Evening star., 1936-05-14
UNION CARPENTERS
'GO ON Jobs PAYING
more THAN SCALE
Importing of Workers Linn
tied by Construction
Activity Over u. S.
CONDITION REPORTED
AS ONLY TEMPORARY
Locher Asks Patience for Obtain.
ing Crews-Few Divisions
Show Unemployment.
BY HAROLD b. ROGERS.

BY HAROLD b. ROGERS.
Increase in construction work
throughout the country, and particu-
larly in the District, has brought
about shortage of skilled labor in
some building trades here.
This was learned today in a survey
| of the situation in labor. govern
ment, public. and private construc-
ton circles.
Carpenters appear to be scarcer
than any other trade. 1t was reliably
reported there has been so much de-
mand for skilled carpenters that
some union men have left their
present employment where they were
getting the regular union scale at
S1.3712 an hour to accept wages of
so an hour elsewhere.
This bidding for labor has been
more acute among carpenters, it was
| pointed out, than among other trades.
But there is also shortage among
bricklayers. stonemasons, and steam
filters.
Local Shortage High.
At the Federal Housing Admins
tration, officials explained reports
showed Washington was listed among
the six cities in the country where
the most serious" shortage of skilled
labor exists.
John A. Locher, president Of the
Central Labor Union, and secretary
of the Washington Building Trades
Council said organized labor recog-
nized there was shortage Of sew
eral trades" but he emphasized it
will necessarily be only temporary"
shortage. There still is unemploy-
ment among some trades. he said.
I'VE are glad" he said, that be-
cause of the increase in work every
where else, that 1t is almost impos-
sible TO find enough men to import.
Fortunately for labor, they are almost
as busy out of town as here. We
don't look for this boom to last long,
| so We hope that people looking for
building tradesmen will bear with
us for while, rather than trying to
bring IN cheap labor. which might re-
suit eventually in breaking down the
standards here"
Absorption Expected.
Among the trades not fully en-
ployed here, Locher said, were the
plasterers and fathers. With the in
crease in public building here, how
ever, and several new jobs under way,
| Locher expects a complete take-up
in this slack shortly.
Some contractors here are known
to have been complaining that the
governments home building program
has taken SO many of the building
tradesmen that it is difficult to find
enough workmen to 60 forward with
projects already under way.
| Other local contractors said they
had to look around for tradesmen,
but were able to get just enough to
go forward with their construction
programs.
At Tugwelltown, the Resettlement
Administration home building prof.
ect, at Berwyn Heights, Md. the Gov
ernment is making efforts to speed
up work, despite labor shortage.
Under a recent new ruling of Relief
| Administrator Hopkins, announced
some days ago. arrangements have
been made whereby labor can work
longer hours and receive more weekly
wages than before. Reports we're cur
rent today that farmers were leaving
their farms in Southern Prince
Georges County. sharpening their
hatchets. and going to work at the
Tugwelltown as carpenters.
Non-Union Men Hired.
Government authorities, while ad-
mitting they had hired a number of
carpenters who were not members of
a union, insisted that all men so hired
were qualified to do the work to which
they had been assigned. They pointed
out that the regulations do not require
that union men be hired on this prof.
ect, but only that the prevailing scale.
which is the union scale, shall be paid.
Government recently asked Locher
of the Building Trades Council If he
could supply large number of GER
tain tradesmen at Tugwelltown at
regular union wages.
The union scale pays carpenters
S1.37h an hour: bricklayers $3.50 an
hour; masons' tenders go cents an
hour for a 40-hour week, or 10 cents
an hour for a 30-hour week, and ce-
ment finishers 1.3719 an hour.
Among the big jobs already under
way here are the new Interior De.
partment, which is well advanced
expected to be ready for occupancy
next Fall; the new Federal Reserve
Board Building. where foundation
work is underway; several animal
houses at the Zoo, and completion of
the Department of Agriculture South
Building, including two bridges over
q street.
Planned buildings and those expected
to be built soon, include the new Bu-
reau of Engraving and Printing addi-
ton, for which bids have been opened;
the Government Printing Ofice
annex. the projected Apex Building
at the spearhead Of the Federal tri-
angle, the proposed new home for the
General Accounting Office and others.
Municipal projects include several
bridges, the Anacostia High School
addition and grade crossing elimina-
tions.