The Washington herald., 1907-05-07
STATEMENT BY MASTERS.
Employers Give Their Side Of Pres
ent Controversy.

ent Controversy.
Secretary Nolan. OF the Master
Plumbers conference committee OF hve.
a member of the firm of James Nolan
& Sons. gave out the following state
ment last night from the Master
Plumbers Association relative TO the
building trades strike yesterday. and
regarding the present conditions Of
the building interests" The statement
is an outline Of the position OF the
Master Plumbers Association, and is
as follows
At meeting Of the ioint conference committee
af LoeSl Union No. s. Jouueyman Plumbers and
Gasftters aud the Master Plumbers Association,
held Arrh =. at which Hon William b. lle lac
acted umpire under the authority vested in him
by the board Of arbitration the following resolution
was unanimously adopted
Resolved. That the individual members of the
Master Plumbers Association have the ugut 50
employ ali union all nonuniun iournCmeu. as the
master plumbers may desire 10 conduct union or
n0nauiou shop.
Judge De LACY ruled that by the terms Of the
contracts and the award Of the board Of arbitratou
,under clause thereof, the individual members
OF the Master Plumbers Association had a perfect
right 20 employ all union OF all nonuHiou plumbers.
and that the union men had the right 90 work for
any master plumber not a member Of the Master
PMmbeIs' Association but could not be- compelled
20 W0rk with n0nuni0n plumbers. He als1 stated
that under the same contracts and award. 20 which
the Allied Building Trades and the Master Builders
Association we're parties. as vel as Local Union
No S and the Master Plumbers Association, that no
strike or lockout could be declared without first sub
mting the grievance OF matter in controversy % the
consideration Of and for settlement by the Joint
conference committee Of the Master Plumbers As50-
ciati0n and Local Union No. :. as provided Tor in
Article ~ In the contract Of April H. l9o3
He also ruled that the award of the board Of
arbitration prohibited a strike o. lockout fer any
cause arising because Of any difference between
the two parties 20 the arbitration. OF the mem
hers thereof without prior submission 10 the joint
conference committee. and as the union ami non
union shop strictly a condition arising from
she arbitration, all parties should maintain good
faith" in the matter.
Copies Of the resolution were forwarded % james
I. AlarhaIl OF the Master Builders Association,
OF the District Of Columbia incorporated and
Charles A. Langley. Of the Original Master Build
ers' Association. fer their ratification. and through
them 20 the building trades, both the master
builders associations and the building trades are
members 10 tie agreement 70 arlitEaie. dated
August o 1896 and therefore bound hy the
decision and findings of the arbitration board and
the joint conference committee.
Thus has been settled. far as the Master
Plumbers Association can settle a most stubborn
fight between the master plumbers and TIE joun-
nevTnen. The lockout declared March 3.
1865 and for fifteen months there has been q most
stubborn contest, The men were locked ont for
repeated violations Of a contract which they had
with the Master Plumbers Association, and which
does not expire until the first Tuesday in Sep
tember. 1865 They endeavored u organize the
helpers and apprentices into a union and compel
them 10 have working cards; also closed the books
of registration and did not provide a sufficient
number Of boys to comply with their contract. To
this condition, and 70 some unreasonable inter
preratinns Of the shop rules. the master plumbers
objected with the result that ths lockout was de-
clsred.
The Master Plumbers Association has kept, and
proposes 10 keep. all agreements and 10 live up %
every article Of the award Of the board Of arbitra-
tiun and the decision Of the umpire and conference
committee despite the absolutely untrue statement
made N the Sunday press that We have failed 20
abide By the decision Of Judge De Lacy. There was
absolutely no pledge made by the Master Plumbers
Association TO clear their shops Of nouunion men
during the next tWenty-fOu hours. and the state
ment is absolutely untrue. The Master Plumbers'
Association asks for favors bat they propose 20
live up to the terms Of this award and To Tun a
union or nonunion shop, as is their right and
privilege under the terms Of the award, In this
position they believe they have the approval and
support Of al fairminded men, aud they also be
lieve that when the true conditions are made
senseless strike in sympathy which they have inau-
lTated at the request Of the JOurueyman Plumbers
Local Union. No. s. L. A. win be abandoned.
We would also call the attention uf the public TO
the fact that the representatives Of the ouneyman
plumbers on the conference committee promised %
act in good faith, but despite this promise they
have requested and succeeded in getting the Allied
Building Trades to join them in sympathetic strike.
despite Judge De LaCy's strict injunction against
any such unfair practice.
We feel that, after careful consideration Of the
findings Of the conference committee, as set forth
above, that the members Of the Allied Building
Trades will realize that they have been misled in
this matter and that the sympathetic strike which
they have ordered, in direct violation of their
agreement, will be called Of, and the master
plumbers permitted to proceed with their legitimate
business without further interference