Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-23
MAY TIE Up BUILDING
Of DC. GOVERNMENT
Six Sheet Metal Workers and
Six Helpers Strike; Demand
Wage Increase.
WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS

Work on various buildings of the DIS
trict government, especially the pnoEc
schools. may be greatly handicapped as
the result of a walkout of SIX sheet
metal workers and six helpers today at
the L street repair shop, who are de-
manding an increase in wages
For some time these sheet metal
workers have been engaged in repair
ing and installing heating apparatus IN
the public schools, and have been WORN
,np for &, day, whereas in the out
s,d. sbons Of the District wages OF
$3.50 to SIS and $3.50 a day are peiiiS
naid according to Charles Dausch ana
w P johnson. committee repies@
ing these employees. , .od,y
that for some time the higher scaIe
of wages has been paid in the ou'siu5
ehops Of the District OF Columoia' anu
that petitions and appeais nay thramsb
made to the Commissioners. ,nrousi ~
the officials of the District repair snop,
to give these employees the same e scaie
Of wages Not WORD mas tono
from these petitions or appeaisa, s. a1k Ink
stated. land we finally decided 70 wan wan
ont today in order that the atten.lpt
Of the Commissioners could be orous s NJ
10 the state of affairs. FOR some In ne
the wages Of the men were advahoet W tha m
the Distrfct shops. as were those TO the
men in outside shops. but when the new
I Insh III msnt into effect nothing was done
in the matter.
Quit In Protest Against Scale.
~. ak iourneymen and six helpers
,enorted for work this morning; out
affer conference called upon Henry
Story. superintendent of the shop. and
notified him of their intention 70 quiz
orL in nrotest against the failure OF
the District officials to grant them ,he
increase. ,,.,.s-
men that heretofore after the cioslne
Of the schools in the spring 1t mad oeen
the custom to put from twelve 10 M
teen men to work dan,a IN 9roes es ,aa rena,red M
and mads ready for the opening OF the
schools In the fall. This year, 1t is
said. there Is a scarcity of labor. and
only the regular six 3ournetaen inn tha ,varH anu
This kind Of work Is OF a heavy class.
II is stated. and cannot be done In
hurry.
wages" said the committeeman. while
on the outside there is more money
TO be gotten The District can't go
outside and get men to do TINS work
because there are no men to be got
ten. In former years there were men
walking about the streets who could
be gotten for such work. but they are
ali at work now Many Of the Journey
men are now in the United States navy
yard, while the outside shops OF the
District have the others"
Walked Out to Get Attention.
They said further that they do not
want II to appear that they are on
strike but simply walked out in order
that the attention of the Commission
ers could be brought to the conditions
which exist. we do not want to tie
up the work at this time, as there is
so much Of It to be done there will be
trouble in heating some of the schools
when cool weather sets in
The men recently received the per
cent increase granted by Congress. but
they say this has nothing to do with
what wage should be paid by the
District government. They stated that
they do not receive an average of
$1,000 a year. as much time is lost be-
cause of bad weather.
The committeeman said IT is the in
tention Of the employees to remain away
from work until some steps have been
taken by the Commissioners. Those
employees who are per diem men have
for some time been taking half day
holiday on Saturdays. contending that
they were entitled to IT as well as the
annual employees. The decision OF the
controller of the Treasury that they
are entitled to such holiday, with pay.
all the year round. they declare has
been their contention.