OUTCOME OF STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2149, 15 May 1914, Page 8

OUTCOME OF STRIKE

BIG WORK STUCK UP ■SERIOUS FOR CONTRACTORS ■ (Bv-Teleeraph.—Presa Association.) i ;■, ; ■• Auokland, May 14. 'An;extraordinary strike seems likely to hang up. proceedings on tho now Boys' Grammar School, which is being built by Mr. W.- E. Hutchinsou, at Mount Eden. The building is in brick, at a cast.of £31,450, and it -.will, bo one of the biggest brick constructions undertaken in Auckland for somo time.. The bricklayers '. engaged .on tho job .were ! faced, with continuous ' employment for the next twelve months; ■■ ■■ Tho present trouble is tho outcome of ■ -tho big striko of 1913. Ono of tho men employed as a bricklayer, on that occasion went out on strike with his brother : bricklayers. He happened'to be not 1 enly a bricklayer, but a first-class plasterer-/ • a hd ; 'the plasterers did. not join in tkir-'sttike , :' This ffitin had" a'wife ■ and family, and ho decided to take certain work which offered as a plasterer. ' 'A strike picket interviewed tim, and ; tho man declared at the time Hint he' had no idea of resuming work as a ; bricklayer,' but that,' as a plasterer, lie' : 3iad not been asked; by- tho Plasteiers' '' TJnjon to go.on strike. The Bricklayers' ' .Union, however, decided'to blackball fhe r . man, and the next wove came early ' ■ this week. There wore'twelve br;ck- • layers at work on , the job at, Mount : , Eden, and tho man in 'question was ■ put on and worked for days. Then ■ ; A demand was,made.that ho should be ' treated'as "black;" and be dismissed. Mr. Hntchinson declined lo.r.bey this mandate, and the -twelve men at work I accordingly laid down; their-'tools. ! "Our'positldhisan-'iiiifortunate one," : said a member of the firm. '"We aro given to understand that the whole job ' . has been blackballed. We have just completed the foundations, and (.vera > million bricks will have to bo laid.'There is twelve months' work ahead for twenty men. It is a £31,000 job, and has to ■ he finished in contract time,,-Tho Builders' Association has taken our case up, ~ ivlid the Labour Department is also moviug iii'the matter.'.'. ; .:'; . .'.. ;. :' •;