Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-12
WORKERS DISCOUNT
EXCHANGE REFUSAL
TO GRANT PAY RAISE
Building Trades Spokesman
Say Action Is of Little
Importance.
10 PER CENT INCREASE
is FORMALLY OPPOSED
Consideration of Resolutions by
Council Executive Board
Monday Indicated.

action Of the Builders and Manufacture
ers' Exchange last evening in adopting
resolutions refusing to grant wage in
cresses.
About 200 builders, contractors and
subcontractors. engaged in Government
and private construction here, met at
2525 Pennsylvania avenue and decided
formally to oppose 10 per cent in
crease demanded by stone masons,
steamfitters. ironworkers and other
building trades workmen. Resolutions
setting forth their position were adopted
for transmittal to the Washington
Trades Union Council, an organization
with which about 19 unions are affiliated
Arthur l.. Smith, president Of the
exchange, and w. B. Putnam Of the
Putnam Construction Co., described
building conditions here as critical"
and urged the exchange to stand firm
in refusing the wage increases.
Action Il Discounted.
Representatives of the workers said
today, however, that the action of the
exchange was of little importance. In
the absence Of formal comment on the
exchanges action, it was indicated that
the executive board of the trades coun-
Gil will consider the resolutions at q
meeting Monday.
Meanwhile the position of union OH
Gals was that inasmuch as the con-
tractors and subcontracters employ few
union men direct and negotiate with
them. their views in this instance are
relatively unimportant.
John NJ Bolts, business agent of the
Steamfltters' Association. said contracts
for increased wages already had been
entered into with the Heating and
Plumbing Contractors Association,
effective June /. and that his group was
not interested in the controversy.
Under this contract, Bolts said, steam
filters and helpers will receive an hourly
increase of from $l.371a to 81 so and a
five-day week instead of a five-and-a-
halliday week, the net result being a
50-cent reduction in weekly wage.
A resolution conceding the fiye-day
week was disapproved at the meeting of
the exchange. Rufus Lusk. represent
ing the operating builders, said his
organization would oppose It princi-
pally because the halliday inactivity
cost in interest charges on money bor-
rowed for building operations.
Further Conferences Held.
While disposed to treat the matter
lightly. spokesman for the unions today
said If the contractors generally were
adament in refusing establishments their
action would be regarded as a lock
out"
Further conferences on means of op-
posing the wage increase demands were
held today by a committee appointed
last evening by Arthur L. Smith. The
committee was made up Of men engaged
in various phases Of construction work,
headed by w. B. Putnam, E. A. Miller.
F. F. Cullen and E. H. Rosengarten,
representing builders.
Ross H. johnson, secretary of the
exchange. said representatives of the
workers had not given any reason for
the wage increase demand except that
conditions Justify it." He said that
while the average rate Of pay for the
workers in 112 American cities is 81 90
per hour, the contractors and subcon-
tractors on Government projects are
paying an average of $1.50 an hour.
The eight-hour days pay for Journey
men Is $12. he said. and they demand
$3.50. while the foremen. who are re.
cetving Sits an hour. want an increase
to 1892.
Practices Are Criticized.
Practices of out-of-town builders and
contractors are at the root Of existing
unsatisfactory conditions in the trade,
in the opinion of Arthur L. Smith,
president of the exchange, and W. B.
Putnam Of the Putnam Construction
Co.. who outlined the situation to the
meeting last evening.
These contractors, 1t was said, who
come here with successful bids on Gov
eminent and private construction, erect
structures after acceding to wage in
crease demands and then quit the field,
force local contractors to maintain a
level of wages only apparently justified.
80 far as we can see, there is no
reason for the increase asked" Mr..
Putnam said. Pointing out that the
value of construction work in the Dis
trict between 1924 and 1927 aggregated
$50,000,000 yearly, he said Government
work was not a great amount of the
total.
"The immediate cause of the steel
workers demand for 10 per cent in
crease is that the Interior Department
building will employ virtually all that
type of workers for about three months"
he StAlQ. Lie OOLuII1GICG department.
building, to go up next, will be about q
nine months job. A higher scale
granted now will mean increased costs
in all lines Of construction for all time
Living Costs Quoted.
Putnam quoted Labor Department
statistics to show that costs Of food,
shelter, fuel and" clothing are favorable
to the worker as compared with costs
for 1926, the year when most of the
existing wage agreements were entered
into. Urging Organized unity among
contractors and subcontractorS, he de-
clared all must stand together in re-
fusing the demands.
A. H. Harris, municipal architect,
said 1t would take year to make the
change requested. by the workers with
out seriously damaging" existing con-
tracts for District work. Contracts for
schools and other buildings are let on
the basis of appropriations obtained,
he said, and explained that the con-
tracts themselves are based on costs,
in materials and wages, prevailing when
the estimates are made up. Increased
costs over wide range of building ac-
tivity would mean that numbers of ex-
listing contracts would be useless, he
said.
1s