Evening star., 1933-02-06
LABOR MEETING
| TONIGHT TO MAP
| WAGE CUT FIGHT
Whole Building Trades Scale
TO Be Taken Up by
| Central Union.
BACKING EXPECTED
| ON FEDERAL PROJECTS
Union Officials and Law Experts
Confer on Possibility of Keep
ing Carpenters at $u.

Union labor tonight will lay down its
program for combating the proposed
wage cuts in building trades employed
on Government buildings.
The Central Labor Union will hold a
regular meeting, at which time it is
known the whole question of the union
scale In building trades will be taken up,
with prospect that that body will back
up the carpenters in their fight against
slash scheduled for Thursday morn
ing.
The District Council of Carpenters
VIII meet In another session at their
nah TO take up specifically the an
nounced cut from $11 to So for carpen.
ters on six major Government Jobs.
Union officials were understood today
to be confering together, and with ex-
perts on the Bacon-Davis law. con-
corning the possibility of forcing the
contractors to pay the union scale
of S11.
Treasury Visit Planned.
1t was understood that George N.Y.
ers, business agent for the District
council OF Carpenters, planned to call
some time today on officials at the
Treasury Department. but at the de-
partment there was no statement FORTH
coming as to- the situation.
AT the Office of Assistant Secretary Of
the Treasury Heath, Government con-
tract1ng officer on most of the Jobs in
VOWED in the carpenters wage cut il
was said that Maj. Heath returned to
ms desk today from trip out of town,
but that he knew nothing about the
pending wage cut.
AT the Department Of Labor, Il was
said that the controversy coi,ld mot
come formally before that department
under the Bacon-Davis law until all
EFFORTS had been made by the contract
ing onlcer for the Government and the
unions to settle the differences.
Hope Held For s1I.
Union labor it was understood todav.
still has some hope of forcing the con-
tractors to pay the $11 by enforcing the
provisions of the executive order issued
oy President Hoover for enforcement of
the Bacon-Davis law. This law provides
tnat on Government jobs contractors
snail pay mot less than the prevailing
rate of wages for work of a similar
nature" In the community where the
Government job is underway.
Union ofhc1als today pointed to the
executive order Of the President. which
they believe has teeth in it. They
called attention to the Presidents order
providing for inspection of pay rolls and
penalty on the contractor in case he
violates the law.
1T Is understood and agreed" said
PRESIDENT Hoover in his order, that the
pay rolls of the contractor and ali sub
contractors and agreements made bv
tne CONTRACTOR or subcontractor or anv
other party relating to the employment
o. laporers or mechanics, or the per-
lormance OF the work of laborers and
mccnanlcs on said building, and to the
wages or compensation to be maid
tnerefor, are to be open to inspection
oy the contracting officer at such times
as the latter may elect, provided that
sucn inspection shall not interfere with
the proper ana orderly prosecution Of
the work, and that a clearly legibIe
statement of the rates payable as afore-
SAID under this contract shall be nostad
oy the contractor in a prominent and
easily accessible place at the site of the
WORK SO that such statement NAV be
Seen at any time by persons engaged
Notices Cause Difference.
Difference of opinion exists over +ba
posting of notices by six contractorS
announcing that the carpenters will he
cue from $l1 to SO next THURSDAY
morning. Certain union officials CHARGED
Inat tney had no right to change fhe
Iate ana post notice of such a change
IN the middle of job unless preyious-
~ authorized by the Government to do
So The union leaders claim that IL is
the Governments responsibility to see
that the contractor pays the PREVAIL
ing rate OF wage and should enforce
tnls law in this particular instance. II
Is understood the contractors, however
ieei that they are acting within their
rights in deciding to change the nav
scale and In posting formal notice in
Union officials further pointed TODAY
10 the penalty which the Government
may exact in case of violation of the
Bacon-Davis law 1T is further ex-
pressly understood and agreed" saws
tne PRESIDENTS executive order "that
II IL should be found by the contract
ing offcer that any laborer or mechanic
employed by the contractor or any sub
contractor on the public work covered
oy this contract has been, or is being.
PAID a rate of wages less than the pre-
Valilng rate of wages, the Govern
ment may by written notice to the con-
tractor, terminate his right to proceed
with the work, or such part of the work
as to which there has been a failure to
pay said prevailing wages"