The New York herald., 1922-01-05
UNION ENGRAVERS
FACE 100000 SUIT
A. j. Powers Says He Will Ask
for Damages for Breaking
Of 1917 Agreement.

Prospects for an early settlement of
Photo-Engravers' Union No. /. repre-
senting about 1900 photoengravers. and
| the employers seemed more remote last
night than at any time since the ex-
piration Of the agreement on Deceu-
Der 81.
The outstanding development was
when the A. J. Powers Engraving
Company OF 154 Nassau street, one OF
the largest commercial engraving firms.
which also does newspaper work, served
notice on Matthew Woll, international
president, and on Edward ". Volz presi-
dent of local No. 1. that unless the
union lived up to a separate agreement
made with the Powers company In 1917
and submitted the controversy to Mr..
Vol for arbitration, the Powers COM
pany would move to reopen a suit for
100000 against the union, which was
dropped when the agreement was made.
In addition. A. ]. Powers said he would
start suit to recover such other dam
ages as might accrue from the unions
most recent action.
The controversy between the union
and the strictly commercial shops hinges
on the employers demand for a forty
eight instead of forty-four hour week.
or a S5 q week reduction In wages
Newspaper plants are not affected, hay
ing separate contracts with the union.
Owners Work in Powers Plant.
There was little evidence Of strike
or lockout in the Powers plant Photo
engravers. many Of them owners OF
plants. arrived from Jersey City and
Newark and from local shops and turned
In to help make plates. A. j. Powers
said he had surplus of help and was
ready to assist any other plant doing
newspaper work. Many of the owners
working at Powers's are practical en-
gravers
"As far as am concerned" said Mr..
Powers. II am disposed to be concilia-
terry, but the union Is not. Unless some
more reasonable at.~uoe Is shown by
the union l am prepared to recommend
to the Engravers Board of Trade that
1t consult Samuel Untermyer to deter
mine whether the Union may not be
proceeded against fer violation OF the
antitrust laws py reason of its action"
The union officials took the attitude
that the Powers company had violated
an agreement with the Photo-Engravers
Board of Trade extending the time for
arbitration of disputes to January 81.
The Powers company holds that Is spe-
cial agreement of 1917 takes precedence
and that the union has violated 1t four
times by interfering with the industry.
Confidence In Mr.. WOLF
The notice served on the union officials
said that the Powers company insisted
that the union direct its men to return
to work at once pending the decisions
Of Mr.. Woll as arbitrator.
You appreciate the fact that this
Is an indication of our absolute con-
fidence in your international president,
Mr.. Woll. and OF our willingness to
have him decide the questions at ISSUE"
continued the notice.
Before he had received the Powers
ultimatum Matthew Woll, who Is vice.
president of the American Federation
Of Labor. said:
''The employers are trying TO create
the impression that this is a strike 1t
Is. instead, part of a nationwide move
by the National Association OF Photo
engravers against wages. We have let
ters from some OF the firms which ad-
NIT that they were forced by the ma
tional association to lock out employees
We have no quarrel with the news
papers. There Is separate agreement
with the publishers, who have their own
photoengraving plants. Commercial
photographers who do newspaper work,
like the Powers company, come under
the commercial agreement.