Evening star., 1909-03-03
IN LABOR CIRCLES

In his report for February to the Build
ing Trades Unions of Washington. Sec
retary w F. Gilmore Of the Carpenters
says during last month. building "orR
amounting to S731. 80 was let to contrac-
tors employing only union labor. ana
work amounting to S1O3.77O was let To
contractors employing non-unlon iapor
Mr.. Gilmore adds:
1.-The work let during February is a
record breaker: you can readily see py
the figures that the open shop employers
are making but little headway.
1T is reported that the Association of
Masters and Craftsmen have joined
hands with the ]. w. Hayes faction OF
the Knights of Labor. or j. w. hayes
according to his newspaper article OF
February 2J) has joined hands with the
open shop advocates, apparently for the
purpose of defeating the efforts OF the
Building Trades Unions of Washington in
improving their condition. Mr.. Hayes
says there is to be no more interference
bu irresponsible men, dubbed business
agents. 1t reminds one of a drowning
man grasping at straw.
1T Is also reported that +. X. Hall.
secretary of the Employers Association,
has gone to Baltimore. Md. for the pur-
pose of starting an open shop pa per and
make arrangements to put organizers
in different cities throughout the coun-
try
TO the carpenters Mr.. Gilmore says:
1.-The grievance committee is contem-
plating the merging of it's interests into
the Building Trades Council. as char
tered by the department of the American
Federation of Labor. so that all matters
pertaining to building trades affairs will
be handled exclusively by the local Build
ing Trades Council: the purpose being to
remove the division of authority that has
heretofore existed and to provide an
executive head and a permanent secre-
tary or business agent, so that the fight
against the open shop can be continued
permanently and along more harmonious
lines. All the organizations affiliated with
the Building Tades Council are in favor
of the plan and those affiliated with the
grievance committee, except Local, No.
132, Brotherhood of Carpenters, are in
favor of the idea. | am instructed by the
grievance committee to ask your approval
of the consolidation for the abOve-named
reasons. We ask your approval of the
proposition as the committee was eStab-
lished by the international and national
officers. We have taken the matter up
with the executive committee of the
building trades department of the A. F.
of l.. and have their consent to carry on
the fight against the introduction of the
open shop under the auspices of their To-
cal council, and your approval of the pro-
Ject is all that is necessary to complete
the consolidation, and the committee
desires me to ask you for an early reply
on same
new employees benefit association of
the J. I. Case Thrashing Machine Com
pany employees. Racine, Wis, has been
launched to provide members with an in
come when sick or disabled. and to pay
their families in case of death. The Case
company contributes $1,000. and more. as
the list of members grows. and will keep
the fund safely paying per cent inter
est. The assessments are to be 2 per cent
of the employees wages.
Word comes from Indianapolis Ind
that whether or not there will be another
big coal strike will not be known until
about March so. the date when the pres
ent working agreement will Xpire. The
convention of the United Mine Workers OF
America has just come to close I'm In
dianapolls. The delegates. representing
295.OO0 miners, agreed to make demands
for more pay, shorter hours and recogni-
tton OF the union. The delegates also
worked in among the demands their per-
sonal plank for the collection of union
dues by deduction from wages. Trouble is
expected because the operators say that
they will not make a contract with an or
ganiZation that includes bolh anthracite
and bituminous mine workers. and that
they will not grant the wage increa Sc.
In q few days the members of the scale
committee will present the demands to
the employers.
The state board of arbitration OF Ohio
is trying to settle big strike at the Selby
Shoe Manufacturing Company's plant In
Portsmouth. which may cause complete
shut down of the plant and the throwing
out of employment of 600 persons within
few days. 1t is the most serious labor
trouble the board has been called on to
adjust for many months. 1t started over
the refusal of ninety employees. known as
laSters, to accept scale submitted by
fIa Iar, 4