The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-09-09

of Labor, it was, after much discus
sion, arranged to set up a supreme
court for the building trades" to be
made up of representatives of all
elements in the industry-the inves-
tor in the person of the architect,
the contractors, the engineers, and
labor, with the latter in the minor
ity.
Accordingly, nine months later in
Atlantic City. the National Board for
Jurisdictional Awards in the Build
ing Industry came into being with
Mr.. Russell, representing the archi-
tests, as chairman; E. P. Miller, the
American Engineering Council; Col
onel E. B. Wiggin and F. j. C. Dres-
ser, the Associated General Contrac-
tors of America; E. M. Craig, the
National Association of Building
Trades Employers, and John J.
Hynes, Thomas L. Preece. and Will
liam L. Hutcheson, the unions, with
William j. Spencer, secretary of the
Building Trades Department of the
American Federation of Labor, as
secretary, but without a vote.
To this body the seventeen build
ing trades unions in the American
Federation of Labor agreed to refer
all disputes, the technical men agreed
to write decisions, when made, into
all contracts and the employers to
stand on the specifications. Each
group further agreed to suspend any
member or local organization break
ing these pledges, and-this was the
big point-also the unions agreed
that, in any dispute in the future,
work should continue, and that the
employer was empowered to say
which of the claimants should do the
work in dispute.
This meant. in word, an end to
delay in construction of building
while two unions battled for the priv
ilege of doing work the employer
was willing either should do, so long
as it was done. 1t ended also the
excuse for many "holdups."
When the Big Test Came
Union chiefs, builders and tech
nical men hailed the formation of the
board as the beginning Of new day.
1t proceeded to justify the acclaim
by promptly deciding an ancient fued
between sheetmetal workers and the
plumbers and steamfitters over the
assembling of air-cooling machinery.
To determine the facts, the board
in itself a highly expert body
heard not only the union claimants,
but manufacturers and installing en-
ployers and an outside expert or two.
Cheerful acceptance of the ruling
was taken as an augury of real re-
suits.
'1f," it was argued, "these battlers
accept its verdicts, others will have
to-"
Succeeding cases increased conf
dence in the board. This confidence.
however, was tempered by doubt as
to what would happen when the most
famous dispute of all-that between
the carpenters and sheetmetal work
ers' unions as to which craft should
have the placing of metal doors, win
dow frames. and other metal trim in
fireproof buildings-was decided.
This fight had ragged for fifteen
years despite attempt after attempt
by the American Federation of Labor
to compose it. Because of it the con-
struction of buildings had been held
up for months-a classic example
was the Hotel Winton, in Cleveland.
where strike delay cost the owners
800, 0,000-and the success of large
enterprises. such as the San Fran
cisco fair, was imperiled.
Consideration of this dispute by
the board was delayed for months
on one request or another from the
carpenters. Eventually on their ask
ing yet more delay it was decided
against them. Their response was a
refusal to abide by the ruling. They
withdrew their member from the
board.
The refusal of the largest union in
the building trades-it has over 3OO,-
0G0 members-to abide by decision
of body it had helped create, was
distinct challenge to the life of the
board. 1t was met by the remaining
sixteen unions keeping their pledge
and forcing the carpenters out of the
,, Building Trades Department of the
American Federation of Labor over
the protest of the veteran vice pres
ident of the federation, James Dun
can. who sought opportunity for COM
promise.
An attempt to force the suspension
of the carpenters from the American
Federation of Labor next threaten
ing, Samuel Gompers intervened with
an effort to induce the sixteen unions
standing by the board to relent and
allow the acceptance of the COM
promise. The response was the al
most unanimous Endorsement of the
board and all it had done.
Not even the cry of "the open