The Connecticut labor news., 1922-02-10
LANDS WILL STICK:
 CHICAGO SITUATION
 BECOMING CRITICAL
We Insist on Working as Free Men," Says Leader of Build
 ing Trades Council.

Chicago, Feb. 1O.-'I would like to kiss you all goodbye and get off this job, but won't, and Pm going to see it througe.' said Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, of the United States District Court He was speaking to a group of building trades unionists, contractors, architects, and representatives of the cit izens' committee who visited him at his last week. This means that the judge will continue as arbitrator of wage sched- u1es in the Chicago building industry.
 Since his award in September last re- ducing wages there has been much dis satisfaction among the workers, which re- suited in a resolution being adopted by the Building Trades Council asking the judge to resign and permit the unions to l negotiate wages direct with their en- ployers. Of the B unions comprising the council, 28 voted for the resolution and 4 remained silent. The contractors and citizens committee wanted Landis to continue until he had fixed a wage scale for 12 months period beginning June l.
 Thomas Kearney was president of the Building Trades Council up to week ago. He was in favor of going along with the Landis award, but found the tide running the other way so he re- signed. William Curran, business agent of the Plumbers Union, an anti-Landis organization, was elected to succeed him. Then came the demand that Landis quit. The workers assert that they are able to make better terms with the contractors than with Landis, and that in most in stances higher wages than those granted in the award are being paid. They want these written into new agreements, which they fear the judge will not sanction, and he said as much to the union representa- tives last week. However, the unions at the beginning of the controversy last June having accepted him as arbitrator now finds it extremely difficult to let go.
 While all attempts to call a general strike in the industry have thus far been defeated i'll the council, strikes on indi- vidual jobs are taking place almost every day. The citizens committee of bankers and brokers, organized to enforce the Landis award, is insisting that where unions are able to command a higher wage that the workers of that craft be discharged, and the committee guarantees to furnish men to take their places In other words, the citizens committee is using the Landis award as a means of establishing open-shop conditions.
 Under the arbitrator's award made September 7, 1921, it was agreed that on or before February 1, 1922, Judge Landis should determine the rate of pay for building trade unions from June 1 for period of one year. Such schedule has been practically completed and will be announced this week.
 A feature of the controversy was a suit for injunction brought by the Car penters' District Council against the citizens committee, asking that the lat ter be restrained from coercing con- tractors and building workers. Afida- wits and argument have been presented at much length before Judge Dennis Sullivan in the Superior Court The hearing concluded last week, and the judge took the matter under advise 1nent, giving no indication of when decision might be expected. The car- penters were not party to the original