Evening star., 1934-03-18
CEMENT WORKERS
WIN FLOOR FIGHT.
Green Awards Disputed Job
on |. C. C. and Labor
Buildings.

William Green, president OF the
American federation of Labor, late
yesterday awarded the disputed work
of laying mastic tile floors In the La
Dor Department and Interstate Com
merce Commission Buildings to the
cement finishers. but there was noth-
ing definite last night as to when
more than 200 men who have been
out on strike will return to work on
the structures.
The decision by Green, who had
been selected as arbiter by the three
contesting trades, was handed down
in the form of a brief announcement
sent directly to union officers repre-
senting the cement finiSherS, carpen-
ters and tile settlers.
The jurisdictional dispute arose when
the carpenters started laying mastlc
tile floors on February II. The ce-
ment finishers claimed the work and
walked out on strike, followed by all
the unions affiliated with them in the
Washington Building Trades Council
Tile Settlers Enter Fight.
The carpenters do not belong to the
council or to the building trades de-
partment of the American Federation
of Labor. although they have mem
bership in the Federation. 1t wa;
finally agreed that the carpenters ano
cement finisherS should submit theil
claims to President Green as arbiter
When a meeting was arranged fol
this purpose the tile settlers entered
the controversy, claiming they were
entitled to the work.
InaSmuch as the tile settlers, who
are affiliated with the Bricklayers
Union, have an agreement to settle
jurisdictional disputes by arbitration
with the carpenters, so as not to hole
up work, Green told the two to de.
eide the matter between themselves
before coming back to him. The two
groups decided to split the work on G
$3.50 basis.
All three crafts then went before
Green and Michael J. McDonough
president of the Building Trades De-
partment Of the American Federation
of Labor, to whom they presented
their claims last week. Green tool
the matter under Amusement.
About 60 per cent of the work O.
laying the tile floors has been com
pleted by the carpenters, but the re-
mainder, under the Green settlement
will be done by the cement finishers
The cement f1niShers were repre-
sented by Michael J. Colleran, presi-
dent of the Operative Plasterers anc
Cement Finishers' international Union
J. NJ. Myles and Harry Rothery.
Notice Not Yet Received.
Several other matters remain to bt
considered by the Building Trade:
Council in connection with the two
buildings before all the striking craft:
will be ordered back to work, accord
ing to John Locher, secretary of the
council.
The council has not yet received of.
fetal notice from President Green, bu
that probably will arrive in the mai
tomorrow. The cement f1nishers hav.
ing received their official decision, vii
report it to the council and a meeting
of the executive board of the counci
probably will be called. Whether thil
will be convened tomorrow or Tuesday
remains to be decided. Frank M
Biggs is president of the council.
Indications last night were tha
conference may be held with repre-.
sentatives of the general contractor
James Stewart g. Co., over the ques.
tons with which the council is moi
yet satisfied.
E. A. Burnap, superintendent fol
the Stewart company, said he was glac
Mr.. Green had settled the dispute
over the floors and hoped all the Other
trouble could be cleared up quickly sc
that work can be resumed on the
building.