Evening star., 1939-06-15
Strike Farley
Called by U. 5.
|ConciIiator
Builders Insist on
Present Wages
And Hours

WIFI DullOerS insisting on main.
tanning present wage rates and hour
scales mot only for the good of the
city, but for labor ITSELF" a confer
ence was scheduled for 2 pm. today
in an effort to end a strike of 1000
union carpenters which has halted
or seriously crippled nearly all major
construction work here.
The conference is to be held in the
Office of Howard T. Colvin, Depart
ment of Labor conciliator, who ar
ranged it. What proposals were to
be advanced for ending the strike
were not made public in advance Of
the meeting.
This is the first meeting of car
penters and the Master Builders
Association since the carpenters
struck last Monday for a s13-a-day
wage and seven-hour day. They
joined between $500 and 1000 union
building laborers who struck June 5
for higher pay.
Laborers Not Participating.
The striking laborers, members Of
Local IA, International Hod Carriers,
Building and Common Laborers
Union, are not participating in to.
days conference.
Meanwhile, the Master Builders
Association was on record against
increasing pay or lowering hours.
In statement yesterday after
noon Edwin Davis, association presi-
dent, said the organization believes
the best interests of the city are be-
ing served by maintaining the pres
ent wage and hour scales.
BY keeping the present stand
ards" Mr.. Davis commented. I'VE
can encourage the investing public
to go ahead. We can keep men en-
ployed a larger portion of the year
and can keep their incomes at the
top rather than at the bottom.
It's not matter of so much an
hour. but rather keeping economic
ally on plane so that work can 90
ahead. For this reason the Master
Builders Association is determined
to maintain the present rates of pay
and the same hours of work"
Skinker Issues Warning.
Mr.. Davis said that with the ex-
ception of the National (Mellon)
Gallery of Art project the associa-
ton has "a united front" in resisting
the unions demands.
Rubin Skinker, chairman of the
associations Labor Committee,
warned that demands for increased
wages might force the cost of pro-
duction to point where union con-
tractors would be unable to under
take projects. In this case, Mr..
Skinker said, work would 60 to nom
union contractors who could under.
bid those employing union labor.
Abner l.. Roe, director of the
association, blamed itinerant labor
for the strike vote and said he be-
lleved Washington labor would like
to 60 back to work.
Millions of dollars" Mr.. Roe re.
marked. ARE being spent on Gov.
ernment construction projects which
draw workers from all parts of the
country. They feel that with all
this money being poured out they
ought to have a share in it and
! don't consider the salvation of the
Washington laborer."
Commenting OH these views. j.
T. Oakley, secretary of the Car
penters' District Council, said the
wages of carpenters may seem high
but the work, he asserted, is ir-
regular.
The sl2-a-day wage for an eight
hour day, which union carpenters
here have been receiving, would be
adequate, Mr.. Oakley said IF the
carpenters were allowed to work
reasonable time"
Situation Unchanged.
Mr.. Oakley said it is not reason-
able to assume that carpenters com.
ing to Washington in search of work
would be eager for strike. He said
members must be in this jurisdiction
year before they are permitted to
vote. although, he added, some new
comers or itinerants may have, with
out authority, participated in the
strike vote on May 27.
The strike situation remained un-
changed pending the conference,
The only major building undertake
ing on which work continued is the
art gallery project. Contractors on
this job signed tentative agree
ment with the striking unions, Civ
Ing the carpenters s13 day for an
8-hour day, and the laborers 80
cents an hour for unskilled help
and IS cents an hour for semi
skilled help. This agreement would
be replaced, it has been pointed out,
by any contract signed by the as
Sociation and the union.