Evening star., 1939-06-14
Peace Formula
In Construction
StrikeSought
Conciliotor Hopeful;
Bakers, Employers
Reach Terms

A Labor Department conciliator
sought today formula for ending
q strike of 1000 union carpenters
and about 1,5O0 union laborers
which has tied up nearly all major
building projects in the Nations
Capital.
Howard T. Colvin of the United
States Cancellation Service indi-
Gated he expected some develop
ments during the day toward an
agreement between carpenters and
the Master Builders Association.
Mr.. Colvin said he was "hope-
ful' of settling the laborers' strike
following a conference yesterday
which he described as "a sort of
preliminary" No other confer
ence has been scheduled, but the
mediator indicated one would be
shortly.
He said also he had been in touch
with the builders and carpenters.
Negotiations with carpenters and
laborers' representatives and con-
tractors are being handled sep
arately.
Bakers Strike Threat Averted.
Meanwhile, a threatened strike of
800 bakers here was averted when
an agreement was reached yester-
day afternoon. Under an agree
ment entered into by Bakers Union
No. lib and the Bakery Employers
Association, effective until May /,
1910, helpers will receive an increase
Of S cents an hour and night work
will be extended two hours. The
new hours for night work will be
from pm. to 7 am. instead of
from 6 pm. to 6 am.
Representatives of carpenters and
contractors today said there was no
change in the strike deadlock which
has halted or seriously handicapped
work on such projects as the Jeffer-
son Memorial. the National Cancer
Institute at Bethesda, Md: the Doc
tors Hospital and the Government
Printing Office Annex.
Frank j. Sheehan, secretary of the
Master Builders Association, said
the strike situation was discussed
at the organizations regular meet
ing last night.
I'VE reaffirmed our position that
we are willing to negotiate" said
Mr.. Sheehan, "but we are still op-
posed to increasing wages and
shortening hours. which would in
crease the cost Of construction
here"
The carpenters struck after un-
successful negotiations over three
months for $13-a-day pay and a
seven-hour day. Their old contract,
which expired May /, provided a
S12-a-day wage and an eight-hour
day.
Tentative Pacts Signed.
j. T. Oakley, secretary of the Car
penters' District Council, said the
strike situation was unchanged. He
added that the union is continuing
negotiations for tentative agree
ments with number of contractors.
The tentative agreements provide
a s1-a-day increase in pay for the
carpenters. He said 20 to % such
tentative agreements have been
signed, the largest being the Ma
tional (Mellon Gallery of Art.
Mr.. Oakley said the union has
not been asked by the conciliator
to- meet with the builders. He in
dicated such an invitation would
be accepted at once.
The union leader estimated that
1000 carpenters are on strike. He
said 500 additional carpenters are or
will be affected by tentative agree
ments signed or pending.
Larry Kelly, president of Local
No. IA, International Hod Carriers,
Building and Common Laborers'
Union, said a few tentative agree
ments have been signed, including
the art gallery, under which the la
borerS have resumed work.
The agreements, Mr.. Kelly added
provide 80 cents an hour for un-
skilled help and IS cents an hour
for semi-skilled-thus meeting the
demands for which the laborers
struck on June S, a week before the
carpenters walked out. The laborers'
old scale was 10 cents an hour, with
no difference in pay for unskilled
and seni-skilled labor.
Mr.. Kelly said between $500 and
l 900 laborers are on strike.
The tentative agreements would
be replaced should the unions and
the builders reach an agreement on
contracts.
The Park Service today extended
the contract of the Raymond Con-
crete Pile Co. of New York, which
is putting in the foundation for the
Jefferson Memorial, for the period
of the current strike.