Evening journal., 1901-07-02
STEEL WORK ERS
NOW ON STRIKE
Extent Will be Unknown for
Several Days
$4,000 MEN WILL Be INVOLVED
Fight Said Not 10 be for Wages, But
for Recognition Of The
Organization: sasfS aafz

refusal OF the representatives OA lht
American Steel Company and the
American Steel Hoop Company, sub
sidiary companies of the great United
States Steel corporation. TO sign the
workers. new scale at Saturdays con-
ference, circulars we're sent out from
the national headquarters Of the Anal
gamated Association OF Iron, Steel and
Tin Workers Sunday and yesterday de-
claring a strike at all the plants Of the
two combi2es.
The great strike is now on, but IT
will be several days before its actual
extent is known. At the outset. how
ever, over $4,000 men will be involved.
These men are employed at mills in
Western Pennsylvania, Ohio and In
diana.
What the strike Just inaugurated
may eventually lead TO is probiemeti-
cal. Three months ago when a strike
occurred in the Wood plant of the
American Sheet Steel Company at Nc
Keesport, because the company re-
fused 70 allow its men to become mem
bers of the Amalgamated Association,
President Shaffer threatened If the Nc
Keesport 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 union men in
every plant of the United States Steel
Corporation. Such a course would now
end in the biggest strike the country
has ever seen, involving several hun
dred thousand 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 during the
early part of July to give the men Q
resi-
It will be after, perhaps, the first Of
August when the combine makes Sc
rious attempt 70 start up N full. thar
the real battle will begin If no set
lement has been reached at that timo.
The urgent orders now on the books
can scarcely wait through July. Thus
= tho ASSOCIATION has almost month on
more to prepare for the coming strug-
gle. II is the boast OF the Amalga-
mated Association officials that by that
time they will control 80 per cent. of
the capacity of the combines plants.
The strike against the American
Sheet Steel Company has been ordered
because this portion of the United
States Steel Corporation has thus fan
stood out against the increase in union
mills, now recognized as union. to re-
main so. The American Steel Hoop
Company stands in the same position
Thus is arrayed against the union or
ganization the two branches Of the
United States Steel Corporation. This
strike now threatened in the bar mills
following so closely upon that of tho
sheet mills, has therefore a most Sc
rious aspect and may spread TO enor-
nous proportions.
The fight is not for wages. but for or
ganization. Either the Amalgamated
Association must bow to the will OF
the greater combine, or else the great
er denied that there was any need OF
nOn-union mills.
The rumor that President Schwab, Of
the United States Steel corporation
might be asked to come to Pittsburg
to settle the trouble now pending
caused some little discussion, but both
Secretary Jarrett and President Shat
fer denied hat there was any need Of
his services.
The indications are that President
Shaffer himself expects an early ad-
iustment of the complication. A vel
known Independent sheet manufacturer
stated to-day that indications pointed
TO a peaceful settlement of the trouble