Union Watching Federal Building Site

Union Watching Federal Building Site

BY BOB SCHAIRER

Business-Labor Editor

Local laborers' union officials today
continued to keep an eye on the down-
town site for a new federaUsyulcUng,
where they suspect thereTiasbeen some
nonunion pre-ra'/.ii v .isk.

The contractor . .. .nolishing exist-
ing bui!-' '•••lies union allegations.

Labos ;;! 959 reported this morn-
ing that an expected call to set up a
meeting with a contractors' representa-
tive did not come.

With no apparent activity at the site
this morning, the union did not Send out
pickets.

Union Business Manager Roy Greer in-
dicated early this morning,however,"
that if a settlement is not forthcoming
pickets could appear Monday. He said he
had 45 men ready to picket.

He also said he was awa all for
a meeting at the site. Enosi viicn, union
secretary-treasurer, reported later in the
morning there had been no call.

Peter Shontz, president of the Progress
; Wrecking Corp. of petroit, said he was
not aware of any plans for a meeting.

He also denied union charges that
nonunion, Detroit labor has already been
sent tb the site. The union wants mem-
bers of its local to be employed there. •
Involved in the dissatisfaction is sal-
ine work which has taken place. Shontz
..id-yesterday this was being done by an
employe on an indivi?
planation was unchan;; i ,
Mid-American Wrecking Co. of Ann
-rbor has had equipment at the scene,

Ing Federal Building Site

-SiL.iSi. .SS.

however, and Epos Greer reported short-^
ly before noonthat an understanding had
been reached with that firm to employ
two of the local's members.

He added, however, that a settlement
with Progress Wrecking has not been
reached.

Shontz said that when; his firm gets
razing work under way, laborers from
Local 959 will be hired, - - \ '

Shontz indicated, however, the number
hired would not be great. He said most
r^- will hp afr-ornpHs

chi'n. „, ich will be operated by the
firm's own operat ing engineers.

Of the whole labor issue, Shontz com-
mented tha^ "it's) no big deal."

The firm expec'ts to get razing work
under way somel.ime next week. It is
scheduled to continue for about six
weeks.

The site consists of a major portion of
the block bounded by E. Liberty St., S.
Fourth Ave. and S. Fifth Ave.

General contractor l Barton-

Malow Co. of Oak Park, which received a
$3,8te2.035 contract from the U.S. General :

Services Administration l

Progress wrecking is a subcontractor
of.Barton-Malow. •*,

Asked if Barton-Malow plan ake-
a hand in the labor issue, company vice ;

president Ben Maibach said the question
marked the first time' he had heard
about it. He also said he felt if the situa-
tion was considered serious, he would
have heard about it through the project
supervisor.