Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-07-18
THE STEEL STRIKE
And LABOR UNIONS.

New York Evening Post t1
The troubles between the United |
States Steel Corporation and subordi-
nate companies, on the one hand, and |
the AmalRamated Association of Iron,
Steel and Tin Workers, en- the other,
have proved an unweloome surprise to !
the public. which bad hoped for "a
summer free from such controy ersies. |
AS we have previously pointed out
however, IL is in period OF general |
prosperity, such as the country 10 now
enjoying, that demands on tine part OF
workingmen are most urgent and strikes
to secure better terms are most likely.
The point at issue 10 the present dis
pute is virtually the recognition Of the
union. only ore question will come
before the conference with the repre-
sentatives Of the steel companies Thurs
day, and that is the one OF unionism,"
said T.. j. Shaffer, president OF the
Amalgamated Association, at Pittsbura
yesterday. 1--WE will ask that our wage
scales be signed for all the mills in the
respective companies, instead OF in
some of them.' In the past there havs
been agreements between the Amalga-
mated Association and employers CON
trolling many OF the largest mills, whore
the association was recognized. by
which scale of wages was amicably
agreed upon for application 10 those
mills. In number Of cases the same
wages have been paid by other employ
err who had non union workingmen.
Now the association wants to have one
rule formally applied to all.
Whatever the nature of their origin,
the chief contentious In most of the
great industrial strikes OF recent years
have. sooner or later, conferred about
the broad question of recognition which
| is just now in dispute at Pittsburg.
Recognition has been the point most
vehemently demanded by the labor
leaders, and most reluctantly granted,
when granted at all, by the employers.
1t has generally been possible to reach
m amicable adjustment OF disputes
over wages and the hours of labor, but
strikes have been prolonged, again and
sgain, by the insistence OF the employees
upon recognition of their union through
its general officers, and by the rsfysal
or reluctance of the employers to grant
such recognition. The opposition OF
employers has been tased upon the fear
of unjust and tyrannical dictation from
labor leaders, and also upon q distrust
OF the willingness or the ability, or
both, OF the organizations to live up to
and carry out their pledges and agree
ments. ~
Probably no sane person, at this stage
! Of the worlds progress, will dispute
the right of workingmen to organize, in
order more forcefully to pursue Lawful
purposes. How far the individual
nottingham sacrifices his own interests
in thus binding himself to the rules oil
labor organizations, may be open II
, question, but the right is indubitabls
-as far beyond dispute surely as thu
:. right Of capital TO organize and com
bine for the carrying out OF its lawfn
/ purposes. Yet organized capital secures
( at once, and as matter Of course, th,
i fullest recognition for its central bod,
: and its general officers, while labor or
CARNATIONS struggle long and painfully
and often unsuccessfully, for lik
( acknowledgment of authority. Wh.
does organized capital secure imme
a diate and unquestioned acknowledge
q ment of Its centralized authority, whil
4 similar acknowledgment is denied h
Q organized laborY i
Recent experiences cast valuable Ugh
upon the question. When the worl
upon this rapid transit subway in thi
city was begun, the laborers were or
b gained, and an agreement with th
d contractor was entered into, which pro
vided, among other things, for arbitra
y ton of certain disputes that 1t wa
}, thought might arise. The. controvera
Ii which did occur was not conoernin
10 hours of labor or wages for workers o
J. the subway, but rather concerning th
u rate of wages paid by some Of tn
d tunnel contractors on private, nc
/ 10 No 1kn Il fnfs tszr
, under the influence of their leaders
4, abandoned their agreement, and enters
az upon strike which for tim
I. threatened seriously to delay the compile
le rion Of great public enterprise. n
le The Metal Trade Association, a
% organization of manufacturers, entere
or into an agreement with an associatio
I'd OF maohinIsts, involving the fulleI
,e recognition of the later's organization
st and making careful provision again
10 strikes; but when the machinists Of Il
rs country entered upon what, II proper
10 conducted, might have been who'll
DO iustifable movement to secure min,
in hour day, the agreement of the mi
chinists employed by the Metal Trad,
Association with that body was ignores
with the result that the manufacture
were impelled to refuse all furth,
q dealings with the labor union. In I'll
ut latest dispute between the coal oper,
ny tors and the miners in Pennsy lvania,
Id few weeks ago. the labor leaders We
o. obliged to leave the matter of reoogn
p. tion of their organization 10 an vi
be settled state, because they practical
ly had to admit that they were unable
be enforce any agreement which they migl
3D. enter into on behalf of the miners, I
to prevent strikes without .warnir
upon trivial pretexts.
as Nor is this all. The instance has y
70 TO be discovered, we thinS. where Q
RI ganized labor has taken action, exec
"a. perhaps in a vague and perfuncto
ily manner, against intimidation and vi
ng lence on the part of strikers. IL Is tr
ed that, in the beginning, strikers a
air usually warned by their leaders, dout
ue less in many cases sincerely, to absta
10, from violence against PERSONS or pro
Tut erty. But We do not know Of sins
or. instance where violence has been pu
DIS ished by labor organizations, throu
me expulsion OF members or in any 9th
re, manner. On the other hand, there
ely been no end of complaints against
vas militia and other forces of order
simply preserving the peace. some lat
'oy organizations going so far as to pl
OF hibit membership In militia oompan
on the part Of their members.
What the labor organizations lack.
general, is the confidence Of the 90
munity, as we'll as of employers, tl
Ae' they. will conduct themselves in 10
90 full and orderly manner, and live up
20 their agreements. Some organizati,