Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-09
TACKLING THE EAST.
Iron Workers Will Present Their
Scale For the First Time.
ROUGHERs AND CATCHERs' WAGES.
Journeymen Timers Ratify the Terms Of
the Settlement,
UNPRECEDENTED MONTH OF STRIKES

The growth Of the Amalgamated Associa-
tion OF Iron and Steel Workers has been
marvellous during the last year. As stated
In The DISPATCH a few days ago, the
average Increase in membership has been %
per cent. The greatest growth has occurred
In the East, where John Gallagher, the
Special Organizer, has done effective work.
During the past year he has organized 30
lodges, as against 20 the previous year.
This year the workers are in shape to force
their demands in the East, and the scale
will be presented to the manufacturers for
the first time.
In many of the Eastern mills, where the
association has no representation, the men
are not paid more than IS 30 to "a for pud-
ding. It was to overcome this state Of at
fairs that special organizer was engaged
for that district. Now that the old scale for
boiling has been reafirmed, the only chance
for strike this summer is q refusal of the
Eastern manufacturers to sign the scale.
The discussion of the scale will proceed at
this mornings session. Its consideration is
being carried ON in a careful and deliberate
manner, and its discussion commands the
closest attention from the members.
a VERY CLOSE VOTE.
The vote on the boiling scale Friday was
very close, the motion to adopt S6 as the
price for pudding being lost by less than 30
votes out of q total of 26O delegates, showing
that there was a significant disposition
among the delegates to advance the price.
And it now transpires that many voted
against the $6 who were really in favor of
the motion, but who were afraid the manu-
facturers would not sign the scale and there
would be strike. IF they could have pre-
vented the fact that there was division in
the association over the matter, and made
the manufacturers believe the $6 rate had
been adopted unanimously, the measure
would have been passed. But the manu-
facturers knew that about half of the dele
gates were opposed to advancing the scale,
and had S6 been asked they would have
been in position to refuse their signatures.
The programme for to-day is the compile
tion of the boiling scale, which will consume
the forenoon session. It is expected that the
muck and the scrapping and busheling
scales will be disposed of this afternoon.
ANOTHER TUssLE COMING.
An effort will be made to reach the rough
ers' and catchers' scale this week. This will
be equally as interesting fight as the one
over the boiling scale, except that the dele
gates will be divided on question that at
fects their own individual pockets and not
those Of the manufacturers. The following
is the present agreement in force between
the heaters and the roughers and catchers:
It is understood that roughers and catchers
on sheet and jobbing mills shall each be paid
as follows based on q two (2) cent Western
Iron Associations card, with (2) per cent addi-
tional for each one-tenth Q-10) advance Of said
card, and two ~ per cent decline for each de.
duction of one.tenth Q-l0) from said card. but
it shall not 90 below a two (2) cent card.
On large sheet and jobblng mills the wages
for roughing and catching shall be 81 go per
turn each. Of seven C7) heats. and when eight
[s) heats are made the rougher or catcher shall
each be paid s. per turn. But the price for
roughing and catching on small sheet mills
shall be the regular 81 % each per day of seven
(7) heats.
The roughers and catchers will ask for a
10 per cent advance. and this question is to
be decided by che convention. As the
roughers and catchers are largely in the mi-
nority the chances are they will be defeated,
unless they have developed sympathy In
the ranks of the puddlers and rollers.