The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-07
10000 GET STEEL
CORPORATION RAISE
Increase Of 10 Per Cent. TO
Add $4,000. 900 to 49,
OOO. 1000 to Payroll.
FORESTALLS ANY STRIKE

The United states steel Corporation
announced yesterday that II had decided
10 increase the wages Cf practically al
Of Its laborers 10 per cent. This will
affect between 10000 and $4,000 em-
ployees and will entail an !ncreasc OF
between $4,000. 900 ard si5.ooo,ooo in
the company's auuual payroll.
While the Steel Corporation said that
the wage advances were heirg made
In view Of prosperous conditions Wall
Street saw in the increased payroll L
movement TO for,stail any strikes for
higher wages and demands for a greater
share OF the comran!'s profits by i;s la
borers. Several hundred employees OF
the Republic Iron ond Steel Company.
the Crucible Steel Company and the
Youngstown Sheet and Tub Company
are now on strike for an increase in
wages.
The formal statement lssued regarding
tho wage increase by judge Ebert II
Gary. chairman o. the United States
Steel Corporation. follows:
In view Of the prosperous conditions
uON tNlSNlUE war UNANIMOUSLY
voted at a meeting Of presidents Of
our iron and steel companies. held to-
day. to recommend tina. there should
be made adjustments of the WAC"
rates to take effect Feb uary | and
at a subsequent meeting of the finance
committee II was unanimously decided
to adopt the recommendation OF the
presidents. Ii * proposed to increase
the rates OF common labor about 10
per cent. As TO OF ier departments In
creases will be cquitably p'oporiioned.
Adjustments in wage rates In ouf
mining companies are under cons'd-
GRAFTON.
The last increase i'm the wage OF the
Steel Corporations employees was given
in February. 1913. and amounted to
practically 10 per cent. or an average
Of 81 900. Ooo a month. The Steel Corr
poration now has about 100000 ON
ployees. compared with 229.o00. the
number in 1913. In 1914 there were
only 1888 employees. Approximately
$50 600 OF the 10000 employees are
laborers and will he directly affected
BY this wage Increase. They are getting
on an average Of about 90 cents an
hour, or 81 for q ten hour day. Cnder
the advanced wage scheme they will
receive al increase Of two rents an
hour. or SEQ a year a man. For 100000
employees this will mean an Increase
Of about $4,000 0o0 a year. Other labor
ers will be affected. however. and 1t is
estimated hat the compiny's payroll
will be increased SIS .00o. 600. The tota!
payroll In 1874 was Si62.31Y.e01, when
there were 1856 employees. The
average wage paid to all employees Of
the Steel Corporation in 1914 was Se.Sj
a day, Or three cents a day less than
In 1918.
For the last few weeks OF
. desire for higher wages in the steel
mills have been creeping into New York
from all Of the steel centres. The labo:-
ers in these mills. like those in the am
munition plants and ordnance factories.
have felt II was only right that they
should obtain a larger share In the bic
profits which their employers We're reap
in.
The Steel Corporation has always
done much to benefit the home. social
and physical conditions of employees
through building Of model settlements
around the steel plants. Ia some Of the
steel settlements doctors and nurses
have attended the employees and their
families without charge. In addition the
Steel Corporation has devised a pens on
scheme and a profit sharing scheme
which are looked upon as models Of
s'N'a wv wv l'l' NV ~ NJ
most every year the employees OF the
company are given the opportunity to
subscribe to the common and preferred
stocks at figures well below the current
market prices and prizes have been
given to induce the men to retain their
inves' lents in the corporations securi-
ties.
The Steel Corporation was one Of The
hrst big Industrial concerns in the coun-
- 10 arg RHg. tl.. to- 60, G-asf ---.
paign, n IA" reduction in the number
OF accidents which has followed this
crusade has been large.
The employees of the Republic Iron
and Steel Company who are on strike
are said to he receiving about 49,. cents
an hour and have asked for an increase
TO 20 cents an hour. The officials Of
the company offered them 80 cents an
hour and the leaders Of the demand for
increased " ges. being dissatisfied with
this proposed Increase. went on strike.