Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-19
BUILDERS TO FIGHT
INCREASES IN WAGE
Also Will Resist Further En-
croachment of Five-Day
Week in Industry.

Reports from practically all cities
and districts indicate that the labor
situation is fairly tranquil, although
employers generally have declared
tReir intention of opposing any further
demands for wage increases and the
fiSe-day week, according to the G.. l..
Miller survey.
Declaring that there is nothing in
the building outlook for the coming
year to warrant wage increases. repre-
SentativeS of more than 10000 build
Jag contractors, at recent national
conference called by the National AS
ISOLATION of Building Trades Employ
ers in. Chicago. unanimously decided to
resist any effort to boost wage scales
next Spring. They declared the five
day week economically unSound and
characterized it as an effort by labor
10 still further create an artificia!
labor shortage"
1.-THE conference also called on labor
.tto give the full measure Of produc-
ton within its capabilities, and ELM
mate restrictions from agreemen hts
which add unnecessarily to the cost OF
building.
Unsettled in New York.
The wage situation is somewhat
unsettled III New York City owing
te the demand of 81 of the 80 units
Of the Building Trades Council for
wage increases ranging from 90 cents
ID 81 n day. Four trades also nave
asked the flve-day week. Employers
in refusing these demands. declare
that their granting would add more
than 500. 100000 "a year to the city :
building bill Labor contends that
the increases would merely absorb
the bonuses which have been paid
in nearly all trades, with bricklayers
and plasterers in demand at So to
$50 a day or more. Both sides APP
near concilatory in their attitude and
it is anticipated that arbitration Will
prevent any serious interruption of
building on January l, when the
majority of present wage agreements
expire.
on the basis of total building bin
of approximately s1,000,0oO,O0o Tor
New York in the current year. the
total payroll for building tradesmen
St is estimated. Will approximate
Ss95 900. 900. the largest amount ever
paid out in a single year in any city
III the world.
Fiye.Day-Wec Agitation.
The -day-weell agitation on the
part of building labor has been gain
ing some ground and promises to be-
come one of the main points OF con-
tention in new agreements. Among
the cities which already have some
trades working on the 40-hour-we
basis are, Seattle. Portland. Bridge
port, Conn; Newark. Boston. New
York. Chicago. Philadelphia. Buffalo
and Providence, r. l. The Painters
Union has announced that about So
600 of 267,O00 painters and paper
hangers of the country are working
on the five-day-week basis.
Reports from the leading cities in
dictated that the labor shortage stu
alton is probably more acute than gen
orally realized, especially In the brick
laying and plasteling trades. Common
labor, the average wage rate Of which
is 81 cents an hour for the entire
country, appears sufficient.
Few Workers Trained.
Except In New York, Cleveland and
some Of the larger cities. the appren-
ticeship training system has failed to
train any large number OF new me-
chanics. In New York. 4,32o appren-
tees have been placed since 1922, and
2.452 are now attending trade schools.
III CleNtldllur l,uuV app "a q
work and in schools. In Pittsburgh
100 apprentices are in training or at
work.
Cities reporting a shortage of build
ing craftsmen in some trades, es
pecially bricklayers, plasterers and tile
settlers, were: New York, Chicago
Pittsburgh, Hammond, Ind; Niagara
Falls, n. Y; Bridgeport, Conn: Cincin
natl, Ohio: Madison. Wis; Springfield
Mass; Houston, Tex; Harrisburg, Pa.
st. Louis, Mo-; Kansas City. Mo.
Wichita. Kans.. and New Haven
conn. On the other hand, sufficient
labor supply was reported by Detroit
Cleveland, Los Angeles. Denver. Nil
Nvaukee, Philadelphia, Grand Rapids
Portland. Greg; Tampa. Providence
r. l.; Miami, Fla; Salt Lake City
Seattle, Louisville, Knoxville, Tenn.
Waco and Abilene, Tex: Richmond
Va; Des Moines, Iowa, and Fort Col
Inns. Colo.