were locked out by the Employers Associa-
ton and non-union workmen employed in
their stead. Previous to taking a vote on
the strike proposition a communication
from the Master Builders Association was
read.
The executive committee of the Building
Trades Mechanics Council assembled at
headquarters this morning. being joined
by Mr.. William Cronin of the Bricklayers'
Union, who was designated by that or
ganizatiOn TO see that the strike edict was
carried out so far as the brcklayers, nod
carriers and union Stonemasons were con-
cerned After a short session the members
of the executive committee started out to
pull the so-called open shop jobs.
One of the first places visited was the
new District building. where. the men Were
called off. This strike came complete
surprise, as James L. Parsons, the con-
tractor. stated yesterday afternoon he did
a W. DrOnOSed r.
range matters that the trades union would
not have cause for further complaint 1t Is
understood the trouble the municipal
building. was stated in The Star yester-
day. was that il became necessary to put
plumbers to work before the roof could be
placed on the building.
M. Nolan Is Contractor.
Mr.. Parsons contract for the plumbing
work is with Mr.. James Nolan of the Mas
ter Plumbers Association. who is said to
be operating a non-union shop. Conse-
quently the plumbers who started to work
are -unionists. Mr.. Parsons is under
stood to have endeavored to have the non
union plumbers replaced by union men, but
was unsuccessful, it is said, owing to the
terms of his contract with Mr. Nolan. The
walkout was thereupon ordered.
The workmen on another of Mr. Parsons
contracts. the big Congress Hall Hotel
structure on Capitol HILL were also called
of. but later Were ordered by the executive
committee to return to work the cond-
tions there are said to be different from
those on the municipal building and cid not
warrant a walkout.
As soon the members of the Employ
ers Association learned of the strike of the
mechanics on the municipal building they
declared that the case was similar % that
of the bookbinder named Miller who
dismissed from the government printing
Office because he had ceased his utilization
with the Bookbinders' Union. and one of
them said lit was up to Commissioner Mac
farland and the federal authorities to take
action in the premises" the workmen
had been called off from government work.
What action the Employers Association
will take if any. could not b. learned
Emergency Committee.
The emergency committee of the Employ
ers' Association. however. addressed d note
to the JOurneyman Brcklayers' Union No.
L. today. follows:
Referring to recent rumors called to our
attention, to the effect that it is the in
tention of our association to lockout the
union bricklayers in connection with the
present labor trouble, wish to call your
attention to the iact that no action has
been taken by our association against any
union except in cases where that union
has first called "a strike on jobs of cur men,
bers. We wish also to assure you that we
have no intention of pursuing any other
policy or of inaugurating lockout other
aggressive action in any trade where our
members are not first attacked. Our as
ISOLATION will, however. support its several
members TO the utmost and will take every
necessary step to insure the continuance
of building operations.
Trusting the above will ailay any fears
that may have arisen in the minds of the
members of the bricklayers union, we are,
Very respectfully,
Emergency committee Employers Asso-
citation. Joseph Richardson chairman.
Work of Trades Committee.
1t did not take the executive committee
of the Building Trades Mechanics Council
long to get busy this forenoon, and they
went about from one structure to another
calling the union workmen from the jobs
where non-union men had been installed in
place of locked-out unionists. Among the
buildings visited were those being erected
by Middaugh Il Shannon Harry Wardman,
James l.. Parsons. w. f. Speir, Richardson
IL Burgess and S. j. Prescott, who is con-
structing the new Academy of Music, the
Elks' home and the rectory of the Shrine
of the Sacred Heart.
we have entered the fight in earnest
now" said one of the leading workingmen
today The bricklayers held the key of
the situation. and now that they have
Joined with their brethren of the building
trades in the warfare against the open shop
and non-unionism in the District we will
win out sure. We are going to pull the
bricklayers and all union workmen from
every job on which our men have been
supplanted by nOn-unionists."
At the headquarters of the master build
ers and other employers there was a show
of equal determination TO continue the con
test to the bitter end
View of Master Builders.
IF the union workmen are not put back
TO work promptly" declared one of the
principal master builders today, I'VE will
lay our plans next week to bring to Wash
ingtOn uon-union mechanics of all the
striking trades and put them on the sus
pended jobs. We feel that we can get al
the workmen may need who are moi
affiliated with organized labor, and We vii
GET them The fight will be kept UP. ant