The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-07-05
STEEL WORKERS ON A STRIKE
ORDER ISSUED BY SHAFFER.
over 10000 Men Affected by the Or
der-MiIIs Closed IndehniteIy-Of-
fcinls of Company Refuse to Dis


cuss Matters-one Manager Speaks
Pittsbr~g, June SO.-A definite order
for a general strike of all union sheet
steel workers has been issued by
President T. J. Shaffer of the Anal
gamated Association of Iron, Steel and
Tin Workers. There are over 10000
men affected by this order, and every
mill operated by the American Sheet
Steel company where union men are
employed throughout the country will
close indefinitely or until such time
as a settlement of the matters in dis
pute has been reached. The officials
of the American Sheet Steel company
refuse to discuss the troubles with
their workmen.
p. Smith, the manager of the De-
wess-Wood plant of the company, and
Mr.. Kline, who is also connected with
the company acted as negotiators for
the combine. Mr.. Smith is said to have
been one Of the most pronounced non
union mill managers in the country
and from the time he represented the
company in the present wage negotia-
tons trouble was anticipated by the
men. At the offices of the Amalga-
mated association today it was said
that the sheet steel workers had de-
cided at the last convention of the
Amalgamated association to ask only
for the readoption of the present scale
for the present year. No changes
were wanted, but there would be one
demand, and that was that the Amer
lean Sheet Steel company should sign
the scale so that it would cover all
of it's plants.
In other words, the Amalgamated
association asked that non-union
plants now operated by the combine
! should be turned over to the union and
be governed by the same rules as the
union mills. The officials of the COM
pany decline to consider this PROPOSE
| ton.
This morning, at the solicitation of
Manager Smith, for the American
Sheet Steel company, the wage COM
mittee of the Amalgamated associa-
ton met in conference at the Hotel
. Lincoln. At this final conference Mr..
: Smith submitted an ultimatum to the
: workmen, which was in effect that the
+ wage scale for the plants of the COM
+ pany would be signed without ques-
ton with the exception of the Old
J. Meadow mills in Scottdale the De-
= wess-Wood mill in McKeesport, the
0 Wellsville plant and all other plants
: not now considered a part of the union
e workmen's province.
r The workers committee refused alb
: solutely to consider the proposition.
and in 10 minutes the conference ad
journed without formalities. AS soon
: as the conference was over Presi-
. dent Shaffer issued an urgent call for
U a meeting of the advisory board. The
board met and approved the decision
+ of the president to call out all men
of the union The strike order in
general will take men from the non
union plants who belong to the or
ganization. as we'll as the union mills.
{ The men explain their demand for the
Inionizing of all the mills of the COM
: bine by stating that last year the COM
= bine had taken advantage of its posi-
ton in having the non-union mills
I, by operating them first and having
u the other mills idle until pressure of
business forced them to start. 1t was
, resolved by the men at that time that
) such a chance should never occur
again for the company; that it would
= be either all union mills or all non.
: union mills.
: 1t is generally agreed, however. that
u the real test of strength between the
- combine and the workers will not be
made until after the warm weather.
During July and August there will
= be no strike benefits paid the men out
: of work, as these two months are used
by sheet mills, like all other iron
plants, for repairs. After September
/, if the scale is not signed the Anal
gamated association will be called on
: for support of the idle men.
=. Scattered the Beers