Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1907-03-08
OUR CARPENTERS
ORGANIZE

The carpenters of Danville and vic
unity have organized local union OF
the United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners of America, the object be
ing to reduce the hours of daily labor,
to secure increased pay for work and
in general way to reap the benefits
Of the prosperity prevailing.
The carpenters were organized last
week by D. NJ. Post of Wilkes Barre.
organizer for this district, who was
accompanied to Danvilie by Joseph
Ephlin, former townsman, now a
member of the board of trustees of the
Wilkes Barre union. The officers elect
ed were: President. John l.. Russell;
vice president, J. o. Mowrey; record
ing secretary, Arthur Myerly financi-
al secretary, o B. Switzer; treasur-
er, William Price. John NJ. Sechler.
T. w. Bartholomew and David Guest
were elected trustees.
Last night the newly organized un-
ion held a meeting in the Friendship
engine house, where it considered the
question of bylaws and adopted rates.
Notice of action pertaining to the
latter will in all probability be given
the contractors today. 49,. g.
The regular number of hours that
carpenters worked in Danville up to
the present was ten, although good
many followed the custom of other
places and worked only nine hours.
The wages paid were 20 cents to 2S
cents per hour, the latter being the
contractors figures when they charg-
ell for day work.
Now that organization has been ef-
fected the carpenters will demand a
regular day of nine hours The wages
will be fixed at 90 cents per hour. The
contractors when working on repairs
and charging by the day will have to
fix the price at figure that will al
low them a profit, which will prob
ably be 30 or 81 cents per hour.
There are twenty-six charter mem
bers of the union, but there are some
forty carpenters in this vicinity eligi'
BILE to membership aud, it is though,
the most of these will eventually join
tie union. There is said to be nothing
in the jqrganization that conflicts Will
the contractors interests and these
unless they happen to be members oi
the lumbermen's association, are per
fectly eligible to membership. In fact
q couple of the smaller contractors o.
Danville are already members of tn,
local union.
The objects of the United Brother
hood are: To discourage piece work
to encourage an apprentice system anC
higher standard of skill, to cultivate
feeling of friendship among the Graf
and to assist each other to secure EN-
ployment, as we'll as to furnish aid il
cases of death or permanent disability
The initiation fee of all member
can not be less than five dollars. Due
of beneficial members shall not be les
than fifty cents per month; of semi
beneficial members and apprentices NO
less than thirty cents per month. L
be admitted to beneficial membershi
a candidate must not be less tina
twenty-one and not over fifty years
he must be of good moral characte
and competent to command standar
wages.
Apprentices under twenty-one c
candidates over fifty or persons in ba
health when they joined are classed 8
semi beneficial members. The disabilit
benefit is graded according to lengt
of membership. There are funeri
b'nefits. both for the member and h
wife, the amount paid in each ca'
also corresponding to the length {
time the member belonged.