Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-14
PAINTERS SETTLE
STRIKE; GET $3.50
Compromise Affecting Paper
hangers and Decorators
Also Reached at Noon.

The sir-weei strike. which has in
VOWED approximately 1000 union
painters, paperhahgers and decorators.
officially ended at 12:35 o'clock today.
when the master painters signed an
agreement with the union officials
calling for a new wage scale Of $3.50
a day.
The union painters and pa perhanE-
ers. at meeting Of each organiza-
ton last night. voted TO accept the
compromise settlement of $3.50. Their
original demand was $40. while their
employers expressed their intentions
net TO grant any increase. The new
scale will run two years. No other
agreements have been made affecting
the wage scale.
The situation was somewhat tense
| this morning as the union painters
were sent to some of the jobs with
instructions TO wait until the agree
ment had been signed.
Immediately after the signatures
were attached to the document Al a
meeting of the Master Painters Asso-
citation and the union painters. At
| 1910 NJ street, the office Of r. L.
| Smith. secretary of the Master Paint.
| ers' Association. the word was con
veyed TO those men who were in resdi-
ness to start work. and the painting
| began on these jobs at once. Other
| men will go back to work tomorrow
| and some Monday.
Denied by Some.
The operative builders. composing
about S5 local builders. will not reccg
| nize this increase, and will continue
| TO work non-union painters at 90 per
! day. They say they have ample men
who will work at this wage They
| say that they do a large proportion
| of the painting in Washington and
| that salaries paid by them 10 paper
! hangers and painters amount to more
/ than 100000 year.
Many of the union painters who
/ were getting SO per day during the
strike from those employers who re
/ fused to use non-union men will i'm
mediately so back to a So so Ia sis
! This, according to William J. Gal
| lagher, international organizer of the
union painters. represents a real ele-
ment of unselfishness on the part Of
| his men in the cause of harmony and
peace in the local building industry
| 1t is asserted, however, by the master
painters that several members of their
/ orEanlZa ton will not recognize the in
| crease.
Low Cost Sought, Lusk Says.
In a statement issued today. Rufus
/ 5. Lusk, secretary of the Operative
I Building Association. declared:
! The Operative Builders Association
is only attempting 10 keep as low as
possible the cost of homes, apartments
and other construction. at the present
| time, and to prevent the beginning of
a five-day week in Washington. We
/ have been successful during the last
Few weeks in preventing an increase to
! the stonema sons, stoneCutters and
| mlllworkers' section of the Carpenters
| Union. Through our efforts those who
are going TO pay increased wages to
| the plumbers have compromised on
| 50-cent basis instead Of the original
dollar demanded by the union. Those
! who are going to pay increa sed wa ses
! to the painters will also pay so cents
/ instead OF the dollar demanded.
! We will continue to use non-union
| painters and we will also continue our
| efforts to prevent higher wages at
| this time. However. when conditions
are such in this city that increased
wages are fair and just, and will
mean prosperity to all concerned, we
will not oppose them
The settlement is the result of the
efforts of John B. Colpoys, Federal
mediator, who brought about the meet
ing from which the compromise re-
suited. He addressed the union men
| last night.