Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-08
THE COKE REGIONS STRIKE.
Serious Situation That May be satisfac-
torily Settled by Conference and Conces-
siohs-A Labor Organs Views.

Serious Situation That May be Satisfac.
torily Settled by Conference and Conces-
siOhs-A Labor Organs Views.
The National Labor Tribune, in its next
issue, will contain the following editorial
review of the coke regions strike: ,-,'
1t was on February of this year that we
published an editorial in which the follow
ing occurred:
When it became apparent that the Frick
Company lead in a scale was not to be followed
by the balance Of the district. there could be no
other conclusion than that the Frick rates
would come down to the lower level or the
other operators would have to bring their rates
up to the higher level of the Frick schedule
There never was a considerable difference in
wages in the same district, under similar con-
dltons as to terms of labor, that either the low
or rate was compelled to meet the higher, or the
higher was bro ght down to the lower The
surprise in the Connellsville instance has been
IN the long delay TO a movement in the one or
the other direction.
lt was year or more ago that this paper
gave lts adVlce on the subject, namely, that the
Flick scale set the rate for the entire region:
th1t IL was voluntarily given by the company
and that the other operators should be com
PEELED to pay the same figure. 1t was
NOT FAIR TO THE COMPANY
that awarded without contest better schedule
schedule Nor was this fair to the workmen.
1t was not fair to those who we're paid the lower
rate, for they were entitled to more; it was not
fair to the Frick workmen for a lower rate
elsewhere constantly threatened their wages.
The fact is that the Frick Company in adopt-
ing the scale that it did gave the workmen
about what could have been secured for the
whole region had that unfortunate difficulty
anent the "umpire's award" not occurred
Ihls company was fair and gave what was re-
garded by the management, and by the large
scale of wages. The Others were
not so fair and did not act
SO honorably and justly. 1t was then the duty
OF the Workmen TO have insisted and il was our
plain advice, that the Frick scale be reparded
as the accepted price and that the district be
prought up to 1t without delay. There has
been long season of constantly increasing onf-
put and demand for coke beyond the canacitv
OF transportation. That was the time the Frick
scale could have been made the uniform dis
trlct rate, yet little or nothing was done toward
that end; and now we find that the disposition
TO demand uniform scale has developed at
last but 1t comes when furnace yards are
stocked and the metal Industries are NOT va1
pulled together sufficiently 20 know what To
do. There should be a uniform
scale on basis rates. The workmen are right
IN Deglnnlng an enort toward this; they would
have been nearer right had they begun when
we wanted them TO, namely when the Frick
scale was made and the other operators refused
TO make similar scale.
THE FEBRUARY AGREEMENT.
1t was only few days after the appear
ance of the foregoing that an agreement
was made between the Frick Company and
a committee of seven OF their employees.
which was agreed to at an open meeting on
February 2, 1889, and duly signed and
sealed on the following day. The points of
are as follows:
/. When the market price Of ConneIlsville
furnace coke is one dollar and thirty-five cents
(Sl 35) per ton of 200O pounds f. o. b. railroad |
cars at ovens). the following scale of wages and
prices for contract work shall be paid by said |