The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-07-30
THE STEEL WORK ssiiS STRIk l..
The Situation AT The West End.

is impossible to say at this time The
Leader OF Tuesday morning presented
the situation plainly as it got it from
the walking delegate, one Hickey, OF
Milwaukee, said to be Il district vice
president of the .Amalgamated Associ-
alton. In explaining to the reporter
the cause of the STRIKE, Mr.. Hickey
said:
The steel workers have worked
about as long for this company as they
usually do for day wages. They only
worked as long IL, they have to accom-
MEDIATE the company, Knowing 1t was
new and wGrkin. as All new companies
do under some difficulties. We pre-
scented the Analgainatei scale To Mr.
Mates and he refused finally II have
ANYTHING TO do with it--completely ig-
nored it, We want him now 10 sign 1t. :
viii the AmalSamated scale pay
the steel workers III ore per month than
they row draw:
No; less. But while we would draw
less for time, eventually we would
draw more and then, too, our orgdni-
Zation would he stronger.
w Inv do You wish to strengthen the
Amalgainated nov:
well, we believe there is move
menl on foot between the manufac-
turers all over the United States to
DESTROY it and we want to be prepared.
for it.
How strong is the lodge here:
Every steel worker employed by
this company with the exception OF
say eighty, is IA member. Saturday
night we will take III at least 30 more,
aud besides we have large number OF
applications which Will be acted upon
as soon rs rs the rules OF the organiZa-
ton Will permit. Many OF our mem
hers are old men. Some OF the Is DIS
charged Il short time ago 10y Mr.. Mat
ties have been members OF the -AInal5a-
mated since Its inception ana Il lew
were members Of the unions which
preceded the Arnalgamatel They
ing to place the Younger men IN 4 I50
sition where they VIII not be at the
mercy entirely of the steel companies.
Mr. Hickey then went on to say that
it was business policy to adopt the
scale. rs once adopted, 1t could not be
changed for Il year. That the men only
wanted the Amalgamated scale III the
bar mill which is precisely the same as
Ill OlIltl bdt GltllS I)tI tliftt III tllt
Besscmer and rolling departments they
were vet willing to make Il compromise
meet Nj. Mates tialf way. He then
said
Il did not like the way Mr.. Mates
treated the IS men dispensed with. |
spoke To him about them and he re
Piled: They We're discharged simply
because they were union men. We
propose to run a non union mill 1ou
can understand that now and for all
time cannot understand why he is
Sc bitter against unioniSm. The Hi
nois Steel company employs union men
and almost all other mills. The West
Duluth Iron company has signed onr
scale. and II Is III some respects IdentI-
cal with the one Mr.. Mates has refGS-
ed to sign.
How VIII these men live now, Mr..
Hickey
oh they Will be provided for by the
Amalgamated | think the Fourth
district alone will take care of them.
Some of them have money, too. There
viii be no trouble about that.
The organization of steel workers in
Superior is known as Wisconsin No >.
rs president is John Upper; vicepres-
ident j. e. ID. Caddy; secretary, j. W.
Campbell; treasurer, Geo. Spence.
We have given the above review of
the situation in Superior because it
was stated by their leader, and pub
liSned in the interest of the strikers.
Now no honest thinking man can read
the above and find III il all any legiti-
mate cause or reason or shadow OF eX-
c,lse for the strike now in force. The
quest ion IF wages WAS not at stake,
the men had been paid promptly, the
hours of work were satisfactory. All
was working tremendously and COED
fellowship prevailed down to the ad-
vent Of this man Hickey, Who first APP
peared here III April last, when the
first seeds OF discomfort We're sown, the
flame of revolt started, which lie has
constantly famed, until the great
struggle has come He can give but
one excuse for the move, namely. just
to strengthen the Anal gamated As
ISOLATION. And fer what? That they
may the better be able To repeat ut
other points the acts recently done at
Homestead. Mr. Hickey says he don't
like Mr.. Mates style Of talk or bus
ness methods. II he would stay at
home and keep his nose out of other
people, affairs he would not be thus
annoyed. Then look at the iilsolence
Of The fellow TO come all the way from
Milwaukee here 10 inform Nj. Mates
and his company that they do not I'M
.ierstand what goa! business policy is.
and tina; the Anal aaated wage scale
policy is the correct business policy,
because the hired help fixes the poll
cy' instead of the proprietor. Mr.
Hickey says he can't understand why
Mr. Mates Is 50 bitter against the
Amalgamated union. We do not see
anything 10 wonder at He has but 10.
turn his eye eastward and look at the
Homestead tragedy. Is there not here
food for reflection. WHY should Mr.
Mates wish 10 link himself and his
business associates with an association
guilty and competent for sach work as
that? Such organizations are not good
organizations TO tie TO, and Mr. Mates
hows good husineS sense and "policy"
sgs!'s.tfal'y declining.
saas A.,
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