East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-03-01
STRIKE OF CARPENTERS
AND PAINTERS NOW ON;
WANT 80 CENTS ANHOUR
Shutdown Only Partial But
May Jeopardize Local
Building Expectations.
ATTEMPT WILL BE
MADE TO SETTLE
Compromise Offered by EN-
ployers Not Yet Acctpt-
ed by Men.

Asking for an increase in pay from
20 to 50 cents an hour and rejecting
q compromise offer for IS cent wage
"a score or more carpenters and paint
ers are on strike i'm Pendleton today
The situation has been the chief sub
ject of interest during the day and Is
arousing particular attention because
il Is feared, should the trouble he pro-
Iongcd that IL will hayev bad effect
on local building prospects.
At IL o'clock tomorrow forenoon a
meeting will be held with a view to ad-
justing the strike so Z. j. Murphy
announced this afternoon. 1t is the in
tention if possible to bring all inter
ests, including workers and contract
ors together to see if Il settlement can
not be made.
In carpenter work there is only a
partial shut down of operations to-
day. Some contractors are on jobs
themselves and it is reported the
men of crews are AT work though II
is not known whether or not the de-
mand for an increase was made.
|. No painting firms have men al
work today This morning l.. j. Nc
Atee stated he had granted the re-
quest for an so cent wage. Later 1t
was reported that though he had done
so he had called his men off. This
report had not been verified at
o'clock.
The mill men in the city are not af-
fected by the strike as those workers
are bench men and are not included
with those demanding highrr pay.
II is estimated by some that a loss
approximating $500 a day in wages Is
resulting from the strike. The car
penters' strike is said to be keeping
concrete men out of work because of
Inability to have forms made.
Object TO Increase.
e. ]. Murphy and W. b. Hale. of
Murphy Bros, and Hale & Hascal1r
respectively. contracting painters. to-
dav made the statement that they did
not feel able to grant the demand OF
their men. I'VE made counter pro
position" they stated. Ito the men
last night that an adyahce of i've
cents an hour, making SO Tor elsh'
hours. This morning they refused to
acct the compromise. and we nave
stopped all work. We think we nave
played fair with the men, and That we
are paying all that is possible.
Refused Compromise.
G.. l. IaDow, contractor, also stated
that he had made the compromise or
fer of IS cents an hour, which MS
men refused to accept, with the re-
suit that he did not have a carpeh-
ter at work. 81 expect, however, the
work l have contracted to go on in a
fow davs. 1 have no i'll feeling against
the men who have quit their Jobs, nor
do intend to make a fight against
the union"
Doing Own Work.
Dunbam. Brownlow & Payne, con-
tractors are all on the job doing their
own work today. They say they have
no statement to make. They have told
the union their position and what they
will do. with the result that all their
men are out today.
So far as can be learned other
trades employed in building work IN
pendleton are satisfied and have no
oomnlaint to make The plumbers
are said to be perfectly satisfied with
the present scale.
Voted for Raise.
Tom Ford, president OF Ii zen
dleton carpenters local No. lIfo, stat
cd he had no statement to make re-
garding the disagreement between th'
carpenters and contractors. AS th'
matter stands, Mr.. Ford says, n'
strike has been ordered, and he doe'
not know il such a step shall o'
taken. "In fact l have no statemeh
to make at this time are his words
.,The union voted for raise
wages. Some of the employers nav
accented the raise and some have not
Those who have accepted the rals
are working, and the other men ar
mot working today.
According to MIR. Ford the Eistror
and Beltz crews are both working TO
day. He does not know how man
men are not working today as
check has been made of the situation
The local union has 50 members.
At z o'clock this afternoon Nj
NcAtee stated that he had concede
to the demands of the men ana the
are working.