Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-27

There is much speculation in local labor
circles as to what general effect. if any.
the recent action of the bricklayers
union will have upon the open shop stu
alton in the District. The br6klayers are
said to have reached the decision to per-
init the members of their union to work
on open shop contracts and with the
non-union mechanics who are employed
by the Employers Association of the
Building Trades
Three sides Of this question are now
presented-that OF the open shop employ
ers; that Of the "stand-pat" unionists
and that of the bricklayers. who have de-
cided to work wherever they can find en-
ployment under the rate Of pay. etc. as
established by their union. The en-
ployers argue that they are securing the
services of more than enough non-union-
that unemployed men are being turned
away daily.
The "stand-patters'' claim that the
building trades, other than the bricklay-
ers, will stand to their colors. and that
eventually the force o. the open shop
The bricklayers who accepted the open
shop terms of the Employers Associa-
ton argue that they have fought valiant
~ on the side of their brother unionists.
the game Is a losing one in more ways
than one as local bricklayer express
ed 1t, and If We union men do not take
the Jobs. open shop and all. why the non
union fellows will and we will be left
out on the bricks. with our families sut-
fering for the necessities of life
a carpenter, who st!ll has faith that
the union forces will win over the open
shopites,' as he termed the opposition. Is
of the opinion that the ''seceding brick
To- xy,-S- i
reJoin the forces that are striving for
strictly union conditions in the bu lding
trades"
Officers of the Employers Association
Profess to be unconcerned as to what
course the unions may take They de-
clared it to be their intention in the fu-
ture to manage our own business in
our own way"
The opinion Is expressed that complica-
tons are likely soon to grow out of the
recent action taken at The convention of
the locomotive engineers at Columbus
Ohio, permitting motormen Of suburban
elecrtc car lines to become members of
their order.
The engineers say that efforts 20 or
ganize men on the interurbans will I'M
doubtedly meet with strenuous opposition
There is one fact which may prevent 1t.
however, and that is that the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers works en-
tirely on what might be called 1.-THE open
shop" principle. An effort was made to
have the convention reconsider its action
of deciding to go to Cleveland 20 attend
the unwilling of the Hanna statue on ac-
count of the street car strike. 1t was
thought by some this would put the con-
vention on record as being with the men.
The motion to reconsider was lost.
The grand officers were compelled to
pay their fares. but all the other dele
gates and visitors and their wives travelled
on pa sses. Ohio's railroad laws, as Well
as the interstate commerce commission,
forbid the issuance of passes except TO
employees of railroads and their families
The grand officers are employed simply
by the brotherhood.
The grand international auxiliary mas
decided to strike out the word lady
from the constitution and all papers ana
substitute the word woman.
Word is received from Chicago that
Walking Delegate John ]. Britain re-
Gently broke the record in the way OF
calling strikes Although the laws OIL
carnenters' Union, of which he is an Of
ficer nrohibit it's members from working
more than eight hours a day, bri.tan
managed to call forty-tWo strikes WITHIN
the prescribed limit ,,,s
Britain made the rounds OF the oulio-
ings under construction In an autoliiopi,e'
without regard to the speed unit oiai-
nance. covering many miles Of territory:
The reason for the haste In Gaining the
strikes was to evade an injunction issued
an behalf of the Mears-Slayton Lumber
Company. restraining the officers or the
United brotherhood of Carpenters from
interferinR with the business OF the COM