Evening star., 1921-12-04
How San Francisco Freed
Itself From Labor Abuses

Wnlcn paid the Dill.
Wages More Than Doubled.
From 1914 to 1920 wages in the
building trades Increased on an aver
age OF 100 per cent, and in some in
stances more. the wages Of common
laborers rising from $3.50 a day in
1914 to $3.50 day in 1920. In 1915
plasterers received 81 a day and hod-
carriers IS, and 1t was customary for
q plasterer to cover $50 yards of
brown coat" per day. This year,
when a plasterer received $11 day
and hodcarrier 50. 1t was customary
for the plasterer to cover only lSO
yards Of brown coat" q day. Assum-
ing that one hodcarrier served three
plasterers, in 1916 three plasterers and
one hodcarrier, receiving in the agsre-
gate $26 a day, covered $50 yards OF
"brown coat" In 1921 the same crew
covered only $40 yards of Drown
| coat" AS result of wage increase
, of 61h per cent and reduction In
output amounting to 63 per cent, the
Increased cost a yard of brown coat
was 124h per cent. More than one
half of the increased cost of doing q
given amount Of work was the result
Of curtailment of output.
New Increases Demanded.
A further intolerable condition arose
from the fact that every few months
during 1920 the Building Trades Coun.
Gil demanded and obtained increased
wages for several crafts, ofttimes In
despite Of written agreements. The
plasterers threatened to strike unless
their wage was increased from $40 to
SIP a day. The contractors of the
plasterers' association consented tC
pay the increase upon condition of o
refund of 81 day to be collected
from contractors not members of the
piasterers' association. To this con-
dition the plasterers agreed in writ
ing. but repudiated 1t within month
and struck before the expiration OF
their original agreement.
In November of last year the coun-
Builders Exchange. The deadlock
continuing, the chamber of commerce
intervened, and, at the request of
both parties, appointed an arbitration
board composed of Rev. Z. ]. Hanna
Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese OF
San Francisco; Max c. Sloss, exasso-
ciate justice of the California su-
preme court, and George Bell, an in
dustrial expert. Both parties agreed
! in writing to carry out the award OF
the board. 1t sat from November
until March. heard voluminous testi-
mony. and on March 81. 1921, made a
temporary award which reduced
wages of building trades workers
"a per cent. to become effective
May 8 and obtain until November -
Repudiated the Award.
The contractors. believing a greater
reduction justified. were disappointed
but announced that they would abide
by the agreement Not SO the Build
ing Trades Council. 1t denounced
the boards award. and stated that i,
would order it's members to strike
when the reduced wages became ef-
fective.
Up to that time the public had paid
little attention. But when the coun-
ell repudiated its agreement the pub
lie began to do a little thinking on
its own account, and sentiment en-
phatically disapproving the action OF
the council soon manifested itself on
every hand.
Meanwhile the chamber OF COM
merce had again used it's good Offices
and sought to induce the council to
keep its agreement. but to no avail
On May the building trades work
ers struck. obeying the orders of the
council. The chamber of commerce
persisted in its efforts to persuade
the council to abide by it's contract
but without success. When the strike
had continued for a month the con-
tractors, acting upon the advice and
with the cooperation of the indus
trial committee of the chamber of
commerce, announced the establish
ment of the American plan and began
bringing in non-union workers to
carry on operations.
Industrial Association Created,
The American plan went into effect
on June 81. About two weeks later
the Industrial Association of San
Francisco was created, became Spon-
sor for the American plan and took
over the task. previously handled by
the chamber of commerce, of obtain
ing workmen to man the idle jobs. BY
prompt and efficient action, and with
public sentiment supporting 1t, it
was able in six weeks to bring in ap-
proximately 5000 workers, few of
whom were professional strike
breakers, and more than 40 per cent
Of whom brought wives and families
at their own expense.
In six weeks time building opera- =
tions. which had been at a standstill.
were restored to about half of normal
proportions, and additional men were
being employed every day Such re-
suits could not have been achieved
without a rapidly growing public
IRe industrial
Association. The unions, realizing
the state of the public mind, bowed
to the inevitable and voted to return
to work-as individuals-on the best
terms obtainable. AS this is written.
more than SO per cent of the union
workmen have returned and more are
returning as rapidly as employment
offers. Thus the American plan is
firmly fntrenched in San Francisco.
and SO far is giving general salts
faction.
The American plan does not offer
any discrimination against union men.
1t simply guarantees to every man
union or non-union, the right to ac-
cept or reject employment wherever
and whenever he chooses, and 70
every employer the right to hire and
discharge whoever he desires. and to
demand honest. loyal and efiicient
service from all
The Industrial Association, mindfu,
of its pledge to the public, is renre-
senting the whole community. Al.
ready 1t has assembled q staff Of in
dustrial experts to investigate every
matter affecting local Industry, and is
perfecting arrangements to proyide
FOR the establishment of a permanent
WaKe board nf Csoh