Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-03
EMPLOYERS SIDE
Tho Employers That Employ Large
Forces Of Painters Tell Their Side Of
the Painters Strike.


the Painters Strike.
We wish to present thru your col
umns the contractors contention Of
the painters strike.
Now as everyone knows that in order
to keep force Of painters busy con-
tractors must take work in advance
and in doing this at this time of the
year he takes a great deal of work to
be done in the next two or three
months and he figures on the same
according to the cost Of labor and ma
terial. Now we had an agreement with
the union at stated wage which we
felt safe in figuring on until such time
as we should receive notice Of an In
tended change in the scale, which they
should have presented in January or
the early part of February, If their in
tentions were to be fair. and not to put
us at a disadvantage and loss. and then
they should have given the contractors
time to have finished up work in hand
that had been taken In good faith un-
der the agreement that we had with
the union. Did the painters do this?
No. They never said a. word about
their intentions until about two weeks
ago, when they sent one painter to us
demanding 40 cents an hour and eight
hour day. This painter had not been
In the union twenty-four hours when
he came to make this demand. Every
one knows it is impossible to treat
with any man who does not understand
working agreements between contrac-
tors and their men.
I,fe 1T
called UP the different contractors OF
the city and asked them to confer
with him as to what would be the best
to do. We were surprised at their
demand at this time Of the year. We
said then and say now not that We 90
not believe 1t just or fair.
AZ many contracts had already been
made that would take months to hn1sh
at a loss to US.
They then presented one for. IS cents
an hour which one contractor signed,
but as they demanded that a dollar q
day be taken from all non union men
until their union dues had been paid.
we asked to have this changed to 90
cents II they could grant it, and also
in case If they. could not promise US
union men they would give us the
privilege of hiring non-union man
SUCH IIIuo 40 SICy SOOlu ASAHASAA
us a union man in his place. This
agreement we were willing to sign and
| so stated to their committee. The
building and trades council declared
this agreement illegal and SO sent for
the walking delegate who in an open
meeting formed the 40 cent scale or
strike upon the painters.
| This strike was forced without any
regard to their constitution which
plainly states that no strike will be
considered legal until the committees
have exhausted their resources and the
board, Of arbitration has failed to effect
a settlement. ~ e
There has been no board of arbitra-
ton appointed whatever. But on Fri
day night the executive board Of the
building and trades council and the
walking delegate met and demanded
that the men go on a strike, refusing to
allow the board Of arbitration to be ap-
pointed or a proposition from the con-
tractrs Of the city to be read.
| AS to the paperhangers MARSHALL
town has always had high class work.
men in this line and as journeymen
have been receiving as much and more
In many cases In other cities Of our
size these men are satisfied and
are only being used as club to
force higher wages for all painters
alike good, bad and Indifferent. This
strike will undoubtedly be used by
some to further their business interests
and to get little business that they
! would not get otherwise, but we still
believe that the people of Marshalfown
are entitled to f1rst-class men at first
class pay but should not pay more for
any man than he can earn simply be-