Evening star., 1933-02-05
Unions Marshal Strength to
Meet Expected Move on
U. S. Projects.
GENERAL REDUCTION
MOVEMENT FEARED
Carpenters Fight to Retain $11
Scale Before Contractors Tuesday.
Pay Affects Building.

The controversy over wages paid to
organized labor Of the building trades in
the National Capital appeared last night
to be headed for some kind Of definite
showdown this week.
Union forces were marshaling their
strength to resist the movement by con-
tractors which now threatens to cut
wages, not only Of carpenters on six
major jobs, beginning next Thursday,
but probably the wages Of other union
building crafts as well.
The situation appeared to have in
cluded more than the announced reduc-
tion Of carpenters wages from $l1 to So.
In some quarters the meeting set for
next Tuesday by group Of contractors
to discuss the possibilities of reducing
the wage scale of several trades may
prec1pate general movement toward
the reduction Of all union wages in the
building trades.
Whether the carpenters who are faced
with a cut beginning with the new work
week on Thursday morning will strike
depends on decision by the union.
There was no definite indication last
night as to just what the carpenters
will do, although it IS believed that the
matter will come up for decision at q
meeting Of the carpenters district
council tomorrow.
Rights Under Law.
II the carpenters union intends to
follow out another line Of attack to at
tempt to force the contractors to hold
the present $11 day scale under the
Bacon-Davis law, the possibility Will
present itself tomorrow morning with
the return Of Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury Heath, who Is in charge OF
tho r,Ith1ic building and the
contracting officer for most of the pub
lie buildings involved. Under the
Bacon-Davis act the building trades in
volved have the right of protest to the
contracting officer" In case the con-
t~cverSy cannot be settled between the
" ions and the contracting officer the
Procedure then calls for appeal to the
"Ac~--"-r- OF Labor Under the Bacon
IA = lay contractors are required to
r-r what is known as the prevailing
c- The local community in which
= being done. Secretary Of Labor
lire ago ruled that in
~'rr nainters the prevailing
f'-~ G. was the union wage,
''~~ tra'es are counting on
H- c.jent in case they desire
'~t" point in this direction.
r-*", sources came reports last
irg- thc-e are two different rates
r v'a"~T ba'1g paid b" contractors on
. i;'@2-ural stands. Two firms R. P.
are constructing the stands along Penn
sylvan.a avenue, were said to be paying
carpenters $11 day. the union scale
This is So a day higher than is being
paid by Skinker & Garrett, who are
constructing the stands for the Presi-
dent-elect both in front Of the Capitol
and the White House. This latter firm
has been claiming consistently that they
can get all the union carpenters they
want for So day.
Problem Is Union.
The question of what to do about
union carpenters who work for SO a
d. 'esS than the union scale is one
WI is presenting a real problem to
tie Carpenters Union, it is understood.
Til, District Council of Carpenters, it
is understood will deal with this ques-
ton. Contractors who have posted
notices on six major Government jobs
IN the National Capital announcing
they will pay So as the prevailing wage,
beginning next Thursday have claimed
that union carpenters are working on
other jobs outside the Government for
So day.
Union officials have vigorously pro-
tested the move by these contractors
to reduce the pay scale on these Gov
srnment jobs, claiming that s11 is the
prevailing wage under the Bacon-Davis
law.
Albert Caya, chairman of the Com
mittee on Government Work for Car
penters' Union, No. 1872, declared that
in his opinion the contractors had no
pay reduction nor attempt to put it
into effect until it had been estab-
nshed under the law by the Secretary
OF Labor. Caya has been diligently
representing his organization through
the Capital by checking up on all Gov
ernment jobs. He has made detailed
reports to his union on the matter of
the proposed wage cut by the contrac-
tors on the six jobs.
From circles close to contractors
yesterday it was claimed that If a re-
duct!on could be accomplished in the
wages of building trades in this city
there would be an increase in building
activities Contractors claim that many
people who could afford to build are
still holding off, because they feel there
will be reduction in wages soon and
q consequent decrease in the cost of
building. These contractors claim that
the decrease in wages here would in
crease employment by opening up a
large market
Union officials made careful inquiry
into the question as to whether savings
accomplished by wage cuts would
benefit the taxpayers. A committee of
union officials was reported last night
to have visited the Treasury Depart
ment on this question.
They were Informed, according to
union sources that under present law
there was no way for the contractor
to turn this money, saved from wage
cuts, back to the Treasury Depart
ment, because the contractor already
had closed his contract with the Gov