Evening star., 1932-04-27
CARPENTERS SET
FRIDAY TO DECIDE
PAY CUT ATTITUDE
Master Builders Put S3-a-
Day Reduction Squarely
Up to Workmen.
SLASH AFFECTS TOTAL
OF 5000 J0URNEYMEN
Employers Cite Figures Showing
Tremendous Decrease in
Construction Work.

The attitude that union carpenters
of Washington will take toward a pro-
posed wage slash of So per day Will be
determined at meeting OF the car
penters District Council FRIDAY Mgnt'
it was announced today.
The matter of a lower wage scale
was put suuarely up to the tradesmen
late Yesterday, when the Master Build
ers' Association, employers OF workmen
within this group, voted to cut the
scale from S11 to So per day. effective
NAV l. Formal notice of this action
was sent to union officials and Will be
presented to the trade at Friday nights
meeting.
The nav cut will affect 5000 jour-
neymen in this trade in the Dlstrict,
it is said.
Pointing out that the heavy slump in
the building industry left no alternative
other than to reduce wages. members
of the employers group cited figures
showing that construction OF CONNER
cial and industrial buildings IN the
District had fallen off from $22, ,0O0, 900
in 1890 to less than $1,000,000 in the
first quarter of the present year. Less
than 20 per cent of the carpenters are
employed at union wages at the mo-
ment, they declared, and argued that
reduction in wages would act 10 stlnlu-
late the building industry.
The move, on the other hand. was
interpreted by labor representatives as
one on the part of general contractors
to force down costs by reducing the
amounts of estimates furnished them
by subcontractors. This was interpreted
in some quarters to mean that gen.
eral reduction in wages may be expect
ed all along the line in the building
trades.
ut means" one leading labor official
declared today, that the employers are
Joining the ranks of the unemployed.
Some of the carpenters affected by this
action have not had three days work
In nine months. which makes such a
sweeping reduction rather ridiculous.
Continuance of present conditions in
the building industry will mean that
many of the smaller fellows in the sub
contracting game will soon face bank
ruptcy."
Notice Of the wage slash was sent to
the carpenters organization in letter
which said:
"The offer Of 81 per hour made by
our committee is, we believe. very fair,
due to the present condition OF the
building industry, and in view OF the
ldCb Illdt bIlCIC dtC iIicAlly RtOJONbo bNAA6
held off the market due to the present
high scale of wages. and that the gen
erai public is looking to wage read
iustment in keeping with the decline in
the cost of living"
The Master Builders declared that q
reduction in local wages would enable
District contractors to bid on footing
equal to that of out-of-town concerns,
which have in the past been able TO
underbid local competitors. The build
ers' organization has a membership Of
25 firms, representing the majority of
the contract builders in the city.
Yesterdays action came after negQ-
,tiations that have extended over a
period of several months failed to pro-
duce results.
ters also has extended to millwork en-
ployes. according to a notice read at
the meeting by Harry Blake, president
of Barber & Ross. Inc, and, in addi-
tion, put these workmen on an OPEN
shop basis. The salary scale was fixed
at S. minimum and 81 maximum
Text Of Notice.
The notice said:
Notice is hereby given to all me-
chanics employed in our glazing rooms,
mills and shops that, beginning Mon
day, May 2, We will operate on an open
shop basis. We find this action neces-
sary to- enable us to continue operating
our shops in this city without definite
loss and to make it possible that we
compete with shops located outside the
city, which operate on a lower wage
scale. We are losing work to outside
interests continually while working
under present conditions
ut Is our desire to continue employ
ment of the men now working in each
individual mill or shop, and they as well
as other old employees who are not
working at present on account of the
lack of work, provided that they indi-
cate their intention to- continue work
under the above conditions.