The Connecticut labor news., 1921-06-17
Makes Proposition of 10 Per Cent. Cut to Elm ployers and It Is Ac- cepted in Spirit in Which 1t Is Made. Contrasts With Other Cities.

In direct contrast to the meth ods used by contrasting employers in New Haven and other places of the state, the Hartford Building contractors and a committee rep resenting the Structural Trades Alliance got together this week and voluntary offer of the work CTS to take a cut of 10 per cent was accepted and all danger of build ing troubles in Hartford removed. In addition to the removal of the danger of trouble the voluntary reduction in wages proposed by the men is expected to stimulate building in and about the Capital City and result in much benefit to the workers, employers and the community. The reduction IS a flat 10 per cent cut on all trades and affects all but the masons' helpers, who the bosses believe should accept a cut of about 15 per cent from their present pay of 50 cents an hour.
 The offer made by the workers to the contractors affects carpenters, plumbers, steamftters, electricians, painters, sheet metal workers, iron workers, stationary engineers, and fathers. Masons and mason's tenders are not included for the former have already accepted 10 per cent. re- duction and the rate for latter IS still being debated. The offer, according to trades alliance officials, was ac- cepted by the employers committee. It will take effect July I, and continue to May I, 1922.
 The sealed returns of referendum that has been taken by mail during the past month by individual struc- tural trade unions were opened at a meeting of the Structural Trades Ali ance held Tuesday night and found to overwhelmingly favor the reduc- ton. The presentation Ot the volun- tary offer to the employers followed.
 Commenting on the offer, members of the trades alliance said:
 "We have been told that if we would reduce our wage standards 1t would have a stimulating effect on business in general and building operations in particular. So we have made the reduction. We have dropped wages as IdI dS we luOuSul we ouSIlI and then dropped them some more. Now it's up to the builders and banks. We have done our part and done 1t without having been asked without having received any proposal what soever from employers"
 The offer is said by trades alliance to have been well received by the employers committee. There was no controversy and the offer was accept ed, the committee having been given full power to act in its behalf by the builders association. The builders consisted of Dennis Ahern of the con tracting firm of Mcintyre & Ahern; John Wise of Wise & Upson, and Kenneth Gordon, local manager for the Marc Eidlitz & Son Construction Go.
 The single item that trades alliance officials believe has not been settled upon is the basic rate for masons' tenders which IS now So cents an hour. The uniform 10 per cent. re- duction would make the rate 72 cents an hour, but the builders, they say, want to further reduce the rate to 65 cents an hour This, however, is to be settled before July I.
 The trades union representatives present at the meeting were Thomas A. Sweeney for the plumbers, William A. Dermont for the electricians, George J. Gerety for the carpenters, Thomas Cummings for the painters, James McGachie for the steamhtters, Ernest Schutz for the sheet metal workers, Michael J. Louden for the iron workers, and, by proxy for the for the masons tenders, and John J Cbaaha1 for the 1atbarc