The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-06
Iron
WORKERS PLAN
TO Walk OUT
Union Prepares to Call
General Strike
BY ESTHER LOWELL,
Federated Press.


NEW YORK, April aspiring build
Ing In New York will be hit by the
general strike being called among In
side iron and bronze workers. Four
to five thousand shop workers are ex-
peeted to walk out for union demands
Of 44-hour week IN all shops, mini
mum wage scale Of s5 cents an hour
for helpers and $f.i0 for mechanics,
10 cents additional increase per hour
for all iron and bronze workers, and
the union shop. Non-union shops work
the 4S-hour week for an average of
$40 less than the 0union shops where
the 44-hour week already prevails.
Union mechanics get s44 to $50
weekly, helpers $33 to $40, and time
and half for overtime.
open-shoppers Fight Union.
The Architectural Iron, Bronze and
Structural Workers Union, calling the
strike, includes shop workers who
make iron fire escapes, stairs and
other building equipment as well as
ornamental ironwork and bronze prod
ucts. The big employers belong to
the Iron League and with it bitterly
fight to establish the open shop in the
building trades. The structural iron
workers union has struck repeatedly
against Iron League contractors.
Manufacture of iron and bronze
building necessities is hazardous oc-
cupation, says A. Rosenfeld, secretary
treasurer of the inside workers union.
Machines used, particularly grinding
wheels, are not guarded properly so
that the workers unnecessarily sacri
fee their eyes, fingers and hands. Fly
ing particles of metal blind workers
eyes and penetrate the flesh, often caus-
ing blood poisoning. Acetylene weld
ing, part Of the trade, weakens the
workers eyes in spite of the blue Cog
giles worn. The occupational hazards
make shorter hours special necessity
for this group of workers.
Many NationaIltles in Union.
Workers of many nationalities work
in the industry, which includes hand
wrought as well as east work. Union
appeals are made chiefly in English,
German, Italian and Polish. There
are about rs Negro workers in the
union and one of them is an active
chairman. The majority of the 300
New York and Brooklyn shops employ
5 to Is workers, some have so to rs,
and very few may employ over 100
Conditions have improved from the
53-hour week, when wages were So and
$40, but they must be made even bet
ter, the union insists, by all workers
in the trade organizing and joining
the fight.
The New York union is an independ-
ent local, altho it is trying to regain
charter in the International Asso-
citation OF Bridge and Structural Iron
workers. During previous strike
about three years ago charters of the
then three locals in New York and
Brooklyn were suspended. The three
locals have since amalgamated. Even
if the New York union were in the
building trades council the ornamental
iron erectors, local So, could not under
its present agreement go out on sym
pathy strike nor strike against han
ding non-union building materials.
altho such action would help the in
side workers fight for complete union
ization and union conditions. The
erectors' union is one of the building
trades groups which has won the $12
day scale for mechanics under the
| new agreement.