Evening star., 1923-04-04
LOOK FOR ACTION
IN BUILDING STRIKE
Definite Move Toward Peace
or Greater Spread Expect
ed During Day.

threatened strikes in local building
trades were looked for today.
Four hundred striking painters. en-
ployes of shops Of the Master Paint
ers and Decorators Association, will
>have a special meeting tonight at
which the future plans Of the strike
will be discussed. Definite word as
to whether the strike will continue
for n signed agreement with the
members Of the Master Painters As
proposition Will be put into effect
probably will come out of the meet
ing. The painters are demanding
50 day in lieu Of the former IS scale.
Electricians Meet.
One hundred and twenty-five cleo
tricians striking In twenty OF the
forty-one electrical contracting shops
in Washington continued out. They
attended a special meeting at IL
o'clock this morning when the situa-
tion was discussed, but no definite
developments were forthcoming.
An informal meeting of the Master
Painters Association will be held
this afternoon In the Bond building,
at which 1t is expected general plans
for the continuance of their stand
will be outlined.
CoIpoys Addresses Employers.
The Master Painters yesterday
heard John B. Colpoys, commi ssdoner OF
conciliation of the Department OF
Labor, outline a compromise PROPOSE
tion for their consideration. After Mr..
Colpoys had addressed the meeting
the organization went into executive
session and decided to reiterate the
position already taken by mailing
to Mr.. Colpoys copy of the letter
of March 80, in which they outlined
90 nd 20 "a arS,n
letter Is as follows:
AT an executive meeting OF the
Master House Painters and Deco
rators' Association, held this date,
local union 36S had unquestionably
violated the specific provisions of the
agreement between that body and this
association, as expressed In section 5,
in the manner they have attempted
to impose the proposed advance in
wages.
Want sixty-Day Notice.
This association Is exceedingly
desirous that our record OF so many
tion which follows was adopted viz:
That the advance to 50 per day be
granted, after the necessary sixty
day notice has been given, which
and that the agreement be kept in
force
We call attention TO the fact that
our actions have always been in ac-
entirely consistent, as is evidenced
by our letter TO you under date or
January 81, 1929. also our letter to
headquarters under date OF March FL,
The letter was signed by President
Thomas II. Reid and Secretary-Treas-
urer Il. l.. Smith Of the association.
After conference this morning Of
ncials of the Painters Union. No. 36S.
issued statement summarizing their
attitude on the sixty-day advance no
tice dispute and explaining the reason
why they have taken their position.
Painters Answer.
The statement. which was issued
through Business Representative
Harry Bouie and William ]. Gallagher,
special representative of the interna-
tional organization, was as follows:
On December / the master paint
ers notified the local union of a de-
sire to open negotiations on the cur
rent agreement. A committee was
Immediately appointed to meet with
a committee of their organization
Such notification was given them
on December 2, when letter was dis
patched stating that a committee was
ready to meet at any time. The mas
ter painters committee put off a meet
ing until January II. On January IL
the two committees met. at which time
the master painters proposed continu-
ance of the current agreement. Ths
unions committee announced that the
project would have to be taken up with
the membership Of the organization.
The organization met on February 9.
crease of 81 per day. making the scale
50. and a reduction Of time to the
forty ty-hour-a-week basis.
Claim Notice Given.
"A letter was sent, accordingly. and
placed before the committee of the
maintain that this letter-which an
nounced that the committee was in
structed to suggest an increase in
wages-constitutes a definite. positive
and clear statement Of our position
and notification as provided in the
agreement Of the organisations desire
for changed wage conditions.
Although the letter is dated Feb
ruary 10 and was delivered on Febru-
ary IL, we further maintain that this
was only the finishing point Of ne
gotiations which had been started on
the request of the master painters on
January IL. From January IL to April
l, when the strike was called. is
days in excess Of the sixty-d day lin
itation.
onerea $3.50 Per Day.
1--WE have on file a letter from the
master painters under date OF Febru-
ary 20, offering 31.06A per hour or
$3.50 per day and the forty-hour
week at that rate Of pay, pay which ,hsi we
master painters considered the nego-
tiations at that time in the light of
the proposals which the agreement
states must be outlined sixty days in
in wages If the master painters con-
tend that sixty days must elapse aft
er a settlement is reached, on such a
proposition, one or the other party
could postpone a settlement as long
new scale 60 into effect. On these
points we base our stand"
A check-up on paperhangers out
on strike shows that only approx.
the union are out Of work. Most of
these men, according to union of
ficials, claim that they were refused
work until the settlement with the
Of the shops of members of the Mast
er Paiters and Decorators Associa-
tion are affected.
Charge Lockout.
Regarding the paperhangers. Mr.
Gallagher today charged that a
"sympathetic lockout" was being
regard to some Of the men.
From my lnVestlSatlon, ne SAID
today, II have found that the paper
hangers in certain shops of the Mas
ter Painters Association members
were refused work until the painters
had received settlement. This con-
stitutes, II seems to me-. 'sympa-
thetic lockout which looks very
much like twin to the much
spoken-of sympathetic strike Of
open shop propaganda fame"
Master Painters maintain that in
many instances the paperhangers
themselves refused to work.
PORTRAIT is UNVEILED