New-York tribune., 1901-07-17
THE POINT IN CONTROVERSY.

President Shaffer of the Amalgamated Asso-
citation denies that the steel workers are strik-
ing TO force the free laborers TO join their
organization through the unonizing OF all the
hitherto open mills. He says:
We are demanding simply that the companies
sign and enforce our scale In all their mills. ano
thus 10 away with the injustice OF running the
mills employing the lower priced non-union labor
during dull sea sons while our own men We're
idle AS to the organization of the men IN the
non n-union mills, we ask only that the companies
do not interfere with efforts at organization
and do not prohibit the men from Joining U.S.
On the face of 1t this would seem to be an
answer 10 the assertion of the companies that
they fully recognized the right of any of their
employees to Join the union and only refused 10
compel them to submit to the organization. ON
examination, however it will be seen that the
statement does not really meet the issue II
NAV be that all the association asked was the
signing of It's scale for the non-union mills. ana
not any direct order by the companies for men
to toin the union. Yet If signing the union
scale for the non-union mills indirectly enabled
the association to compel the workmen to JOIN
II, the companies would in fact be delivering
their non-union employees over to the associa-
ton Formally the mills might be open to free
workers. but with the suspension OF relations
between the companies and the individual
employes and the substitution of the associa-
tion with its scale and its rules, as the repre-
sentative OF the men, it might easily come ABOUT
that the only way for the workers TO secure q
voice in their own affairs would be Dy joining
the union. Otherwise perhaps they would have
no recognized status either In the eyes OF their
fellows or their employers. Hitherto they have
made their own contracts, and Notwithstanding
Mr. Shaffers statement about 'low priced non
union labor they appear to have received the
union rate of wages. If now the companies
make the association the arbiter OF their reia-
tions with these men it is difficult 10 see how
they could avoid seeking membership in ii.
1t is probably true that the companies for
perfectly obvious reasons. have desired TO retain
some non-union mills. Otherwise they might
find themselves completely in the power of the
union and unable TO resist any demands how
ever excessive But Mr. Shaffers assertion that
in the nom union mills the men are prohibited
from Joining the association, and that the strike
is not to force them into the union. but TO secure
them liberty in that matter. now denied, does
not seem to be borne ont by the developments
of the strike. In several of the non-union mills
the association had large membership. and so
many men left work in response to the strike
notice that the mills shut down. If the associa-
ton could so easily organize these men, in spite
Of the alleged prohibition of the companies. Ii
would appear that its objects might have been
accomplished without a strike 1t might have
gone on quietly proseyting among these free
workmen who We're enjoying union wages. and
if it had succeeded in converting them it would
have had union mills for all practical purposes.
and in any future struggle could have controlled
these few nominally open mills as absolutely as
any of the others. thereby effectualy accom-
plishing what the companies have sought to
prevent by refusal Of complete unioniZation.
Whatever opposition the association had 10
encounter from the employers in these mills. it
is evident that men who wished to joined the
union; and with the formal recognition of the
right of organization and concession Of the
union wage scale the Amalgamated Associa-
ton might wisely have refrained from precipi-
tating a strike merely to have certain mills
made union in name instead of being content
first to have them union in fact.