The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 13, 1904, Page 6

N I'RAKNCISCO SUNDAY i CALL. i s > [»] ) . BUILDING TRADES COUNCILS 2 » President of San Francisco Building Trades Council N 1884, following the, stringency the money market throughout the in world and its consequent influence 1 effect all financial tran- the restriction of trade, the in- upon rease of interest, the decline in value f securities and the paral in busi- ss generally, the condition of the uilding industry in this city apd coun- owing to the lack of organization s in a ¢ stic state, and such that employe endeavoring to in a legitimate necessity of bring- to the end be managed lized the ut an organization, uture a tive of success to architect, the builder nan alike established system for 1g operations, no to the tus of contractor an, no fixed rules so neces- protection of the owner, orkman. Prices of labor rials were of a shifting char- »ject to so much change were menaced and the 1d workmen were involved nual doubt as to ultimate anything undertaken. Work- ere undercutting workmen; con- were underbidding contractors ing their competition upon di- uct of buil st t cont tract ed vnrices for labor. These cir- umstanc invited to the building in- justry unscrupulous persons, Wwho uld undertake anything and every- mpetition with well-known d contractors and rely rket for materials and chances upon success or rtune might determine. anner the building industry city had recelved, because of r in which it was conducted, nd serious setback. Property gina establish n the open r, tak y this this manr usted with the unsatisfactory sle condition of things ob- ceased building in a measure within itself. ans engaged in who were prin- sidents and property own- who dissatisfied changeable conditions, orga- Bullding Trades Council of Beginning with a fey drafted a constitution and th the aims and ob- ization. Immediately, se engaged in the building r obtained a livelihood from the same, was the influence of such an nstitution recognized, and that y that the Building Trades Coun- grew both in influence and strength ally, until it is to-day one of > the art ness, were the the Franeisc ns th vho S0 eatest and most successful cen- bodies engaged in the building in- the in the world, bringing to architect, builder and empl surances of stability of charac- no other part of the dustry owner The constitution and by-laws of the lding Trades Council originally adopted have, undergone many said changes being neces: vernment of a body cont ding and increasing in prom- as well as to changes, ry to the ally expa inencé and importance, the further stability f the industry, the management of which, from the journeymen’s side or interest, required protection 3 In framing the constitution and by- laws and in making the amendments necessitated and suggested by its growth and expansion, the Building Trades Council has used every endeav- to act strictly within the letter of the law; respecting the constitutional rights of all persons; frowning upon the encroachment of personal right end security; and steadfastly and de- terminedly asserting the legal rights of its constituent members and organ- izations. The effectiveness, reasonableness and practicability of the organic law of the Bullding Trades Council and the sys- tem by which its business is conducted under that law are best evidenced by its unqualified and enduring success. The Building Trades Council is made up of delegates according to propor- tional representation. The executive board of the council is also made up on the lines of proportional represen- tation. Through the council and its executive board, to the exclusion of other systems in vogue throughout the country, such as boards of business agents and otherwise, is the business of the Building Trades Council done, every matter, regardless of how triv- fal it may be, having to be first attend- ed to by the Council, its executive board or its executive officers, before being finally decided upon, and then said business is, in the fleld of oper- ations, dealt with in accordance with instructions by the representatives of the Buillding Trades Council, known as its business agents. The work of the council in relation to its affiliated membership and with the employer has been conducted with a view to extending to all strict justice consistently with the rights of owner, contractor and journeyman. The prin- cipal aim of the council is now and al- ways has been to establish a fixed and unchangeable system in the building business tending to the absolute secur- ity of the contracts, integrity of inter- course and stabllity of conduct for the mutual protection of all concerned, to the end that the owner feels absolutely safe in improving his property, the contractor is protected against changes after a contract is signed, and the journeyman is guaranteed his hours and wages and the responsibility of his employer. ‘The duties of the business agents are to carry out the instructions of the Council, and not, as found in other localities of our country, as their own By P. H. McCarthy President of California Build- ing Trades Council | P. 08 ! H. McCarthy, President San Francisco and California Building Trades Councils. ideas may dictate. Nothing is left to the discretion of the business agents. Their duties are ministerial and not executive. There is but one fountain head and all instructions, rules and or- ders emanate from th head. The Council conducts its affairs directly; grievances are redressed by it and the sphere of the business agent is limited to carrying out the expressed will of the Council. It is a matter of pride and felicity that while in other cities the business agent has been the sub- ject of scandal and notoriety, the first instance is yet to arise in this city wherein the business agent has proven false to his trust between employer and Council. In other words, the business agents of the Building Trades Council of San Francisco are to see to it that the in- structions given them by the unions through their representatives in coun- cil meeting assembled are carried out in a just and equitable manner, as well as in a manner benefiting the posi- tion occupied by the building industry of our city. Because of the good work accom- plished by the Building Trades Council i § of San Francisco it became apparent during the year 1900 that In order to protect the legitimate - contractor as well as the interests of the owner, architect and mechanic alike it was necessary to organize in the other business centers of our State councils such as the San Francisco Building Trades Council. Hence the work was taken up by the San Francisco Build- % The WORHR of the PAST YEAR in SAN FRANCISCO % ® HE past year has been one of the most important in the history of the labor movement in San Fran- cisco. There has not been the hurrahing of the fungus-growth, ufi- stable unions, born to foster the pri- vate ambitions of a few and then die down In a night, but there has been solid, substantial work accomplished. A structure has been reared to stand. Common sense is its foundation and the materials used are good, cool, deliber- ative judgment and careful business management. Without going directly into a dry routine of statistics and interminable figures, the casual, thoughtful observer will readily see that much has been done to improve the conditions of the toilers—the men whose brains, brawn and muscle, allied with capital, make this great country what it is. Strikes have been few during the past year and these have in the main been <SSR0, KL L W B_— (O RS confined to the younger unions in the less skilled branches. Among the worlk- ingmen generally there is a spirit of security and a desire for industrial peace. Petty disputes are being settled without resort to radical means—dis- putes in days even when unions did not exist would cause the more hot-headed ones to urge the others to walk out. Strikes during the year, so far as the public at large is concerned, were very rare. Trouble was threntr‘ryd by the carmen, but averted after/ both sides had been heard and the matter left'with a referee; the linemen after a short strike returned to work with an increase of wages and the wunion still intact; the strike of the brewers lasted but two days, and the bakers won their demand for higher wages without going out at all. There have been numerous other dis- turbances, but none affecting more than a few people. The outlook is for a quiet and prosperous year. To quote Secretary Wisler of the San Francisco Labor Council, which represents thou- sands of men in the labor movement: “You ask me for something regard- ing the year last past. was one of our most prosperous. Sta- bility has been our watchword and much has been accomplished. We have had few battles and in those few have pracucally come out victorious. “Employer and employe are coming closer together. The union is bringing about a better understanding and is helping educate the men to a higher standard. There is little dissatisfac- tion and little grumbling from either side. “There were few unions organized during the pist year, it is true, but on the other hand it must be remem- bered that trades and occupations are at present quite thoroughly organized. “In membership the unions are hold- ing their own or better, for there has been an increase. Another healthy feature Is the fact that the majority of the men who come here from other I will say it- cities carry working cards with them. ‘We have had little difficulty with what is commonly termed ‘scabs,” as the men Wwho come here without cards are, as a rule, willing to join the union. Easy terms are made for them if finances are low and all seem well contented. “Of course we expect more or less trouble from the Citizens' Alllance, but as yet it has done no serious injury nor do I think it will so long as em- ployer and employe can be made to understand each other. 3 “‘The unions are on the whole in a prosperous condition. We can look back on the year last past and feel that should the next be as full, both of promise and fulfillment, we are ad- vancing toward a long-desired goal slowly but steadily. The absence of wildcat movements dnd fire-brand agi- tation is a healthy sign. The freedom from disastrous strikes is another. We are working earnestly and hope to make life easier and conditions gen- erally better for ourselves—the work- ing men and working women."” ing Trades Council and councils organ- ized in several business centers of Cal- ifornia and a State convention on December 16, 1301, when the organ ization of a State Building Trades Council was perfected. call The objects of the State Building Trades Council of California are First—To promote in a legitimate manner the building industry through- out the State. Second—To bring about as nearly possible uniformity regarding the man- ner in which the building industry may be conducted. Third—To protect from the slaughts of the unscrupulous and signing contractor hereinbefore r 1~ tioned, the Ilegitimate contractor, as well as owner, architect and mechanic alike. Fourth—In case of need to be in a position to draw from the other ters of our couptry, through the Building Trades Council, mechanics necessary to the conduct of the build- ing business throughout the State, as- sisting the bullders of our State such as they have never been assisted in any other part of the world During the life of the Building Trades Council of this city and State many important events have taken place in the building industry and in all instances has the Building Trades Council placed its Dusiness, when necéssary to a complete and equitable adjustment of the same, in the hands of the mpst respomsible bodies, up of mercantile and professional terests, within the boundary lines of our State and nation. This course has been suggested by the fact that the constituent members of the unions affiliated with the Build- ing Trades Council e among fac as on- de- St mad th tors which comprise this common- wealth. Their property interests e here; their families are aintained here; their taxes contribute to the maintenance of our municipal and State system. In short, their interests are identical with those il other citizens and the me influences which affect one affect all. In 1900 one of the most stances of this kind controversy then existing manufacturers engaged in notable in- the oc business and the operators or of the same. During that ¢ versy many meetings were held, many - dis- cussions were had regarding the by large and representative bodies, the Building Trades Council Francisco, in response to a request, the parallel of which was never ed before, acquiesced and unar y de- cided to refer the entire subject matter to the Merchants’ Association San Francisco, an association embracing some thirteen or fourteen hundred em- ployers, for settlement. This was such a great departure from the old methods emplcyed in the conduct of labor organizations that the and San community was, for a time, dumfound- ed and the aployers in question, largely represented in the Merchants’ Association, refused to acquiesce to the request of the Builders’ Association to refer their side of the controversy to the said Merchants’ Assoctation for ar- bitration. The difficulty then existing was, after several months, arbitrated by men having the interests of our city and State at heart, who, imbued with a spirit of fairness and impartiality to labor and capital alike, adjusted once and for all this most grave and serious trouble. Time has established the fact that relief sought by the Building Trades Council and the result of the settlement in line with its contentions has been of inestimable benefit to all interested. Again, the Building Trades Council was in a like measure confronted with serious difficulty through the Master Painters of the Pacific Coast, in behalf of the painters affiliated with the Puilding Trades Council, and again the Building Trades Council decided to re- fer the entire subject matter for ad- justment to the same or a similar body, believing as it did that such an insti- tution had but the best interests of the city and State at heart. This action, unlike the other contro- versy, brought the trouble to a close, for the Master Painters of the Pacifie Coast and the representatives of the Building Trades Council met and ad- justed speedily the existing contro- versy. Hundreds of other instances of less importance to the building business may be cited, but suffice to say that, due to the manner in which, as well as the conditions under which, and the channels through which, the Building Trades Council of this city and State has conducted its business, In so far as the journeyman engaged in the build- ing business may be concerned, the building industry has received an impetus far beyond anything ever dreamed of by the most careful stu- dent of the commercial or industrial world, with the result that San Fran- cisco, as well as the other cities in California are freer from entangling alliances, disasters or misunderstand- ings in the building business than any other cities in our Union. It is the ecarnest wish of the writer that such a condition of things main- tain to the end that California may reach a stage In the history of our State surpassing any other State In the Union, as well as bringing to the front her commercial and industrial enter- prises in a manner indicative of suc- cess, and as It Is in this instance, so it is in all other departments of labor, the earmest wish and prayer of the undersigned that employer and em- ploye altke may see the wisdom of ceasing to quarrel and attend to the building up of our State in a manner indicative "of endurinz success.