The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-10
STRIKE At THE
ROLL|NG-M|LLS
Over One Hundred Skilled
Workmen Walked Out
Tuesday.
A General Reduction in the Rate
of Their Wages Was
the Cause.
1t Is Expected That the Differences
Will b. Settled by Compro.
mise To-Day.

A cut in the wages of the skilled work
men IN the Pacific Rolling mills at the Po-
trero has caused strike, which has prac-
iron mandatory. On Tuesday noon
about fifty men walked out, and their &C.
ton cut off the means of employ ment OF
about fifty others.
1t is believed that some time to-day
compromise will be effected and the wheels
OF industry set in motion again.
For The past two weeks there have been
rumors that there would be general re-
duction of wages in the rolling-mill, but it
was understood that the cut would not
take place until the first of the new year.
A We k or more ago General Superintend-
emf Patrick Noble confirmed the rumor,
but the extent OF the cut in wages was not
given out.
To the surprise of the men on Tuesday
noon they were informed that the cut had
been made week ago Monday and that
for all that time they had been working
under the reduction. Then they were in
formed of the new schedule. Nearly ali
the WORK is done by the piece at so much
per ton. The rollers who formerly re-
ceived 32H cents per ton were reduced to
% cents. This was equivalent to cut of
81 to 81 dollars out OF Sc per day. The
roughers were reduced from Is to Is cents,
or about IS cents below SO so. The CATCH
ers were cut from Is TO IL cents, or from
about So to 81 so; the second catchers
from Is TO 10 cents. The cut OF the hotbed
men was from II to 81 cents, or from
81 % to 81. The same reduction was made
with the hookup man. The small mill
men or hotbed boys were cut from 81 10 to
80 cents per day.
mill haa
notified yet of any reduction, so they are
still at work. There are fifteen of them.
These men are paid by the day. but with
them the day is very long at times. If the
work demands they labor from A. NJ. to
Z and 8 O'Clock in the evening, and no al
lowance is made for overtime. The steel
workers, about 200 in number are not
affected by the strike nor have they bsen
reduced in wages. About eight scrapiron
pliers were thrown out of work by the
strike.
1t is the rule IN the rolling mill to hold
back two weeks pay out of the mems
wages, and the men claim there is one
week and days pay due them besides the
two weeks pay held back.
Probably the most i'm portant factor in
the strike was that the men learned that
they had been working for over week
under O new schedule of rates OF which
they were ignorant. From all accounts
there will be no trouble whatever of
violent nature. In the first place there
are no ironworkers OF this class on the
coast, and the places of the strikers could
only be flied by an importation from the
East. This is not likely 10 take place, as
the Eastern workmen receive as good
wages as the men here did before the cut.
The strikers are looking forward to an
early settlement, because they understand
that the rolling-miIls has contract 10 get
out large quantity of extra large street.
car rails for a company IN Los Angeles.
A part OF the lot Is already made. Yes
terday afternoon Superintendent Noble
met mum Der of the strikers in his Office
and had friendly chat with them over
the situation. No conclusions were reached.
and they parted with the understanding
that another conference would be held
this morning, when all parties hope 10
conn promise the case and start up work
again.
The cause of the reduction in the mems
wages is said TO be due to several causes.
In the first place, the Rolling-miils Com
paDy claims that it IS hard to compete
with Eastern firms in the same lines of
work because of the difference in the
prices of fuel there and here. In the East
the best anthracite coal, of which very
large quantities are necessarily used, costs
about 50 80 per ton, where here it costs
about 81 90 ton in cargo lots at the wharf.
Another cause for the reduction is gwen
in this, that the company has not been
making expenses. The company recently
changed It's fuel from coal to oil, which
necessitated extensive alterations IN the
boilers and machinery. The oil tanks or
reservoirs also were very expensive. 1t is
said that the experiment was failure and
cut big hole into the receipts.
Judging from all appearances there is
no very bad feeling between employers
and employees and while such continues
to be the case all look forward to a speedy
settlement of the differences.
Hanged by Her Sash.