Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1921-05-20
NASONS REFUSE
To ARb|TRATE
Say Bosses Refuse to Pay Old
Wage Scale While Mat
ter is Before Board.
Statement Is ISSUED
Master Masons Did Not Of
fer That in Wage Scale as
Announced by Association

There will be no arbitration in the
strike situation as far as the masons
and master maSonS are concerned,
according to information. made pub
lie today, and this is in view of the
fact that yesterday 1t was officially
announced by the master masons
that these two bodies would come to
some agreement through an arbi-
tration board. The difficulty in COM
ing to some understanding in the
matter seems to have centered in
the fact that the master masons did
not return the union men to work
Immediately at the old scale of $1.25
per hour until after the arbitration
board agreed upon conditions.
The following statement made
this morning by the Masons Union
contains the claims of the workers:
Perth Amboy. May 10. 1921.
I'm answer to statement published
in the Evening News of May 1Sa 1921,
that masonS agree to arbitration and
would appoint two men for that pur-
pose, we, the undersigned of the ar
bitration board of the Bricklayers.
Masons' and Plasterers' Union No.
81 N. j.. upon meeting with our en-
ployers. failed to effect an agreement.
1T would appear that the language
we speak is foreign. So foreign, in
fact, as to permit of misinterpre-
tation, or else someone is trying to
evade the issue.
THE main object of the Master
Builders Association, in order to
create an understanding between en-
ployer and employe and which would
permit of building stimulation and
settlement was arbitration.
"Toward this end. representative
members of the Bricklayers', Masons'
and Plasterers' Union No. ~. N. J. IS
conference with members of the
Master Masons. not Master Builders.
agreed upon arbitration of condl-
tions, providing that members of our
union were returned to work imme-
diately at the old rate of $1.25 an
hour. a procedure beyond consider
ltion on the part of our employers.
"W. MATHIASON,
"HAROLD r. PETERSON,
ROBERT M. CHAPMAN,
"CHAS. A. DORIAN"
What Bosses Claim.
According to the claims made by
the master masons following the
meeting between the masons and the
arbitration board of the master. ma
sons, it was declared, that the union
Representatives wanted to go to work
at once at $40 per day, pending the
arbitration.
This the master masons refused
to consider, but offered to set them
to work at once at 50 day and put
the other 81 in any banking insti-
tuition the unions might designate,
with the understanding that If the
arbitration board decided on an So
a day wage, the unions would pay
oh ha S1 maid and if the
board decided on a $40 day, the
master masons would turn over the
money in the bank.
The union representatives refused
to accept this proposition and would
not agree to start work pending ar
bitration under any other agreement
except that of $40 per day, it was
claimed. 1t was finally agreed that
no work would be started until next
Monday and that both the master
masonS and the union masonS name
their members on the arbitration
board by tonight so that the board
might begin to work on the ques-
ton. The masons and master ma
sons to abide by the findings of the
board.
Tie bosses have already appointed
their two members to this board and
are waiting for the masons to do
likewise, DuL lTOllt tHo StdtSiiiSit
from the masons today, it seems as
if their representatives to the arbi-
tration board will not be appointed
and all chances of arbitration have
failed.
1.-The American Plan" or open
shop conditions exist in this city to-
day. V. 2. Christoffersen, the rep
resentative of the Building Trades
Association reports that all of the
contractors are working, and thai
any one willing to work is being en-
ployed. There are no large con-
tracts under way in the city at the
present time, except that of the Bar
ber Asphalt Paving Company, and in
formation obtained from the con-
struction office at the plant today
was that Levering & Garrigues, one
of the contractors that have been
affected by the strike. are working. 1t
IS understood that this concern has
resumed work on the open shop plan.
According to Mr. Christoffersen,
of the Building Trades Association,
all new work submitted to the con-
tractors for estimate is being figured
On the new wage scale.
1t is claimed at the Building
Trades Association that more than
enough labor has been obtained to
supply the contractors, who have
resumed work.