The Connecticut labor press., 1920-03-27
Men Quit Work on Association Jobs, While Big Majority Elm ployed by Independent Con- tractors Are Not Affected. Less Than 300 Out Instead of More Than 600" as Claimed By Master Builders.

In accord with the vote to strike to bring about settlement of their de- mands for Sl an hour, carpenters and Joiners in this city left their jobs on Monday last in every case where an agreement had not been reached before hand for the payment of the scale. When the strike started 262 men were involved and this dwindled to about zlO up to yesterday noon, when the men were called from the Aberthaw Com pany job on the new Seamless Rubber company plants on Hallock avenue, bringing the number up to somewhere about 300 men out. This is inc h;aI,sst po1nt reached during the strike, despite the claims of the Master Builders Association that 600 or more Carpenters had struck.
 Before the hour for the strike the Carpenters committee consisting of Business Agents William ]. Sullivan and George F. Mordecai and Henry Mayer had waited on large number of independent contractors and they had readily signed Up. These men em- ploy about 80 per cent of the carpen- ters III the citv while the Master Build CTS Association members comprising g firms, employ only about 20 per cent. and these latter are practically the only one affected.
 With the calling of the Aberthaw workers the strike IS believed to have reached its maximum and that the mat ter will now move quickly toward a settlement In fact shortly previous to the last dropping of work, two mem bers of the Master Builders Association made overtures to the Carpenfers' committee looking toward settlement of their differences. These negotiations were promptly taken up and will prob ably reach conclusion today.
 So far no effort has been made by the Master Builders Association to carry on their work with non-union help. Therefore no action by the other afili- ated building trades has yet been neces- sary. The affiliated building trades have, however, given the carpenters assurance that immediately any such at- tempt IS made by the master builders slE-ir organizations will at once take action to offset 1t, to the extent, if necessary of refusing to work on the jobs with the non-union men.
 The effort of the Master Builders to give the impression that they control the building situation in this city and employ the largest number of men, by circulating the report that 600 were out on strike, brought speedy answer and challenge with charity bonus offer attached, for them to prove it. The statement was issued by Business Agent Mordecai and is as follows:
 There can be but very little news in the situation of the carpenters who are on strike in this city as the men have resolved that until such a time as the members of the Master Builders Association can see their way to pay the increase that has been asked for that they will refuse to consider sell ing them their labor
 There seems to be a great disparity III the figures furnished the press from the headquarters of both parties in- volved in the trouble, but we can make this statement, that our meetings will be opened to any representatives of the press or to MT. Mckay of the Master Builders Association and we will allow them to check every man who Is on strike and also out of work prior to the strike being called but who are report ing every day, and if after checking them all up 1t Is found that the num- Der will exceed 275 men then we will stand ready to pay to the Red Cross, Y. w. C. A., Salvation Army or any other charitable organization a bonus of five dollars per man.
 "If this suggestion is taken up and 1t Is then found that our figures are correct then all we ask is that the sec retary of the Master Builders Associa- ton will issue a statement giving the correct figures.
 The only reason that we can see for the builders secretary claiming that they have 600 men employed by mem bers of the association is to try and create the belief that they control or employ the majority of the men in this city which Is far from the truth as the builders have always and do now empoy the larger majority of our men,"
 The situation is considered as very favorable by the union leaders, who point to the large number of firms who have already signed and the indications that others will speedily do so. The comparatively small number of men forced to go out to secure the demands was more than encouraging. A number of those who left their work have se- cured places out of town where the scale IS even higher than in New Ha- ven. Calls for others from all parts of the state have also been received and more will leave next week if the trouble Is mt odircfad