Denver labor bulletin., 1916-09-09
Official Statement as to Trouble in the
Ranks of New York Carpenters Union

Two weeks ago The Bulletin printed
q special news letter from New York
giving an account of the trouble be-
tween tn local carpenters unions there
| and the officers of the United Brother
hood of Carpenters and Joiners Of Amer
lea, stating that 1900 members had
been suspended for disobeying the in.
structions of General President Hutche-
son and the General Executive Board.
The following open letter on this sit
| uation has just been issued to all MEM
bers, officers, district and state councils
of the United Brotherhood by the loyal
unions of New York, and throws consid-
cradle light upon the entire situation
.We, members OF this New York dis.
trict OF the United Brotherhood of Car
penters and JoineB of America, have
| been made the victims of a very un-
| fortunate chain of circumstances in con-
nection with the recent trade movement,
and it behooves us as sensible men, soli-
citous for our future standing in the ma
tional organization, to consider if the
| time has come when We should take
counsel among ourselves and anticipate
any event which would cause US to sac
rifice those advantages and privileges en-
failing for us great Inconvenience and
possibly irreparable loss, especially in
the case of the older members, and the
latter are particularly deserving of our
consideration; they are the patient toll
ers who, without pretense or arrogance,
give their best unselfishly. They are
not interested in the political fortunes
of those of our members whose ambition,
be it worthy or self-seeking, leads them
to aspire for office in our organization,
but whose natural course in the trade 10
- 49,. A. l.
scribe to the principle wherein efficiencR
with due regard to humanity shall be
recognized as a prime necessity and the
| equitable distribution of results shall be
ascertained no longer by wasteful strife,
but by agreement and arbitration. This
they expect to do thru the medium of
our organization, and by it they have ac-
quired the power, if not to dictate, to
at least discuss intelligently the value of
their services and thereby have enabled
themselves whenever just and practicable
to increase substantially their wage in
come. While they do not make their
| organization a fctich. because history
shows that institutionalism sometimes
destroys the organic concept of n society,
their experience OF the last thirty five
| years since the United Brotherhood was
established in New York proves to them
| on which reposes the permanent success
ful existence and protection of people
| who have common interests.
Nations, governments and armies
could not exist without organization; re-
| ilgious, financial, industrial and CONNER
cial work cpuld not be carried out with
out the voluntary oo-operation of the
people, adopting constitutions, laws and
| rules necessary to establish justice, pro-
vide for the common defense, insure pro-
| lection of individual liberty and promote
the general welfare We applied these
| principles to our. organization and laid
| down a constitution. which has been
amended and improved in succeeding gen
eral conventions, and, after being SUBJ
mitted to the vote of the membership.
| was approved by them and adopted into
our organic law, and stands today for
our instructions and guidance.
I'm section 5s. General Strikes and
Lockouts, on page 81 of our general con-
stitution, the last paragraph reads:
The General President. II he deems
it necessary. may dcputize some suitable
| member TO proceed at once to the scene
of the difficulty and endeavor to adjust
the trouble by negotiation or arbitration.
Failing in settlement the deputy shall
submit by telegraph or letter all facts
to the general SECRETARY. who. II he
deems it necessary, shall submit all the
facts to n vote of the general executive
board. who shall send their reply to the
general secretary by telegraph within
three days after receipt of said informa-
ton under penalty of ten dollars fine
brother T.. NJ. Guerin, of the general
executive board, first district, was thoro-
ly informed of every step taken in our
trade movement, to be inangurated May
!, 1915. and when the second quarterly
meeting OF the general executive board
was held on April 10. 1916, all members
present, the following was adopted:
In approving trade movements, the
board rules that in case of failure to
reach an agreement with the employers
the ID. c. or l.. U. is directed not to
call its members out on strike until the
general presridcnt can send a representa-
tive to assist in bringing about a better
understanding and settlement
"This notice was sent to all local
unions and district councils where trade
movements were under way. including
the New York ID. G. Our New York
ID. c. received the notice on April %.
The notice was as follows:
indianapolis, April 20, 1916.
Mr.. +. II. Neal, Secretary New York
Carpenters u. G., lag East 59th St.,
New York. n. Y.
Dear Sir and Brother: At a meet
ing Of our general executive board held
at this office on April Is, General Pres
ident Hutchcson brought to the attention
Of that body the proposed trade move
mcnt for an incrasc in wages in New
York and vicinity. After the most care
full consideration of all the facts in the
case it was decided that, II an agreement
could not be reached before May l.. our
members must not be called on strike
until the general president has an op-