The Forrest City times., 1901-07-05
GREAT STRIKE IS NOW ON.
The Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Work
 CTS Declare War.
IT MAY BE THE GREATEST EVER KNOWN.
Life of the Organization of Labor InvoIved-The Battle h Against the Gigantic United States Steel Corporation.

Pittsburgh, Pa., July 2.-As the re- suit of the refusal of the American Sheet Steel Co. and the American Steel corporation, to sign the workers new scale at Saturdays conference, circulars were sent out from the na- tional hearquarters of the Amalgam- ated Association of Iron. Steel and Tin Workers, declaring strike at all the plants of the two combines. The great strike is now on, but it will be several days before it's actual ex- tent in known
 The American Steel Hoop Co.'s main offices are in this city. The company has three non-union plants in this city, and non-union plant at Mones- sen and one at Duncanville, though the employees of the latter are ready for organization as soon as the Anal. gamated people will take them in. Other plants of the company are claimed by the Amalgamated people as union.
 An Unsolved Problem.
 What the strike just inaugurated may eventually lead to is problemat- ical. Three months ago, when a strike occurred in the wood plant of the American Sheet Steel Co, at Me- Keesport, because the company re- fused to allow its men to become members of the Amalgamated asso- citation, President Shaffer threatened, if the McKeesport strikers could not win with their own strength, he would order a strike in every plant of the company. If the latter would not yield, he would then call out the men in every plant of the American Steel Go. Such course would result in the greatest strike the world has ever seen, involving several hundred thou sand men.
 For the first few weeks the situation will not show the strength of the as. sociation, Almost all the plants of the company, union and non-union, will be compelled to shut down dur ing the early part of July to give the steadily since the first of the year, many of them without weeks ces- sation. Union and non-union alike, they are demanding short vacation, and the prediction is made that the companies will be unable to keep any one at work for two or three weeks after Tuesday. The heat is intense, and the men, one vice-president, said, are almost in state of revolt. It will be after, perhaps, the first of Au- gust, when the combine makes a se- rious attempt to start up in full, that the real battle will begin if no settle ment has been reached at that time.
 Can Not We'll Del y.
 The company can not well delay op- erating longer than that, on account of the present flood of orders. In fact, the urgent orders now on the books can scarcely wait through July. Thus the association has almost a month more to prepare for the com ing struggle. It is the boast of the Amalgamated association officials that by that time they will control so per cent. of the capacity of the combina- tion plants.
 The fight is not for wages, but for organization. Either the Amalgam- ated association must bow to the will of the greater combine, or else the greater combine will have to give up its non-union mills.
 Members of the advisory board of the Amalgamated association declare that the association has surprise in store for the combine.