The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-01-28
HIGHER PRICES, BUT ...
WAGES ARE LOWERED
Workingmen in Western Penn
sylvania Feel Effect of Ig-
noring Labor Unions.
Former Conditions Still Exist
Despite Flattering Ante
Election Pledges.


souls. They have recently learned that
corporations also lack honor.
Positive assurances were given the
tonnage men last spring, when their
wages were reduced to meet the falling
prices of iron and steel, that with an
advance in prices their wages would
be restored. This promise was also
made tentatively previous to the ma
tional election. At that time it was
stated that if the Republican ticket
was successful the price of iron and
steet would advance and the workmen
would be benefited.
Prices have advanced. A boom has
set in and the workmen expected by
Jan. 1 that they would be benefited
by the boom.
Not so. The Carnegie Steel Com
pany has colby told it's employees they
need not expect any increase in wages.
The Illinois Steel Company, Jones &.
Laughlins and the Carnegie Steel
Company have reduced wages. Many
smaller concerns have placed the scale
of rates below living wake, and the
reduction will be severely felt when
the Amalgamated Association wage
scale expires and a new schedule for
the fiscal year is made. Hence the era
! of good times will probably be rudely
shaken by strikes, discomfort and
miserably-clad and poorly paid work.
| men.
Non-union Men Mourn.
The cold facts are in evidence at
every mill and coking plant in Western
Pennsylvania. The officials of the
| Amalgamated Association are heart
| sick over the prospects. The men who
mourn the day they accepted the
doctrine that individual efforts win
! and not collective cohesion.
! Last year the coke workers in the
| Western Pennsylvania and West Vir-
ginia fields accepted reduction of 20
! per cent. Work was scarce and thous-
ands Of the foreigners left for their
homes In Europe. Every coke worker
expected that Jan. the H. c.. Prick
| Coke Company would announce an
increase in wages Of at least 10 per
cent.
Last year coke sold as high as $275
a ton, but the average price for fur
mace coke was $3.50, which is ack-
nowledged to be profitable. During
1904 coke dropped in price to $1.40 a
ton. At that the coke concerns made
a fair profit. Now coke is selling at
2.25 a ton and is bound to go to $3.50
i because Of the extraordinary demand
! and the scarcity of labor and poor
freight conditions. The coke operators
have not make good their promises
and have given skilled workers to un-
derstand that they do not intend to.
Furnace Workers Complain.
The furnace workers of Eastern
Ohio and Western Pennsylvania are
the hardest worked class of men in
the world. Their lives are constantly
in danger and it is safer to work in a
powder will than about a blast fur
mace. During 1903 pig iron was sold
at SIS ton. 1t dropped to $12 a ton
last Summer and continued at this
price until the approach of the last
| election. It advanced continually until
| to-day pig iron Is selling at SIG ton
and promises to go higher. The fur
mace workers expected an advance in
wages as they had been promised last
year when prices were reduced
Puddlers are probably the worst off
of any of the skilled workers. as their
labor units them for other work. I'm
der the Amalgamated scale they should
earn $3.50 a ton at the present time.
Wages on a sliding scale scared to
$3.50 when bar iron sold at $32 a ton.
Bar iron slid down to $28 ton last
Summer and has since advanced to
$50 ton and the mills are filled with
orders at that.
! The puddlers under this price are
: entitled to at least $4.75 ton. The
concerns employing nonunion work
men instead of advancing the scale
reduced the price of pudding to SAFE
and some concerns followed this with
a cut to 81 ton. which is the limit
Street sweepers can make more money
than puddlers at this scale. Next
Summer the Amalgamated Association
which is upholding the price in union
, pudding plants, will have to accept a
similar reduction or strike.
Wages Reduced to 20 Per Cent.
The Illinois Steel Company, for nc
apparent reason, except that the men
had not been getting out as great a
tonnage per turn as the Carnegie Steel
workers at Homestead, Duquesne and
Edgar Thomson plants are had their
wages reduced about 20 per cent The
officials made the plea that the plant
could not be operated in competition
with eastern plants unless the wage
reduction was accepted.
The workmen had cut away from
the Amalgamated Association and
were forced to accept the offer. Last
Summer they had also been slashed
but that was when the price of COM
modities were going down. But the
last time they were reduced the price
of everything made by the Illinois
Steel Company, except rails, had ad-
vanced SIS ton. The workers in the
Chicago plants will tell inquirers that
if their company will put in the same
machinery with which the Carnegie
plants are equipped, they will be will
ing to work for the same wages.
Make Individual Contracts.
Following on the heels Of the reduc-
ton Of the Illinois Steel Company,
Jones & Laughlins, the largest inde-