Evening star., 1937-08-02
PAINT CONTRACTS
WILL Be INCLUDED.
IN BUILDING J0bS|
Work Will Not Be Let Sepa-
+ rately as in Past, U. S.
Unit Decides.
LABOR CONTROVERSIES,
GREATER EXPENSE CITED
Holcombe to Present Charges
Wednesday Against Nom
Union Contractors.

Painting contracts for public build
ings, which long have been source
of controversy, will be included in
general contracts for construction Of
these buildings, instead Of being let
separately, AS in the past, by the
Procurement Division of the Treasury
Department, it was learned today.
Painting of buildings long after
they have been constructed has led
to various kinds Of labor controversies,
and often greater expense, through
extra inspection, it was said.
Outstanding among the labor con-
tfoversies have been those involving
the work done by non-unlon labor
and non-union contractors on buildings
which earlier had been built by union
labor.
Decision Is Hailed.
Bryce P. Holcombe. business agent
of Local 1868, Painters Union, who
called strikes on three buildings here
recently. hailed the decision of the
Procurement Division to include paint
ing contracts in general contracts for
construction as a distinct benefit to
organized labor. Most of the big con-
structlon contracts of the country go
to contractors using union labor, Hol
Combe explained.
This now means that. these general
contractors employing union labor in
putting up a building will let their
painting subCOntract to an employer
using union painters In the past. Hol-
Combe said, the paint jobs long after
construction have often gone to nom
union employers, who have brought in
men from outside the cities where the
buildings have been located. paying
the men less than the prevailing scale
Improved chemical technique now per-
nnits painting Of plaster shortly after it
is put on, instead Of waiting for it to
dry, as in the past. he explained.
To Present Charges.
Charges that non-union contractors
have paid less than the prevailing
union wage for painters in painting two
Government buildings here, thus vlo-
lating the amended Davis-Bacon act,
will be presented by Holcombe
Wednesday at hearing at the Labor
Department, over which Carl Schedler
of the department will preside. OFF,
clal notice has been published of the
open hearing, at which both organized
labor and employers have been asked
to appear. The Government structures
involved are the City Post Office and
Internal Revenue Building additions.
Painters are back at work on these
JOBS, pending determination of the
issues.
meanwhile, a separate strike of
union painters continues at the Bu-
reau OF Internal Revenue, where Will
liam Wilson, a contractor is employ
Ing non-union men. Two union
painters were struck from the lob
when Holcombe pulled them off
in protest against discrimination"
against employment of more union
men by the contractor.
Violation Alleged.
The union has filed charges with the
National Labor Relations Board in
Baltimore against Wilson for alleged
violation of the Wagner labor relations
act.
. One Of the plasterers' unions, headed
by J. R. Crown, has called a strike
of its members on non Government
jobs here in a demand for higher
wages. This union is known as Local
No 7 of the United Building Trades
Federation, which has applied. for
afflliation with the Committee for
Industrial Organization. 1t is not
affiliated with the Building Trades
Council, the Central Labor Union
here or the American Federation of
Labor.