The New York herald., 1921-09-08
lands WAGE CUTS
SMASH HIGH COST OF
BUILDING IN CHICAGO
Workers in A Construction
Trades Reduced From 10
to 33 Per Cent. by His
Decision.
BIG OPERATIONS START
$30.0O0,00O Jobs Will at
Once Be Completed, Civ
ing Employment to
$4,000 Men.
WORK RESTRICTIONS END
Labor Saving Machinery May
Be Used-New Conditions
End All Chances Of
Open Shop.
WORK RESTRICTIONS END


Special Despatch to THE New York HERALD
CHICAGO. Sept. 7.--smashing the cost
Of building in Chicago and reducing
wage scales for the construction work.
ers, Judge Landis to-day handed down
his decision in the building arbitra-
ton, which has been before him for
nearly three months.
The wage cuts varied from 10 to as
high as 33 per cent. of the old uniform
rate Of pay of $1.25 an hour for skilled
workers and affect $4,000 union work.
ers affiliated with forty-four building
trades. coupled with the elimination
of all restrictions on labor saving ma
chinery and materials of any sort
save prison made. Judge Lands esti-
mated the saving in actual cost would
be about 20 per cent.
Only one craft was left at 1925 an
hour-the stone carvers, whose expert
ness in chiselling intricate designs on
stone places them, II Is said. above the
others. The tile layers or fireproofers
were granted $112h an hour.
No wage is announced for the car
penters. the painters. sheet metal work.
ers. elevator constructors, GLACIERS or
fixture hangers. All OF these were origi-
naliy in the wage controversy, but with
drew following a clash over Judge
Landis's refusal to be party to certain
clauses in their agreements. At one
stage or the arbitration Judge Lands
advised certain of the union officials to
hire a lawyer to keep them out OF
trouble. because he saw violations OF
Federal and State laws IN some of the
agreements.
How Reductions Run.
Reductions from the Sf.25 rate for
the important unions were as follows
Plumbers. 95 cents bricklayers. $1.10
steamfitters. 95 cents; electricians,
$1.10; cement finishers. IS cents; orna-
ment iron workers, o5 cents slate and
tile roofers, 81.
Common labor was slashed more
deeply, coming down from the old scale
of 81 to 7eh cents an hour. Exca-
waiting laborers receive 47H cents an
hour and wall excavators a slightly
higher amount.
Although the carpenters were not in
clude In the arbitration. Judge Lands
said they were entitled to 81 an hour.
The plasterers and painters also re-
mained outside the arbitration.
Rel j=etion of the wage decision was
forecast by Thomas Kearney, president
of the Chicago Building Trades Council.
A special meeting OF officials and busi-
ness agents of the unions affected by the
cut to protest against the decision was
called by Kearney for Thursday after
noon.
II feel that If we can point out to
Ju ige Landis wherein some of the wages
he fixed are unjust he will readjust
thcm." Mr.. Kearney said. And that's
the purpose of the meeting"
The unions affected promised to abide
by the result of the arbitration before
Judge Lands would agree to become
umpire.
The plumbers and steamhtters. who
had always been near the top of every
wage scale. to-day found themselves at
30 cents an hour. Is cents lower than
the wage OF the brickayers. with whom
they had hitherto kept even pace This
was explained by Judge Landis in his
decision as follows:
employers and employees OF some
trades, actirg in cooperation, have re-
fused to the public the benefit of the
economy that would result from the
operation of the provision which would
not prevent the contractor from working
on his own job. Three trades require
work to be done by skilled men that
laborers or helpers might do. Therefore.
In fixing the wage in these trades. ]
have been Obliged to consider the waste
thus occasioned."
10000 to Resume Work.
AS a result OF the decision it was
expected that between 10000 and 50,-
900 men would be back at work with
hammer. trowel and shovel before Mon
day next.
The average cut in building payrolls
VIII be little more than twenty-five per
cent. according TO prominent contrac-
tors. The largest construction Job in
the city. being built by the Koppers
Company Of Pittsburgh for the gas COM
pnny. reported this morning that the
cut OF wages In the Lands award will
result In $4,000 n week reduction on
the job, which will last for two months
more.
The new wage scale. coupled with the
abolition OF restrictions on the hiring
OF men and the use OF labor saving
devices and material. was asserted by T..
70. Davidson. president of the Illinois
Society OF Architects. to constitute one
OF the most nomentous decisions ever
handed down in the history OF the United
States building industry
Not only that" he said. but IL saves
union labor from an open shop in Chi
oaso. Not another Judge but Landis
could have pp' this thing over"
lnde- IN, wording rules. condi-
tfons which Exposed hv the Daily
Legislative lsslo. will be praeti-
Continued on Eleventh. Page.
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TIE EArsSAMS, Dixviile Notch. n. H.. offors
Special Autumn Rates.-ddv.