The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-10
LONG ST. LOUIS
. PAINTERS STRIKE
NEARING VICTORY.
1876 Contractors Paying
SIP Scale
BY Fl. L. GOLDBERG
Especial TO The Daily Worksr)

ing the fourth week of the strike of
/ the Brotherhood of Painters, Dec
orators and Paperhangers there are
all indications that victory will come
to the strikers. The morale of the
men could not be better and the of
ficers of ten union hold the conf
dence of the strikers.
Demands are: $25 per day with
shop steward system; the right to
have tools examined on the Job, and
thereby protect the life and limb of
the workers; sanitary drop cloths and
rags to protect the health of the
workers.
Most Dangerous Work.
Painters do the most hazardous
work in the building trades. Dan
gerous rigging and high work con-
tinually take toll of human life.
Poisonous fumes and ingredients of
paint mixtures injure the health of
the painter. 1t is from the painters
craft that the largest per cent of the
tubercular patients flow into our hos
pitfalls annually.
Besides rlsking life and health the
painter is compelled to work at top
speed. The painters Of St. Louis.
especially have the reputation of be-
ing the fastest mechanics in the
world. Employer painters figure all
their work at the highest possible
figure. They sometimes eliminate
one coat of paint, and otherwise
Skin" the work. Cheap substitutes
are frequently used for lead, oil and
turpentine, and worthless ready-made
mixed fiat wall paint are often
worked off on the public as high
class material The first-class me-
chanics are all union men who take
pride in turning out neat painting
and tirst-class work. If given time.
good materials and tools they will
invariably give satisfaction and adj
equate return for the money paid in
wages.
Other Crafts Get More.
1t should not be overlooked by the
public that this strike, being CON
Quoted by the painters, decorators
and paperhangers is of vital interest
to them in material way. Regard
less of the advance value of all real
estate, as evidenced by excessive rise
of all rents, the price of painting
contracts has remained the same
practically, for the past decade.
1t is interesting to compare what is
called the Excessive demands" of
the journeymen painters with the
scale Of wages that is paid to other
crafts frequently working on the
tsame building.
The carpenters scale is SIP per
day; bricklayers, s14 per day; pias-
terers, SIC per day; sign painters,
S1.65 per hour; which is equivalent
to 1920 per day.
approximately 185 contractors
have signed the demands of the stri-
kers, but standing solidly against the
demands is perhaps, the largest COM
bination that has been brought into
action, against a single craft organi-
cation in any city in the United
States. This combination consists of.
the chamber of commerce, the build
ers association, the manufacturers
association, the bankers association,
the real estate exchange, the master
painters, and the wallpaper dealers.
This combination has the support of
the capitalist plsss of the city of st.
Louis.
Solid Front of Bosses.
The press has been so hostile in
its attitude that it has refused to
publish facts presented to it by the
strikers, even if paid to do so. Here
is the United front" of the open-
shoppers fighting single craft OF the
building trade. The enemies of or
gained labor learned long ago that
unity of action on the battle front
means easier fighting and quicker
victory. TherefCle their forces are
directed in mass against the journey
men painters. On the other hand. if
the entire strength of the building
trades were thrown into this struggle
in behalf of their brothers a settle
ment would be effected by a complete
surrender of the master painters in
twenty-four hours. The forces now
at work to destroy the brotherhood
of painters, decorators and paper
hangers appear to have forgotten
that it was this craft Of the building
trades who, three years ago, led the
way to the Restoration Of Normally"
by voluntarily accepting a reduction
in wages from $40 to SO per day,
(ater raised to $9) only to find that
no one took the cry of "normalcy"
seriously save themselves.
Seabbing On Tesmsters.
Under the old working agreement,
lit became almost necessary for the
applicant for job to own an auto
mobile. His car was forced into
service. In doing hauling, he was
directly in competition with team
sters and draymen. This condition
will no doubt be eliminated by con-
tract after the strike.
The public cap materially help the
strikers by demanding that all paint
ers, decorators and paper-hangers
show their union cards together with
the permit when they report at the
premises for work. In the event