Plasterers Form New Union to Protect Wages
Local contractors meet at the Smith Block to fight against the practice of 'cutting prices and working for nothing.'
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The plastering contractors of this city held a meeting last evening in the Smith block, corner Second and James streets, and organized a union. Twenty-three persons were present and the following officers elected: President, John Dines; secretary, E. C. McDougal; treasurer, James Rickard. The object is to better the present condition of the plasterers, who are now 'cutting prices and working for nothing,' as one of those present expressed it. Another meeting will be held next Tuesday evening.
“The object is to better the present condition of the plasterers, who are now 'cutting prices and working for nothing.'”
This meeting of plasterers in 1893 mirrors the modern-day struggle for fair wages and organized labor in construction. The specific complaint of 'cutting prices' underscores the perpetual tension between competitive bidding and worker compensation.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.