The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-05
Members of National Associa- ton Agree to Accept Local Conditions When They Enter Other Fields
By HARDEN CoLFAx
Special Correspondent of The Age -Heral, Copyright. 1922. by The Age-Herald)

Special Correspondent of The Age-Herald
 Copyright 1922. by The Age-Heraldl
 Washington, February 4.-Build- ing construction highway and rail road contractors throughout the United States have reached among themselves an agreement which pro- vides:
 l. That before undertaking work in other than home territory a con tractor must ascertain the rates of wages paid labor In the locality where the work is to be performed.
 2. That the contractor must not pay more than prevailing wages.
 3. That if he cannot then get the men he needs. the contractor will appeal for assistance to the local contractors, who shall consider his case, and that he must be governed by their action.
 4. That he may appeal from ad- verse decisions of local contractors to the Contractors National Trade association for relief.
 Adopted in Cleveland
 The foregoing agreement was adopted in substance by the Asso- ciated General Contractors at a meeting in Cleveland, January IT. That organization contains in it's membership firms whose activities cover more than half of the $4,000,- GOO 900 in construction work done annually throughout the nation in normal times. It is estimated these firms employ approximately 600.oOO skilled work
 By the adoption of this agreement the contractors hope to exercise a far-reaching and beneficial effect upon building and other construction costs in the United States during the future. The agreement. however, It is stated, was not reached in antici- patton of the imminent building boom reckoned as greater than any the country has ever seen, but to check and eliminate an evil that had long been under consideration.
 Upset Labor Situation
 Heretofore a contractor, say with headquarters in Chicago, might un- dertake work in another city, say Indianapolis, and because of the mag Ol the WOIh anu tiiS ONiVi . desire to have it completed quickly upset and disrupt the entire build ing trades labor situation by off scale inducements to labor to come to work for him. The recently adopted agreement Is aimed at this practice and designed to prevent 1t As a penalty the agreement provides that any contractor failing to ob- serve its terms may be disciplined by the national contractors associa- tion by suspension, or that he may be expelled from the organization
 The text of the agreement states the following understanding:
 First whenever a member of the Associated General Contractors as- sumes any contractual operations tr territory within the jurisdiction ct local chapter other than the one IT which he holds membership. 1t shall be the duty of such member before employing labor in the various crafts to first ascertain from the loca chapter the prevailing wage scale.
 Local Wage Scale
 Second, that it shall be the duty of such member to offer employment to the various crafts at rate of remuneration not more than the pre- vailing local wage scale as ascer' tained from the local chapter.
 Third, that in case of difficulty in securing a sufficient force of mer due either to the magnitude of tn. work undertaken, or to prevailins scarcity of skilled men, the member conducting such operation shall re quest special meeting of the mem bers of the local chapter having Jurisdiction, and upon such meeting being called, shall lay the matter before it.
 Fourth. that 1t shall be the dut, of the local chapter to immediately investigate the difficulties com plained of and to attempt in gooC whatever methods seem best under the circumstances.
 Conform to Suggestions
 Fifth. that it shall be the duty of the contractor from outside tn, territory to conform to the sugges tions of the local chapter in attempt ing to relieve the conditions com plained of without interrupting .h, prevailing wage scale.
 sixth, that should the methot suggested by the local chapter fai to relieve the situation the outsid, member and the local chapter. ol either of them, shall place the en tire matter before the executiv, board of the Associated General Con tractors for it's ruling, such ruin, to be final.
 Seventh. that any member wht shall refuse to abide by any suct ruling of the board, after due notice in writing, shall be subject to dis cipline as provided for by Sectior ' of Article of the rules of pro cedure.'
 LOFTIN ANNOUNCES