Untermyer’s Wage Plan Sparks Fury Among New York City Builders

In the midst of a scorching winter, tensions ran high in New York City’s construction industry. Samuel Untermyer, a leading counsel, had proposed a wage plan that would change the dynamics of the business. However, his suggestions were met with fierce resistance from the building unions, comprising 33,000 employees. In a letter, the unions rejected Untermyer’s proposal, citing a significant drop in employment since the wage hike. The unions claimed that the wage increase had led to a peak in employment rates, but now the industry was experiencing a downward trend. Untermyer’s offer to reconsider the wage plan fell on deaf ears.