Los Angeles Lumber Strike Ended bv Ne* Agreement

The five-week lumber yard strike at the uptown retail yards in Los Angeles ended the night of July 26 when the Lumber & Sawmill Workers' IJnio,n accepted a new agreement rvith the employers by a vote of 4 to l, and returned to work on the following day. About 18OO men had been out on strike since June 21, tieing vp 28 of the major yards in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

The new agreement tendered by the employers in the form of a contract which will run until June 6, 194O provides a 4 per cent increase in wages and a 44-hour week until October 24,1939, when an additional 1 per cent wage increase will be made and a 40-hour week, Monday through Friday, with time and a half for overtime will become effective.

The agreement provides there shall be no question of the right of employer to use his own judgement in hiring and discharging workers. Precede,nce is to be given to former regular employees with stipulations of mutual regard for

How Lumber Looks

(Continued from Page 4) the employees' rights to membership in unions and the employers' right to retain whatever workers they deem fit providing they were employed prior to June 21, 1939.

April. St. Louis: Dollar value of permits for May, five largest cities of districts, 18.4 per cent less than April; 7.8 per cent above May, 1938. Kansas City: May residential building up 2l per cent from last year; nonresidential, down 36 per cent; public works down 69 per cent_; utility construction, down 30 per cent. Los Angeles (Source: Security-First National Bank): Building permits index (1930 monthly average:10O), Southern California, for June, 116.0; May, 131.5; April, 128.0.

During the week ended July 8, 1939, 522 mills produced 154,156,000 feet of softwoods and hardwoods combined; shipped 169,104,000 feet; booked orders of 205,660,00O feet, according to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. Revised figures for the preceding week were mills, 509; production 225,933,000 feet; shipments 239,005,00O feet; orders 241.948.000 feet.

'Workers at the yarcls in 11ts T,os Angeles Harbor district had previously accepted a compromise agreement with employers.

An i,ndependent association, embracing about 75 yards outside the Los Angeles metropolitan district, was formed Tuesday evening, July 18. The meeting was called at the instance of the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association and Southern California Contractors' Association. The new group voted in favor of an open shop policy in the operation of the yards. Another meeting was held, Tuesday night, laly 25, and in line with their determination to maintain open shop conditions in the retail lumber industry, they approved the attitude of the 28 uptown retail lumber yard operators.

Lumber orders reported for the week ended July 8, 1939, by 433 softwood mills totaled I94,447,W feet; or 31 per cent above the production of the same mills. Shipments as reported for the same week were 159,580,000 feet, or 8 per cent above production. Production was 148,362,000 feet. Reports from 105 hardwood mills gave new business as 11,213,000 feet, or 94 per cent above production. Shipments as reported for the same week were 9,524,O0O feet, or 64 per cent above production. Production was 5,794,000 feet.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended July 15, 113 mills reporting, gave production as 83,790,00O feet; shipments 73,231,nO feet; and orders 79,728,W feet. Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 210,816,000 feet.

The Southern Pine Association for the week ended July 15,I22 mills reporting, gave production as 31,571,000 feet; shipments 33,&4,W feet; and orders 30,408,000 feet' Orders on hand at the end of the week totaled 71,4O2,ffiO feet.