Hungry Horse news., 1954-06-18
Jobs at AAC Plant on Upswinq

Jobs are on the upswing at the
Anaconda Aluminium Co., plant
with settlement Of the 10-week old
strike with all but one contractor.
A thorough on the spot check
with contractors Thursday indicat-
ed that next week employment will
near 500. This compares to last
March when 1,100 men were work.
ing and payrolls exceeded $100,000
a week, and then the bottom drop
ped out in April.
STRIKE SETTLED
Settlement of the strike that
started April occurred Monday
afternoon at 5 when j. w. Cullen,
vice president of the J. A. Mcneil
Co., excavations and foundations
contractor, and representatives Of
the six basic AF of L crafts agreed
to a wage increase of is cents an
hour for carpenters, II cents for
ironworkers, and 10 cents an hour
each for operating engineers, ce-
ment finishers, laborers and team
sters.
A number of contractors at the
plant had union agreements that
called for paying the prevailing
wage. With the Mcneil agreement
signed, American Bridge division
of u. S. Steel Corp, is ready to
"high ball"
STEEL WORK RESuMlNG
c. o. "Slim" Edmunds, general
superintendent, had 20 men work.
ing Thursday, mostly unloading six
cars of structural steel. He hopes
to have a crew of so men back on
the job by next Friday. This will
be the employment level reached
before the April strike started.
Foremen are returning from such
places as Garfield, Utah, Pasco and
Bellingham, Wash.
Monday will see American
Bridge resuming steel erection on
the first of the four LOO foot long
potline buildings, and then coll
umns are to start up on potline
building No. 2, followed by steel
going up in the electric shop and
then the untanking building.
Following close behind Ameri-
can Bridge is Jamar-Olmen Co,
Chicago. Thursday Supt John
Stefanic had 81 men on the job.
Continual June drizzle is making
it difficult to paint structural
steel. lamar Olmen contract is to
enclose the plant buildings once
the steel is up, and they'll start
on potline building No. ! shortly.
Stefanic expects to have between
so and so men working.
First cement Is enroute to the
plant, and expected to arrive in
Columbia Falls from Three Forks,
Monday.
CONCRETE SCHEDULE
j. w. Mcneil Co., excavations
and foundations contractor, had
81, 500 cubic yards of foundations
placed when the strike started.
There's about $4,000 cubic yards
to go.
]. w. Cullen, Mcneil vice presi-
dent, expects first concrete placing
again Tuesday or Wednesday.
Mcneil employment now at 100
will climb to ESQ OF 300 next week,
and then to about $50.
The Mcneil company at the start
Of the project a year ago had the
detail on its payroll.
When Foley Constructors were
awarded the general contract last
July, this phase was taken over.
With Foleys still picketed, ware
are returning to work
on the Mcneil payroll.
Donovan Construction Co., st.
Paul, Foley subcontractor, had II
men on the Job Friday, and will
increase to about 25 next week,
to w. r. Beaver, super
intendent. These men are working
in the maintenance shop, on pow
er distribution and underground
service. Electricians scale here is
s2.65 determined on the prevail
ing wage of an area. In process is
a 5 cent retroactive raise for cleo
tricians at the plant.
There are eight pipefitters on the
Job for Foleys. Their international
union does not recognize picketing
to achieve wage increases.
Casey Electric Co., subcontract-
ing for the Joint venture of Fisch-
bach and Moore, Brown-Johnson
and Casey Electric, has been
working on the 100000 volt pow
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