Walkout Ends At Mercywood

Walkout Ends At Mercywood

Laborers Had Protested Use Of Non-Local Men 

Work on the Mercywood Hospital addition resumed for most building trades today following a walkout yesterday of some 18 laborers in protest over alleged use of non-local laborers by a Detroit plastering subcontractor.

The protesting laborers are members of Ann Arbor’s International Hod Carriers, Building and Common Laborers of America Local 959 (AFL).

About 100 workmen were affected by the walkout. All except the plasterers and plasterer laborers returned to work this morning.

Charles L. Clickner, the local’s business agent and secretary, said his laborers walked off the job yesterday morning because, he charged, officials of the DeCample Plastering Co. firm declined to comply with a union request to use laborer members of Local 959.

Clickner charged that the firm brought in laborers from Detroit while some members of Local 959, were idle.

“There is an unwritten law among the building trades which gives local men job preference over outsiders," Clickner said.

Clickner said that Nicholas DeCample, owner of the firm, refused to talk the matter over either with the union or officials of the Star Construction Co., the general contractor.

Nicholas DeCample, owner of the firm, said today he expected to meet with the union in an attempt to effect a settlement.