The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-02
The Big STRIKE ON
May INVOLVE ALL OF THE STEEL
TRUSTS PLANTS.
ONLY $4,000 MEN OUT NOW.
sHAFFER HAS LAID HIS PLANS FOR
SYMPATHY STRIKE.

May Take the Situation Some Time
10 Develop as the Hot Weather
VIII Compel a Shut Down Anyway.
Men Are Working Under Protest
Now-The AmaIgamated Associa-
tion Has Laid Its Plans to Force
All the Steel Trust Plants Into the
Union.
Pittsburg, July las a result Of the
refusal of the representatives of the
American Steel Sheet Company and the
American Steel Hoop Company, subsid-
iary companies of the great United States
Steel Corporation, to sign the workers
new scale at Saturdays conference, cir
culars were sent out from the national
headquarters of the Amalgamated Asso-
citation of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers
yesterday and to-day, declaring a strike
at all the plants of the two combines.
The great strike is now on, but it will be
several days before its actual extent is
known. At the outset, however, over
5000 men will be involved.
What the strike just inaugurated may
eventually lead to is problematical.
Three months ago when a strike occurred
in the wood plant of the American Sheet
Steel Company at MeKeesport. because
the company refused to allow its men to
become members of the Amalgamated AS
ISOLATION, President Shaffer threatened.
If the McKeesport strikers could not win
with their own strength. that he would
aTS6 ~ ~. L., Al
pany. If the latter would not yield he
would then call out the union men in
every plant Of the United States Steel
Corporation. Such a course would now
end in the biggest strike the country has
ever seen, involving several hundred
thousand men.
Must Have Holiday.
For the first few weeks the situation
will not show the strength of the asso-
citation. Almost all the plants of the
company, union and non-union, will be
compelled to shut down during the early
part of July to give the men a rest They
have been working steadily since the first
of the year, many of them without a
weeks cessation. Union and non-union
alike, they are demanding short vaca-
tion and the prediction is made that the
companies will be unable to keep any One
at work for two or three weeks after to-
morrow. The heat is intense, and the
men, one vice president said to-day, are
almost in a state of revolt.
1t will be after, perhaps the first of
August when the combine makes serious
attempt to start up in full, that the real
battle will begin If no settlement has
been reached at that time. The company
cannot we'll delay operating longer than
that on account of the present food of
orders. In fact, the urgent orders now
on the books can scarcely wait through
July. Thus the association has almost a
month more to prepare for the coming
struggle. 1t is the boast of the Amalga-
mated Association officials that by that
time they will control 80 per cent. of the
capacity Of the combines plants.
To Control Combines Plants.
Gradually the plans of President Shat
fer of the Amalgamated Association are
being uncovered. Since the trouble in
the Wood mills in McKeesport few
months ago, the Amalgamated Association
has been actively engaged in breaking up
the present arrangement of the combine
in operating parts of their plants with
non-union men, and the others with un-
ion men. Mr. Shaffer says that If this
is not checked the life of the Amaiga-
mated Association is threatened, for the
combine will always work their union
mills last and the union men will be suf-
ferers by this discrimination.
1t was believed by the Amalgamated AS
socia ton that the promptness with which
the sheet steel combine came to their
terms in the McKeesport trouble and al
lowed the union to exist in that plant,
would prove a boon to further agRres-
sive action on the part of the organized
workmen. Taking advantage of the new
United States Steel Corporation as the
parent head of all the other combines
with which the Amalgamated Association
had to deal, it was felt that threatened
strike of all the union men In all branches
of the steel business would so frighten
the combine officials that they would
give in and allow every one of the nom
union plants to be unionized.
May he Gigantic Struggle.
Thus is arrayed against the union or
ganization the two branches of the Unit
ed States Steel Corporation. The scale
for the American Tin Plate Company, also
a part of the greater corporation. has
been signed. 1t is said, however, that in
case the struggle continues the Amalga-
mated officials have the power to call out
these tin plate workers as means Of
defense against parent corporation,
WHICH lutS bOll ifHl'OAisAOAt lOI al
agreements. The strike now threatened in
the bar mills. following so closely upon
that of the sheet mills. has therefore a
most serious aspect and may spread 10
enormous proportions. Indeed, in some
circles, it is predicted that the gigantic
struggle that has been talked OF since
the organization OF the United States
Steel Corporation was formed, is on the
eve of breaking out, and that 1t is com
ing much sooner than many believed was
probable
The position that the greater combine is
placed in practically frees the independent
plants from completely In the battle. The
fight is not for wages. but for organiza-
ton. Either the Amalgamated AssocEa-
ton must bow to the will OF the greater
combine, or else the greater combine Will
have n rive nm its non-union mills