Evening star., 1920-10-01
UNION CARPENTERS
IDLE; ASKING $l.l2
Millions in D. c. Building
Crippled d-EmpIoyer Offer
Dollar an Hour.

Union carpenters walked OUT from
their jobs today, cripphng millions
Of dollars worth Of building opera
tions in Washington. The walk-out
was authorized by the United Broth
erhood of Carpenters and Joiners,
claiming a membership strength of
$500. The carpenters demand a wage
SCALE of $1.121s per hour and double
time for overtime. The employers
offer a scale of 81 per hour.
At a meeting of the carpenters
wage dispute committee of the Gen.
eral Contractors and Builders Asso-
citation today it was announced that
virtually every operation being con-
ton. representing 85 per cent of the
local building industry, was crippled
by the walk-out.
Other Trades Continue.
Other trades continued at work. But
the lack of carpentry work in various
building operations caused slowing
down of the work of other trades
men.
Business agents of the carpenters
locals were on the streets today con-
lS.
Reports from the business agents had
not been received at headquarters at
Ian early hour this afternoon and an
estimate of the exact number of car
penters who have quit work was not
made.
Officials of the carpenters union de-
Iclared, however, that two of the larg
lest firms in the city had signed up
and that approximately 80 per cent of
the men were at work.
Pledged to 81 nm Hour.
Members of the employers commit
tee declared. however, that although a
few firms had possibly signed the con-
tract, the fffty-seven- contractors and
builders represented by the organiza.
tion had pledged themselves to main
tain a rate of not more than 81 pei
hour because of the. market situation
at the present time.
A meeting of the employers COM
mittee will be held daily during the
walk-out, it was said, in order that
events demanding immediate atten-
ton may be handled.
Regarding the extent of work that
was affected by the walk-out, off
cials of the committee, said that there
was no doubt that the ultimate fig
ure would run into the millions II
was explained that it did not mean
a paralysis of building operations
but that links in the chain of build
ing had been severed, checking work
to a serious extent.
Five Cents Limit ON Increase.
At the meeting of the General Con-
tractors and Builders Association
last night at the Builders and Manu-
facturers' Exchange it was decided
that conditions at the present time
did not warrant an increase of more
than cents an hour, bringing the
scale up to $S day.
In announcing the decision of the
meeting, President Andrew Murray
said that the builders, in general, had
tude of the carpenters, and, although
the action taken might precipitate a
walkout, it would not cause a dis
|ruption of the agreeable relations be-
tween employers and employees, if the
former were to be considered.
Builders representing more than SIS
per cent of the industry in Washing
ton signed an agreement pledging
mutual cooperation.
THE builders feel kindly disposed
toward the carpenters" said Presi-
dent Murray, but the situation which
'confronts us makes ii impossible to
grant the increase requested. 1t is
no more than an honest difference of
opinion between employees and en-
ployers.
Building work in Washington is on
the decline. The prices at which
houses are selling cannot go up. The
cost must be held at the present level.
For this reason We have voted the
highest Increase in our power to give.
No men will be laid on. If any man
wishes work for $s . day he will
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