Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-06
THREATEN TO STRIKE.
Carnegie's Homestead Steel Workers
May Go Out This Week.
FOURTEEN MEN WERE DISCHARGED
One of the Shear Crews Refused to Work
on New Years Day.
NOTES FROM THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD

A general strike is threatened in Carne-
gie's Homestead Steel Works, which, if it
is declared, will seriously delay the Gov
ernment contracts for armor plate. The
trouble is over the discharge of a shear crew
of fourteen men. The men were on the
point of striking Monday. They had an
all-night meeting and yesterday decided to
send committees to General Manager Pot
ter at 10 o'clock this morning They will
make formal demand to have the old shear
crew returned. Failing in this they will
call joint meeting of all the lodges and
place the matter in the hands of the Ma
tional Lodge.
This is how the trouble started. On New
Years day, when the No. 3 roll and shear
crew went on duty at 8 P. NJ, they learned
that the management had concluded to shut
the mill down until the following Monday
for repairs, and the roll crew was sent
home but the shear crew was ordered to
remain and shear quantity of nickel-steel
plate that was part of a Government order,
and to be used for a protective deck for
one of the new cruisers
Refused to Work on New Years Day.
The material had not been rolled in the
119-inch plate mill and the shear crew could
not see its way clear to cut the plate as
ordered by the manager, although they had
cut it on former occasions, but it being New
Years day they were seized with new resolves
and they put on their coats, picked mp their
dinner pals and went home to a man. inaug-
urating a little strike on their own hook.
The manager notified the committees in the
plate mill that there were IA vacancies in
the shearing department, and that it de-
volved upon the Amalgamated Association
to furnish the firm with a full shear crew
for No. turn, as the men had quit and not
one of them would be reinstated, as they
had violated precedent of their association
in not placing their grievance in the hands
of the proper officials of their lodge having
jurisdiction in the plate mill.
The mill started up as usual Monday
morning, and Nos. and turns worked
their regular number of hours (9), but when
No 3 roll and shear crew came in their reg
ular turn at II P. NJ, the shear crew. having
again reported for duty, was sent home by
the management and the shear mill was
closed down for the night.
Refused to Reinstate the Men.
The roll and furnace crew continued
working as if nothing unusual had occurred.
At 10 \. NJ. the Joint committee waited
upon General Manager Potter and requested
that the men be restored to their old posi-
tions, but Mr.. Potter fatly refused to re-
instate them, saying it would be contrary to
all rules Of discipline and good manage
ment to grant the request of the committee.
Ii was extremely sorry for the unfortu-
nate occurrence and regretted the men had
acted so hastily. He would give the men
employment in the other departments, but
would not restore them to their positions
as No. shear crew.
He instructed the manager of the plate
mill to pick out crew of the best union
men to be found in the plant to fill the
places of the men who had so abruptly re-
signed their places. The new crew has
been selected from men who had formerly
worked in the old open hearth shop and
which has been shut down for the past few
months.
The result was the all-night session and
if the request is not granted strike is
likely to be declared.