Evening star., 1937-07-21
BY JOHN {. HENRY.

~ JOhl4N I. hL.SR
Angered at threats of the local
painters union TO withdraw from the
Washington Building Trades Council
and attempt to set up a rival council,
construction unions affiliated with the
local central body today refused even
to consider calling a sympathy strike
IN support of the painters.
Instead. John Locher. chairman of
the council, said the whole controversy
in so far as it involves fight among
the construction crafts Will be re-
ferred to the Building Trades Depart
ment of the American Federation Of
Labor
The decision of the council was
formulated at tWo-hour meeting of
its executive board this morning with
representatives of the painters union
refusing to attend.
Present Leadership Opposed.
Chairman Locher said the building
trades unions, of which about 81 are
represented IN the council. are still in
sympathy with the obiectives of the
painters strike, namely to force dis
continuance of use of non-union men
on Government jobs, but that thev Will
not consider cooperating with present
leadership of the painters.
They have closed every avenue tn
possible help from other building
crafts Locher said, by making
threats against the Council. Their
action is entirely contrary to rules
and regulations of the Federation of
Labor, the building trades depart
ment and their own international
union
Locher said he believed that picket
lines of the painters will be ignored
by other construction workers, It
was this action of ignoring picket
lines that contributed to the decision
OF the painters union this morning
70 withhold representation from the
meeting of the Executive Board of
the Council.
Contributing also to this decision
not to attend the session was the
report that the bricklayers' union.
having five votes in the executive
board Of the council, ALREADY had
received instructions from its inter-
national office here not to strike in
sympathy with the painters.
B. P. Holcombe, business agent OF
the painters union. addressed a cheer
ing crowd of nearly 400 at a mass
meeting early this morning at their
headquarters, at 704 Sixth street, be-
fore dispatching about 300 pickets to
various public and private jobs. At
$50 am, Holcombe said that 58l
painters and plasterers had signed the
strike register.
In his pep talk to the strikers. Hol-
combe predicted that the painters
local would withdraw from the Build
ing Trades Council unless the latter
decided on quick and effective sup
port of the painters strike.
In addition, he said, unless some
satisfactory settlement of the strike
is indicated by tomorrow he will fly
to Lafayette, Ind, to ask interna-
tional headquarters of his union to
call strike Of union painters on
all contracts let through the Pro-
curement Division OF the Treasury
Department.
Extent of Picketing.
Five ma jOr construction contracts
handled through that division we're
being picketed by the painters this
morning, these being at the Apex
Building, Archives Building, Bureau
OF Printing and Engraving, Govern
ment Printing Office warehouse and
the Procurement Division itself. It
was on these jobs, Holcombe said, that
other organized construction workers
passed through picket lines.
Painters also were picketing jobs at
the city post Office and the Bureau of
Internal Revenue where the letting of
Government contracts to two firms
employing non-union painters precipi-
tated the whole controversy.
While a feeling of bitterness was evi-
dent this morning as the painters
plainly showed resentment against
failure of other construction trades
to give them immediate support, Hol-
combe specifically ordered all pickets
to maintain peace and order.
AS this crisis grew out of the Fed
eral situation, peace reigned tempo
rarily at least in connection with Dis
trict projects with workers returning
to jobs on the Eastern and Alice Deal
Schools, while the issues involved in
the tie-ups at the Young, Paul and
Grimke Schools we're being submitted
to the Department of Labor.