Evening star., 1926-11-13
BUILDING WAGES HOLDING FIRM.
WITHLABOR SUPPLY PLENTIFUL
Unions, With Largest Membership in His
tory, Plan Move to Press 5-Day
Week Campaign

Sheet Metal Workers Union. which
have been quarreling for the last five
or six years over the installation of
metal trim, are reported to have prac-
tically adjusted their grievances. The
controversy between the bricklayers
and the plasterers' unions is also
being settled by arbitration. Disposal
of these two interunion disputes
would go far toward the re-establiSh-
ment Of united action and harmony in
building trade circles throughout the
country.
Reports on wage changes from
cities and towns throughout the coun-
try show that small increases, rang
ing from 1l2 to 12i2 cents an hour,
have been granted In about 40 trades
In fourteen cities. These increases
were reported from Atlanta Ga: Buf-
falo. Chicago. Cincinnati, Detroit
Duluth. Kansas City, st. Louis. Day
ton, Nashville, Tenn: Norfolk, Va.
Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Reading.
Pa.
reductions were reported from
Philadelphia. Salt Lake City and At
lanta. These were very small and
mainly due to surplus Of common
labor and some skilled craftsmen.
Strike i'm San Francisco.
Few strikes We're reported and
labor conditions generally were re-
ported quiet throughout the country.
except in San Francisco, where the
carpenters strike against the open
shop continues to interfere with
building activities. In Cleveland there
has been some jurisdicsional trouble,
and the glaciers and painters strike
has had it's effect on building. In
New York there is plenty Of Winter
work in prospect and labor conditions
are quiet.
I'm Chicago there has been short
age Of labor and some trouble has de-
veloped on building projects due to
the effort Of the Building Trades Coun-
Gil to carry out its threat to enforce
union conditions on projects that are
now working under the Lands award.
Although the Lands citizens commit
tee has up to date imported approXi-
mately 10000 building craftsmen, a
shortage of carpenters. bricklayers
and others still remains.
Wage scales in the building trades,
as reported by the National Associa-
ton of Builders Exchanges, show that
labor is getting the highest wages in
history. Bricklayers throughout the
country are receiving from 81 to $175
per hour; carpenters. 60 cents to $1.50;
plasterers, 80 cents to $1.S712; build
ing laborers. 25 cents to S7la cents;
structural iron workers, SO cents to
$3.50; plumbers, 80 cents to $3.50; cleo
tricians, IS cents to $1.50: stonema-
sons, IS cents to $1.75: lathers. Is cents
to $1.62l2; sheet metal workers, so
cents to $1.50; painters. so cents to
$3.50. and hoisting engineers, 90 cents
to $l.75.
New York Wages Highest.
Review of these wage scales shows
that New York building mechanics are
receiving the highest wages of any
city n the country. Bricklayers, plas-
terers, holsting engineers and stone
masons are receiving $1.75 per hour,
and the majority of other trades, $1.50
per hour. St. Louis, Chicago, Pitts
burgh and Philadelphia, where the pre-
vaiing rate is $3.50 per hour. are
about tied for second place.
Columbia, 8. c., reported the low
est wage scale. Here laborers receive
from Is cents to 20 cents an hour;
bricklayers, 80 cents to 81: carpenters.
40 cents to so cents; plasterers. 80
cents to 81, and painters. so cents.
Reports from Canada indicate that
wages and conditions in the building
industry are we'll stabilized. Both
skilled and unskilled labor is we'll en-
ployed. and in the provinces Of Que
oec and Ontario there is a shortage of
common labor. Only one or two labor
disturbances have been reported dur
ing the last so days