Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-26
BOTH SIDES FIRM
IN PAINTERS FIGHT.
Workers Continue Threat to
Strike Unless Wage De-
mands Are Met
5000 WOULD BE AFFECTED

p Master painters, pnperhangcrs and
interior decorators and their workmen
are standing pat on the wage question,
and unless matters nre adjusted by Sat
urday, a strike will be called next week,
workers say.
More than 5000 union workmcn are
involved, and the effort to revive build
ing operations may be seriously affected
II the strike takes place.
The position Of the workmcn. as stnt-
cd today by Gilbert ]. Eaglcson, dis
trict secretary Of the joint union OF
painters, paperhangcrs and interior dec
orators, follows:
THE agreement presented us by mas
ter painters is purely Chamber of
Commerce agreement. 1t provides for
reduction from 81 an hour to eighty
cents, and the bosses want US to work
forty four hour week, instead Of forty
hours. which gives us whole day of
Saturday.
"If the employers had only got to-
gcther with the men. put their legs
under the same table and said. Now,
fellows. let's get together on this, we
could have reached nm agreement. In
stead Of that the employers met with the
Chamber of Commerce and set rates
without consulting us at all. We be-
licvc the master painters are subsidized
by the Chamber Of Commerce it Is oil
part of the Chamber OF Commerce
open shop movement.
Rents Still High
They tell us, further, the cost Of
| living has gone down. 1t has in some
| small details, but in general the cost is
still up. A house I used to pay $50 n
month for, in 1914, the 5000 block,
Walton avenue, they are asking $50 a
month now. General living conditions
are still very high also.
"Our present agreement expires next
| Monday. If new agreement is not
signed that is satisfactory, we will
strike: not all Of us. for many master
painters will agree to pay the 81 ar
hour. The employers have been max
ing IA per cent profit, according to our
survey. They could have done the worl
for much less than they asked. and still
have paid us our wage we have beer
receiving
Albert G. Kuehnlc. largest contracting
painter in town, spoke for the en-
ployers. He was. with Thomas Evan,
and Barclay White, n member of tn,
subcommittee on wages and building
costs, of the general committee Of en-
ploycrs in building trades of Philadcl
phia, that presented to tht building
conference several months ago, ut tn
Chamber of Commerce, the propose,
schedule of wages for the buildin,
trades. This report was dated Februar,
I 1921, and suggested eighty cents TO
painters and paperhangers.
II am glad to hear how the men fee
about this" he said. "Now here /
where Mr.. Eagleson and the rest ar
all wrong. To begin with, the industrial
relntions committee of the Chamber o
Commerce, could not make any wag
agreement for us. Agreements are mad
between the underlying trades bodie
and the journeymcn.
Cannot Pay Old Scale
1T is. of course, necessary for tn
master painters and the journeymen {
deal direct with each other. Well, W
met them, about month after tn
meeting at the Chamber of Commerc
Mr.. Eagleson speaks of. We gave I
them draft of the new agreement, wit
eighty cents an hour as a base. The
said they wouldn't consider the agree
mcnt Mt all. not even to talk about |,
They told US they would only give II
what they gave us last year; that thi
was all we could expect.
so we adjourned. We cannot pa