42 SEVENTEENTH REPORT. 



iiuious' demands are most compreheusive. The most fundamental of 

 this <»ioup of rules are those demanding; the reeoonition of the 

 union shop. The very joint agreement presupposes the recognition 

 of the union, but article nine has removed all possible doubt about 

 either. It provides that "No member or parties to this agreement 

 will work on any building or job where laborers of any other trade 

 are permitted to do carpenter work of any kind." 



The recognition of the union is prerequisite to all other union 

 action and therefore of prime importance. Such relationship of 

 union and emploj-er enables the union oiiicials to treat with the 

 employer in framing the joint agreement and also gives the union 

 a high standing with the journeymen and the community. A union 

 which is not recognized by the employers can not olfer its memljers 

 the work of any definite group of employers. This is a great dis- 

 advantage. The employees of the United t^tates Steel Company are 

 not recognized as a union and for that reason the Amalgamated Tin, 

 Iron and Steel Workers' Union is of little imi»ortance to its mem- 

 bers. No one is proud of his membership in that union and fevr 

 will admit that they are members. On the contrary, it is a distinct 

 honor to be a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers 

 of America or of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners 

 of America. It is an honor because these unions are recognized, and 

 hold the respect of the journeymen and the community. 



Another very important group of rules are those demanding a 

 standard scale of wages, extra pay for holidays, for overtime, for 

 extra shifts, for idle time on duty, and a definite time and place for 

 payment in currency. 



The standard scale of wages, which is a minimum of O.") cents per 

 hour, is the result of a gradual increase, incorporated in the agree- 

 ments of the last twentv vears. The minimum wage of 190G-0 was 

 57V1> cents per hour. This was advanced to GO cents per hour in 

 1909 and 021/2 cents and G5 cents in 1910 and 1911 respectively. The 

 rate of 65 cents was retained in the 1912-15 agreement but there 

 is already a great deal of agitation for G7i/o cents per hour for 191 G. 



The demands for extra pay for holidays, over- time, extra shifts, 

 and idle time on duty are a part of the union's effort to discourage 

 such employment and determine what shall constitute a fair day's 

 pay, as the union hoj)es to detenuine what constitutes a fair day's 

 work, through the demands of the following type. 



The eight hour day determines the length of a fair day's work, 

 as the quite well defined tasks, the time system of payment, and the 

 elimination of speeders and rushers determines the amount of work 

 to be done during each of the eight hours of the day. Thus only a 



