Evening star., 1934-05-26
GENERAL STRIKE
CALL HERE BRINGS
UNCERTAIN STATUS
Not Expected to Be Entirely
Effective on Three U. S.
Buildings.
AGREEMENT is REACHED
IN CARPENTERS DISPUTE
Placing Of Men on Jobs Vacated
by Plasterers Brings New
Labor Problem.

AS the labor situation here appar-
emily cleared in one direction with
expected settlement of the carpenters
strike. the outlook grew more con-
fused in another sector with conflict
ing reports coming out of a general
strike called on three Federal build
ings, the Department of Labor, Inter-
state Commerce Commission and
Government Auditorium.
The Carpenters Wage Committee
late yesterday reached an agreement
with the Master Builders Association
for an increase of 50 a day on an
eight-hour day. This. however, must
be voted on by the membership of the
carpenters council early next week.
General Strike Called.
The general strike called yesterday
by M. j. McDonough, head Of the
building Trades Department of the
American Federation of Labor. on the
three connected Federal buildings on
Constitution avenue between Twelfth
and Fourteenth streets, was to go into
effect at the close of business yestet-
day. with men refusing to return 10
work Monday morning.
Conflicting reports today. however.
confused the prospect Of this strike
becoming fully effective as there
were some union leaders who in
sisted that not all of the crafts had
been called of the buildings. as yet,
and some of them probably would go
to work Monday morning.
The strike has been called Off
cialy, however. by McDonough,
through orders to the District Build
ing Trades Council, and is supposed
to tie up the three buildings. with
the single exception Of men belonging
to the bricklayers' union.
"Strikebreakers" Protested.
The general strike was called on
the three buildings because men were
put on jobs vacated by striking
! plasterers. 1t was an outgrowth of
a jurisdictional dispute between two
crafts over setting of acoustical stone.
! PlaSterers were on strike because they
| claimed half the work Of setting
! acoustical stone. Men belonging to
the bricklayers' union were put in the
| plasterers' places.
/ McDonough charges the men are
"strtkebreakers," even though they
belong to the bricklayers' union. Con-
| tractors and officials of the latter
say the men are bona fide members
not only of the bricklayers' union. but
also of the American Federation Of
Labor. and should not be termed
strikebreakers.
The agreement adopted by repre-
sentatives of the carpenters and their
employers, as a result of conciliatory
efforts made by Commissioner George
E. Allen, calls for payment of rate
of $1.25 an hour to carpenters, on the
basis of a 40-hour week
This compromise is subject to rati-
fication by the membership of the
union since its delegates were not en-
powered to bind the organization. Pre-
dictions were being made today. how
ever, that the strike will be settled
since the union gains an increase in
the rate of pay of rs cents an hour.
Two Days of Negotiations.
The compromise on the pay for
carpenters was arrived at after two
days of negotiations between the
union and the employers resulting
from Commissioner Aliens work as
conciliator, where Federal officials
previously had failed during many
days of negotiation.
The agreement between committees
from the Master Builders Association
and the carpenters union was reached
at 6:10 pm. yesterday. after negotia-
tions the previous day had ended in
an apparent impasse.
The carpenters went on strike, de-
manding a rate of S137l2 cents an
hour. This was met by a proposal of
Sl.10 offered by the employers asso-
ciation. The union turned this down.
Later, Allen suggested S1.20 an hour
as a compromise but agreement still
was lacking. Even after the SIPS
plan was drawn late yesterday, failure
seemed likely for a while, but both
sides finally approved.
Agreement to Be Signed.
If the membership of the carpen-
ters' union approves the proposed
new wage scale, final agreement is
to be signed between employers and
labor and the carpenters would go
back to work.
Progress on the construction Of the
new Calvert Street Bridge, the Su-
preme Court. Justice, Interstate Com
merce Commission and Labor Build
ings has been held up by the car
penterS' strike. Various estimates
place the number of men out of work
on account of the strike at between
400 and 1000.
The carpenters union was repre-
sented at the conference with Allen
by o. C. Rickard. W. S. Risdon and
F. E. Kettner, members of the Union
Wage Committee. The Master Build
erS Association was represented by
j. r. Skinker, E. H. Rosengarten. C.
Wohlgemuth, jr., E. r. Boyle and
Frank J. Sheehan.
The carpenters here had been oper-
ating under a wage of $100 an hour.
Recently, however, it is reported, some
of the contracting firms have been
paying the scale Of sl.3715 cents de-
manded by the union.
Sought 6-Hour Day.
The union also sought a 6-hour
day, or 30-hour week. The compro-
mise plan agreed to by the commit
tees yesterday, however, calls for con-
tinuation Of the 8-hour day, 40-hour
week. if and until the Federal Gov
ernment adopts the shorter hour week
under legislative enactment.
AS occurred on the preceding day,
Commissioner Allen yesterday after
noon conferred first with representa-
tives of one side and then the other
until it was decided to hold a joint
meeting, at which agreement finally
was reached.
Allen said his principal concern in
the matter was settlement of the
strike so that men could go back to
| wOrk