The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-23
Business Agent Talks.


Wage agreements between union mel
of trades other than electrical work, a
a general thing, expire May !. Severa
Of the crafts have asked increases IL
wages. Those who have submitted pro
posed new agreements are; Plasterers
from Sc to 81 day, an increase of ST.
painters, $3.50 to SIS, IN increase of s.
cents a day; structural iron worker
and stone masons and bricklayers ais
ask an increase of 30 cents day.
In connection with the negotiation
between electrical workers and the con
tractors, Mr.. Wilcox yesterday pre-
pared the following statement, in whicl
he set forth the matters in dispute AM
the stand taken by the union, TIL
statement follows:
The electrical workers notified all
contractors December /, 1912. of their
intention to raise journeyman's
wages from $3.50 to IS per day.
as our agreement does not expire
until April /, in order to give them
ample notice in bidding on prospec-
tive work,
OF living and the fact that the wage
.scale for electrical workers In Salt
Lake City is the lowest OF any city
in the west Of any Importance ex-
Cept IN LOS Angeles, we lceI JuStlfleu
In asking for the raise. The wage
scales for electrical workers I'm other
western cities are as follows, Butte.
Mont. 81 per day; all other cities or
towns in Montana. not less than Sc
per day; Spokane. Tacoma. Seattle,
Portland. Oakland, Bakersfield, Fres-
no. San Diego and Denver oil pay
SIS per day OF more. The scale in
San Francisco Is $3.50 and Sc per
day,
The report that we are asking for
numerous changes In working con-
dttions is erroneous. as We are only
asking for two changes in our new
agreement that have not been en-
bodied In agreements prior to this
time and In vogue for a year or more.
Counter Agreement.
The main reason that an agree
ment cannot be reached at present
is that the contractors In their
counter agreement submitted to us.
demand that we work for no one but
them. which would be a great in
convenience and added expense to
the public. g anyone desiring to
have electrical work done with this
in vogue would be forced to hire their
men from n contractor and pay a
large profit In addition TO the wages
OF the men.
We desire to maintain the right Of
free agency to work for anyone who
established conditions.
The other point we are not able to
agree on Is the matter of employing
helpers or apprentices. who are
merely learning the business and
hire them out TO the general public
as flrst-class electricians at from 81
to s1.25 per hour, which Is one point
we want changed to the effect that
no helper or apprentice be allowed TO
work except under direct supervision
of a tourneyman. which would remedy
this bad feature and insure the pub
lie OF getting the class Of labor they
were paying for,
With these two points settled, which
looks very probable at this Time and
with only one contractor objecting
particularly. who Is al present con-
ductlng a nonunion shop and who
does not pay the prevailing wages
or grant established conditions and
who works his underpaid employees
nine hours per day, TO tho great dis
advantage OF his competitors, who
desire to comply with union condi-
tions. we expect that an amlcable
agreement will be reached between
the electrical workers. local No. 354
and the electrical contractors
We are not anticipating trouble
April l. as we do not think the ma
jority OF the contractors have any
objections TO paying the additional
wages,