New-York tribune., 1901-07-27
NEW MOVE BY STEEI, MEN
NATIONAL TUBE COMPANY SEEKING TO
GET MEN TO SIGN INDIVIDUAL
AGREEM ENTs TROUBLE Ex
PECTED AT M'KEESPORT

Pittsburg, July 26.-The National Tube Works
Company. at McKeesport. has made an unex
Pecfed move. intended to checkrnate the Arnsi-
Samated Association Their skilled wo,.r.or
nave been asked TO sign individual co,,rao,s
10 practically repudlate any union labor and
fhey nave only short time to think the matter
ever. II Is understood that should they no,
sign the contracts they will find their places
vacant. and the is expected 70 fsu 70.
morrow
II was learned to-day that late on THURSDAY
evening the six hundred weiders OF the mills
were paid oil and taken into the office ~ tho
Sei eral superintendent. where individual co-
tracts were offered to them 10 be signed for NJ
least year. Some demurred while othars
signed the contracts
1his movement, fighting FIRE with fire carried
CONSERVATION into the ranks Of the strikers
The welders are highly skilled workmcn and
win tneir cooperation the biz plant might be
closed down With them at work the nlapt uiI,
probably be kept on running as though nothing
had happened. 1t intimated tonight bv
friends OF the weiders that they would all se,
the contract
Defnite announcement that the officials ~ tho
American Sheet Steel Companv would e,ar, .h
w. Devices Wood mill in McKeesport nc n ,on
union plant on Monday, reached the ouarters
Oh the Amalgamated Association early to-day
Inc news was received in silence That the
movement ""uId not be permitted 10 he made
without decided attempt TO check n was
shown by long and earnest conferences that tool,
place IN the afternoon. President Shafer was
in his private Office. and there was a constapt
stream of visitors shown In as fast ne noseihl.
These visitors were mostly mill workers and a
number We're recognized as McKeesoort roc,
dents. The door 10 the conference room was
kept closed and no outsider was allowed IN get
within hearing distance OF the place Important
plans We're being discussed and preparottong
were peing made to act promptly the moment
the Sheet steel Company attempted to bring
non-union men into the McKeesport mill
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS EXPECTED
While the rank and file OF the strikers are NOT
acquainted with the plans Of the campaipn
they now believe that there are some important
oeNeiopments u take place which will change
the aspect or analrs considerably There is ap-
pa'eii'iy Iess OF the confidence that was noted
in the first part of the week but there was a
lou OF determination expressed by the men who
consented to talk at all. The report that an at
tempt would be made TO start the Deuler nIant
or the American Tin Plate Company shortly was
secuted by the Amalgamated officials They
sald that there was little cause for worry over
the tinplate mill situation. In addit,o, IN this
denial was one from Percy Denner who was
aiieged 10 nave been attending 81 conference in
the Demer plant on Thursday night with mill
managers and discussing the plans for getting
the mil started Mr.. Denner said to-day that
ne had not been at any such conference and
was 100 busy working the Monesseu MIA nt 10
the limit OF its capacity to think OF any other
mill '
Among the officers of the manufacturers the
same studious silence is preserved THE only
statement obtainable has been that the stua-
tion was unchanged. that the manufacturers
had made no overtures for q settlement of the
strike and did not intend to so far as was
known locally. AS viewed by manufacturers
not interested directly in the strike the situa-
ton was summed up to-day in this wav. The
strike is not affecting the United States Steel
corporation as seriously as was expected by the
Amalgamated Association. The feeling of the
leading officials of the trust Is that the strike
VIII not last long after the summer weather Is
past. That this is the belief is Indicated by the
little effort that the company Is making TO force
their mills into operation. II the officials of the
United States Steel Corporation seriously be-
heVed that the strike was going to be a long
one. they would undoubtedly have made some
organized movement for breaking the strike
before this. The manufacturers realize that ii
would be a hard task to try to arrange this
strike settlement at time in the wear when
men do not want to work, anyway There
would be incentive for the men TO go to
work under any condition. They are waiting
Tor the fishing season to and the season
Tor outdoor sports and amusements ard when
this is and the are back TO their
homes they will be ready to talk to them with
opinion of the majority OF the manufacturers
but there few who believe the contest will
Continued third Dare