The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-01
CARPENTERS ASK
WAGE INCREASE
DEMAND FOR SIXTY-SEyEN AND
HALF CENTS AN HOUR
Is MADE.
BOTH SIDES ARE FIRM
Union Representative and Spokesman
OF Contractors Association Outline
Efforts to Get Together in the Past
Sixty Days

only a few carpenters are out of work
as a result Of the strike for increased
wages inaugurated by the local union
this morning, although practically every
construction job in the city is affected
in some way by the strike. A number
Of men, working on jobs where the
contractors refused to meet the raise.
from 60c to 81 1.2c and hour. have
left the city.
Ihe wage increase was voted upon
at a special meeting of the union held
May 81. At that time. however, it was
voted to raise the scale to 75c per
hour. Subsequent meetings and confer.
ences between committees representing
the union and the association of local
contractors, resulted in reduction of the
demand from 75c to 81 1.2c. at which
figure the carpenters will remain firm,
according to officials Of the union.
Construction Affected
The new Ardmore Hotel building. on
which foundation work is being done. is
probably the most important building
to be affected by the increase, as II is
proposed to employ about $50 carpenters
there within the next ten days. L. n.
Siddorff, who has the contract for the
hotel, is out Of the city
Among the other buildings affected by
the strike are the following:
simpson building, Russell Brown Con.
struction company, contractors - not
members Of the Ardmore Contractors
association, but in sympathy with it.
Five carpenters employed on scaffold
work at present.
Convention Hall, r. ]. Ridpath, con.
tractor.
Won Keller Sanitarium. W. F. Herber.
contractor. twelve men employed.
Five dwellings, ]. II. Poulter & Son,
contractors
Won Weise building. Brown 4 Bridg
man building and Presbyterian church.
X. j. Ridpath, contractor, on which with
convention hall, about thirty.five car.
penters are employed.
Five dwellings, including Olin Wolver.
ton home, on Chickasaw Club road. 3.
p. Williams. contractor.
Several dwellings and business
building, north OF the White Way laund.
dry, Joe Pate. contractor
Sherman JONES building, 3. II. Corlew
contractor. No carpenters employed at
this time
Three Franklin dwellings, T. f. Smell.
son. contractor; also Otis Smith resi-
dence.
Robert Gillian home aud several other
dwellings. Kirk Tucker contractor.
No Other Trades Called.
No other building trade organizations
have been called of jobs which have re.
fused 20 comply with the carpenters
demands and no action OF this kind
will be taken unless il is found that the
carpenters cannot win their fight alone,
according TO l. NJ sullivan. chairman OF
the strike committee
"The idea that the new members Of
the carpenters local are responsible
for the demand for higher wages is er.
roueous," r. r. Roland. president Of
the carpenters union. and Chairman
sullivan OF the strike committee, said
this morning.
when IL was decided, on May 81.
to demand an increase IN the scale
from toc 10 55c per hour. the vote was
unanimous, and at the meeting last
night az the courthouse. when Il was
decided that we would not work on Jobs
where the contractors refused TO meet
the raise, only few voted against the
radical action.
"On May 81, az q special meeting
OF the local, Il was decided TO ask for
a scale increase OF 15c per hour. to
l5c. shortly afterward. Ardmore con.
tractors organized an association. and
requested a conference with represent.
atives Of the union. A committee was
appointed composed OF |. NJ Sullivan,
W. r. Cannavan and Greed Arthur. to
meet with the contractors, and after a
conference the committee reported TO
the union that the contractors had OF.
fered TO meet an advance TO 81 l.2c an
hour.
Effort at Arbitration.
THE union then agreed to accept ar.
bitration. following which the contract.
ors' committee met with the local and
withdrew its Offer substituting another
ofrer OF 65 l.2o per hour, with half
holiday on saturday. provided that the
local would finish all old work under
the old scale.
Again the contractors committee
met with the carpenters and withdrew
its second offer, substituting a counter
proposition, which provided for scale
OF Csc per hour, beginning October /.
1917, and running until April l. 1918.
The carpenters refused 20 accept this.
AT a special meeting held at the
courthouse last night the members
were instructed TO notify their bosses
before work time this morning that
they would return TO work for 81 i.2c
per hour. otherwise they would remain
off the jobs. Only a few Cf the contrac'
tors failed to meet the raise.
1--WE want TO be fair to everyone. We
do not want anything that is not right
fully ours. But with the steadily In