Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-28
CARPENTERS MAY
STRIKE SATURDAY
Demand Increase of $500 Weekly
Master Builders Offer
$500

Unless the Master Builders will agree
TO paw union carpenters S1.12I2 an hour
beginning ON Saturday, a May day strike
is threatened by the men who belong to
organized labor This is a statement made
TO Every Evening this morning by John
III. Hickey, business agent of the carpent-
ers union.
The Master Builders have offered the
men 81 an hour and say that is the limit
now. To increase this wage would mean
the suspension of the millions of dollars
worth OF improvements now underway
in this city, 1t is announced.
The carpenters will hold meeting at
Irish American hall tonight to decide on
their action on Saturday, which is May /.
If they maintain their present attitude,
no union carpenter Will continue ut Work
unless he is paid the Sl.1212 an hour.
Becanse there are many carpenters not
members of the union, has led the Master
Builders TO believe that if such a move is
determined upon, the effect would not be
general.
Some months ago the union carpenters
demanded an increase beginning May
of what amount TO about S21 90 a week
They are receiving so cents an hour now
and wanted S1.25 an hour. The Master
Builders held several conferences with the
union men and told them that to raise
the wage scale to meet their demands would
Kill all building prospects. The men claimed
they could not live on present wages and
the Master Builders finally agreed to
advance the scale TO 81 an hour, totalllng
SIS per week at eight hours day. Inc
men however refused to agree to this
compromise and wanted to split the differ
ence between S125 and hour and 81
The Master Builders told the men this
was impossible and there the matter rests.
According to Mr.. Hickey, the carpenters
of Philadelphia are now receiving SllZ12
an hour and have good prospects OF getting
sl25 and the local men want the same
wage. Mr.. Hickey said that the men
would stick to this demand and that 1T was
very likely that if the Master Builder did
not meet it, that strike would follow
beginning Saturday.
]. A. Bader of the J. A Bader &
Company, at whose offices the last con-
ference of the carpenters and master
builders was held, said this afternoon,
in commenting on the situation:
The position taken by the master
builders is that they represent the public
to whom they have to sell the product OF
the carpenter and other labor and ma
terial.
''We feel that in granting the carpen-
tiers % per cent increase. from so cents
TO 81 an hour, over the present rate, we
are giving all we can expect the publlc TO
digest and absorb at this time. We know
that the cost OF living is extraordinarily
high, but it is just as high and just as hard
for the general public as the carpenter.
eve take the stand, that 1t the. car
penters are not satisfied with 81 an hour,
that the matter should be referred to
committee of public-spirited citizens IN
the nature of an arbitration board Our
information is that 40 per cent Of the car
penters of the city-bosses and journey
men-are not members of the carpenters
union and these men are willing to work
for 81 an hour. If contractor wishes 10
employ nothing but union labor and he
would be compelled to pay more than the
81 an hour agreed upon by the other con-
tractors. he would be placed in the posi-
ton of being virtually forced to quit bus'-
ness"