Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-06-10
Strife Must
End, Union
Chief Says
President of Building Trades
Department Declares Strikes
Should Be Avoided
Whenever Possible.
Injurious to Both Sides
by The Associated Press.

Denver. June o.-The organized
building craftsmen of the country
must free the building industry OF
interunion strife, craft jurisdictional
disputes or other unnecessary and
burdensome oppressive restrictions,
John H. Donlin, president OF the
building trades department of the
American Federation OF Labor, to-
day told delegates to the depart
ment's annual convention
Every organization must guaran-
tee to arbitrate all questions aris-
ing in the industry, the labor leader
asserted, and provision must be
made to prevent any cessation OF
work pending the adjudication OF
any controversy.
We must once and for all, stop
tying up building operations upon
which none but union men can be
employed he added, declaring that
the cessation of work inflicted injury
upon ourselves and injustice upon
the investor and hurt the general
morale and wellbeing OF the COM
munity.'
we must not injure communi-
ties continued the speaker, " or
cause innocent persons to suffer
pecuniary losses, not to mention
mental anguish or the danger of f.
nancial ruin. as we'll as cause our
great rank and file to suffer meal
culable losses.
Menace to Industry.
"Jurisdictional disputes are not
only the most dangerous problems
to organized craftsmen, but seri-
Gus menace to industry"
Mr.. Donlin declared that he be-
lieved jurisdictional strikes general
ly are the result of demagogues
and aspirants for Office, or they
emanate from class of workers
which it is impossible to satisfy or
for reasons that will not stand for
the magnifying glass"
This convention will indeed be
mockery, hypocrisy, on the thin.,,s
our movements stand for unless we
solve Our interunion disputes" as
serted the labor leader, urging that
the department reafhrm its support
to the national board of jurisdiction
al awards in the building industry.
BY all the laws OF honor upon
which civilization rests, we building
tradesmen are committed 10 this
board said Mr.. Donlin, warning
that the boards work was threatened
by the failure OF one of the large in
ternational unions to obey its juris-
dictional decree.
Cooperation Needed.
Capital and labor should cooper
ate to reduce the cost of living, the
labor leader said, adding
Capital and management must
start up all industries, labor agree
ing to a maximum output per indi-
vidual, thus keeping wages up and
the cost of living down. Capital
and management should also bear
the burden OF readjustment. Give to
the masses what they consume at the
cost OF production plus fair profit"
The. aggregate wage paid to build |
ing workers is not high or responsible |
Tor the high cost of buildings, said the |
abor leader. He blamed the high cost
of living on high financing, exces-
sixe overheads, excessive profits,
organized through the
years just passed, that now i'll dif-
Ierent economic conditions, still are
practicing their nefarious scheme to
protect one and the other at the cost
of the consumer"
Now is the opportune time to
build homes added the speaker.
Banks should remove any obstacle
IN the way OF borrowers and make
their loans inviting to those who
would build Material men should |
remove restrictions and effects Of
combin atoms from the cost of |
homes. Labor should insure eff
cheney"
He predicted that building opera
lions will resume with rush in the
near future.