The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-04-05
Labor Council
Buys Building

Continued From Page One
preparations viii go forward I'M
medlately the building l. vacated
10 adapt Il 10 it, new purpose
Most Of the space along one side
Of the basement next 70 18th ST.
will be devoted to the publishing
equipment Of the Labor Advocate.
The other half viii be converted
into a large hall.
All halls will have special ven
tilstion and air filtering. The
building has it, own heating
plant
Emphasis was placed on the
fact that the building will be oper-
ated for service to labor orgsniza-
tons and in no sense for profit.
To Form Corporation
A building corporation to con-
troll and manage the buildings af-
fairs will be Incorporated as
voting trust composed Of members
Of the executive board and board
Of trustees Of the Central Labor
Council and the board OF control |
~ the Labor Advocate Publishing |
Co These members are elected |
by regular delegates to the labor |
council at annual meetings and /
are directly responsible to the |
4. =.
II was pointed out by the COM
mittee that present quarters are
badly overcrowded and that many !
unions and groups OF related |
Unions are housed now in separate
quarters scattered all over town.
WIN he Centralized
30 far rs il practicable. all these
"outposts" will be drawn into the
new temple under voluntary ac-
Ceptance OF the Labor temple plan.
Unions now housed In the Per-
kins building. Andrews building,
Bankers Trust building. Provident
building. and Broadway Develop
ment building at 74Ola Broadway,
where the Building Trades Council
has its own separate headquarters,
all have arranged to move into
the new Labor temple. Cooks and
Walters union will move from
their quarters on Commerce 81.
Not moving will be union groups
having properties or special loca-
lions specially adapted to their own
uses. These include the Carpen-
tiers union and affiliated locals
occupying their own property on
Tacoma ave; Lumber Il Sawmill
Workers. occupying a large part
Of the Coliseum building at 18th
and Markets SITS. and the Inter-
national Longshoremen's locals,
operating their own big hiring hall
at 18th and Commerce SITS.
The committee said that through
the summer and early fall, 1t lis
possible both the new and old
headquarters buildings will be in
use.
Meet Elsewhere
Some of the unions will main
tain offices in the new building but
will hold their meetings elsewhere.
Financing the purchase has been
worked out on d voluntary basis
roughly amounting to a days pay
per member. Some unions which
had adequate treasury funds paid
outright their share: others are
building their unit funds by con-
tributions Of members over periods
as long ss a year-all on the days
pay basis.
The Labor Temple has been
housed In the City Hall Annex II
years. removing from rented quar-
ters at 18th and Broadway former
| y known as Labor temple but
privately owned. The annex was
formerly the Northern Pacific
railroads western headquarters
/ building and was given TO the city
when the road moved lls nedu-
quarters to Seattle.
Old Structure
In late years the Central Labor
council has leased the building
from the city on small annual
rental, and assumed obligation of
upkeep. Though very old-about
80 wears or more-ths building is
in good repair.
In 1t are offices OF the park
board and q ground floor room
row occupied by military police as
q headquarters. Various uses are
being considered by the city eoun-
ell for the space now occupied by
the labor organizations.