Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1926-03-26
Revision Upward Results
From Negotiations Between
Unions and Contractors

By International Labor News Service.
New York City, March 24.--lhe
building trades have successfully ne
gotiated their new wage adjustment
virtually all trades having been a.
sured of an increase OF from 81 10 -
dav and the largest single group,
the carpenters, going on the ne"
basis of ST. a day March /. ANNOUNCE
ment was DELAYED owing to MINOR dlI-
ferenres. the steam f.tefs' helpers
being one Of the unions 10 have dlifi-
culty in accepting the new conditions.
The highest going rate established
is si4 a day for pastefefs, MAKING
tho weekly envelope on the basis OF
"A hours SIT. while the carpenters
will draw 500. The common labor
groups also have gained, the average
wage for this large bulk Of w0fkers
being between s. and 81 a DAY 1or
eight hours work. And there Is a
big demand for this kind Of labor III
the metropolitan district.
Why the Wage Was Raised
The building industry apparently
sees no let-up in the wave Of c5nstruc-
ton. and with speed essential and Tie
ground value SO high that only the
finest of modern structures can be eN-
pected to show sufficient preht Iabol
costs are inconseQuential. The result
is that the bulk Of constructlon-the-
aters. hotels, office buildings, Lofts, isl
so profitable to the builder and cor
tractor that they can afford to pay
the higher wage rate with the assuI-
ance they will get skilled workers and
steady production, uninterrupted b.
a shutdown. Modern building in the
city is so dependent upon the time
element, the owner is SO pressed Dy
the need not to waste a moments time
in order TO have the structure ready
for occupancy that it is to his interest
TO have high- priced and efficient labor. |
Every day lost would eat up the
profit margin and such a thing as a
shutdown would be a calamity to the
entire city. With this state of affairs |
a wage settlement favorable to the
workers was certain. !
The mechanics have been assured |
of an increase of from IL TO 10 per |
cent in their wage scales, amounting /.
to between 100000 and $4,000
600 a year and total wage bill of
S525, 100000.
Helpers Status Changed.
The new arrangement between the
employers and the unions provides toi
the gradual elimination Of the help
ers. This is stage between appfen-
ticve and joumeyman in which thou
sands of union men have remained by
specializing.
The Electrical Workers Union has
abolished the position of helper at 81
a day and substituted that of appren-
tice, who will begin employment at
about $3.50 a day as a boy, but with
gradual increase will attain the Jour
neyman's standings and wage OF $l2.
There are thousands Of young men
clamoring for admission into the
electrical workers and other skilled
trades; in fact, more than there are
Jobs in the industry.
The Steamfitters' Helpers, members
of separate union in a trade that
still requires considerable manual
work, have baked at the plan 10 end
the union, one of the strongest in the
city.
Thirty-Seven Trades Affected.
The upward revision of wages, it
is understood, will apply to all Of the
81 trades that made application for
increases last November. 1t will take |
several weeks before the full agree
ment is made and the terms of en-
are fully laid down. l.
The settlement has had a stimulat-
ing effect on the market with large
increase in number of plans filed hav-