Evening star., 1939-01-11
A. D. A. and Unions
Reach Agreement
On Disputes
No Strike Policy Was
Voted by Building
Trades Council
BY NELSON NJ. SHEPARD.

Assurances were given the Alley
Dwelling Authority today on behalf
of local labor unions that work would
not be stopped on any of its housing
projects in the District because of
jurisdictional disputes.
The mo strike" policy was voted
unanimously last night by the
Washington Building and Copstruc-
ton Trades Council. 1t is in line
with the labor policy of the United
States Housing Authority which has
concluded such agreements with
Building Trade Councils represent
ing 535 local unions in 86 cities.
The agreement with respect to
banning jurisdictional disputes on
the housing projects in the District
was worked out satisfactorily at con-
ferences with union officials by John
Ihlder. executive officer of the A. D.
A., and John J. McCurry, represena-
ative of the Labor Relations Divi-
sion of the U. S. H. A.
According to an announcement by
Mr.. Ihlder today, the agreement pro-
vides that if a jurisdictional dispute
arises work shall not be stopped un-
til the building and construction
trades department of the American
Federation of Labor has had full
opportunity to adjust the differences
between the trades.
1T is expected, however, that few
if any questions will 60 that far, but
that the local council will iron out
any differences that may arise" Mr..
Ihlder explained.
Testify to Friendliness.
Both John Locher, executive Sec
retary of the local council, and C. F..
Preller, who presided. testified at the
conference to the friendly relations
between the building trades and the
A. D. A. The latter has made
practice of sending plans and speci-
flcations to the Buildings Trades
Council for the principal purposes of
having the latter point out possible
jurisdictional disputes and indicate
possible savings in construction
costs. This already has resulted in
settling one jurisdictional dispute
before the work began, Mr.. Ihlder
pointed out.
At the start of the 1898 fiscal
year the Authority's financial re-
sources amounted to $427,2O9. When
the year closed, June 80 last, its bal
ance was s109667. OF this total,
however, all but $45,506 had been
obligated by contracts.
A summary of the work done dur
ing the fiscal year accounted for
the completion of two groups of
low-rent dwellings and the start
OF a third, which has since been
completed. Plans also were pre-
pared for a small apartment house
and slums were demolished on four
sites. Two condemnation suits in
connection with site acquisitions
also were successful.
IA Squares Reclaimed.
Fourteen squares embracing slum
areas have been reclaimed by the
A. D. A. since it began operations
here four years ago. Two cleared
sites not adapted to loW-rent hous-
ing have been sold for commercial
purposes and a parking lot, repair
shop and three groups of storage
garages on sites formerly occupied
by slums were built and leased to
private tenants. The Authority is
holding two vacant sites and part
of third, the remainder of this
last site having been sold.
These reclamation projects. espe-
cially where they have resulted in
assembling unusable small parcels
into lots of economic size, have so
increased the Authority's holdings
that they have an added sale value
which would compensate for the
cost of administering the program"
Mr.. Ihlder reported.
The labor agreement is consid-
cred significant also because it
pledges the council to continue the
wages In effect at the time work