New-York tribune., 1918-06-11
Union Workers Walk Out
When Demands for In
creased Wage Fail
Contractors Consider
Mems Demands Just
Blame for Tie-Up Laid to
Refusal of the Estimate
Board to Agree

All work on the unfinished contracts
on the new subway lines stopped
yesterday when between 5000 and g.
600 men engaged in all kinds of con-
struction work walked out. The strike
followed~the failure of the Board of
Estimate. the Public Service Commits
sion and the contractors to agree upon
plan to meet the increase N wages
demanded by the laborers.
The blame for the tie-up is laid
primarily to the Board of Estimate in
attempting to carry out plan for
the relief of the contractors and lab
orers under war conditions, unsatis-
factory to both these interested parties
and the Public Service Commission.
The Board of Estimate refused to act
jointly with the Public Service Com
mission in the matter under the Lock
wood law, passed for the specific pur-
pose of forestalling the present situ-
alton, and adopted a plan which left
the matter entirely to Controller
Craig.
The men were ordered out at
o'clock yesterday morning by Matthew
A. McConville, chairman of the Allied
Subway Laborers' Union. when the con-
tractors notified the union they could
not meet the increase in wages, which
the contractors themselves consider a
just demand. Secretary James B.
Walker of the Public Service Commits
sion, as we'll as Mr.. McConville, de-
Ia
than generally understood, and that
unless an adjustment was reached
within a day or two the construction
force would be scattered in other jobs
and it might be impossible to begin
work again until after the war is over.
"The Board of Estimate is respon-
sible for this strike" said Secretary
Walker. at has refused to work with
the Public Service Commission in an
effort to make satisfactory agreement
with the contractors under the terms
of the Lockwood law and has adopted
a course of procedure which is entire
ly without the scope of that act and
which precludes the official cooperation
of the comm ission, whose functions are
Early in the day Grover Whalen,
Mayor Hylan's secretary, declared the
Mayor had not changed his attitude
bit, and that he had fully expressed
himself in his letter to the Corporation
/ Counsel Saturday, approving of the lat
ter's plan. Later the Mayor issued a
statement to that effect and declared
he would not be party" to the plan
suggested by the Public Service Com
missioners and the contractors under
the Lockwood law.
The committee on finance and budget
Of the Board of Estimate, which in
c]udes the whole board, discussed the
subway situation briefly toward the end
Of its regular weekly meeting in the
Controllers office yesterday. No i'm
mediate action was decided upon. 1t
was decided, however, that the board
would take up the matter again at its
meeting on Friday and consider at that
time the data presented to the board
last week by the Public Service Com
mission relative to eight of the most
urgent contracts.
The Board of Estimate submitted
these contracts with sworn state
ment of losses on each one by the con-
tractors, with the suggestion that they
be cancelled under the Lockwood law
and new contracts made by which the
contractors could complete the work at
cost, the city furnishing the money to
meet the increase in wages and in
crease cost of materials, provided the
statements of loss were borne out by
official audit. The commission urged
immediate action on the matter.
The Mayor in his statement last night
said:
"The contractors refused to continue
paying the advanced cost of labor,
which they had already agreed to END
placed in operation, and which the city
had assured the contractors would be
taken care of. This action on the part
of the contractors practically forced
the men to strike, so this club could be
used to force the Board of Estimate to
adopt plans suggested by the Pubhc
Service Commission and the contrac-
tors, which would open the door OF the
city treasury to every contractor en-
gagged in subway work. If such plan
were adopted it would place burden
upon the rent and tax PAYERS OF the
city that will take years to recover
from. l refuse to be party to it,.
The union men held meetings at their
several headquarters last night and De,
cided to hold out until the increased
wages were Forthcoming. Enough men
were left on the jobs to protect TIE
property of the contractors. The LEAD.
ers declared, however, a good many OF
the men would accept other positions
already in view after forty-eight hours