REPORT OF GENERAL PRESIDENT GEORGE F. HEDRICK To the Twelfth General Assembly of the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America, Dallas, Texas, 1921. Under the provisions in our General Constitution your General President is directed to submit a report to the Conventions of our Brotherhood and to make such suggestions and recommendations that, in his opinion, will be for the best interest of our trade and give such advice as he thinks will be for the best interests of our members. It is gratifying to report that the progress made during the past eight years has been greater than ever before in the history of our Brotherhood during a like period. Our district councils and local unions have been ever awake to their opportunities and have advanced step by step in securing substantial increases in their wage scales, in the establishment of the Saturday half-holiday and, in a number of instances, the five-day week-all of which are necessary in order to reach our aim for a higher standard in life. Our district councils and local unions are becoming more stable, efficient and progressive, which has resulted in putting them on an equal footing, both as to wage scales and working conditions, with practically all of the other building trades. At the same time our employers are beginning to realize that our trade is as important as any of the trades employed in the construction of a building and, therefore, that we are entitled to at least equal consideration, We have had no convention for the past eight years. Our membership voted in favor of a convention in the year 1917-just prior to our entrance into the war-but after war had been declared by the United States Government against the Central Powers many of our local unions that had voted in favor of holding a convention asked the General Executive Board to resubmit the question. Little attention was given to the requests at first, but they became so numerous that your General President and General Secretary-Treasurer decided to call a special session of the General Executive Board. The Board met at the General Office and found that the request had been endorsed by over three hundred local unions, one hundred and two of which had voted in favor of holding a Convention. The General Executive Board decided to refer these requests to the membership and leave them to decide whether or not a second vote should be taken. The vote resulted as follows: Sixteen thousand seven hundred twentythree in favor of resubmission, twelve thousand three hundred forty-eight against. The question was re-submitted and the membership voted not to hold a convention at that time. The vote was as follows: eight thousand five hundred and fifty-three in favor, eighteen thousand six hundred and thirtyeight against. Fortifying the Death and Disability Fund. During the month of December of the same year L. U. 26, of Newark, New Jersey, submitted an amendment to the constitution of the Brotherhood authorizing and instructing the General Executive Board and General Secretary-Treasurer to transfer to the Death and Disability Fund forty thousand dollars of the surplus that was in the General Fund, in order that the money might be used in the payment of death and disability claims. The resolution was endorsed by nearly one hundred local unions and was submitted to a referendum vote. The result was as follows: twenty thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven in favor, and five thousand seven hundred and ninety-six against. This was a wise move on the part of the membership as it enabled us to pay the claims due to our entrance into the war and to the epidemic of influenza which followed later. War Measures. During the progress of the war complaints from our local unions against the action of Government officials became so numerous that we found it necessary to establish an office in the American Federation of Labor building at Washington, D. C. This office handled hundreds of complaints that had to be taken up with the various departments of the Government. At the outset our trade was practically declared to be non-essential and, to make matters worse, they refused to consider painting as one of the basic trades. We continued, however, to fight for our rights day after day and in nearly every instance succeeded in obtaining justice for our members. The office was maintained for several months after the armistice was signed and discontinued only after every means had been exhausted to have our trade placed in the basic class. Our efforts were not rewarded until September 4, 1920, when we were officially notified to this effect: "Washington, D. C. "Am pleased to announce that Navy Wage Board recommends that Painters be made basic trade. Secretary has approved recommendation. (Signed) A. J. BERRES, Sec'y Metal Trades Dept., A. F. of L." Growth of Our Membership. In the year 1913 (the year in which our last convention was held) our membership was 81,032. At the close of July of this year our membership was 110,000. We are somewhat hampered in our efforts to organize the various branches of our trade by the provisions of Section 5 of our General Constitution, which reads as follows : "More than one local union may be chartered in the same city or district by permission of the General Executive Board, provided that two-thirds of the members of the union or unions already chartered in said city or district, present and voting, grant their consent." In many instances it is absolutely impossible to get the consent of the local unions that, of course, have to be consulted. We are of the opinion that if we desire to retain control over the work coming under the jurisdiction of the Brotherhood the constitution should be so amended as to enable the General Officers of our Brotherhood to organize the various branches of our trade where there is a sufficient number of men following any one branch to form a union. This will eventually have to be done if we wish to retain jurisdiction over the work; otherwise independent local unions may be organized which would be a stumbling block to our progress. Practically every convention held heretofore has instructed the General Officers to thoroughly organize the various branches of the trade, but failed to give them the power to do so. In several instances we have been compelled to deny a charter to men who applied for same in a legal manner on account of being unable to get the consent of the local union or unions already in existence. It would seem that local unions of special branches could be chartered and our constitution so amended that their members would be confined to their particular line of work and so prevented from coming out and competing with members in other branches of our trade. Organizing. There are at present sixteen organizers in the employ of the Brotherhood; if they could be permitted to work at organizing ASK CARTER WHEN IN DOUBT We have a man at our office whose job it is to answer any and every paint question that we receive from our painter friends. That's some order and, although he has had a world of practical painting experience behind the brush and has volumes of paint wisdom at his elbow, he can very often be caught in the act of scratching his head. Have you a problem that you consider a "sticker?" Have you lost money in some cases where a little advance information would have saved the expense? Are you up-to-the-minute on new ideas in decoration? Our Paint Information Bureau is here to help you. Its services cost you All only the postage on your letter. we ask is that you state your problems as fully as possible. Address: Paint Information Bureau, Carter White Lead Company, West Pullman Station, Chicago, Ill. exclusively a great deal more could be accomplished in this department. Their services, however, are largely required to assist local unions in maintaining and bettering their conditions, especially when involved in strikes and lockouts. Each organizer is assigned to a certain district and is under the supervision of the General Officer of that district, of the General President and the General SecretaryTreasurer and is expected to carry out the instructions received from the officials named. The many requests for their services frequently make it impossible for them to stay a sufficient length of time to complete work assigned to them. In carrying on a successful organizing campaign they are compelled to visit non-union men in their homes in order to get them interested and even after they succeed in organizing a union it is necessary to visit it occasionally to advise and educate the officers and members in the true principles of trade unionism and to instruct the financial officers how to properly perform their work. In order to carry on a successful campaign of organizing it would seem to be necessary to employ more organizers than we have at present, at least during the period of reconstruction, which we may safely say will take at least four or five years. In order to do this it would be necessary to amend Section 191 of the Constitution by revising the percentages so that more money would be allotted to the Organizing Fund. During the past eight years our Brotherhood has been more successful in organizing the non-union men of our trade than during any other equal period in the experience of our organization. The most notable achievement was the organizing campaign instituted in the city of New York, during the years 1914 and 1915 when at the request of a majority of our local unions in New York City our General Executive Board held a session there to investigate conditions. We found in existence an independent organization, known as the International Alteration Painters, whose membership numbered six thousand. At the same time we were confronted with the fact that for ten years or more the wage scale of our members in that city had been at a stand-still, while material increases had been obtained in practically every other city in the country. This failure to gain any advance was largely due to the unorganized condition of our trade. The Board first visited the District Council, where we had a full and open discussion with the delegates. Other meetings were held to which all the local unions sent representatives and where the matter was fully discussed. At the same time we addressed meetings of the independent local unions with a view of bringing them into the Brotherhood. After thoroughly discussing the matter, the General Executive Board recommended the following proposition to the membership in New York City and Brooklyn: "The General Executive Board believes that the most essential thing for the good of the movement in New York is organization. We would recommend to you, for your approval, the following proposition: First: That the General Executive Board be permitted to take over the organization known as the International Alteration Painters or any other organization of painters and place their members in the different local unions already organized. Second: That the Board be given power to carry on an organization campaign from November 15, 1914, until April 15, 1915, under the supervision of a General Executive Board member. That the initiation fee during this period be $5.00. All of said initiation fee to go to the treasury of District Council No. 9, except $1.00, which must go to Headquarters through the local union that initiates the applicant. Third: That the Board be granted the privilege of organizing locals of the following named crafts if they deem it necessary: Glaziers, Sign Writers, Scenic Artists. Fourth: That the Special Agreement be done away with, as in our judgment it is a detriment to the organization in this city. Fifth : That all fines levied on members by Dis trict Council No. 9 be taken off during the organization campaign. Sixth : All questions pertaining to the organization campaign to be adjusted or settled by the member of the General Executive Board who is in charge of the organizing work. Seventh: On account of the number of protests and appeals regarding the elections of District Council 9, the Board deems it advisable for a General Officer to supervise the next election of the Council. The Board believes the present size of the District Council is ample and adequate to care for the increased membership and does not approve of any change along the line of representation and is also of the opinion that it will not be necessary to con solidate or amalgamate any of the existing locals at this time." The General Executive Board followed this up by visiting all the local unions at special meetings called for the purpose of taking action on the above resolution, with the result that the membership, by an overwhelming vote, approved of same. Our Second General Vice-President was placed in charge and four organizers were assigned to assist him with the result that we succeeded in bringing the members of the national Alteration Painters into the Brotherhood. This added over five thousand members to our organization. While visiting the district council and local unions we pointed out to them that the wage then paid was far too small and promised that after the organizing campaign was over and as soon as conditions warranted we would assist them in increasing their wages to $5.00 per day which was, at that time, the scale existing in the larger cities. We are pleased to report that in April, 1916, District Council 29, of Brooklyn and Kings County, went on strike to enforce a scale of $5.00 per day and that on May 1st, of the same year, District Council 9 of New York City followed suit. The Councils requested the services of two General Officers. The request was complied with and before the close of the month both strikes had been won and the increase of $1.00 per day obtained. From that time on the progress made by our members in the city of New York has been rapid and advances have been gained so frequently that at the present time our wage scale in that city is equal to that paid in any of the larger cities of the country. During the year 1916 we also started an organizing campaign in the city of Philadelphia which was equally successful. A determined effort was made to organize the moving picture industry, which work was largely done by non-union men; we are pleased to report that our efforts were successful, particularly on the Pacific Coast where the studios are almost one hundred per cent organized, Defense Fund. We regret that we are again compelled to call your attention to the inadequate funds for defense purposes. At this time, when so many of our local unions are either on strike or locked out, owing to the attempt of our employers to reduce wages and put into force the open shop, it is a fact, known to every delegate, that the General Office would be unable to finance a single strike in any large city. While it is true that there is a law in our Constitution requiring that an assessment of 25 per cent of their earnings shall be levied on all members working during a strike in the locality in which such strike occurs-which in our opinion is a good law and should remain in our General Constitution-it is also true that, particularly during the period of reconstruction, it is sometimes impossible for a sufficient number of members to secure employment to raise the funds needed to carry on the fight. At our last convention (held in Rochester, N. Y.), a resolution was passed almost unanimously, to levy an assessment of $2.00 per year, to be paid semi-annually in June and September, for the purpose of creating a defense fund, to be used only to assist our members on strike or locked out. This amendment, in accordance with our law, was submitted to the membership by a referendum vote and was defeated largely due to the fact, we believe, that in accordance with our constitution the amendments had to be submitted at a time of the year when many of our members are out of employment and reluctant about voting in favor of any assessment. At the same time, they frequently make requests for financial assistance as soon as they get into trouble, not knowing and probably not caring whether or not the amount in the Defense Fund sufficient to permit their requests being granted. It necessarily follows that many of our members have to suffer. In our opinion, our International Organization, with its membership of 125,000, should have a Defense Fund sufficient to make it possible to at least partially help all our members who are involved in legally authorized strikes or lockouts. We haven't any set plan to submit to you but thought it advisable to call your attention to these facts as we firmly believe that in the minds of the many delegates attending this convention some plan could be agreed upon that would relieve the situation and raise a fund sufficient to help our district councils and local unions when necessary. In our opinion, it would not be advisable to send the Defense Fund to Headquar ters; if that were done some Employers' Association would go to the courts, secure an injunction and perhaps restrain us from using it as was done in the Miners' strike. It could be set aside—as a special fund-in the treasuries of the local unions, subject to call by the General Executive Board whenever they found it necessary. We suggest that you give this matter your serious consideration sometime during this Convention. American Federation of Labor. The report of Secretary Morrison to the convention of the American Federation of Labor held in the city of Denver during the month of June this year showed that the membership for the fiscal year 1921 was composed of 110 national and international unions, 5 departments, 783 local department councils, 941 local trades and federal labor unions, 49 state federations and 36,247 local unions, and that the average membership for the fiscal year 1921 was 3,906,528. To properly show you the steady growth of our international organization we give below, by years, the voting strength of the Brotherhood since our last convention: 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 709 744 753 782 852 845 827 1031 1133 The above is reported to you in order to show the strength of the building trades international organizations, in which we are mostly interested. At the Convention held in Seattle, Wash., in 1913, in compliance with the instructions received at the Rochester Convention, we introduced the following resolution: "WHEREAS, The invention and rapid development of machinery are making it increasingly hard for the working people to find employment, as shown by the fact of the large number of unemployed existing at all times of the year; and WHEREAS, The only remedy for this condition lies in the proportionate shortening of the working day; therefore, be it Resolved, That we co-operate with other organizations with a view to introducing and putting into substantial effect the six-hour working day." The above resolution was referred to the Committee on shorter work day which later on reported that while they were in sympathy with the principles enunciated in our resolution they felt that before devoting our energy to the introduction of the six-hour work day a more general application of the eight hour work day in all trades and occupations should be effected. The committee's report was concurred in. In general, our affiliation with the American Federation of Labor has been very helpful, especially during the period of the war, when we frequently had to ask for the services of the officers and organizers of the American Federation of Labor. At the same time we offered our services and assistance to the officers of the American Federation of Labor and were at all times willing to co-operate with them in order to assist in carrying on the good work in organizing and bettering the conditions of all working men and women. Building Trades Department. The Building Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor has been in existence for thirteen years, having been organized through resolution adopted at the Convention of the American Federation of Labor in 1907. The Department is composed of national and international building trades organizations, duly chartered by the American Federation of Labor and employed in the building industry, either in erection, repair or alteration. It is authorized to charter local building trades councils in cities and towns where a sufficient number of trades make application. Shortly after the Seattle Convention in 1913, the Brotherhood of Carpenters withdrew from the Department owing to their controversy with the Sheet Metal Workers' International Organization, over the erection of sheet metal trim. They remained unaffiliated until the Convention of the American Federation of Labor held at San Francisco, California, in 1915, when the matter of their non-affiliation was brought before the Convention. The Committee on Building Trades to which this complaint was referred recommended that the Convention direct the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners to immediately reaffiliate with the Building Trades Department. The report of the Committee was adopted and the Carpenters complied by formally making application for reaffiliation. After a spirited debate, the application was accepted and the Carpenter delegates seated by a vote of twenty-four in the affirmative and nineteen in the negative. Withdrawal of D. C. 14. Shortly after our last convention, held in Rochester, N. Y., in 1913, we were notified by Secretary Spencer that D. C. 14, of Chicago, Ill., had withdrawn from the Chicago Building Trades Council. He requested that, in conformity with our laws, we use our best endeavors to get them to reaffiliate. In compliance with the request, as is customary, we notified District Council 14 to reaffiliate with the Council. D. C. 14 informed us that it had withdrawn its delegates because building trim that had been finished by non-union men was being erected by union carpenters and that the Building Trades Council had allowed members of the Amalgamated Glass Workers' International Union to take the places of the members of local union 27 (glaziers) out on strike in support of District Council 14. Our First General Vice-President was instructed to proceed to Chicago and endeavor to induce the Council to reaffiliate. The Council complied with the instructions of the General Executive Board and returned its delegates but were refused admission until it paid a fine of $2,000. Our First General Vice-President instructed D. C. 14 to pay the fine under protest, which they did. Protest against the action of the Chicago Building Trades Council in placing a fine on D. C. 14 was filed with the officers of the Department. This was followed by a resolution, introduced at the Seattle Convention of the Building Trades Department, asking that the Building Trades Council of Chicago be instructed to refund to District Council 14 the sum of $2,000 which it had been compelled to pay under protest and that no local council should be permitted to place a fine upon any affiliated organization; if they had a grievance against any trade it should be presented to the Executive Council of the Department. The resolution was referred to the Committee on Local State Organiza |