United labor bulletin., 1911-11-09
The BUILDING TRADES
STRIKE TRUST BUILDING
Men Called Off, That Working
Conditions May Be
BettereG.

The new International Trust company
building, at Seventeenth and California
streets, has again been struck, this time
to force the contractors bosses to live
up to the decent conditions that were
agreed to when the trouble in September
was adjusted.
The building has been endless
source Of trouble to the Building Trades
Council ever since its building began. In
September, the contractors, the Whit
ney-Steen Construction company, en-
ployed cement workers at IL cents day
below the union scale of wages, the men
not being members Of the Cement Work
crs' organization. Then non-union engi-
neers were employed. But all this was
eventually adjusted.
The latest trouble grows out of gem
eral conditions. First, there is employed
by tho construction company as gem
eral foreman Mr.. ChiIes. He has made
himself so obnoxious to the members of
the building trades that his personal in
struction and supervision of men en-
ployed was objected to when the adjust
ment was made In September. Chiles
was employed by the same company
when the Tramway building was under
construction and there he first made him
self unbearable. At that time the Build
ing Trades Council forced his with
drawal from the Job.
ON the Trust company job Chiies has
had charge. but II was agreed in Sep
tember that he would not come in con-
tact with the men direct but would give
orders through the department foremen.
This he did not do. A scoop or bucket
used to convey cement to a sluice was
in operation recently. and when one of
the loads In the scoop did not strike the
sluioe squarely and was spilled, Chiles
used such language to the men that re-
volt was imminent at the time. but bet
ter Judgment prevailed and action was
deferred until sober counsel could pre-
vail
Also there is trouble over the employ.
ing OF non-union teamsters and non
members OF the Team Owners associa-
tion. This has been going on for some
time and has created its share OF Ill
feeling toward the contractors.
/, is reported among the men that
Chiics has az different times throughout
the country lent his wide experience to
defeat the desires Of organized labor.
thus making himself cordially hated by
the building trades.
The strike on the Trust company
building was called Tuesday. and II the
trouble Is not adjusted Immediately
steps will be taken that will affect con
tracts OF the company in other places.
The trouble has neen aNefteu tempo
rariiy on the new Elks' home by the
contracting company agreeing to- adjust
certain Irregularities.
The Frank Kirchoff Lumber company
has the general contract to erect this
building, which was awarded by the
building committee of the Elks' lodge.
The building committee received bids for
the general contract and also for the
sub-contracts. when the general contract
was awarded to Kirchor he, of course.
then had the right to award the sub
contracts.
Peter Snow. plumbing contractor
and an Elk, bid for the plumbing through
the building committee and submitted
the lowest bid. but kirchon refused to
give him the contract because he did not
bid through him. Snow employs union
labor while the firm to which the con-
tract for the plumbing was awarded en-
ployes non-union men.
Non.union Structural Ironworkers and
Sheet Metal Workers are also employed
on this Job.
Other contracts also enter into the
troubles of Kirchoff. He is erecting the
North Denver Manual Training school,
the St Joseph hospital addition and the
State Home for Incompetents at Lewis.
near Golden These jobs will also be
struck unless the kirchon company
speedily adjusts its differences.
The building trades of Denver are
making n united effort to square the
town in the building industry and united
support of the labor movement should
be given