Arson attack on new Pennsylvania Meeting house
An arson attack on Chestnut Hill Meeting house has been blamed on local trade unionists
A Quaker Meeting in Pennsylvania has sparked controversy after choosing to use non-union labour to build a new Meeting house. An arson attack on Chestnut Hill Meeting house on 20 December has been blamed on local trade unionists, although the accusation has been denied.
The building, Philadelphia’s first new Quaker Meeting house in eighty years, is intended to illustrate Quaker values through the use of environmental methods. Local Friends, however, were accused of not living up to their values after choosing for the work to be carried out by a firm that pays workers less than union rates.
According to local reports, the arsonists caused $500,000 (£311,000) worth of damage. The police said that the fire had ‘almost certainly’ been started by union activists.
Rob Reeves, who manages the building firm carrying out the work, alleged that union ‘bullies’ had behaved threateningly at the site shortly before the arson attack. Ed Sweeney, of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, denied the claim. He said he had attended the site to politely ask managers to hire unionised workers.
‘I am sad that these people are that angry,’ said Storm Evans, a member of Chestnut Hill Meeting, who said that the cost would be covered by insurance. She added, ‘We hope whoever did it is OK.’
The building is to feature a ‘skyspace’ designed by the artist James Turrell. It will allow people to ‘sit and look into that hole at dawn or at dusk and get a sense of light changing’.
You need to login to read subscriber-only content and/or comment on articles.