The Connecticut labor news., 1921-02-18

The plan for the state convention was decided upon at meeting of the execu- tive board of the State Building Council here on Sunday last at which reports of the activities of the builders, led by avowed anti-labor men, were discussed. President Frank A. Fitzgerald of this city and Secretary Charles Mulholland of Waterbury were instructed to com municate with every organized build ing trades body in Connecticut and re- quest that they send representatives to the convention. Ig each organization sends only one delegate more than 200 will be present, but as each IS likely to send two or more 1t IS more than prob able that teh workers will be represented by at least 500 delegates.
 In addition to the delegates and state officers, international officers of the various building trades organizations are expected to be present and assist in the adoption of a policy to be pre- scented to the employers in the event of their going ahead with their plans. Sev- eral of these international officers are now in Boston where the building trades are having a struggle with the employ CTS 1n combating a wage cut and the open shop. They will, 1t Is expected, be able to come here for the conven- ton and be added to by others from the international offices.
 The convention will open at 10 a. m. and will undoubtedly last all day and may run over into Sunday. When 1t Is concluded the entire state will be united as the master builders have striven to unite against the workers and If a Il, -o1, 1a hard fought one. Already the carpen- ters and plumbers local unions of New Haven have taken steps to incorporate separate building firms and be ready to go into business for themselves should a crisis be reached with their present employers. The employers, according to statements published in the daily press, do not take these plans very seriously but believe 1t propaganda by the workers to frighten them off. To to this those already interested Tn the cor porations organizing say they hope the employers will go on foo1ing themselves i'll that way if they expect to start some thing.
 There Is clash undoubtedly coming, the press reports sent out by the build CTS laying all the present high cost on building on wages paid the workers and
 
 materials which have not come down nor of the high interest rates which makes borrowing for the erection of buildings now almost impossible of pro- fit to the owner. When disposition Is shown to cut these latter costs and the general costs of living goes down to normal living, the workers declare they might be willing to accede to wage reduction. Until some such move ment is made, however, they do not consider wherein they should be com pel1ed to stand the brunt of the cutting and let the bosses go on making the ex- orbitant profits they collected under the "Cost-plus'' system and of which they are now evidently 1oath to give up even a share.
 The state carpenters at their conven- ton here last week adopted resolutions to fight any wage cut attempted any where i'll Connecticut unless they can be shown where reduced costs of living make such a cut possible. Other or ganizations will likely do the same and ti IS possible the united building trades combination may do likewise.