Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-30
REFUSE TO CONFER.
The Iron Workers Proposal Rejected
by the Manufacturers.
LETTER FROM SECRETARY WEEKS.
President Campbell Says He is Willing to
be Investigated.
MINERS OBJECT TO PLUCKME STORES

There will be no conference this year be.
tween the iron manufacturers and the work
ers on the annual wage scale. This will be
the first time in the history of the Amalga-
mated Association of Iron and Steel Work
ers which was organized in 1874, that con-
ference has been refused by the manufact-
urers. In past years the Manufacturers
Association handled all such questions, and
appointed committees to meet the workers.
A. F. Heating was president and Joseph
D. Weeks was secretary of the organization.
This association, however, went to pieces
last year, and when President Weihe, Of
the Amalgamated Association, addressed a
formal note to Secretary Weeks announcing
that they were about to draw up scale of
wages for the coming year and would appoint a
committee to confer with like committee OF
manufacturers. he received reply from Score
tary Weeks. In it Mr.. Weeks stated that there
was no association of manufacturers and no
committee could be appointed. There will.
therefore, be no conference with the iron mas
tiers this year and the lodges in each mill will
present the scale that will be drawn up this
week and revised by the convention next week
to the different firms. The scale
WILL BE UNIFORM,
and If any firm objects to clause in the scale,
and it is modified, all other firms will have the
same advantage.
Secretary Martin has issued the following to
the members of the association:
In reply to the request of President weihe to
the manufacturers, through Mr.. Joseph u. Weeks,
to name a day when they could meet a conference
committee of the Amalgamated Association, Mr..
Weeks replied that there was no way by which
they can get together committee to represent the
association of manufacturers Of iron, steel and
nails: as it is not now in existence. There is
nothing now left for the Amalgamated Associa-
tion to do but formulate ITS scale and present
u to each hrm through the proper committees.
Now let every member of the Amalgamated Asso-
ciation keep his own counsel. DO all your busi-
ness with your firm through the proper commit
tee, and in no other way, and await results.
President Weihe has selected the following
named persons as the Wage COMMITTEES:
William Weihe, Presidents: William Martin,
Secretary: James Penney, Treasurer: Dennis
Grundy, Vice President. Third district; James f.
Cooper, Vice President. Fourth district; William
Garland, Southsde Lodge No. u, Plttsburg; John
Pierce, MonOngahela Valley Lodge, No. So, Pitts
GreeenviIe, Ps.: s. 6. KeaIon, nem h Ever Faithful
Lodge, No. 81, Pfttsburg; William Nichols, Allie
S9e9y Ihodgs HS 4 AdeEASeny Pa flames H.
o.; 6. :. Becker, G.. J. Becker Lodge, No. Is,
Lodge, No. e, BRIDGEPORT S O s. ~ A@AO'
This committee will meet at the Amalga-
mated Association headquarters tomorrow
morning, and consider the scale suggestions
made up by the different lodges in tine organi-
days, but the committee expects to have the
scale ready for presentation to the delegates at
the convention when it meets next Tuesday.
The convention may make some rev1sions. and
the scale will then be printed and presented
to each firm by the Mill Committee.
Last year, it will be remembered, the confer
is proposed now followed. Oliver Brothers
Phillips was the first firm to drop into line and
sign the scale for their several large plants.
OTHERS FOLLOWED SUIT,
Carnegie followed. and then signed scale
from the junction Iron and Steel Company was
received. Many within week after the con-
ference adjourned signed scales. Then they
began to come in very rapidly at headquarters
until the middle of July, when Jones & Laugh
lins, the largest iron firm affected. attached
their signature to the agreement This settled
the trouble. and all the others signed.
The members of the ASSOCIATION do not an,
dcipate any trouble this year, Notwithstanding
the fact that the manufacturers Will not confer
with them. None of them will venture pre-
dlction as to what demand they will make, but
all agree that it can be safely stated that the
present scale, with some slight notifications,
will be presented. ~ -.''-.
The only hitch will be with the steel scale, as.
it is stated. Carnegie, Phipps & Co. propose to
make fight on it. This trouble may be salts
factorily settled. If war is declared it is
claimed that the workers can stand siege of
eight weeks very comfortably. as the funds in
the treasury are larger than usual
The Labor Tribune, in commenting on the
wage question, editorially says:
There seems to be considerable trouble in the
newspapers about the arrangement of the figures
of the coming scale year, and II may be that this
may extend into the iron and steel industries he
hardly within the probsbiities that there wil Il be
difficulties equal to those that have been in some
years in the past. The situation has its main pe-
culiarity in that trade has been so very good in
England that wages have been advanced ma
terially. while in America this has not been the
case. As might be expected of business men, the
mill owners take the opportunity presented by
these conditions to endeavor to make few points
on wages and on the terms of labor. There is
nothing surprising in this; 1t would be surprising
proved.