Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-07-15

American. Tin Plate company, as is
known, signed the scale at the first
conference, but IL was conditional that
the scale be also signed for all the
mills of the American steel Hoop Com
pany, and the American Sheet Steel
Company as well. We made fight
to have the other two combines do
this, but they refused, and general
strike at all the mills operated by these
companies was ordered. None of the
union mills, all Of which are idle, will
resume operations, and those which
were working will close down, at least
that is what we expect will happen.
How strong the Amalga gamated AS.
sociation is among the mills which
have been working, and which are
rated as non-union plants. remains for
the future to determine, and of course
we confidently hope for the best. AS
far as Youngstown is concerned, the
upper and lower mills of the American
Steel Hoop Company will be affected,
and the strike order will also apply to
the mills In Girard, Warren, Pomeroy
and Greenville, which constitutes all
the union mills operated by the Ameri-
can Steel Hoop Company. The non
union mills of the American Steel Hoop
Company are Painters and Lindsay &
McCutcheon's in Pittsburg, and the
men there are now organized and will
come out on strike Monday morning.
These two mills now have Il union
safeguard by strong lodges affiliated
with the AmalgamGted Association.
All of the mills of the American Tin
Plate company will be closed tight
OH Monday, and we believe as well all
the plants of the American Steel Sheet
| Company. OF course, it is obvious
that we propose TO force, if possible.
the three companies referred to to sign
| the scale and operate the plants with
union men, and If they fail to get in
line their business will be badly Grip
pied. The Amalgamated Association
is in position to stand long conflict,
| a M thiG f,nl,t l,ne
only after due dellberation, but, of
course, we are hoping that it will be
of short duration. We are making
o fight for principle and for what we
believe to be right and just, and have
assurances that we will he successful"
Regarding the line Of argument pur-
sued by the companies in taking the
position they maintained, Mr. Jenkins
said:
The only argument that was ad.
vanced by the representatives Of three
companies was that the Amalgamated
Association would, provided the scale
was signed for all the mills. become
too strong and arbitrary and could not
be dealt with in the future. Our ulti-
mate object lis TO strengthen our or.
ganization as much as possible and
get all the mills identified with it,
but it is certain it would also be the
policy to conduct and govern it along
the lines OF conservatism, and the fear
of the companies Is entirely uncalled
for. The fight was made principally
on the sheet mill scale and the man.
ufacturers offered TO sign the scale
for the Mckeesport and the Wells
vile mills, two places where the
Amlagamated agreement did not pre-.
vail last year. We are at the present
time, however, strongly organized at
both these places, the lodge at Nc
keesport having n membership of 800
men. These are the only two sheet
| mlllS Whlch the manufacturers agreed
to sign for in addition to those they
signed for last year. This IL the
sum and substance Of what the com.
panles agreed to do, no more and no
less. We refused to accept this prop
osition and insisted upon the position
we took at the opening of the confer
ence. We expect that all the tin mills
will he idle on Monday morning with
the exception of the one at MONIES.
sen. When the conference adjourned
the best of feeling prevailed, though
1t was with sense Of regret that
we separated under the conditions.
mo date has been fixed for fur
rher conference, and there is nothing
to indicate that another one will be
held, as the lines are now sharply
defined between the Amalgamated AS
sociation and the manufacturers"
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