Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-09
Have Presented Demand for
! Higher Wages and Better
Working Conditions.
ACTION WOULD CRIPPLE
WATER SUPPLY FOR CITY
Sewerage System and Garbage Col
lection Would Also Be Ham
pered-Three Proposals Made.


employees may cripple Washington's
water supply and put out of opera
tion the sewerage and garbage collec-
ton systems caring for more than
400. 900 persons by next Monday.
Such results were forecast in case
Engineer Commissioner Kutz refuses
to consider demands for better con-
ditions and wages presented him by
President Joseph H. Hurley of the
City Employees Association today.
Three Proposals Made by Men.
Three propositions were presented.
The first was a demand that the Dis
trict government pay a minimum
rate TO Mechanics, laborers and other
workers commensurate with the out
side union scale. The second was the
proposed Washington navy yard
scale, with all advantages of contin-
uous work and no lay-of1s, as at the
navy yard. The third and last propo-
sition is to refer the dispute to the
War Labor Board or the Cancellation
division of the Department of Labor.
In case all three Of these PROPOSE
tions are turned down. Mr.. Hurley de-
ployes' union will walk out from their
positions within the next few days.
paralyzing the water and sewerage
systems of the District.
I'VE know that we are the trustees
Of the city's water and sewerage works.
and that the safety of the hundreds
of thousands of Washingtonians lies
in our hands," declared Mr.. Hurley
For this reason we are reluctant to
take such a step. unless in case OF
out unless absolutely driven to it. But
men must work where they can make
enough money to cope with present
high living conditions"
Per Diem Men Want Bonus.
Wholesale designations of District gov
eminent per diem employees are threat
ened in the event they are not con-
dnued at their present rates Of pay and
In addition granted the bonus Of $40
which Congress has directed shall be
paid government workers during the
hsca1 year that begins July /.
sideration by the Commissioners which
eontemplates the returning Of about 300
per diem and monthly employees to the
statutory basis upon which they were
paid prior to the war: To these basic
salaries would be added the bonus of
500. but the reductions would be so
great before the bonus is taken into
account that many employees would re-
ceive less than they are now making.
In some cases. 1t is stated. the total
q year Scores of the per diem work.
ers would experience cuts in salary
of from 5000 to $500 year.
The entire per diem personnel is up
In arms, and threats to quit the serv-
ice IL the order is adopted were made
freely in the Municipal building today.
The Commissioners have not in
dicated what action they propose
1t I'd To DIV for hos
signature and may be signed at any
time.
Wage Boards Attitude.
According to the wage board.
neither that body nor the Commits
sioners have any alternative but to
figure the bonus in the basic pay of
the skilled and unskilled laborers so
with the rates paid for similar serv-
I've on the outside. 1t is claimed that
this is required by the act of Con-
gress establishing the bonus.
AT all events. this plan was follow
ed when the bonus of s120 granted
for the current year was figured into
the basic rates. and the District
authorities merely propose to do the
same thing over next year. The en-
pioyes will receive the same as they
are now making.
The original bone of contention was
the desire to place men now receiving
a special rate of pay on the extra and
emergency rolls back on the statutory
rolls Of the District service. union Of
ciala claim. When a shortage of me-
chanics laborers and craftsmen be-
came felt in the District building, and
a higher wage was demanded. men
were transferred from the statutory
nay rolls TO the temporary and emer-
pc order a
of the outside
Wage Scale Comparison.
A comparison of the wage scales in
the District service and on the outside
was issued by the office of the City
Employees Association this morning
Figures follow:
Bricklayers. IS day as against
$40 to $40 on the outside: carpen-
ters. Sc as against $40: cement fin
ishers. s4.s6 as against IS on the out
hoisting engineers. IS as against
$3.50: GLACIERS, $3.50 as against 81;
1~borers. unskiHcd. $3.50 as against
$500: painters. 1918 as against $40;
plasterers. IS as against $40: steam
filters. $3.50 as against IS: sheet
metal workers. $3.50 as against S6.
and plumbers. 1928 as against $640
Demands of the union will set the
outside wage as the minimum for men
1T the District service. The minimum
wage scale at the navy yard is said
by the union to be agreeable in case
the District guarantees work all the
year around. A further request will
he made for the men to be kept on the
temporary rolls until the base nav OF
the statutory rolls is raised. so as
10 give an amount of compensation
equal to that the temporary employees
receive.