New-York tribune., 1919-02-14
Vote on Strike
of AllBuilders
Set for To-day
Trades Executive Council
TO Meet Following Refusal
TO Raise Carpenters Pay
Masters Blame Workers
Truce of Three Unions to
End at Noon; Employers
Say Demands NotJustifed

The peace conference between the
.oroenters and the master builders
ended abruptly yesterday afternoon
wben the employers association re-
fused to consider an advance of 81 a
asv TO $3.50 for carpenters in New
York Ci.,. In consequence, representa-
,;ves OF the union were last night plan
ming to call strike of all of the build
ing trades unions against all jobs on
which members of the Building Trades
Employers Association hold contracts.
In the strike, in which a truce was
o.elsred to last until noon tomorrow,
in order to allow yesterdays confer
enee. only three trades--carpent
hosting engineers and bricklayers-
sre involved. These will remain at
work until noon tomorrow, when, as
at present planned, the other trades
will strike with them.
The question of general strike will
he taken up to-day by the executive
council Of the building trades depart
ment of the American Federation of
Labor This body has no power to
order general strike, but it may
recommel /, and in the past its recon-
mendatiors have had the full effect
Of law.
Put Blame On HutchesOn
Following the breaking off of the
conference. Ronal Taylor. president Of
Pui11iOty I'roHoc ,1o,
ciation, in a formal statement placed
the responsibility for the failure of
the conference upon William L. Hutche-
sons demand that the men be given
$3.50 day.
On his part Mr.. Hutcheson declared
the employers had been guilty of bad
faith but insisted that this would not
interfere with the union agreement to
keep the peace until noon tomorrow.
when we agreed to call the strike
of and send the men back to work. "
ne said, I'VE had reasons for believing
tnat the employers would ocncede
the $3.50 rate. Otherwise the strike
would never have been declared, nor a
truce arranged. However, we have said
the men would stay at work until noon
tomorrow, and they will. At noon the
strike will be on again.
We met the employers more than
half way. When we got together they
asked what we proposed doing with the
men wio worked during the strike
We told them that we would protect
those men, that we would take into
the union any competent mechanics
there might be among them. Then
they asked where we stood on wages.
said the men wanted $3.50 a day. Thev
said they had decided not to pay it.
Cites Wages Elsewhere
"Is that fat?' | asked. They said
ii was and we quit right there.
"ln discussing the wage rate cited
cities, such as Chicago where the men
get 50 cents an hour, one and quarter
cents an hour less than we are asking
here, anC pointed out that difference
IN the cost OF living more than justified
this difference. Mr.. Taylor, in answer
10 this, said that in the other cities we
mad been doing business with weak
sisters.
i am not going to predict what will
happen. that is not my practice, but |
would like TO get into the record q
note CT the fact that We have kept and
are keeping faith. That is more than
can be said Of the bosses. Snellings
mere can tell what they did with his
men,"
"Snellings.' who is Milton Snellings,
International president of the hosting
engineers, said one large firm in the
association had failed to keep it's part
OF the agreement
Points to War Record
There are two firms on the army
oase Job-the Taylor Construction
TTompany and Post e. McCord. The
Taylor people kept the agreement like
gentlemen and allowed our men to 20
% work as per agreement. Post G. Nc
Cord refused Taylor's men refused to
work under such circumstances. / have
ordered them all to report for work to