Evening star., 1924-08-02
SEES WAGE SCALES FIRM.
DESPITE LESS BUILDING
Straus Surrey Sho,Us Construction ActiUi-
ties Near Normal, But Labor Situn.
ton Practically Unchanged.

80 cents to $175: hodcarriers. 80 cents
to $1.25: structural iron workers, 65
cents to 81 so: fathers, rs cents to
1.56: nasons. s5 cents to 81 SO: paint
ers. 90 cents to $1.3742: plumbers. 20
cents TO $1.50; electricians, 10 cents
to 1.50; hosting engineers, So cents
to 4: common laborers. % cents
to s1j0.
In Baltimore plasterers and brick
layers are still repur- to be re-
ceiving bonus wages. Carpenters and
hosting engineers also have obtained
advances. Reductions have been made
in wages paid to fathers. painters
elevator constructors. gasfitters and
plumbers. These range from 10 cents
to 25 cents per hour
Reduced labor ccsts in the build
ing crafts were reported in Alliance,
Ohio, where journeymen plasterers
accented a cut from 1.oO to S.37h.
In Grand Forks, N Oak, electricians,
iaborers, fathers and plasterers' help
ers have been cut. Carpenters rates
have been reduced in st. Louis, while
lower wages are being paid common
labor in Birmingham and Philadel-
phia-
Unchanged in New York.
While basic wage rates remain un-
changed in New York City, some
lower labor costs have been made
possible through the abolition of
bonus payments.
STRIKES and controversies which
have resulted in considerable inter-
ruption to building progress have oc-
CURED during the Summer in New
York. Kansas City. Clev aland, Gin
cinnati Pittsburgh, Philadelphia. St
Louis. Washington. Akron and Bos-
ton. While the building trades in
Chica go have been restive since the
bricklayers and plasterers were
granted increases in wages from $1.2o
to $3.50 an hour. there seems little
possibility of any serious interruption
in building due to labor trouble.
Through the signing of two-year
agreement nroviding for the continu-
ance of a s1.25 per hour rate and a
closed shop by seven of the leading
contractors and the Carpenters Dis
trict Council. repres snting the largest
of the building trades. peace in the
building industry appears assured.
The strike of structural ironwork-
ers in New York City considerably
interferred with work on many large
number OF bricklayers and other
building craftsmen were thrown out
of employment. The strike of st.
Louis painters and paperhangers.
who demanded $12 day. was settled
by agreement to pay 5000 day.
Jurixdfctfonal War Unsettled.
The old jurisdictional dispute be-
tween the sheet metal workers union,
backed by all the other unions on one
aide, and the carpenters on the other.
as to which union shall install metal
trim. continues to interrupt building
activities. In Cincinnati constant tie
ups resulted in the organizing of
separate carpenters union. and the
building trades department of the
American Federation of Labor threat
ems to take similar action in other
cities. In Kansas City. Mo, large
building operations are tied up by the
refusal of the other building trades
to work with the carpenters, who are
demanding metal trim work. In
Houston, Tex. a new carpenters
union was organized by the business
agents of the other trades to oppose
the old carpenters union. which re-
fused to abide by the decisions of the
National Board of Jurisdictional
Awards. The old carpenters union Is
threatening to organize new unions
of bricklayers, plastesers, sheet metal
workers, etc. 1t is anticipated that
another effort will be made by the
American Federation of Labor, atit
convention at Ell Paso in November,
CONTINUED on Fourteenth Page.I