The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-05-08
CARPENTERS STRIKE ENDS
in A COMPLETE VICTORY
New Haven Men, After Six
Weeks Struggle, Granted Every
Demand Sought-Contractors
and Chamber of Commerce
Attempt to Bust Union Fails.
Men All Gone, Now Face Short
age.

The Master Carpenters Association,
backed up by the Chamber of Com
merce, wanted fight to the finish with
the journeymen carpenters of New
Haven some six weeks ago. 1t got it.
The finish came this week when the
contractors, saw their finish and cap
itulated to the workers, granting them
every wage concession sought, making
the victory as complete and clean cut as
ever was won by organized labor. 1t
cannot be said the carpenters gave in
cannot be said the contractors gave in
for several days, they tried to run
"open shop" after granting the ST an
hour demand.
Wednesday last they waved the white
flag completely and gave in the CLOSED
shop" with a continuance of the old
scale of double time for overtime which
has been in effect several years but
which the contractors wanted to cut to
time and one-half and make the men
work longer thereby.
The capitulation of the contractors
came too late to do them much imme-
diate good, however, as all but about
rs of the 800 men who went on strike,
(more than 1000 having remained at
work for bosses who signed up) had
secured other jobs or left town. When
the contractors realized that the few
left would soon be gone and their big
jobs already held up would probably be
tied up indefinitely they gave up and
sought help. Now even the most
strenuous efforts of the carpenters Off
GERS are unavailing in meeting the de-
mand The mechanics are not to be
had and it will be weeks before the
work on the buildings held up by the
contractors attitude is running again
anywhere near normal.
In accordance with the custom, every
effort is now being made by the union
officers to supply the contractors with
competent help. Every man who left
town and can be brought back will be
called in and put in his old place. This
is going to be a difficult task, however,
as most of them are getting even more
than the ST an hour asked and will be
1oath to come back until the jobs they
are on are completed They owe that
in loyalty to the men who gave them
work when the contractors fought them
here.
Strenuous efforts, in lines with the |
general manufacturers and other big in
terests, plan to bust up organized labor !
and run the open shop" were made by |
the building contractors. Every attempt |
possible was made to secure non-union |
help but failed as what non-union men |
could be secured weren't competent and |
if they were competent, union men of |
other trades wouldn't work with them |
Even non-union men brought from Win |
chester's shop to work on Winchester |
Job down town being done by an out |
side contractor, refused to work when |
they found they were being used as |
strikebreakers, so the attempt to bust |
the carpenters union here met with a |
fat failure.
That there was some cases of sour
grapes" in the defeat was indicated by |
the example of one contractor after the
men had returned to work. Three
skilled men had been sent to him and
for work as usual at 8 o'clock.
Mr.. Contractor was there and an
nounced to them that as he was paying
81 an hour he was going to see that they
earned it. For one hour he stood over
them with his watch in hand. That
going along doing an honest hours
work for an honest hours pay, but it
lid gall them because of the attitude.
So when the hour was up, they asked
# he was satisfied. He was and then
hey demanded the dollar earned, got it,
walked off the job ana went TO work
1t noon for another contractor.
Anyhow the strike is over with a
complete win for the workers. At the
Trades Council Thursday night they
their appreciation for support
yiven by other trades, especially in the
building line. The victory was espe-
tally gratifying to all organized work
RS, it being the first big fight of the
.ffort to bust the organizations, and
emphasized the need of all standing to-
yether .