United labor bulletin., 1910-04-01

At the recent convention of the Build
ing Trades department, held in Tampa.
Fla. the Hod Carriers and Building La
borers' question caused considerable dis
cussion and the officers were directed TO
call the convention at indianapolis.
| When it is considered that the most
conservative estimate Will place the or
ganized Hod Carriers and Building La
oorers at not less than 100000, it will be
readily seen that most powerful inter
national union can be developed by ANAL
samating these into one international.
under the American Federation of Labor.
and the Building Trades department.
This estimate does by no means consider
the thousands of non-organized building
laborers who are to be united inst as
soon as consolidation of the three So
called internationals, and the numerous
potential local unions is effected
The task is a gigantic one, but the vic
tory is worth striving for. Out of the
chaotic condition at present prevailing.
there will emerge an organization that
will rank with the largest. most power
full and effective in the American labor
movement Unanimity of action. uni
versal laws for the protection of life and
limb, benevolent features, Interchange
able working cards, general protection to
the craft, equality of law. and conditions
are all to be secured. not as other inter
national unions have acquired them
through a slow process of organizing city
after city with its resultant expense and
delay, but rather to be accomplished in
a moment and by the most economical
means that can be devised
To this end an appeal is made to hod
tearriers and building laborers wherever
they may be found to give hearty ap-
proval to the movement and promptly
provide for attendance at the Indianap-
oils convention on or about the first Mon
day in May. 1910
Thus early the heads of the Building
/ Trades department are in receipt of the
most encouraging reports of intended
participation in the proposed convention
/ by independent and local unions. whose
aggregate membership Will approximate
some 10000. These alone demonstrate
the wisdom of the proposition, and guar
antee absolute success of the under
taking.
Secretary William ]. Spencer of the
Building Trades department has sent out
ia circular letter in regard to the pro-
posed convention in which he says. in
part:
You are again reminded that the
Building Trades department is about to
call special convention of the Hod Car
riers and Building Laborers that are or
ganized in their various forms through
out the country, both international and
local. for the purpose of solidifying them
in one compact international under the
banner of the A. F. of l.. The proposed
convention is TO be held during the
month OF May, in the city of Indianap-
oils Ind
Remember that there are somewhere
in the neighborhood of 100000 workmen
OF this craft that can be united with the
A. F. of L. through this movement, and
while the returns thus early shown are
more than gratifying. there is still much
to he done to make complete the cam
paign We have entered upon and In which
we solicit your assistance
As evidence that the Hod Carriers and
Building Laborers are bestirred as never
before, Mr. Spencer quotes more than
1875 cities that are aroused to activity
and cooperating with the Building
Trades department. among them being:
Brooklyn, n. Y; Cincinnati Cedar Rap
ids. Iowa: Iowa; Chicago Columbus, o.;
Dubuque. Iowa; Duluth. Mimi; Denver.
Helena, Mont; Jacksonville. Fla; Kan
] sas City, Los Angeles, Lancaster, Pa;
4 Lynn. Mass: Montreal; Madison. Wis;
] Minneapolis, Milwaukee. E,arlon. Ind;
New York City, Newark, N. j.; New
Haven, Conn; Pueblo. Colo; Portland.
Ore; Rock Island. ILL.,. Reno. New;
Rochester. n. Y; Rockford. Ill; Rich
mond. va; Springfield Mass. Spring
field. H.; st. Louis. Syracuse. Seattle,
I Stockton. Cal; San Antonio Texas;
Springfield Mo; Toronto, Tacoma. Utica.
n. Y. and Vancouver. b. c. From this
list It is easy to see the breadth OF this
movement coming as II does from all
sections of the United States and Canada.
/ Denver is one OF those cities that has
been unfortunately situated. so far as
the Hod Carriers and Building Laborern
are concerned. In this city there are
two organizations of this eraft--one af.
filiated with the American Federation OF
Labor and the local Building Trades
Council. the other a powerful lndepend.
eut organization outside the ranks Of the
general labor movement Denver will be
represented at the Indianapolis conyen-
tion. and those conversant with ths local
building trades situation confidently OK
peet satisfactory settlement of what
has locally proved a vcxatious problem
Secretary Spencer makes the follow
CONTINUED on Page -