Evening star., 1953-04-29
Building Strike
Here Hinges on
Wage Par|eys
5 Unions Seek Rise;
Contract Expires
Midnight Tomorrow

Midnight Tomorrow
Possibility of a strike Of
12,600 mechanics and laborers in
the building industry here Friday
morning hinges on the outcome
Of negotiations today and to-
morrow Five building trades
unions are involved. Higher
wages are the issue. with current
contracts expiring at midnight
tomorrow.
The situation today brought
from j. c. Turner. business man
ager of Operating Engineers.
Local II (AFL this statement:
"It seems like the employers
are daring the unions to go on
strike this year. Their attitude
seems to be they Just don't want
to do anything"
No Strike Vote as Yet.
Mr.. Turner made it clear his
union has not yet taken strike
vote, but a meeting of the Wage
Policy Committee is scheduled
for tonight. He said it looks as
though the Federal Mediation
and Cancellation Service will be
asked to get into the picture.
He declared his union will ex-
haust all remedies before I'VE
recommend a strike to the mem
bership."
Randall c. Wyant, secretary
treasurer of the Master Builders
Association. presented the EN-.
ployerS' side. He said:
II don't think the employers
ever dare a union to go on strike,
because a strike results in loss
on both sides. And it's not the
employers desire to see anybody
suffer any loss at any time.
ANY stand taken by the en-
ployerS' group is based on the
present economic situation,
which has resulted in curtail-
ment of defense construction
which has seriously affected the
volume of work in this area and
there is a great deal of unem.
ployment at the present time.
Claims Costs Decline.
"The cost of living has de-
! clined in recent months. All in.
dustries really compete for pur-
chasers' dollars, you might say.
Some major industries are
reducing wages in line with the
decline in the cost of living.
When the construction industry
the largest single industry-is
faced with demands for increases
1t is not economically sound for
that industry to take action con-
trary to that being take in other
industries.
Many proposed projects are
only built within a limited
budget. Further increase in the
cost Of construction would
eliminate many jobs from the
market. And this certainly
won't solve the lowering of con-
struction volume or the un-
employment situation"
Present Wage Scales.
Mr.. Wyant said the situation
now stands:
Carpenters: Now get $2.871a
cents an hour and are asking
for 12l2 cents an hour addi-
tional. The employers have
offered to increase their con-
tribution to the welfare fund
from 7 to 9 cents an hour, but
with tighter eligibility require
ments.
Laborers: Now get $1.75 to
$1.89 hourly, but desire Is cents
hourly more, as we'll as an in
crease of 6 to 10 cents hourly in
the welfare fund. The employers
want the present contract re-
neWed.
Bricklayers: Now get $3.50
hourly, want a raise of Is cents
hourly, in addition to an IN
crease from 9 to Is cents in the
welfare fund. Employers want to
renew the present contract.
Operating engineers: Now get
from $2.18 to SO hourly and want
an increase across the board Of
about Is cents. They originally
asked for Is cents more. EN-
ployers want to renew the pres
ent contract with some modifica-
tions.
Dump truck operators: Now
get from $1.52 to $1.68 hourly,
want a raise Of 35 cents hourly.
This contract expired a month
ago. but it was extended until
Thursday midnight.
The cement finishers, a small
union, recently settled for 9
cents hourly on it's health and
welfare fund, giving up wage in
crease demands. Mr.. Wyant said.
He explained that the fathers
and plasterers are not involved
in the current negotiations.
Some of the unions asking for
higher wages have been nego-
tiating for the past two months.
Sees No Strike Need.
! Ancle Tester. president of the
Construction Contractors Coun-
Gil said today:
II can see no reason for a
strike between labor and man
agement. 1t is clear that there
are apparent differences of
opinion, however, the employers
are merely carrying out a policy
established by our new President
of the United States and his ad-
ministration, in asking that we
combat individually and collec-
lively in this year the evils Of
further imitation by not grant,
sI-