New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-04
THE CONFLICT OF LABOR.
THE PROSPECT AT PTTTSBURG
TALK WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE WESTERN
IRON ASSOCIATION
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRTBuN


| PTrsBURG. June 3.-There are no signatures
10 the iron workers scale to-day. and apparent
signs Of yielding on the part of the manufacturers
! The picnic of the Amalgamated Association mt
Beaver was attended by unusually large numbers.
DELEGATIONS present from this city. wheeling,
WA. Youngstown, Ohio: Niles Ohio; Steubenville.
| Ohio; Newcastle, Penn; GrecDvillc, Penn. and
Sharon, Penn. During the day fully 25,000 people
were on the grounds. The affair passed Oft pleas
autly and without any serious accidents.
Secretary Joseph ID. Weeks, Of the Western Iron
Association, who present at all the recent CON
ferences and meetings Of the manufacturers, and
who has exceptional facilities for observation
was asked to-day what he thought of
the situation and the prospects of the future. He
said Il think that one. possible two
more firms in this city may sign the
| scale and then the AmalPamated Associa
tion people will have TO wait n long
time for more. There has not been
single signature in the city yet chat not antci-
pated three days before June L." He was told
that several firms in the West had
signed conditionay, spulatng that if
the Pittsburg worllmen should not succeed the old
rates to rule, and was asked if that did not
seem to indicate that the AmaiGamated Asso
citation was trying to narrow the fight
down to the Pittsburg district and TO compel the
by the force of outside competition.
He replied: THAT is the policy of the
manufacturers ana not Of the Anal
gamatcd Association. Manufacturers want
the firms outside of the city to go
TO work. 1t is for their interests that they
should do so. In one of the conferences
with the manufacturers. President Jarrett stated in
the midst of the discussion that at the last the
convention of the Amalgamated Asso-
citation at Cleveland i'll August, 1881,
IT was decided that the new scale must be signed
at Pittsburg by May l. one month earlier than the
usual time in order that the Western dis
trics might have time to follow, and If
it should not be signed by June |, every union
mill in the West should be smut down nnill II
was agreed to- no matter whether they had signed
the scale or not. That was the policy
adopted by the Amalgamated people and they
maion llnfg "'T1is milIs i' IN the West are work
ing to-day without having signed the scale
than all those which have signed. t50r
instance there is the Scottdale Iron MILL
of Everson, Macrum IL Co., the Ohio Iron Company
at Cleveland and the TWO mills al Portsmouth, ONO,
The Norton Iron and Nail Works at Ashland, Ky is
reported that they had signed, put
have privaSs, telegram stating Ts,,vdlth that
Porter Co., in this city, where the scale has never
been presented. s
turers @'' want Mt to ''' sec it shows that the
Amalgamated Association l., not strong enough to
carry out its own rules, and now that
| If the Amalgamated Association turns around and
claims that it is their policy. Up to the present
time there are only hv0 IRON miiIs tnat M
Brothers d. Co., OF the Union Iron Mills of
Pittsburg; Whittakers Sheet Iron Works at
| Wheeling the Ward Iron Company, at Niles, ONO.
and the two branches of the Union mil at CleVeIanh,
with possibly other at New-Albany. 40
not count the steel mills because the g. sca;e e,
one instance at least the workmen demanded that
1t should be signed merely for the moral effect they
Mr. Weeks further stated that he had never seen
| the manufacturers more thoroughly III earnest and
| III better shape for a long strike.
ATTITUDE OF WORKINGMEN IN THIS CITY
STRIKES THAT HAVE BEEN sUCCEssFUL-wHY
OTHERS HAVE FAILED-THE BonERMAKERs
! SUCCESSFUL
The strikes of workingmen in this city this
have presented unusual phase of the troubles
~ laboring men, Numerous unimpOrtant labor move
ments have started, while unhercarren OF ag-
tation has such proportions that serious trouble
between employers and their men l. preucted III the
near future. Most Of the strikes for higher wages
have resulted in temporary advantage TO
tbc men, but in number 0f eases the strikes have been
the means OF forming combinations of the bosses
which Will doubtless prove a strong obstacle TO the
workingmen. Within the last two years the employers
of Labor have found that protect their own interests
mon purpose. in the same way as
the men organize Themselves into trades
unions An Illustration Of this ia the Brewers Assocla-
ton which formed ast summer TO defeat the plans
of society OF Socialists aud beersellers vino attempted
To force unconditional concession from the brewers
after they had practically acccdcd to the demands OF
their men, The result that the brewery mems union
has become extinct and the Brewers Association has
become so formidable an organization that the men have
not attempted to start another movement for higher
wages.
Among the trades which made successful strikes
this season are the bricklayers, paserers. masons
carpenter4 painters, frescopainers coach-painters,
stonecuttcrs horseshocrs cigarnakers and
shoemakers With the exception Of the
bricklayers, these strikes were successful on
account Of the reasonable demands Of the men
The brckaycrs forced concessions from their
cmpovers after they had agreed az
body to work for S3 80 day. Their action
has created considerable uneasness among the more in
tcgent members OF the trades unions who DeleVe that
such policy VIII soon re1nIt , III pei Por'utll, n mo
rally. The plumbers strike wac failure because the
union made eXOrbitant demand Tor al members OF
the trade wnout regard ndiI idul capacities of
the men a man who was worm ohIy - huhy 10
his employer was forced upon the " bosses al the same
wages az a who was able 10 earn ~ day The
master plumbers used their association. Wnich was
society 10 such advantage that IL crushed the jour
neyIners strike.
In the case Of the other strikes thereareno exceptions
10 the rule thai when the men were properly
organized and made reasonable demands they
were successful but when there was
lack Of unanimty IN purpose or eXurbant de
mnnd. were pressed discontinue and failure were the
results. The attenpf Of Tie employees OF the elevated
road higher rates Of wages anf other CONCESSIONS
the companies wat an utter failure on account Ol
bad management aud the weakness ot the men.
The eors Of the mar0ecuters aud poShers to better
their condition only partly successful on account OF
the low social condition Of the men and their
inability TO conduct strike properly. lhc success Oi
tbe strike the hOdcqrrers and other aborers was
chiefly owing the fact that they formed the compile
ment OF mskcd labor which naturally ioilO Wed
tbe bricklayrrs and ma.Ons. The failurc OF
several strikes Of composOr doubtless on account
OF the comparatively few men VINO laiuclpdtcu III
them. - -.
have learned is that no strlke II hkef |