June 18th the Central Council of the Building Interests issued the
following address to the public:
The Central Council of the Building Interests of Chicago, which now
addresses you, was organized June 1st, 1887, under the following
circumstances:
When, on the 29th of April last, the United Order of Bricklayers
and Stonemasons of Chicago decided, without consultation with their
employers, that they would only receive their pay every two weeks
on Saturdays, the Master Masons' association refused to comply with
the demand, and the union men struck on their work wherever it was
refused. The Master Masons' association then resolved to suspend
all work on and after the 13th of May, and did so unanimously. The
fire-proofing companies which employed men of the same union took
the same action. The strike was made inoperative for the time being
by the lockout of the employers.
The Builders' and Traders' exchange met on the following day,
resolved to sustain the Master Masons, and called upon each trade
represented to send three representatives to a general conference
to consider the situation. The conference was organized with a full
representation, and on the 25th of May adopted the following
platform and code of principles to be submitted and be ratified by
all the building organizations:
We affirm that absolute personal independence of the individual to
work or not to work, to employ or not to employ, is a fundamental
principle which should never be questioned or assailed; that upon
it depends the security of our whole social fabric and business
prosperity, and that employers and workmen should be equally
interested in its defense and preservation.
We recognize that there are many opportunities for good in
associations of workmen, and while condemning and opposing improper
action upon their part, we will aid and assist them in all just and
honorable purposes; that while upon fundamental principles it would
be useless to confer or arbitrate, there are still many points upon
which conference and arbitration are perfectly right and proper,
and that upon such points it is a manifest duty to take advantage
of the opportunities afforded by associations to confer together to
the end that strikes, lockouts, and other disturbances maybe
prevented.
Code of principles by the employe to be made a universal condition
of employment by all building interests of Chicago, viz:
I recognize the right of every man to decide for himself, without
dictation or interference, when he shall work or cease to work,
where he shall work, how many hours he shall work, and for what
wages he shall work. I recognize the right of the employer to
decide for himself whom he shall employ or cease to employ, and to
regulate and manage his business with perfect independence,
provided, only, that he deal lawfully, justly and honorably with
all men.
I recognize the right of every father to have his son taught, and
of every son to learn any lawful trade, to be the same as his right
to a knowledge of reading and writing, or any other branch of
learning, which should be subject to regulation only by the laws of
the land.
By accepting employment I agree in all my relations and intercourse
with my employers and fellow-workmen to maintain and live up to
these principles.
The conference also asked each organization to nominate one member
to a Central Council of the Building Interests.
The platform was adopted by the several organizations, and
representatives were appointed to this body, which is now
recognized by the trades as the representative of all the building
interests collectively, and is permanently organized.
At the same time the Master Masons' association resolved to resume
business on or before June 1, and adopted a uniform set of working
rules, defining the hours of labor and other conditions necessary
to the prosecution of their business, etc., in accordance with the
platform that had been adopted. The fire-proofing companies did the
same thing. The action of these bodies broke the lockout, which was
of but brief existence.
It is naturally asked, therefore: Why this continued stoppage and
stagnation in the building business? It may be briefly said, in
reply, that the men have in large numbers refused the work offered
to them in accordance with the dictates of the United Order of
Bricklayers and Stonemasons, and upon that body rests the
responsibility entirely.
Whatever dispute the Master Masons have had with their employes'
union, has been taken up by the whole body of trades here
represented, while the employers of the associations of master
masons, fire-proofers, and carpenters have officially decided to
treat no more with unions as unions, but with men as reasoning
beings.
With these facts before us it behooves us to look the question
squarely in the face and see how we stand to-day. Some of the
masons have small forces of bricklayers and stonemasons at work and
all the laborers they want, for there is practically no strike
among the laborers. The fire-proofers are well supplied and have
practically resumed business. There are a few buildings in
progress, on which we are informed that the owners have employed
foremen and journeymen appointed by the union. There are others
again, the contractors for which are "union bosses," or members of
the union, who have become employers without severing their
membership, and hence are strictly bound to all union rules.
But we still see many deserted buildings where the sound of the
trowel is not heard.
Thousands of well-trained and to their credit, be it said,
well-behaved artisans may be seen in the streets and about their
homes. Many are Bricklayers, obeying the dictates of the handful of
officials and committeemen and small army of walking delegates who
may be seen daily at the union headquarters, placed there by their
votes, or, at least, allowed to be there by their indifference, and
certainly well paid by their contributions. The time of these
officials is partly devoted to receiving contributions from men
whose dues are now really filched from their wives and children,
partly to having their vanity flattered by the obsequious prayers
of so-called capitalists for help to satisfy their greed and
avarice in getting their own buildings finished before their
neighbors, and partly to giving out fulsome accounts of their
victories over the bosses, in a supposed contest that really does
not exist.
In consequence of this we see the public misled by the daily press
into a belief that nothing is going on but a strike between the
boss Masons and the Bricklayers' union on the senseless question of
a Saturday pay-day, characterized by nothing but the obstinacy on
both sides, while in reality the united employers in all the
building trades are contending simply for the natural rights of a
man whether he be employer or employe, against a score of
professional agitators who temporarily control the skilled
mechanics of this country.
Now, last of all, what do we see at the Master Masons'
headquarters? A united body of men with large interests at stake,
and great responsibilities, who have not attempted to enforce a
long and exhausting lockout for bringing their misguided employes
to terms through poverty and distress, but calmly and deliberately
leaving to us, the representatives of the sister building trades,
the arbitrament of their own interests. The principles that they
have adopted are those which we formulated, and they have agreed to
the broad doctrine of freedom and justice. They did not seek to
prolong the contest with their employes which had arisen from such
a slight pretext. But as soon as the conference advised they acted
(and so have the Carpenters). They have offered immediate
employment on a fair basis. Is it their fault that their employes
do not all come back to them? They have used every means that they
can with due regards to their own dignity and self-respect to bring
their men back. If they do not come it is simply because of the
authority which the Union holds over its members. They are more
devoted to their Union, which says "no," restraining their
individual acts, than to their employers, who say "come"--more even
than to their wives and families. In other words, while
individually they believe in the principles which we have
enunciated, they hope for a reconciliation between the union and
the bosses. From all past experience many of them believe that
there will be a reconciliation or compromise, and they think their
own safety is in waiting. We should remember that these men stand
in a dilemma. Each one of them is in a state of mental perplexity
trying to decide in his own mind which course to take for his own
interest. Heretofore he has not exercised his own mind on these
subjects. He has left all the details of the contract for his labor
to the officials of his Union. It has become a second nature to him
to look to his Union for protection in all things. He has
voluntarily ceased to be a free agent.
There has been much talk of late on the subject of arbitration. A
proper understanding of the situation will show how impossible such
a course is at present. The responsibility for the prevention of
the men from working has been fixed where it belongs. It is useless
to talk now of a settlement. There will be no solution until the
idle men take up their tools and renounce their allegiance to the
present Union. There will be no yielding until that is the case.
The sister trades have and will continue to sustain the Masons and
other trades affected by the encroachments of labor organizations
until then.
In the following resolutions, passed at the regular meeting held
June 10, the Central Council thus expressed its views upon the
importance of uniform working hours:
_Whereas_, In the opening of this Council it is of the greatest
interest to all of the trades here represented that the hours of
work on buildings in course of erection should be uniform in all
the trades.
_Resolved_, That while we recognize the right of every trade to
establish its own working hours, we think those established by a
large majority, not only in Chicago but in other cities, should be
considered as a precedent for others to follow.
At the same meeting the stand taken by the Master Masons was thus
indorsed:
_Resolved_, That the Association of Master Masons and Builders has
the heartiest support of the building trades here represented in
its battle against exactions of an unscrupulous and tyrannical
trade union, which is the enemy alike to the building trades and
the interests of its own members.
The position they have taken under the principles adopted by the
conference is a just one, they have held out the olive branch to
their former employes, and it only remains to inspire them with
confidence in its representations to the end that work may speedily
be resumed.
GEORGE TAPPER, President.
F. C. SCHOENTHALER, Secretary.