Evening star., 1933-02-03
CARPENTERS FIGHT
EMPLOYERS MOVE
TO CUT PAY SCALE
Urion Carries Bac0n-Davis
Law Dispute TO Labor
Department Heads.
CONTRACTORS CHARGE
WAGE HERE HAS DROPPED
These Doing Federal Work Say
Union Members Accept So Per
LAY en- Private Buildings.

erCmcnt building projects today carried
to the Federal Government their fight
aCsine. a r-1po5al of subcontractors
fcr reduction from S11 to So day
in their wages.
Determined to battle vigorously
against the sash, representatives of the
Carpenters Union were understood to
have conferred at the Department of
Labor this morning With Federal
officials.
The controversy today apparently
hinged on the Bacon-DaviS law which
provides that contractors on Govern
ment jobs must pay prevailing scale
of wages in the locality where the work
Is being done.
The contractors, following a long
series of conferences and investigation,
took their united step toward cutting
carpenters wages last night by posting
q public notice on the six jobs con-
cerned Taking the position that So a
day is now the prevailing scale OF
wages for carpenters and will be PAID
on and after February g.
Officials of the carpenters union were
understood to have conferred at the
Department cf~Labor today with the
with their fight to maintain the Sill
scale.
Meanwhile, declaration that Sll a
day for carpenters working in the Dis
trict is no longer the "prevailing wage
for such mechanics was made today In
statement issued by the Building
Trades Employers Association OF
Washington, an organization OF local
contractors.
Charges PerversiOn of Law.
The contention also was made by
the body that the Bacon-Davis pre-
vailing wage" law has been used In
efforts to hold labor wage scales above
what the prevailing wages are In real
practice. This, it is contended, in the
statement issued by George w. Gates,
acting secretary OF the association, Is
q perversion of the law.
r. A. Dickson, president OF the Cen
trail Labor Union, said today that the
contractors were evidently trying to
make it test case, and that union
officials would move to take up the
question with the proper authorities to
have the Bacon-DaviS law enforced.
He explained that conferences likely
would be held with officials OF the
Treasury Department, which let the
contracts for most of the jobs concern
ed. Any question involving strike,
he said, was in the hands of the local
carpenters unions. as the Central La
bor Union does not call strikes.
George Myers, business agent OF
carpenters local No. 1872, conferred for
some time on the matter today with
Hugh KerWin, director of conciliation
of the Department of Labor. Mr.. Ker-
: win explained afterward that it would
be necessary for the union to take up
the matter with the Government con-
tracing officer and attempt to settle the
matter there first before the Secretary
OF Labor could rerieer decision.
In previous wage case involving
painters, the Secretary of Labor held
that the union scale was the prevailing
scale of wages in the District Of Co.
lumbia.
pending strongly on this decision ss a
that the union scale for carpenters
here is the prevailing scale under the
Bacon-DaviS law.
The Government buildings on which
notices were posted last night include
the Congressional Library, the Depart
ment of Agriculture and four separate
Jobs in the Federal building triangle
the Archives Building, the Department
of Justice, the Post Office Department
and the connected buildings which are
to house both the Department Of Labor
and the Interstate Commerce Commls-
sion with a Government auditorium
between.
The action to reduce the union car
penters' wages was taken by Subcon-
tractors on the jobs concerned. They
have set forth their position in q state
ment. which reads in part as 1oiioWs:
There has been meeting OF the
contractors who employ large number
of carpenters in the performance OF
their work to determine the prevailing
scale of wages existing in the District
of Columbia and accepted by locals
No. 1872, 1894, 528 and 1865.
1T has been established beyond any
doubt that the carpenters are being
paid at the rate of ST an hour or So a
day on work throughout the city. It
has been further established that his
wage has been accepted by members OF
the locals mentioned above inaSmuch as
notices have been publicly posted on
the Job, stating that 81 an hour, So
day wage is in effect and being paid.
"A COPY of a letter dated April 80,
1882. was sent by the H. W. McCord
Co., Inc, contractors. to the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia,
establishing the rate of 81 an hour on
certain District work, and this has been
accepted by the Commissioners OF the
District of Columbia. This letter. and
other investigations, are the factors
in arriving at our decision. We lay
special stress on the fact that this wage
scale has been posted in. the offices OF
various jobs and this wage has been
paid and accepted by members OF ths
carpenters union locals numbered as
above.
Other Employers Met.
Furthermore, members Of the under
signed group have met with other local
contractors who are employing carpen-
ters of locals numbered as above at
the present time in the city, and the
conditions show that these men are
accepting this rate of So day for
eight hours work with the knowledge
of the local unions.
I'VE are posting notice on all Jobs
to the effect that the undersigned con-
tractors, on and after February 9, 1888,
will put into effect the 81 an hour,
PREVAILING scale Of wages for carpenters
in the District Of Columbia"
The statement was signed by w. r.
Mason Of the United States Fireproof-
ing Co., having contract on the De-
partment of Labor and Interstate Com
merce Commission buildings; j. E.
Newling. jr., of Littlejohn, Boiling &
Morris Co., on the Archives Building:
Herbert r. Helsing of Easthom-M Melvin
Co., on the Congressional Library:
George Peterson Of George Peterson,
Inc, on the Justice Department; r. G.
Ketchen of washington Steel Form Co.,
on the Agriculture Department, and II.
O. Weber of George B. H. Macomber
Co., on the Post Once Department