The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-04-24
CARPENTERS QUIT
CITY WHEN BOSSES
VOTE OPEN SHOP
Four Hour Conference With
International Officer Fails
of Results.
BIG JOBS NOW TIED UP
Contractors and Winchester Head
Fooled in Attempt to
Break Strike.

| Following another refusal by the
Master Carpenters of New Haven to
grant wage scale of ST an hour. which
refusal came Wednesday after a four
hour conference with T. M. Guerin of
indianapolis, international vice-presi-
dent of the Carpenters and Joiners.
steps to place all the men who went on
strike three weeks ago at work else
where, were Immediately taken by the
local ofhcers. By the end of next week
mere VIII probably be no carpenters
mere are less than $50 remaining now
and IS of these will go to Stamford to
work Monday, another dozen will 90
to another city and scattering of about
score take jobs in other parts of the
state where 81 an hour and more is
being paid.
Mr.. Guer1n met the contractors COM
TnNttee and went over the situation with
them. Ihe discussion was long and
|. spirited on both sides as is evidenced by
the tact that it lasted four hours. Fol-
lowing Mr.. Guerin's withdrawal the
contractors reiterated their stand of 90
cents an hour and of Cutting overtime
to time and one-ha1f instead of double
time and also declared for 'the open
shop"
Previous to this action a meeting
solely of the men on strike who are vet
lett IN New Haven, was held in Trades
Council hall and without any discus
sion vote was taken to show their SEN
timent on the demands. The men were
instructed to vote just as their in
diy1dual minds dictated, whether TO
stick out for the ST or accept the com
promise ocered. By the overwhelming
majority of III to 20 the men voted to
stick 1t out. When the word of the
contractors action was received next
day. they prepared to leave the city.
The strike is now having an effect
on other lines of trade, the mason and
other craftsmen employed on big Jobs
about town, having caught up with the
carpenter work and unable to 90
farther. As result several of the big
jobs are closed down and will STAY that
way until the strike is settled inasmuch
as the other tradesrnen will refuse to
work with non-union help even if it can
be~secured.
An instance of that determination
was given Thursday afternoon without
any suggestion from officers of the Car
penterS or other unions. 1t was at the
Sperry Engineering Co. Job on the old
Me1gs building on Church street which
IS being oVerhauled for one of the new
Winchester stores. The carpenters had
gone out on that JOB and the other
mechanics were being delayed as con-
sequence. On Thursday following their
action of Wednesday, the contractors
with the assistance, it is reported, Of
President Otterson of Winchesters and
the New Haven Chamber of Commerce.
sent down about score of "shop car
penters" from the Winchester shop TO
take the places of the striking carpen-
ters.
They arrived at l o'clock and at five
minutes after | every other mechanic
employed on the job was out on Church
street, they refusing to man to work
with the non-union help 1t was some
time later when Business Agents Sulli-
van and Mordecai of the Carpenters
heard of the action and arrived on the
scene. The Winchester men themselves
were NOT willing to go on with thd lob
either, claiming they had been told it
was van out and out Winchester Job
and that they didn't know anything
about it being contract Job with the
Sperry company until they got down to
it. They were sent back to the shop and
the job is still tied up.