The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-05-24
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IEUP rs
CASE FoRET0


LABOR leaders Wofo po1ntau8 To-
DAY to the continued tieup In tho
building lines and the seeming I'M
possibility to get the representa-
DIVES Of the Quad City Builders ex-
change and the. carpenters union
tosethefe that they might thresh out
their differences.
Tho way the present situation has
developed il GAINED to have
brought about a case just such as
should have been cared for as one
,of IT, duties to the community by
the cooperative board that labor
leaders sought to organize last
winter.
This proposition was launched at
. convention called last December
by Ben Jacobson. president Of the
Tri-City Federation Of Labor.
Presidents and secretaries Of the 70
local unions afiiiated with the fed
Grafton named nine men as labor's
representatives and tried to get the
various employers and civic or
CARNATIONS to name an equal num-
Der of delegates to a joint meeting
when plans would be outlined for
possibly much larger board,
whose duties it was to perform any
service for the general good of the
community, ferret out the causes OF
general unrest and to act as media
tors in cases where workers and
their employers could not agree.
The board in these cases was not
to have any power to tell the en-
ployers or the workers what to do,
but was to use its good Offices in
bringing the two sides together and
in aiding In any other way it could
in bringing about amicable settle
ments.
First Case Is at Hand.
Such cases were said to be few
and practically unknown here
where employers and workers
found themselves in position
where unsurmourtable differences
seldom rose between them. The
main good it was said could be
brought about by bringing both
sides together In a hurry and save
time lost in strikes, walkouts and
lockouts.
The present building tieup is
claimed to have reached point
where 1t may continue indefinitely,
but in case there was cooperative
board in action both sides could
be brought together and differences
ironed out without delay.
AS the situation stands the car
penters claim lockout and the ex-
change claims breach of agreement
on the part of the men. On the
strength of their claim OF a walk
out the carpenters say it is UP Ia
the builders to make the first move
toward arbitration. On the strength
Of their claim that the men broke
their agreement the builders say
the move is UP to the men, and a:
. result neither side has made ad
vances. Both claim the situation II
lust the same as when the mel
first quit work.
The Uniform Agreement.
The only move that has beef
made to get things Strengthened on
was made by the Allied Trades
Thursday night Of last week il
naming three delegates to act a
Intermediates in getting represen
tatives Of the carpenters and tn
exchange together. The Allie
~, 10. 4. , ,ouo,ii v,,odo m If ron
resenatives OF the various buildin
trades unions and serves thes
unions in a manner similar to tn
way in which the Quad-City Build
ers' exchange serves the contract
ors in the various. lines Of WORT
The Allied Trades as body and tn
exchange has never taken up for
NAL agreements with each Other
Business has been conducted b
each building trade union maxim
separate agreements with the con
tractors within the exchange in &C
cordance with the contractors lin
Of work.
Several months ago the builder
tried to get through what is know
Is the uniform agreement. Thi
would be q kind Of over agreemen
and would be made between the ex
change and the Allied Trades a
groups. The individual contracts
between the separate unions ant
contractors would still be made
but in case Of trouble between an!
union and set Of contractors thu
exchange as a whole would take VI
the case from the contractors sid,
and the Allied Trades would take
up the issue from the unions side
First Move Same.
The first move would be the sam.
~ Is done without the uniform
agreement, the seven members
Of the union and seven member.
from the contractors affected com
ing together to settle things. l,
they reached deadlock the matter
would pass on to the main bodies
each having seven members to al
arbitration board. This boart
would try to settle the matter AND
should they fail, by getting vot,
seven to seven. an outsider woult
Be called In to settle the case. Ii
al events the matter would hav'
to BE- settled within 4S hours. Tn,
unions did not take to the PROPOSE
ton offhand although 1t seemed To-
while that the plan would g
through, II II failed OF success.
On the strength Of not having
such an agreement in effect the ex
change in the present situation re
fuses to listen 70 the offers of tn,
Allied Trades committee to act a!
On intermediary. The result Is {
continued deadlock, which is sale
BY labor men to be one that il Jus
about made to order for the contro
Of . cooperative board, such Is NJ,
urged BY them last winter. Variou!
oreanizafions considered the propo.
Bttion. but . delegation was nevel
aamed to meet with the labor dele.
gateA