30,000 locked out : $b the great strike of the building trades in Chicago — John Locke — John Shaqi
30,000 locked out : $b the great strike of the building trades in Chicago
John Locke · en
With some employers such a demand would have been a great surprise. It
was not so with the Master Masons of Chicago. They had endured so much
of an arbitrary character from the Bricklayers' union that they were not
surprised at anything, unless it might have been the absence of a demand
upon them for a change of some kind. This demand--had it come in the
form of a request, or had a conference been invited to consider the
proposition for a change of the pay-day--might have been conceded. But
the manner in which it was presented gave notice to the Master Masons
that the time had arrived for them to assert a little manhood, and to
show to the great public that they had some "rights" which should be
recognized.
This--apparently minor--proposition dates back to "a long and
distinguished line of ancestors," whose exactions have been of a
character bordering upon oppression. They had their beginning with the
strike of the bricklayers in the spring of 1883, when there was a
stoppage of building for nine weeks on account of what were believed to
be unreasonable demands of the Bricklayers' union.
Jan. 1, 1883, the Union passed a resolution fixing the rate of wages at
$4 a day, and another that they would not work with "Scabs." Previous to
this the wages had been $3 and $3.50 per day. An attempt was made to put
these resolutions in force the first week in April. The contractors had
not been considered in arranging these questions, and for this reason
they rebelled against what they regarded as arbitrary action. After a
struggle which lasted nine weeks, three prominent architects, Messrs. D.
Alder, W. W. Boyington and Julius Bauer, addressed communications to the
Master Masons and the Union, requesting them to appoint committees to
arbitrate their differences. The request was promptly acceded to by both
sides, and on the 29th of May, 1883, the joint committee made the
following award:
In order to end the strike of the United Order of American
Bricklayers and Stonemasons of Chicago (hereinafter designated as
the union), who quit their work on March 31, 1883, and in the
belief that, by the establishment of a standing committee of
arbitration, all differences may be settled satisfactorily, and
strikes and lockouts prevented in the future, and that this will
lay the foundation for a better understanding and amicable
relations such as should exist between employer and employe; now,
therefore,