Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-06
WILL STAND TO A MAN.
Homestead Amalgamated Men Are
ALI in Line for the Crisis.
YESTERDAYS MEETING A SUCCESS.
The Wage Matter Placed in the Hands of
the Convention.
IT WILL ENTER INTO ARBITRATION

IISSlOtul " tluc Sdll W thC AiohSSsSeN
Amalgamated men brought an immense
crowd of steel workers together in the
towns Opera House yesterday morning.
The meeting was to discuss the situation
and this was done. As an outcome OF the
meeting employees of the big steel
works are now ready to stand as one man
when the crisis comes.
President Weihe, Assistant President
Garland, Vice President Carney and a num-
Der of other well-known Amalgamated
officials were present President Weihe
opened the meeting with the followin G
remarks:
The manufacturers all over the country
take advantage of dull season to ask for a
reduction in wages. This is the case at
present although the steel and iron trade is
not in such a demoraIized condition as the
manu- acturels would have us believe. In
the past few months trade has increased in
volume, which is encouraging, even If prices
still remain low, and at the present time
iron and steel is supplanting timber in so
many different ways that it cannot but be
good business for years to come. Notwith-
standing that capitalists make an enormous
percentage on their investment, many times
as great is possible in European countries,
their constant aim is to reduce the wages of
American worllmen to a level with the for
eigner. This statement may not be believed
by those who have not been in the confer
ence-room when the wage question was
under discussion, but all you who have been
members OF conference committees know
such to be the truth.
Tho Workman Wants a Share.
Why should not the American workman
receive his share of the large difference in
the manufacturers profits under the Ameri-
can and European systems. The foremost
principle OF the Amalgamated Association
is "a fair day wage for fair days work"
We do not want to ask anything unreasona-
BILE, We only want what justly belongs to US.
You must remember that there is no strike
here vet and may not be; the convention
will act on the matter this week, and after
that / sincerely hope the Conference Com
lnittte may be able to adjust matters salts
1actorily.
Vice President Carney also made remarks
along the same line. A resolution was
then unanimously passed by the Homestead
men expressing explicit confidence in the
National convention and pledging their
support to the action of that body. Their
will be another demonstration next Satur-
day at the association picnic at Rock Point
All over Homestead Yesterday the one
topic of discussion was the scale for the
coming year. This is not to be wondered
At since the 5000 or 10000 people of that
town are directly or indirectly dependent
on the big steel works. Groups of men on
the corner, men at their homes and even
The women talked this wage problem over. |
A Stubborn Fight Anticipated.
As DISPATCH man was coming down |
one of the principal thoroughtares he over |
heard man say to his companions: Gar |
negies have made us submit to their will in |
Va hor ha1 fbar /
many tight places, allowed them to dictate
for whom our votes would be cast, but |
when a reduction so enormous as is now
being asked is demanded we Will rebel 1 |
think Homestead will see the hottest fight |
ever waged between capital and labor be- |
fore the matter is settled"
A man who no longer works in the big |
mills, but who spent number of years |
there engaged in conversation with DIS
PATCH man yesterday and said:
still take an active interest in the Anal
gamated Association. 1 have watched this |
trouble grow and finally burst forth. To my |
mind it points to but one thing, and that is |
to try and overthrow the Amalgamated As |
sociation at Homestead. The fence around |
the works is about completed. 1t now looks |
TO be as strong a barrier the famous Chi |
nese wall, but hear that it is not yet COM |
pleted. On top of the barricade three strands |
of barb wire are to be run. Expense might |
have been saved in this direction for do |
not think the men, if they do strike. would |
resort to bold warfare. IL is safe to assume,
however, that the man who tries to work |
during the strike will have a hard row to |
hoe if he is found outside of the fortress. |
The reduction seems to fall especially |
hard on the men in the armor plate mills. i
This Is the hardest work in the mills and |
the slowest because armor plate is rolled |
slower than other steels.
Large Increase Refused.
Some time ago the men in this Depart
ment asked for n 200 per cent increase. but |
the company refused. The reason it gave |
was the selling price of armor plate was too |
low to warrant an increase. We, ali knew |
different. III the men could have gotten |
this 200 per cent they could have made |
fair wages They would not have |
been excessive AS it is now, the |
men in this department have to work very |
hard to make wages. but with a 40 per cent |
reduction they would not make a living. I /
think the fact that the hardest blows were |
directed toward a department, where so
much importance is attached, is evidence |
that the company wants to drive the union
to the wall.
The 3s-inch mill and several other depart
ments are not included in the ones which |
ments new machinery and changes are to
be put in working order during the next
few months, and Just now a scale to suit
could not be made. The men working there
have not the least idea of what they will be
asked to work for. This is not employing
their thoughts, however, as they will stand |
by the other fellows in the mill.
The Amalgamated Convention knows |
what it has to do. If it allows the scale pre-
sented by the company to go into effect the
Amalgamated Association is doomed Every |
member in Homestead would break away
and with our membership gone the Associa-
tion would not be so firm as it now is. think
the convention will do the right thing. 1t
will certainly try to arbitrate. If ar5itra- |
tfon fails then the strike is the last resort |
j think the men are well prepared for that
The mill is well organized The majority of |
the laborers are on our side and the train
men are all organized and ready to help the /
Amalgamated win.