When the Master Masons adopted the nine-hour day the Carpenters' and
Builders' Association promptly backed them up by receding from the
eight-hour rule and making their hours of work correspond with those of
the Master Masons. The award of the arbitrators having restored to the
masons the eight-hour day, the carpenters considered themselves absolved
from any obligations to back up the masons, and said they would fix the
hours to suit themselves.
The satisfactory settlement of the strike of the bricklayers caused the
working carpenters to move in the direction of arbitration. An uneasy
feeling prevailed for some time among the employers and the workmen. On
several occasions agitators tried to induce the men to order a strike
for eight hours and 35 cents an hour as the minimum rate of wages, and
the conservative element had great difficulty in preventing it. They
succeeded in securing the appointment of an arbitration committee by the
workmen, which was composed of Messrs. W. White, H. T. Castle, R. L.
Hassell, Roscoe Palmer and A. S. F. Ballantine. This committee made
several attempts to secure recognition at the hands of the Carpenters'
and Builders' Association, but without success. The association met
Saturday evening, July 23rd, and laid on the table three communications
from the carpenters, all of which were in the direction of arbitration.
The association then passed a resolution authorizing its members to work
as they pleased during the remainder of the year, without reference to
any rule in regard to the number of hours which should constitute a
day's work, and almost universally work proceeded on the eight-hour
basis.