ny large contractors have no apprentices and say they
will not bother with them. Others state that they have been unable to
get or keep good apprentices and have therefore given up the plan.

UNION ORGANIZATION

The building trades are among the most strongly organized in the city.
It is estimated that their unions at the present time include about 90
per cent of all the men engaged in building work. Practically all the
large contracting firms employ only union labor. The few non-union
workers are employed by small contractors.

Requirements for admission to the different unions vary to a marked
degree. If the union is strong and has a good control over the labor
supply, admission fees are higher and regulations as to apprentices
and helpers are more stringent than if the union is fighting to gain a
foothold.

EARNINGS

No industrial workers in the city are paid better wages than those
employed in the building trades. More than one-half of the skilled
workers are in trades that pay an hourly wage of 50 cents or over. The
hourly rate in each occupation is shown in Table 25.

TABLE 25.--UNION SCALE OF WAGES IN CENTS PER HOUR MAY 1, 1915

_70 Cents_
Bricklayers 70.00
Hoisting engineers on boom derricks, etc. 70.00
Stone masons 70.00
Structural iron workers 70.00

_From 60 to 70 Cents_
Marble setters 68.75
Inside wiremen 68.75
Plasterers 68.75
Slate and tile roofers 67.50
Parquet floor layers (carpenters) 62.50
Lathers, first class 62.50
Plumbers 62.50
Steam-fitters 62.50
Stone-cutters 62.50
Hoisting engineers, brick hoists 60.00
Elevator constructors 60.00

_From 50 to 60 Cents_
Tile layers 59.38
Lathers, second class 56.25
Carpenters 55.00
Cement workers, finishers 55.00
Sheet metal workers 50.00
Painter