Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-02-27
AWARD BOARD PROVES
VALUE AS MEDIATOR

By international Labor News Service
NEW YORK CITY, Feb. 26.-Five
years of trial have shown the worth
Of labor, to contractors and to the
public of the National Board for
Jurisdictional Awards in the Build
ing Industry, it is found by special
investigating committee OF the Amer
lean Engineering Council.
AS a result Of the findings of the
committee, just made public, the En-
cheering Council will continue its
affiliation with the board, to which it
has reappointed as its representative
Rudolph P. Miller of New York City,
former superintendent Of buildings
in Manhattan.
Report Praises Boards Work
The committee, of which w. e.
Bryan, representing the Associated
Engineering Societies of St. Louis, is
chairman, asserts that the board,
which settles disputes among unions
in the building trade, has during the
five years of its existence performed
a valuable service, the benefits Of
which have accrued not only to labor,
the contractor and the building own
er, but to the public as we'll"
The work of the board, according to
the committee, has been of definite
advantage to that large branch of the
engineering profession engaged in
the design and construction of build
ing projects. The boards decisions,
it is said, have helped materially to
stabilize building conditions, and have
encouraged the investment of new
capital in the industry.
The point had been raised among
the engineers, the report says, that
the board makes decisions which
seemingly dictate the conditions I'M
der which men may or may not work.
Board Has No Coercive Power
''The committee feels" the report
continues, ''that the broad basic ques-
ton of labor unionism is not involved.
The situation is one which involves
condition and not theory. Any at
tempt to restrict the rights of men to
work comes from the union as an act
precedent to the disputes which are
appealed to the board.
''The board is a judicial body and
has no power to coerce individuals
concerned in it's decisions. AS a mat
ter of fact, the labor organizations
have voluntarily made themselves
amenable to the decisions of the board
and have, practically without excep-
ton, complied with its findings.
'The committee believes that en-
gineers and architects are fitted both
by training and by the nature a.
their service in industry TO exercise
the Judicial function in such matters.
They occupy an impartial position,
concerned with correct technical pro-
cedure and effective execution.
Unions Accept Decisions Of Board 4
''The fact that the labor unions.
have almost universally accepted the
decisions of the board, indicates their
faith in the engineering profession.
The committee believes that the
American Engineering Council can
not afford to overlook this evidence
of good faith. It indicates a capac-
ity to render public service which is
too important to be disregarded."
Evidence gathered by the commit
tee indicated that the board had effec-
lively reduced the loss due to juris-
dictional strikes to a comparatively
negligible figure.
at is evident" the committee de-
clares, "that organized labor in the
building industry is behind the board.
With the exception Of the carpenters,
the labor unions have practically in
every case complied with the deci-
sions of the board"
Only One Union FlOuts Decisions
OF the II unions affiliated with the
Building Department of the American
Federation of Labor, only one, the
Carpenters Union, has declined to be
bound by decisions Of the board. The
Carpenters Union, as a consequence,
has been expelled from the Building
Department.
The board, it is pointed out, has
adhered to the stipulation of the con-
tractors that it shall not be used to
further trade unionism in open shop
territory nor to restrict the use of
building materials manufactured by
non-union labor.
The board takes no initiative IN
jurisdictional matters but only acts
at the request of labor unions hav-
ing jurisdictional disputes to settle.
The board does not function except
in cases where union labor is en-
ployed and can not consider disputes
involving non-union labor.