The evening times., 1901-05-06
THE GREAT LABOR PROBLEM.
Conference With the Steel Trust
Managers Tomorrow.

will take place in New York city tomor-
row that VIII be of the utmost import
anCe to the working classes Of America.
1t viii be q conference between Samuel
GOmpers President OF the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor. and Theodore J. Shaffer,
President Of the Amalgamated AssOcia-
tion of Iron, Tin, and Steel Workers
Upon the result Of this and a further con-
ference, which is to be held with the man
ayers of the United States Steel Corpora
ton, viii depend in a large measure the
success of the new Labor Trust" and
that Of the biIlion-doIIar steel combine as
well
The meeting in New York is. to quote
Mr. Gompers, TO consider the nature of
the recent trouble at 4IcKeespoTt the
methods employed IN adjusting the diff
Culties and the advisa biIity OF adopting
these methods generally in the trades Of
the American Federation OF Labor
This IS TO mark the formation of a new
trust 1t viii not be capitalized for one
cent, and it viii require no charter from
New Jersey OF any other State. Capital
lists have banded together and wiped out
competition IN manufacture. Now the
working classes are trying to get together
N their labor unions to wipe out the in
equalities which are supposed TO exist be
tween one thoroughly organized capitals
tic trust and a number Of different labor
organizations Whatever action IS taken
IN the future in making q fight for wages
or other grievances, viii be taken by
united body of workingmen.
Ho Teyer much the AmaIgamated As
sociation has heralded the settlement of
the trouble at the w Devices Wood Mills
OF the American Sheet Steel Company,
situated IN McKeesDort- as a victory for
the association, it is known that it was
victory that was not without its sting.
In fact neither side had much to crow
about. The situation was the most seri-
Gus that has confronted the biIIion-doiIar
combine The Anal Igamated Association
threatened d general strike In fact the
decision TO call out all the employees of
the United States Steel Corporation had
been arrived at. The news leaked out
from the office Of the AmaIgamated As
sOciatiOu UnOfhciaIIy, and in a few sec
onds waS~being flashed over the country
At this junctUre Colonel French. of the
Republic Iron and Steel Company. step
ped into the breach He begged for fur
ther consideration and the matter was
held over for another day This resulted
IN compromise The AmaIgamated Off
ciaIs called it a victory and the members
of the organization cheeTed- An anaIy-
no victory could be discovered The sheet
steel company offered to reinstate George
II. Holloway. who was the president of
the new lodge Of the labor union formed
in MckeespoTt, If he arranged his person
al differences with Manager Persifor F.
SmitE. The other men were all to so to
work. There was to be 10 recognition Of
the union and the men were not to talk
unionism in the mills They were simply
to call it all of and begin over again on
both sides.
But trouble has broken out anew in
FtttsbJtrg- The discharge of six ma
chinIsts at the Ackees Rocks plant of the
Pressed Steel Car Company Saturday be
cause they had joined the International
@AssoclS non OF MachinistS. VIII result in
d StTiFe at that plant unless the company
reced ; from It's position and TpiESfafeS
the discharged men At meeting held
saturday night IL WAS unanimously de
clued 10 strike, and representa- tiveS Of
Tiveters and carpenters present agreed 70
stand by the raachiuiSrs
Inc enc OF the scale year is approach
lnS, JGue IS a most important month 70
the AmalgaInated men. Their scale viii
have to be signed by the various corDo-
r&tions with which they do business. The
organization OF the United States Steel
corporation mas taken into the combine
the great Carnegie mills. which have been
non-UnIon since the Homestead troubles
IN 1877. The Wood mills at NTcEeasncr+
have now been thoroughly Organized ana
Organizers Of the Anal Igaunated Associa-
ton arc now at work IN all the other mills
IS not represented.
In the big sheet steel mills at Wander
SrHL IA, the Amalganated is building
UP 2 strong Lodge It has been under y-sy-
for several months At the WaIT.rirIe
emo mllIs the same work IS going on
In az fhe mills OF the Carnegie Steel
(p,y e-oLupahy secret organ anizatioHs have been /
totiiet- ana around the nucleus thus
formed the men are raIIyIEy ia great
strength IN the mills Of the NaT{orfaI
tube COMPANY, in lTCkeesport q strong
lodge has been formed I T1tC,- - = =
these mills have been strictly Forbidden !
for years.
-, President shaffer stated that II is the
lhtehtion OF the ArualsaTnated Association
to uniOniZe every plant or,ars+lJ - -
EIted states Steel Corporation this wear
At the same time the American TTzGars
non OF Labor IS working side by side with /
the organizers for the iron workers and i /
organizing the skilled and rIns[SIFIad I
Nothhleh IN the various mills who. by I
nature UI their work are not eligible to /
membership in the AuaIear1ated
PRESIDENT ShatreT expressed himself as
entirely satisfied with the AIcKeespCrf |
settlement nat IS only the bae-inrzi7ay - (
ne sad 1t IS a finger board and We 4
VIII not lose sight of il II shows fba lfb /
- - I.li'E "Hl,h the Morgan syndicate IS /
SUNG 20 snow toward organized Ia bOr II 1
IS simply a business prGuositioD rrba |
{ hlied states Steel CORPORATION would /
f$theF settle the differences between en-
committee representing ali its hundreds |
ot thousands Of employees. than atten70f /
10 zeal with them separately. With fhe I
scale ali differences can he settled at once
ana remain settled for a year It is The /
pest and the ChCaDeSt policy
Eut President Shaffer Is not allowing t
MS confidence IN the liberal policy of + /
fierPont Morgan to lull him into Ietharg.- /
lie Is making every effort to build I'd his /
organization and IS being ably seconded ny
ITeSif:snJ GomDers- Whatever one does
tE~ other VIII do The conference in Neyv
Ork on Tuesday will determine lust how
Tar the two organizations VIII work to
Eelnef and the outlook Is that they VIII /
IN future practically be one Il IS 10 ba /
a labor trust and in he future when one |
organization has a fight on its hands II /
VIII be the duty of the other to sJ!Df,orr II
Neither President Shamer nor anvona /
else IN this district coateu1plate5 a clash !
between the steel corpora ton and its eTo
pIo\ \eS TINS summer Il Is not at all like |
y Jhat JhS Morgan Interests will invite
any trouble. and the AuaIZanla ted ana
+ edeFatlon officials do not want auv = |
IS certain that the heads of the labor o. !
sanizat!Cns viii, in the future be f.a- |!
quenuy called into the consultations Of /
the managers Of the great combine ana
everything possible viii be done to smooth !
the way of each for mutual advance
meut."