Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-05
HEOOEN COMPANY
HhLTS WORK ON
PRUDENTIAL ANNEX
In Statement President Admits
Job Can't Be Completed on
Contract Time.
PLASTERERS' STRIKE
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE
Unions Attitude Called Unfair,
but Matter Will Be Submitted
for Arbitration.

All hope of completing the S2500,O 900
annex of the Prudential building at
Academy and Halsey streets and Broad
and Bank streets has been given up by
the Hedden Construction Company of
New York, the general contractors for
the building
The reason assigned by the company
is the strike of the bricklayers and
plasterers which followed a mix-up be-
tween the firm and the local unions
rdegarding the terms of a contract,
said by the union men to have been
sublet for the plastering work
In statement given to the EVE
MING STAR today, c. r. Hedden, pres
ident of the company, gives details of
all negotiations between the company
and men both before and after the
strike was declared week ago last
Monday. He puts all the blame on the
union men
Mr.. Hedden claims that the firm will
make no effort to complete the build
ing on contract time, May 1, owing to
the attitude taken by the maesons and
plasters' union. as the contracting com
pany feels that it is right in it's con-
tention that no violation of any of the
rules of the local union has been made
by the company. The whole matter,
however. will be submitted to the union
for arbitration.
Heddcn Co.'s Statement.
Here is the statement in part.
The strike of bricklayers. stone
settlers, masons and helpers on the new
dol l.tti1
settled, and hope of completing on May
lst has. been given up, and n new
schedule for completion will not be
made out until the matter is finally
adjusted. Charles r. Hedden, presi-
dent of the Hedden Construction Com
pany, the general contractors for this
building, gave out this afternoon in
person statement regarding the dis
pute,- with the announcement that no
statement had previously been made,
because he had expected the dispute
to be adjusted before this time.
MIR. Hedden said that the constitu-
of the local unions provides that no
member of the union shall be allowed
TO work for any boss mason who sub
contracts to another boss mason which
in effect forbids the Hcdden Company
to sub-contract the plastering on this
building. The strike was called because
of the mistaken belief of the unions
that the Hedden Company had violated
this provision. This provision Is not in
forge in New York and other important
cities, where the large buildings con-
stantly being put up require employers
of labor to specialize in order to obtain
the best and most rapid results.
The Hedden company having under
taken to complete the Prudential build
ing by May /, consulted, through Mr..
Gardner, its superintendent of con-
struction. with members of the local
unions to learn if the plasterng here
could be done by sub-contract and
hlr. Hedden was informed by Mr. Card
ner and others that on the Prudential
and other large work in Newark this
would be allowed. Mr. Gardner had
applied to the local unions officials
for copy of their constitution, but
was only furnished with the working
code and the State constitution, and
was told that the local constitutiolfwas
out of print and the officials had no
copy which they could give him.
This provision against subordinate
ing appears only in the local constitu-
tion and doe not appear in the code
and State constitution, which were fur
nished Mr.. Gardner. Bids for the plas-
tering were therefore asked for by
the Hedden Company, and the most
satisfactory bidder was the Klee-
Thomson Company, of New York. who
have recently completed in that city
the plastering on the Masonic Temple
large office building; the New Thea
tire. one of the largest in the world
and the new Pennsylvania station and
other prominent buildings Believing
that contract would be made with
the Klee- Thomson Company, written
application fer the position of foreman
of plasterers was answered by q letter
referring the applicant to the Elee-
Thomson Company This letter was
sent out over Mr.. Hedden's name by
subordinate, and by mistake stated
that the contract had been awarded.
Attention Drawn TO Provision.
"On Tuesday. December 2l, the He'd
den Company's superintendent con-
ferred with a member of the arbitra-
tion board of the unions, who was then
employed on the Prudential building
to ascertain if there would be any
objection to employing the Klee-Thom-
son Company to do the plastering. At
this conference, for the first time, a
copy of the constitution was given Mr.
Gardner and his attention drawn to
this provision. Mr.. Gardner at once
reported that, because of this pro-
vision, the pastering could not be sub
contracted, and the Hedden Company
Immediately started to make arrange
ments to do the plastering itself. on
the same afternoon Mr.. Gardner as
sured the same member of the arbitra-
ton board that no trouble would arise
on this account.
Again on Friday morning, December
"a, Mr.. Gardner specifically stated to
Mr., Thomson and the foreman of the
Klee-Thomson Company that they
would not be allowed to do any plaster
ing unless -the local unions expressly
consented. Mr.. Gardner then sent for
the same member of the local arbitra-