The New York herald., 1921-12-21
Labor Must Abdicate Pow
ers to Add to Costs and
Annoy Employers.
DEMANDS MADE IN DETAIL
Brindells to BE Deprived of
Right to Hold Their Jobs
After Convictions.

The Lockwood Investigating Com
mittee. through Samuel Untermyer,
its special counsel served notice yes
terday on labor unions Of the building
and allied trades that Immediately and
voluntarily they must make certain
changes in their constitutions. bylaws,
rules and regulations or else the
changes. outlined by the committee
and comprising about fifty in number,
would be forced upon them by legisla-
ton or other means. In substance, the
clean house" eliminating the abuses
exposed by the investigation of the
building trades as they affected hous-
ing conditions throughout the State.
Copies Of the demands were served
on the heads OF the Building Trades
Council and the other labor bodies in
the building trades not affiliated with
the council. The notice also was sent
to the State Federation of Labor and
to Hugh F'rayne, general organizer of
the American Federation of Labor.
While no period was set for compli-
ance, it was understood the unions
will have to act before the coming
Legislature adjourns to prevent the
legislative and judicial action threat
ened by the committee.
Nineteen specific demands. with nu-
merous subdivisions, were contained in
the communication. These dealt with
the most intimate workings of labor
bodies, from the manner In which union
membership Ia obtained down to the reg
ulailons governing the size of a brush a
painter may use. Not only must the
unions stop compelling employers to pay
fines for failure to comply with certain
union demands and working conditions
but the unions must not restrict the
number OF days in week a man can
work.
Would Open Unions Books.
The demands were outlined by, Mr.
Untermyer IN part as follows:
"All restrictions on membership must
be removed. The books must be at all
times kept open for the admission of
members who can qualify under reason
able regulations as to character and, ca
pacity.
"The initiation dues shall In no event
exceed $50 and should be payable at the
option of the new member. one-half in
cash and the remaining half within three
months after initiation.
"All limitations upon the number of
apprentices In any trade must be re-
pealed and prohibited. Where there Is
an age limitation for apprentices In any
-. t.rfa ahA Ia
be Increased from the prevailing ages Of
from IL to IS years to the age of 20.
THE issuance of permits or permit
cards to non-union men with or with
out pay to the union for such permits
Az a condition OF allowing such men to
work with union men or for any other
real or ostensible reason must be rigidly
forbidden by amendments to their con-
stitutions.
"Jn order to protect the members of
the unions against the misappropriation
of their funds and 10 secure accounta-
biiity to them by their officials for the
use of such funds, the constitutions
should be amended. wherever necessary.
so az to require accurate books OF
accounts to be kept. in which shall
be entered and accounted for all re-
ceipts and disbursements. All payments
OF over $40 shall be made by check
and these accounts shall be audited
semi-annually by independent chartered
accountants to be elected annually by
the members at the annual meeting at
which the officers are elected and at
which there shall be presented "A de-
tailed account of all receipts and ex-
pendltures OF the year.
"It must be made plain by appropriate
amendments that the unions do not
possess the power that some OF them
are now assuming TO exercise 10 hale
their employers before them and com
pei them to pay fines into the treasures
of the unions under penalty Of being
refused union labor. This Is a con-
spiracy to extort money"
Union Abuses Disclosed.
Among such union abuses disclosed
in testimony were the fning OF employ
ers for falling to appear before the
union executive committee when or
dered to do 30: fining employers for
allowing painters to AL In cracks when
painting walls and ceilings, or for poor
work done by the union members and
compelling the employers to have the
work done over at their own expense.
Continuing Mr.. Untermyer demanded /.
"All provisions contained In existing
contracts between unions or associations
of unions tof which the New York
Building Trades Council Is an illusira-
tom on the one hand and Employers
Associations or Associations OF Employ
ers Associations tof which the New
York Building Trades Employers Asso-
ciatlon Is an illustration) on the other
hand. giving preferential treatment In
the supplying Of union labor TO such as
sociations over and above employers
who are not members of such aSsocla-
tlons. are TO be forthwith Cancelled. and
all future contracts of that character
are TO be expressly forbidden. No en-
ployer OF union labor In any way con-
nected with the building trades Is 10 be
Disseminated against by reason OF the
fact that he Is not a member OF an
employers association.
The constitutions should be 80
amended as TO preclude any union from