The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-03-16
SETTLEMENT Of
'BOII!DIRG.SIR|KE
SEEMS ASSURED
Carpenters Union Ready
to Accept Wage
Reduction
STATEMENTS DIFFER
Contractors Claim They
Are Turning Away
Workers

WOIheES
That the Fairmont Carpenterss'
Union Is willing to negotiate and
will probably accept a wage reduc
ton but is waiting for the Faimont
Builders Exchange to make the
first step toward joint confer.
ence, was the statement this after.
noon Of Ernest B. Harden, financial
secretary OF the union.
WHEN the exchange planned to
cut our wages February 1, we vert
sent no formal notification" de.
clared Mr.. Harden. Eve did get
one letter, but It was an unsigned
communication 80, Of course, we
could pay no attention to It. In II
we were told that our wages woul3
be cut from the regular rate OF 81
an hour to Rliding scale OF so,
40 and 80 cents, according to tho
degree Of the workman's skill.
When February 1 came and our
wages were cut, we had recourse
only to the lockout 1t was not
and is not a .strike-H was never
more than a lockout. We had to'
do something-we couldn't swallow
having our wages cut without re-
celytng even a notification OF thu
matter.
''If we had been sent a formal
announcement OF the cut, we would
have been willing to enter into al
conference with the builders ex.
change members, and would prob
ably have accepted a cut IN wages
I cannot say how much. Now wflI
can do nothing until the buildersI
take action. z Our men, however
are notSpdt oflfworfsi for they are
jwtork sing fof union men 0f course
they 90 axe wprt an Tie tIiael
J hut they have much work as,l
they. would rdinarily have at this.l
time q the year. The contractors
are doing absolutely nothing
\ Statements Contradictory.
Quite at variance with these
opinions were statements made this
afternoon, by President w, All
Wiedebusch OF the Fairmont Build
ers' Exchange, who maintained
whole;heartedly the rightness Of the
contractors present position.
I'VE are not being tied up IN the
least by this strike" said Nj
Wiedebusch. I'VE are able to OBJ.
tain first-class carpenters to do all
the work we have for them, though,
Of course, there Is not much build.
ing going on during late winter.
When the building starts, though,
we will be as able to care for our
trade as now and will he able to-
get men to do all the work we re-
quire.
"Tt has been stated that all the
men We are employing are receiv
ing so cents. the high figure. This
is mistake, for 1t was plainly
stated at the last meeting OF the
builders exchange, that many car
penters are being employed at 60.
cents an hour. I do not know II
any are working for less than that
Not only are we able to get all
the men we need at these wages,
but we have been forcd to turn a
number away who are seeking EN-.
ployrnent. A lot OF carpenters
called into conference have told US,
they needed work. don't know ie
they were union men or not. At
any rate we'll have all the men we
need. in any emergency. &
We're not Judging the man e8.
cept by hi skill and his willingness
to work-we don't ask him II he
belongs to union. I think we do,
have some union men working for
US, though I am not certain OF II.
At least, we have some working,
who did belong to the union. 81
"The carpenters had no reason
for acting as they did and they are
trying to escape now on techni.
cality. The notification sent them
was signed only 'Fairmont. Build
ers' Exchange and their claim now
Is that this was not sufficient,
What more could be necessary than
the name Of the company?
Asked to Attend Conference.
"The union men were asked to
come into a Joint conference to dis.
cuss the new wage scale and re-
fused. But they were mailed noti-.
ucation as was every union In the
city which was connected with the,
builders exchange IN any way. The
notifications were sent out month,
and a half ahead Of time on De
cember %, TO be exact One notice.
was sent to the secretary OF each,
union, The notice was sufficient,
but, Of course, there are always
some men In every union TOO stub.
born-headed to do anything. ga
"The builders have all the men
they need. I don't know what the
union men are doing. They have
\ made no peace overtures to us.
though, and so we haven't made any
to thern.r p &
In referring to the condition OF
the lockout y as he! termed Il, Sec.
rotary Harden said:
"0nr scale Is 81 an hour straight
and those OF our men who afe en-:
ployed are still working for that
The work on the Southern Metho-
dist Church was allowed 10 10 on
Rt 81 an hour; also. The exchange
CONTINUED on rage ,Foitr3