The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-05-01
OPEN WAR BETWEEN BUILDING
CONTRACTORS AND BUILDING
TRADES COUNCIL.
WILL IMPORT WORKMEN
AGREEMENT BETWEEN GENERAL
CONTRACTORS AND BROTH
ERHOoD CARPENTERS

Denver.-The News Wednesday
morning says: All the building con-
tractors of the city, except the master
plasterers, at meeting last night un-
animously decided that open war shall
be declared at once upon the local
Building Trades Council and that ar
rangements shall be made to import
men to take the places of such work
men affiliated with the council as are
now out on strike or shall be called out
because Of the action taken.
The agreement entered into last
night between the general contractors
and the Brotherhood of Carpenters, by
which the Brotherhood refuses to reaf-
filiate with the Building Trades Coun-
Gil for three years and the contractors
refuse to employ Amalgamated car
penters unless they withdraw from the
council and Join the Carpenters Dis
trict Council, was ratified by the con-
tractors.
Those present at the meeting admit
that the action will precipitate gen.
eral stoppage of building in the city
until men can be imported to take the
place of the members of the Building
Trades Council.
This action was taken after efforts
on the part Of the committee OF fifteen
representing the five commercial bod
les of the city, and Labor Commis-
sioner Edwin V. Brake to have the
matter settled without causing a gen
eral tie-up in building throughout the
city.
The committee of fifteen, after ses-
sion of several hours. adopted a reso-
luton advising that the unions affect
ed should at once bring in their ma
tional officers in an effort to settle
the existing troubles and that il this
should fail the matter ST 1uld be sub
mitted to the American Civic Fedora
ton, Of which John Mitchell was re-
Gently made the official head.
Labor Commissioner Brake spent
most of the day in conference with the
representatives of the unions in an ef-
fort to have the trouble settled by ar
bitration under a law enacted by the
last Legislature.
The representatives of the Brother
hood Of Carpenters refused to submit
to arbitration having entered into an
offensive and defensive alliance with
the general contractors in their fight
against the Amalgamated carpenters
and the Buildings Trades Council, un-
til it was learned what action was to
be taken by the contractors at last
nights meeting.
1t is agreed by all parties concerned
that the action taken last night puts
an end to all efforts to have the mat
ter settled by arbitration and that the
labor war which has been pending for
months will be precipitated at once,
instead of waiting until May 1st, when
the agreement entered into between
the Brotherhood Carpenters and the
general contractors becomes effective.
In addition to ratifying the action of
the general contractors in entering into
an exclusive contract with the Broth
erhood carpenters the contractors gave
out the action taken by them last night
in the following official statement:
"If, through any cause. the Build
ing Trades Council should stop work
we will proceed with building If we
have to bring in men,
1T is the sense of this meeting that
where men are already pulled off or
will be pulled off by the Building
Trades Council, the contractors of such11
men shall order them back to work \
and shall not transfer them to other
work. If they fail to return they shall
not be hired by other contractors.
Each organization here represented
shall designate a man to act as a
member Of an executive body with a
view that all such contractors shall be
got together in one organization.
''The chairman of this meeting shall
appoint a committee of five men to
bring In men to take the place Of
Strikers