The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-12-10
STEAM Filters AND
CARPENTERS 0USTED
FROM FEDERATION

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Dec. 9.-Last Sat-
urday's session of the convention Of
the building trades department OF
the American Federation of Labor
came to a rather dramatic climax
The discussion started on the jurisdic-
ton fights between the carpenters
sheet metal workers, plumbers and
steamfitters.
The result is the suspension of the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners of America and the In
ternational association of Steam and
Hot Water Filters.
The revocation of the charters OF
these two international organizations
caused quite surprise because it
was thought that the carpenters with
of their members presiding in the
convention would be able to control
the situation.
One feature of this. jurisdiction
fight on the floor of the convention
was the remarkable parliamentary
skill of Delegate Ryan, of the Struc-
tural Iron Workers, who, at yester-
days session, moved that the carpen-
ters' case and that of the steamfitters,
being SO much alike in most of the
details, be taken up together and
acted upon in one motion. The OBJ
ject of Ryan in doing this was to
link inseparably the case of the car
penters' brotherhood with the steam
filters trouble and thus proceed on
the lines that what is sauce for the
ia no n
shortly before the final vote was taken
openly told the delegates on the floor
that the reason he made the connect
ing motion was to prevent the con-
vention killing the steamfitters with
their smaller organization and then
turn the other way and let the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters go unpun-
ished for the same offense:
Failed to Divide Resolution.
James Duncan, Of the granite cut
tiers, President Kirby; and MacF'ar-
lane, of the carpenters, and others,
tried hard to have tue Ryan resolu-
ton divided, but failed.
When the vote was announced it
was found that thirty-one delegates
had voted for, and twenty-five against
expelling the carpenters brotherhood
and the steamfitters.-
The carpenters delegates left the
convention hall in a body, except
President Kirby, who's declared that it
was only his official business as pres
ident that prevented him joining his
delegation in filing out of the hall.
The carpenters trobule and their
suspension from the department is
the direct result of the jurisdiction
fight with the sheet metal workers.
The Tampa convention had decided in
favor of the metal workers and the
executive board reaffirmed this &C.
ton last June.
At the Tampa convention, held in
October of last year, a resolution was
passed conceding to the sheet metal
workers the manufacture of all hol-
low metal trim. To this Secretary
Duffy. Of the carpenters, under date
of February 10, 1910, replied that the
brotherhood executive committee
decided that that class of work right
fully belonged to the carpenters, and
that the employers Of New York city,
who are doing this work, were also
recognizing the carpenters and not
the sheet metal workers for this spe-
cial work.
The Brotherhood of Carpenters re-
fused to abide by the decision of the
department and the revocation Of the
charter is the result. What effect
this decision will have especially on
the building trades in New York city,
the near future may tell.