New-York tribune., 1919-08-16
25,500 Building g
Trade We Orkers
Now on Strike
Ranks of Painters and Gem.
ent Workers Augmented
by Walk-Out of $500
Bricklayers and Masons

Building activity Is now virtually at
standstill throughout greater New
York. Eighty-five hundred bricklayers
and stonemasons went on strike yes
terday, thus completing the tie-up
threatened when the painters, decora-
tors. paperhangers, cement workers
and plasterers quit.
Ten dollars a day Is demanded by
the bricklayers. When the demand
was denied by the Mason Builders AS
sociation, the bricklayers' union, from
its headquarters at 100 West 116th
Street, ordered the men to quit About
the same time the stonemasons de-
manded that their pay of 81 day be
increased to SO. They quit work
sirnui rGneousIy with the bricklayers.
25,5oO Out in Industry
Mon on strike in various branches of
the building trades industry are:
DrlcKlayers .............. 1000
StonemaSons Observation-Disclosures. 1900
Painters, paperhangers and in
terror decorators ......... $4,000
Cement WORKERS and plasteHrs.. 5000
More than half of these 25,5O0 men
engaged in the various building trades
strikes have been threatening to quit
for several weeks. The painters, deco
rators and paperhangcrs, who are
demanding that their pay of rs cents
an hour be increased to 81, walked
out in Manhattan last Wednesday.
The Brooklyn branch of the union,
with 1000 members, quit yesterday.
In addition to more pay they are ask
ing for tiveday week.
Officials at union headquarters, 166
East Fifty-sixth Street, Manhattan, and
224 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, said
yesterday that the Independent en-
ployers, who are not members of the
Association of Master Painters and
Decorators, 5O7 Fifth Avenue, are fast
signing the union agreement. They
declare that the painters will win be-
tore the middle Of next week
Puts Blame on Employers
Members of the brickayers and
stoncmasons' unions said there was no
relation between the strikes of the
two organizations. At the Headquarters
of the stonemasons' union, 331 East
112th Street, Louis Mazzcla, the presi-
dent, asserted that his men had pre-
sented demands for molt pay five
weeks ago, and that the strike had
been forced upon the men because of
a threatened lockout by the employers.
AS soon as the bricklayers put down
their trowels Independent contractors
began to indicate their willingness to
grant the increased pay, according to
Charles Curran, member of the
brlcklayers strike committee.
only about forty eight of the 200
prominent contractors who have big
work under way are members of the
Master Builders Association" said Mr..
Curran. ct may easily be seen that the
strike won't last long, for the indie
pendents are anxious to complete their
contracts. No antistrike agreement
has been broken. The increasing cost
of living simply made it imperative
that the bricklayers have more pay"
Contractors Remain Silent
No comment on the strike was made
yesterday at the headquarters Of the
Building Trade Employers Associa-
tion, "a West Thirty-third Street. 1t
was said that a statement might be
issued to-day
Soon after tie 1000 painters.
papcrhangers and decorators in Brook
lyn Joined the strike Of the 10000
members of the union in Manhattan
yeste rday. George T. Rees, secretary
OF the Brooklyn council, said: "We
expect an easy victory. Almost 1000
OF our men will return 10 work on
Monday with their demands granted. .