Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-07-10

HOMESTEAD, July 9.-The following
statement was given out tonight by
the Homestead Iron and Steel Workers:
The difference existiting between the
Carnegie Company and their employees
at Homestead have drawn from Mr.
II. c. Frick statement Of the points
in dispute which make necessary re-
ply in order that wrong impressions Of
the conditions may not be reviewed by
the public.
1t is asserted that the employees
combined with others OF their trade
forming the Amalgamated Association
with absolute control over the Home
stead Works. This charge can only be
supported to the satisfaction of those
who deny the right of the employee to
enter objection 30 any conditions Of
fered by the employer. The working
men at Homestead, nor any other Of
the hundreds OF mill workers organized
into the Amalgamated Association,
have no desire to dictate the wages they
shall receive, but they see no good rea-
son why they should not exercise the
privilege of engaging with their en-
ployer in the controversy through
which the rate of compensation for
their labor is fixed. The workmen are
now, as they always have been, pre-
'pared to
MEET THE REPRESENTATIVE
OF the company and discuss the provis-
ions contained in the scale submitted
by them. II the conference already
held failed to bring about settlement,
it cannot be said this was the fault Of
the workingmen. The scale under
which the men at Homestead were
working was arranged in July OF 1889.
The rate of wages was fixed according
to the selling price of by Bessemer
steel billets, the wages advancing and
declining with the selling price Of that
article. 1t was provided that.the mini
mum should be S25. Complaint is made
that no minimum should have been in
sisted upon.
It is the experience Of the iron and
steel workers that some prevention Is
necessary to protect themselves from
being reduced to an extremely low rate
of pay by the acceptance by manufac.
turerS of sales below the current rates.
AS the workingmen do not sell the pro-
duct, there must be point where reduc-
tion of wages, by reason of low figured
sales, must cease.
II is alleg9 I'd that labor organizations
are injurious alike to the toiler and
those by whom they are employed, in
substantiatiOn OF which IL is cited by
the firm that there is no organization
amongst their employees at the Braddock
nor the DuQuesne Steel Works; that
THE MEN THERE ARE SATISFIED;
that they get good wages, and that no
strike has occurred atthose works since
the institution Of that management.
1t may be said that the satisfaction Of
which Mr.. Frick speaks as existing at
the above works is forced, rather than
voluntary, as may be proved by the
many efforts Of the men in these mills
to organize themselves in secrecy.
knowledge OF such intention coming
to the ears Of the company, would be
and was followed by discharges. The
wages enjoyed by the men al Braddock X
and Duqusene are the direct result of
the right OF compensation sustained by
the organized iron and steel workers.
While they are not organized. in these
mills, the rate OF pay for the class OF
work done by them, fixed by their or
ganized fellow-tradesman, determines
the pay that can command their SER
vices.
1t is the custom of the employers OF
non-uniOn men in the iron and steel
trade to pay the rates provided by the
Amalgamated scale in order to secure
the services of men Of that trade. II
is found, however. to be invariably the
case that these employers, while they
pay the rates provided by the Anal
eamated Association, the men are
REQUIRED TO ACCEPT CONDITIONS
which are tantamount "a 8 reduced rata,
although not appearing on the face.