Evening star., 1934-06-15
Three Great Unions Affiliate
With Department in
Solidarity Move.
JURISDICTI0NAL ROWS
SETTLEMENT IS EASED
Local Strike Peace Moves Hit
New Snag as Arbitax
Plan Fails.
BY HAROLD B. ROGERS,

The building trades department Of
the American Federation of Labor an
nounced today it has just consolidated
within its ranks the entire building
trades movement Of the country.
M. ]. McDonough, president of the
building trades department, disclosed
that the three great trades, brick
layers. electric workers and carpenters,
who have been outside the ranks of
this department, officially joined late
yesterday.
Meantime, another meeting of labor
leaders and contractors with District
Commissioner George E. Allen today
failed to end the carpenters strike
which has been in effect since May /,
tying up both public and private con-
struction. The way. however, was left
open for further negotiations
At this session, the Washington
Building Trades Council presented to
the contractors their proposal to arbi-
trate the strike issues which last night
were rejected by the Carpenters Dis
trict Council.
The Master Builders Association re-
piled with brief formal statement in
which 1t said: IF and when the car
penters' local council appoints a COM
mittee to act for their membership,
who will be bound by their acts and
who will report to Commissioner Allen
with the proper credentials, we will
have our committee with the same
authority meet them and Commits
sioner Allen"
Some Of the big general contractors
who have Government buildings under
construction said they would stand
behind this position of the Master
Builders Association, but it was not
known whether this represented all
Of the general contractors in the city,
Trades Council Meets.
The Washington Building Trades
Council met Immediately after the
conference In Commissioner Aliens
ofiice and discussed the strike situa-
ton for some time. 1t was decided,
however, to hold IN abeyance any
further action In the matter until
another meeting Monday morning.
The Carpenters will meet Monday
night to consider the counter offer
made by the contractors this morn
ing
The contractors offer, it was ex-
planned. was formulated at a meeting
Of the Master Builders Association
and general contractors on Govern
ment buildings, held early this morn
ing prior to the conference in Com
missioner ALIENS office
Authority Is Lacking.
The Carpenters District Council
also took back the message from the
Master Builders Association for con-
sideration. The new proposal Of the
builders has for one of the vital re-
quirements that the Carpenters Com
mittee have authority to act, which
up to this time has been denied
They have insisted on a referendum
Of the membership on every proposal,
all of which have been rejected.
The arbitration proposal which was
presented yesterday by the Wash
ington Building Trades Council was
that both the carpenters and the
builders agree to arbitrate, providing
that all non-union carpenters who
have been put on the job at the
strike-breaking pay of $1.10 an hour
be taken on pending negotiations.
The three great building trades
which completed the 100 per cent
membership in the building trades de-
partment, A. F. Of L., are the Brick
layers, Masons and PlaSterers' Inter-
national Union; the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
and the United Brotherhood of Car
penters and Joiners.
McDonough in explaining the inn
portance of this unification, declared,
nationally it solidifies the building
trades movement. Every organization
engaged In the building trades indus
try is now in this department and
will now operate as a unit.
This places the department in such
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