The Amalgamated Building Trades Council decided to call a national
convention to form a federation of journeymen builders in the United
States. An "Important Call" was issued which recited the fact that there
was a national organization of employers in the building industry which
proposed to regulate all matters relative to that interest, and that to
successfully defend their rights the wage-workers in the building
industry must be thoroughly organized and ever on the alert. The
following two reasons were given why a national federation of the
building trades should be at once perfected:
1. It has been proved beyond all doubt that the interests of a
craft can be best protected by the complete unification of those
engaged therein; and so we have formed our unions and
trades-assemblies of Knights of Labor. It is also an undeviating
fact that the closer those whose interests are identical are drawn
together the easier and more satisfactory is the management of
those interests. And realizing the identity of the interests of the
building trades we, therefore, necessarily believe in their
thorough federation upon such basis as will not interfere with the
complete autonomy of each distinctive trade. [There are scores of
reasons why such a move would be beneficial, which are apparent to
all men of experience in labor organizations, and they need not be
enumerated here.]
2. Because it being a recognized idea that all large industries
shall be regulated by organizations of the employers on the one
hand and the employes upon the other hand, and there already being
in existence a national organization of the employers, or
contractors, under the name of the National Builders' association,
we believe that further delay in perfecting a national organization
upon our side would be suicidal to the best interests of the men of
the building trades, and fraught with danger to our separate trade
organizations.
We believe that steps should at once be taken to bring about this
greatly-desired amalgamation, and that a convention looking to that
end should be called together in this city as soon as practicable.
The date for the convention was fixed upon Tuesday, June 28th.