The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-09-29
BUILDING TRADES LOCKOUT
ORDERED FOR MONDAY IF THE
UNIONS DON'T RELENT.
May Anect "a, 600 Men at once and
Throw lS,OOO Others out OF Work
Unions Agents Meet TO.day-Van.
dertilt Hot ri R0v 81 n RI esi Inc Trouble

May AfYect "a, ,OOO Men at Once and
Throw 5000 Others out OF Work
Unions Agents Meet TO.tiay-Van-
derbilt Hotel Row started the Trouble
The first general lockout in the building
trades for many years was declared
yesterday by the board of governors
OF the Building Trades Employers Asso-
citation. to 60 into effect on Monday at
8 A. NJ. The order affects the unions
in all the trades on strike at the new
Vanderbilt Hotel unless before that time
the strikers are returned to work.
This ultimatum will be sent to all the
unions this morning. The board Of
business agents of the unions in the
building trades. which declared the
strike on the hotel. will meet to-day.
but IL is not believed that it will call the
strike of. BY the time II meets, however.
the unions involved in the lockout order
will have received the ultimatum Of the
employers.
1t was found that the men in two trades
which were at first supposed to be in
volved in the general strike at the Wander
bilt Hotel did not strike, 80 their unions
as we'll as those Of the bricklayers and one
or two others will be exempt from the
lockout order. In all fourteen unions
will be locked out. and as the lockout
extends to all the buildings on which
members Of the Building Trades En-
ployers Association have contracts. from
Il, 600 to 5000 building mechanics will
be out Of work. and II the lockout lasts for
a week or two IS 900 men in other build
ing trades may be thrown idle. The
lockout is to continue until the strike is
called of. The principal trades affected
are those OF the plasterers. plumbers. caf-
penters. electricians, steamfitters. tile
layers and architectural ironworkers.
More than the sixty buildings on which
the marble workers originally struck will
be affected by the order. as the board OF
governors Of the Employers Association
decided that it shall extend to every
building on which the associated EN-.
ployers have contracts.
Among the buildings involved are the
new Municipal Building. the McAlpin
Building. the New York Central Building
and the new post Office at Eighth avenue
and Twenty-third street.
The board Of governors OF the Building
Trades Employers Association 10 COM
posed OF three members Of each of the
thirty-two trade associations of employers
in this body. 1t is the court of final resort
when disputes arise with the unions and
has power to enforce disciplinary methods
provided for in the rules OF the association
and the agreements between the employers
and the unions.
c. q. Norman. chairman Of the board
OF governors. made the following state
ment last evening:
The cardinal principle governing the
Building Trades Employers Association
in it's agreements with the unions is that
there shall be no strikes either for sup
posed grievance by union or in SYM
arbitration are provided for in the agree
ments and there are trade arbitration
boards before which any matters in dis
pute are to come before any action is
taken. The general strike of the marble
workers and the sympathetic strike on
the Vanderbilt Hotel were iagrant viola
tions of the agreements, and as there was
no disposition on the part of the rebelliOus
unions to recede from their positionS there
was nothing that the employers could do
but to order general shutdown until
such time as the strike on the new Wander
bilt Hotel is declared off,
Mr.. Norman said that the first general
shutdown in the building trades took
place in 1909. At that time there were
constantly recurring strikes of unions.
and to bring matters to point whore
both sides could be put on better foot
ing the first general arbitration agree
ment was formulated. The unions after
remaining out for some time accepted
the plan and the shutdown was called
of The arbitration plan was suspended
on account of strikes in violation of it's
provisions in the latter part of 1904. and
several months later new arbitration
plan was signed and was in force up to
1910.
In 1910 the steamfitters went on a gen.
eral strike in violation of the arbitration
plan. which was then abolished. The
headquarters of the general arbitration
board were later disbanded, but the
trade agreements as TO wages between
unions and the trade associations of EN-
ployers have continued. When the
present strike of the marble workers
started committees were at work on a
new general arbitration plan which this
strike has had the effect Of blocking.