The New York herald., 1920-12-26
BUILDER ADVOCATES
OPEN SHOP POLICIES
Paul Starrett Believes Law
Should Prohibit the
Closed Shop.
NO ENEMY OF THE UNION
Urges Labor Organizationv
Themselves to Support
the Open Shop.

Paul Starrett. president OF the George
A. Fuller Company, building and indus
trial construction. says that he's strong
believer in the open shop. Furthermore,
he believes that the closed shop should
be prohibited by law. He thus holds
forth In q letter to THE NEW York
HERALD saying that he is 50 inspired
because newspaper reports Of his testi-
mony before the Lockwood committee
"are giving tho impression that I am a
strong supporter Of the closed shop prin-
ciple." Mr.. Starrett has this to say
about It:
1T am a strong believer in open snop.
It is my belief that laws should be
passed making the closed shop illegal.
This does not mean that I am fnimi-
cal TO unions. I believe unions are
benefit to the men and to the employer
II properly run. Taking our own busf-
ness, 1t Is of great advantage to us to be
able to make bargains with representa-
tives OF unions. establishing wages upon
which to base our estimates for work.
The building business In the large
cities, especially where fine work is
necessary. under present conditions can
not be properly done without the use of
union labor. for the reason that 90 per
cent. at least. Of the good mechanics are
in the unions. and a good mechanic is
WOTtn IN pTOQuCtlVeneSS at least IWlCo
as much as O poor mechanic.
'I have always taken the position In
arguments with labor delegates that they
have no right to prevent q man from
earning his living because he does not
Join their unions. i have stated to I'M
portant officials In the unions that I
believed. as do believe. that the inter-
est Of the unions would be best advanced
and placed In the proper light before tho
public IL they would themselves declare
for the open shop. Labor organizers
claim that this is impracticable on ac-
count of union politics.
I'VE use union men exclusively on our
work where we control the situation, for
the reason that they are the most eff
cient and therefore the most economical
for us to use. believe that II the unions
would come out for the open shop inside
of q very short time all the first class
business in New York would be one hun
dred per cent union, and the unions
themselves would have the cordial sup
port of the public.
I'm other words. my position is that
am strongly in favor OF the unions prop
erly run on the open shop principle.
1.-THE ill-advised action OF the Building
Trades Employers Association in sign
ing an agreement with the Building
Trades Council. headed by Brindell. to
make all building construction In New
York 100 per cent. union, against tho
protest of their entire Iron League men,
bership. forced the resignation of this
membership from the Building Trades
Employers Association and precipitated
a costly and hopeless fight.
For the past fifteen years steel in
New York has been erected on the open
shop prin ciple although a number Of
the influential members of the Iron
League operated 100 per cent. union
and practically all the union steel
erectors had steady employment.
IT believe that II this union had fol-
lowed along the lines on which It had
been woroking II could have built its
membership UP so that within a short
time all steel erection in New York
would have been on union basis"