Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-06

The predicted war between the iron man
ufacturers and their workers over the wag,
scale has been declared.
When the Amalgamated Association O
Iron and Steel Workers opens its conven
tion tomorrow it will be confronted by &
very startling proposition from the manu-
facturers of the Sixth district, to accept 6
reduction in this years scale ranging in
the various departments from Is to so pei
cent.
This is the largest reduction ever asked
for by the manufacturers, and the PROPOSE
tion comes at O time and from source
wholly unexpected by the Amalgamated
Association.
When the association secured an adjust
ment of the scale last year number of sue
cessful fights were made against it
by individual firms-notably the victory
of Moorhead Bros & Co. It was stated
subsequently that more vigorous fights
would be made this year; that the effective
ness of the Amalgamated Association would
be gradually ground out of existence by one
| firm after another refusing to sign the
Amalgamated scale. The association con-
fidently expected number of struggles of
this character this year, and the present
move on the part of the manufacturers
comes upon them like thunderbolt
| The Point of Attack Shifted.
AS stated, the manufacturers have taken
an entirely new course this year, by which
| they expect to have an increased force in
their movement. The proposition comes
| to the association through the Mahoning and
| Shenango Valley Iron Manufacturers Asso-
| citation, which comprises the great estab-
lishments of Brown, Bonnell & Co.,
| wright McCurdy & Co., Youngstown
Rolling Mill Company, Buhl Iron Company,
Trumbull Iron Company and the association
| mills in Cleveland and st. Louis. 1t was
| for the purpose of securing the combined
strength of the manufacturers in Cleveland
and st. Louis that the point of attack was
changed from this to the Sixth district
| The Mahoning and Shenango Valley man.
ufacturers held recent meeting and COM
| mittee from the above-named firms was
appointed to prepare schedule of desired
changes in the SCALE The work done by
f, this committee is shown in the appended
proposition to the Amalgama ted Associa-
| tion.
The first item in the scale is an indication
of the wholesale slaughter in wages asked
for by the manufacturers. On the face of it,
it would require considerable courage on
the part of the association to carry out their
reported intention to ask for an increase in
the price of pudding. The manufacturers
want boiling reduced from S. so to S. so
per ton of 2,24O pounds on a 2-cent card,
and in addition they ask that the boiling
clause providing for limitations in time to
the several heats on single and double
furnaces be stricken out entirely, which of
course means less wages on account of hard
iron. Reductions from 20 to 25 per cent
are also asked for in number of other
extras
Big Cuts All Along the Line.
On the muck or puddle mill the manu-
facturers want the clause providing for II
cents per ton extra for doubling on two
high muck rolls, stricken out The price
of scrapping and busheling on a 2-cent
card is reduced from So to 81 60 per ton,
and a 20 per cent reduction is made in the
extras. Bar rolling and heating is reduced
from 20 to 60 cents per ton, while the
manufacturers want number of the extras
in this department cut out.
But the slaughter comes on the guide 10
inch, hoop and cotton tie mills. Where
the rollers, heaters, roughers and catchers
now make IS sS per ton, they are asked to
accept 81 20, and on grades where they now
make s. 13 they are asked to be satisfied
with S. 1t is very safe to say these are the
mills in which the hardest struggles will
take place. In rolling nut iron reduction
of SS cents per ton is asked for, the same as
regards ''T'' iron, while for angles the re-
duction asked is so cents per ton. The same
reduction throughout is asked for on the 10 !
inch and cotton tie mills.
The clause fixing 410 bundles of cotton
tie as days work for every day in the
week except Saturday, and for Saturday
325 bundles, is stricken out. Also the |
clauses requiring that when a mill averages |
$50 day a third rougher shall be employed |
during the months Of June, July and Au-
gust, on demand of roller, rougher and |
catcher, and that the night-turn roller shall |
receive two-fifths Of the roller s wages, are |
stricken out The price for rolling pipe
iron on sheet and jobbing mills is fixed at
81 80 per ton instead of So 40 as at present. |
Manufacturers Say They Are in Earnest
With the breath in which these proposed |
changes are received by the workers their
exclamation will naturally be, "What is
left?" But m anufacturer in speaking ON
the subject said that the men will be
brought face to face with the stern
on the part of the |
to force an accept
ance of their scale this time. which,
if they succeed, would practically mean the
permanent crippling of the Amalgamated
which has so long enjoyed the
distinction Of being the strongest indepen-
dent labor organization in America, if not
in the world.
How we'll the Amalgamated people viii
be prepared to meet the question remains to
be seen. The recent retirement from their
ranks of some of their most capable men in
emergencies of this kind may be the reason
why the manufacturers are so bold Some
believe they are taking advantage Of this