New-York tribune., 1919-02-07
Lockout to Hit
Few Workers.
AssertsLeader
Only Carpenters ON Jobs
of Employers Association
To Be Affected Monday
Plan Labor Conference
w. L. Hutchinson, Union
Head, Says Tsp. C. of Men
Work for Independents

William L. Hutcheson. international
president of the Brotherhood of Car
penters and Joiners of America, last
night authorized the statement that
the lockout ordered for Monday bv
the Building Trades Employers Asso-
citation of New York would not affect
men employed by New York con-
tractors who are not members of that
association. He also said it would
not affect men in other cities not
engaged on work on which members
of the association are the general
contractors.
In normal times, Mr. Hutcheson
said, the members of the Building
Trades Employers Association employ
not more than 25 per cent of The
carpenters employed in New York.
The others. ne said, are employed by
independent contractors who are now
paying the $3.50 a day the union de-
mands, an increase of 81 a day over
the rate which has prevailed since
1916.
Outside Of Ncy York, he estimated,
members of the Building Trades En-
ployers' Association are engaged on ap-
proximatcly 100 contracts. On these
contracts the carpenters quit several
weeks ago, SO that the only men to be
affected by the lockout ordered by the
employers association are the members
of the Bricklayers Union and the
Hosting Engineers.
William j. Bowen, international pres
ident of the Bricklayers Union, agreed
with Mr.. Hutcheson's statement of the
facts in the case. He announced that
members of his union in other cities
had struck without orders from the in
ternational officers on notice of the in
tention of the employers to lock them
out.
For the employers, statement was
issued, rciterating the intention to lock
out all members of the bricklayers and
hosting engineers unions on Monday
unless the men who have struck in
this city in support of the carpenters
return to work. In giving out the for
NAL statement, Samuel B. Donnelly,
secretary of the employers associa-
ton, said the local unions of brick
layers and engineers were not in favor
of striking in sympathy with the car
penters and did not strike until their
international officers ordered them
out.
The number of Jobs outside of New
York City to be affected by the
trouble, he said, would approximate CO.
Speaking for the bricklayers, Mr..
Bowen said he had come to New York
to "tranquilize the situation" declar-
ing it to be his belief that everything
could be settled if the employers asso-
citation would agree to meet a commit
tee from the carpenters and talk mat
tcrs over.
"They refuse to do this" said he,
"unless the $4,000 men who have been
on strike three months return to work.
This is en- impossible condition. Men
on strike so long are not easily put
beck to work. VS. are still hopeful
the matter will be adjusted without
serious trouble, but | will admit the
outlook is not promising"
Mr.. Bowen stuck to his estimate Of
100000 men as the number that would
be affected by the lockout, though he
declined to give any detailed figures.
The total number of men in the build
ing trades unions. as estimated by Mr..
Hutchinson, is less than 100000