Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-07

union men and native workmen. The hrm sent
Albert st. Peter, who is q member Of L. A. 800 70 ~
factories for the purpose Of engaging worSmen io[
the firm. II. Peter secured about ten, and some OF
them were filling places at the time they were en-
gagged, and 1t would have required men to I'LL their
places when they came to the tank to work a.. .ha
circular was sent to every preceptory IN tne
organization asking them to report as soon as
possible the number of idle workmen In their pre-
ceptory, A large number Of them never answered.
the circular from the fact that they were appeal
Ing to the Office for workmen to NIL places ~ tnen
own works"
SOME FACTS OF RECORD.
few ofthe answers received are inserted; but
as they are ALI about the same It is unnecessary to
reproduce them. The preceptors at nine facto'
ries state that they have no men to spare some
Of them have not enough men. All OF the ap-
grentices were put to work under nt,nnss r9ng W ss
tSThe Council and Assembly sent me out to look
for idle workmen. Visited some 1 furnaces ano
found them all short Of workmen. Every place
was short Of workmen. The firm secured enough
Hatteners and cutters, members OF l. a. ~ snd nd
If was impossible 10 secure enough blowers anu
gatherers from the fact that there was not enough
idle, and not enough workmen to keep tne pAcesS 81
running as they should, which every preceptor VI
the organization can testify to.''
Anusion is then made to the impossioility OF
either Messrs. Chambers or Mchee Itia te
workmen from their Pittsburg flint factories 70
their window glass tank factory at Jeannette, OF
even of the few pot factory WINDOW men men, one eee oa
members of L. A. 800 opposed the tank factory on
principle they were LEFT no alternative out 20 let
Chambers Mckee take union men rom SDroau
under their sanction, as applied for or else get
other vorkmen as best they might. Then Presi-
dent Campbell jumps right at his opponents WIN
the following sledge-hammer oiows' In concur
I'll was held, too, that the organization would
not be able to establish violation OF the contract
eiSn workmen. from the fact that the union had
been appealed to, and were unable to furnish
workmen TO fill the places. Inc suggesyI1n mas
Federation. The members OF the Federatlon
were knights of Labor. In the wears that the
Federation had been in operation 1t had prevented
hundreds of foreign workmen coming to this
country. In fact only since the Federation mas
existed has there been not one single ~ g Sa
policy of the Federation to keep their members at
home except upon call for men mace necessary
by the conditions of trade Here was the first time
that l. A. 800 was under the necessity of drawing
on their union brethren In Europe: The world
knows that enough men came from Europe 10 MI
the vacant places.
JUST WHY THEY CAME.
'.These foreign workmen came to this country
because there was room for them to work here.
They are not under any contract with Chambers
Mckee, L. A. 300, or anyone else, that know Of
The men are free to leave the employ of Chambers
& Mckee at any time they please. They DID not
displace anyone by going to work on the tank.
They are receiving full union wages, obeytng all
think, that the organization is holding back ap..
prentices from filing the places. If there had
been apprentices to fill the places, they
would have been given the prefer
ences AS it requires several years. prac-
tice before blower or gathering appren-
tice is able TO fill the place, the cut down In the
percentage of apprentices in lSS5-'8 IS what
causes the pinch now. There was no other way
out of the dilemma for the interests Of l.. A. SOO
The officers and members did what seemed best
for every one concerned, and If there has been
violation of the law ii was not intended SO. the
Universal Federation of Window Glass Workers
was organized in good faith. and l.. A. 800 VIII
stand by the organization unless the laws Of the
United States prevent her from doing so. The
fact that several factories burned down was
matter the organization had no control over.
Otherwise the factories would not have burned.
eff the Trades Councils Executive Committee
had come to the Office when they were first invited
TO do So nothing would have been held from them.
Everything I'm connection with the men coming
would have been explained in full to the commit
tee The men who have been making the charges
against the organization and officers have done
everything they could TO prejudice the minds OF
the people against the officers of L. A. 300, and the
only way to test whether the law has been violated,
is 70 prosecute the officers of l.. A. 800 and have
legally constituted court decide whether there has
been any violation of the contract labor law. The
organization is satisfied to have the case tested In
that way. JAMES OAMPBELLs
President L. A. 300, X. Of l., Window Glass
= Workers.