New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-10
HOuseWrecker.s
Ask Co11npers to
End Lockout
Building Trades Council
Accused of Discriminate
ing Against the Union;
1900 Are Out of Work
Van Men ON Picket Duty
Plumbers Say Conferences
just Begun Will Give
Strikers Their Demands

Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation Of Labor, and
Hugh Frayne, general organizer, were
requested yesterday by representatives
OF the House Wreckers' Union of New
York to compel the Building Trades
Council to cease its alleged discrimina-
ton against their organization.
Petitions were presented TO che
labor leaders by President A. d'Ales-
sandro. of the International Hod Car
riers' Union, with which the House
Wreckers' Union is afiliated, at in
formal conferences in the Hotel Con-
tinental and at the offices Of the fed
GRAFTON. Mr.. Gompers also was urged
to bring the controversy to the atten-
ton of the Central Federated Union at
its weekly meeting tonight.
1t was announced yesterday by labor
leaders that 1900 wreckers have been
locked out by their employers for the
last ten weeks on jobs under control
Of the Building Trades Council. The
wreckers' representatives say that was
done at the instance of the council after
differences had developed between Of
ficials of the two organizations, which
are both affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor.
Says Men Are Locke. Out
According to Pincus Hockstein. sec-
rotary of the wreckers' union. the
men were locked out chiefly through
the efforts of Robert P. Brindell. d.
rector of the Building Trades Council.
lie said that yesterday sixty two men
were locked out by Jacob Volk, an en-
p!oyer, with headquarters in Seventy
Columbus Avenue.
He also made puhI;c n 1,%4,. e..u. ~ =
Gowanus Wreckng Company, Hamilton
Avenue and Sixteenth Street, Brooklyn,
to Mr.. Frayne. In it the request was
90 mr. tn7>t cNnoarr he allowed 10
deal with the House Wreckers' Union.
because the men supplied by the Build
ing Trades Council, through Robert P,
brindell, were green" and were "dish-
washers, walters and bolt washers, and
anything but house wrcckers."
Eight hundred striking van drivers
y p 1 - rtc!.ct storage warehouses
and stables. They are said to have
been sent out by j. J. McKenna, secre-
tary and treasurer of Local 273' Inter
national Brotherhood of Teamsters,
There was no interference by the po-
lice.
Refuse to Deal With Workers
Although Mr. McKenna said he was
conferrlE3 with Independent owners,
the Van Owners Association of Great
er New York issued denial. It de-
clared its 200 members at a meeting
Wednesday night had decided to stand
pat on their policy Of having no deal
lngs with the union.
The owners statement recounts the
incidents which led UP to the strike.
1t says that in August the employers
met with the unions representatives
and reached "a definite agreement as
to wages and conditions for year
from August Is, 1920" The conditions
were that there would be no shortening
be granted. The men demanded an
eight-hour day and weekly increase
OF S.. According to the employers the
unions representatives did not sub
init the agreement to the van drivers
Instead they are said to have gone to
convention of their organization at
Binghamton, N. y, and obtained sane
ton to declare a strike. That they did
on August 81.
This proves conclusively," the en-
ployers' statement concludes, "that the
union never intended to keep faith
with the Van Owners Association"
Plumbers Hold Conferences
Three important conferences were
oeSun lSSI HlSnt between representa-
tives Of the striking plumbers, steam
filters and helpers and officials Of the
Alteration and Jobbing Plumbers AS
ISOLATION Of Greater New York. These
sessions, according to Walter J. Kelly.
secretary Of the Amalgamated Metal
Workers Of America have as their OBJ
ject the clearing up of final details
whereby independent master plumbers
Of tho city. as we'll as q number of
employers who have broken away from
the Master Plumbers Association,
agree to meet all the strikers de-
mands.
Mr.. Kelly said the result would not
be announced until to-day should q
settlement be reached. He declared
also that approximately 1900 of the
1000 men who have been on strike are
now back at work as result of set
Elements with individual master
plumbers in which the latter obtained
all their demands. These consisted of
an eight-hour day, a fortyfourhour
week and a 50 day wage.
Secret Art Treaty Charged