The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-07-23
PAINTERS OF
CLEVELAND VOTE
mo- ON PACT
Bosses Sought to Bride
Workers
Cspselal to The Daily worksr)

Especial TO The Daily Worker)
CLEvELAND( July 21.-The meet
ing OF the painters, which was held
at the Colonial Theater on July II,
decided by a vote of two to one to
reject the compromise terms which
were tentatively agreed upon by two
sef-appointed officials of the union
and the Master Painters Association.
The meeting was bitter in denuncia-
ton of the terms, scathing speeches
being made by Longo and Steel, the
former a business agent, the latter a
member OF the strike committee. 942
votes were cast against the agree
ment, 451 for It, eighteen casting blank
ballots, for which the latter were de-
nounced.
Worked For Independents.
Altho so per cent of the painters
have been on the Job for some time,
working for the independent contrac-
tors, the Master Painters Association
thought It could bribe the union mem
bers into accepting an agreement of
5 per cent increase in wages, but with
the 44-hour week remaining untouch-
ed. The painters demanded S1.37h
an hour and the 40-hour week. The
painters had no reason whatever to
accept the offer and treated it as it
deserved. The GLACIERS, who likewise
have been on strike since March, did
not attend the meeting, but issued a
circular calling on the painters to
stand firm and assuring them that
they would fight shoulder to shoulder
with them.
Pretented Surprise.
The master painters, who are back
ed up by the American Plan Associa-
tion-the open shoppers-and the
Chamber Of Commerce, pretended to
be surprised that the men did not &C
cept the offer. Then they turned
about and organized a campaign to
fight the union.
A committee of painting contrac-
tors, employers and citizens commit
tee" has raised a fund of $4,000, 900,
the purpose Of which is both to beat
the painters and to whip the indie
pendent contractors into line. "Cleve-
land cannot afford to have any small
group of purely selfish and unreason-
able tradesmen stand any longer in
the way of its industry, further devel-
opment and the rights of all its peo-
pie" The Independents are now to
feel the lash of the open shop people.
In excoriating the painters, the
statement of the association contin-
ues: Their (the paintersD demands
are unreasonable and their attitude is
arrogant, and both are incompatible
with any present-day relations be-
tween employers and employees" The
bosses want creeping, crawling men to
come to them and kiss their hands.
Threaten Strlkebreakers.
The master painters, however, have
not stopped at this point. They are
threatening to bring men into the city
to take the place of the strikers and
are trying to increase their help by
having employers using painters in
their establishments supply them for
outside painting work. In other words,
this is a united front of the employers
of this city against the striking paint
ers.
The painters and the glaciers have
answered the association by declar-
ing that they are going into the
painting and glazing business them
selves. In 1925, the GLACIERS formed
the Union Glazing Service Co. and
took care of the glazing work during
the strike Of that year. They intend
to revive the plan this year on a
broader scale, so that the public will
not be inconvenienced and work will
go on.
The fight is now on-and unques-
tionably the open shoppers will do
everything in their power to crush the
union. They will raise $4,000 900. II
necessary, for they have found that
the painters and glaciers of Cleveland
are not to be intimidated by any of
their wild threats. II they bring in
strikebreakers and thugs, It should
brighten the public far more than Il
will the painters" says the statement
OF the painters, issued by Robert
Steel, chairman OF the strike commit.
tee.