Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-24
Licensed Electrical Contrac-
tors Statement Of Facts
Pertaining to the Present
Labor Difficulties.

In making answer to the published
statement by representatives OF the
Electrical Workers Union the fol-
lowing licensed electrical contrac-
tors:
AMERICAN ELECTRIC co.
E. c. BENNETT ELECTRIC
COMPANY,
BURGESS-GRANDEN COMPANY,
JAMES CORR ELECTRIC co.
THOS. DURKIN,
JOHNSTON ELECTRIC, co.
LUHR & LUHR,
LIE BRON ELECTRIC COMPANY,
OMAHA ELECTRICAL WORKS
w. w. SHERWOOD,
WOLFE ELECTRIC COMPANY,
make the following statement Of facts
concerning their present difficulties:
For the year 1916 to January, 1917,
the scale OF 57Hc per hour, with the
usual working conditions, with the
understanding that the scale was to
be readjusted in January, 1917.
About January /, 1917, the commit
tee from the union notified some Of
the shops that they wanted
$3.50 per day
Closed Shop
Union helpers only
No agreement to extend beyond
August |, 1917.
to which counter proposition was
made by the contractors to
Pay 60c per hour and the same
working rules as prevailed dur
ing 1916 for period Of one year
only from date,
to which the committee from the
union declined to agree, but both
committees agreeing TO report back
to their associates and to give notice
OF decision after their next regular
meeting These committees met
again, the Union Committee stating
that their association had declined to
accept the Contractors proposition.
The Contractors. then made another
proposition as follows.
That they would pay journeymen
o0c per hour to August l, 1917, and
62Hc per hour from August l. 1917,
to January !, 1918, with the same
working rules as prevailed during
1916. To this second proposition
made by the Contractors the Union
Committee notified the Contractors
by a letter dated February | to the
effect that all negotiations had been
dropped for the present and that the
Union deemed it advisable on and
after that date that Contractors
should figure all contracts on q basis
OF 6SMc per hour. This was the last
communication received from the
Electrical Workers Union either BY
Committee or letter.
No further effort was made BY
their representatives or BY their Com
mittee to arbitrate the differences and
without notice or warning OF any kind
they reported for work April z, but
were called to a special meeting OF
their Union early that morning and
have not returned to work since.
Since these men, without warning,
have left our employ the Contractors
have endeavored to carry on their
work to successful completion, but
have been harassed and handicapped
in the successful completion of their
jobs by the intimidation of our work
men and the stealing, OF our tools
and the destruction of our work, and |
the following Of our men to their |
homes.
As to any written communication
from the Contractors Association |
agreeing to pay 62Kc per hour, be-
ginning January !, 1917, it is entirely
incorrect. Verbal agreements only
were made for 1916 to end January
!, 1917. After that date wage scale
was to be adjusted.
Further, none OF the above named
Contractors are now employing any
OF the members of Local No. 22 ex-
cept those who have come back of /
their own accord, and no agreement
has been made to employ them by
any of the aforesaid licensed Electro
cal Contractors. We are now en-
ploying competent men without re.
gard to affiliations, paying them
just compensation for labor per-
formed.
This is true statement of the con.
troversy and conditions OF the labor
trouble existing between the licensed
Electrical Contractors and the Jour
neymen Electricians Union.-Adyer-
tisement.