Weeks

The plaintiffs in this action were all employees of the defendant. Claiming that each of them severally suffered damages arising out of the same occurrence, or series of occurrences, alleged to have been brought about through a breach of duty on the part of the defendant, they joined in this one action their several claims, and each of them recovered judgment against the defendant. Defendant appeals. 1

Each of the plaintiffs was a plumber and all were employed by the defendant to work upon a construction job at a military base at a place called King Salmon, some eight miles from Naknek, Alaska. The prime contractor under the Government contract was Gaasland Construction Company. The defendant was subcontractor doing the plumbing and heating portion of the construction work. The contract of employment provided that these employees would be furnished housing or living facilities including board and meals while they were employed on this job. 8 At the job location, the only available transient accommodations were at a motel which was inadequate to provide for the number of men employed on this job, and hence the plaintiffs were housed in barracks established in a Quonset hut near…