New-York tribune., 1918-09-25
u. S. Steel Workers
To Get g. Hour
Day After Oct. l
Open Shop Principle Will
Be Continued, Finance
Committee Decides
Midvale Calls Meeting
Other Companies Expected to
Establish More Harmonious
Relations With Employees

An eight-hour basic day for the
275,o00 employees of the United States
Steel Corporation will replace the regu
lar ten-hour day on October I, as the
result of action taken yesterday by the
directors and the finance committee.
This announcement was made by Ebert
u. Gary, chairman, who said:
"The finance committee of the United
States Steel Corporation unanimously
approved the recommendation of the
chairman and presdcn of the corpora
ticn and of the presidents Of subsidiary
companies to adopt the eight hour
basic day, to become effective October
|. 1918. The open shop plan heretofore
in force throughout the works will be
continued"
Another important development which
may find fruition in the establishment
OF more friendly relations between
steel workers and their employers ap-
peared in call issued to the employees
OF the Midvale Steel and Ordnance
Company, by A. C. Dinkey, president.
asking them to meet with the vice
presidents at meeting to-day to con-
s'der plan for mutual cooperation.
Other Companies to Follow
The action of the Steel Corporation
IN establishing the cight-hour dav as
a working basis was considered doubly
significant. in view of the conference
OF steel men with the War Industries
Board in Washington, last week, at
which labor unrest came in for i'm
portant discussion. In this connection
it was learned that other leading manu-
fGcturers Will soon place their men on
an equality with the Steel Corporation
workers in respect to working hours.
i he list includes the Lackawanna Steel
Company, the Republic Iron and Steel
Company, the Youngstown Sheet and
Tube Company and the Midvale Com
rany.
The common laborers of the Steel Cor
Poratlon have been getting AZ cents an
hour for ten hours work Under the new
arrangement they will be paid the same
amount, but they will receive time and
half for overtime, and on Sundays
and holidays they will get double time,
or ga cents an hour. Should the men
continue to work ten hours a day, week
days. it IS estimated that the change
IN schedule Will be the equivalent Of
a wage increase of about 10 per cent
Since the war began the Steel Cor
poration has advanced wages directly
SIX times, while the total increase
over this period has been estimated at
about 100 Fer cent. The most recent
advance was on April Is last, when a
10 per cent raise went into effect.
Three increases of 10 per cent each
were announced in 1916 and two in
creases in 1917 The total payroll cx-
penditure for 1917 was S347 1870 400,
compared with S263 $50, ,502 in 1916.
Earnings Extremely Large
While tho company has been shar
ing its profits with the EMPLOYEES in
a handsome way, it has also made
! large distributions to stockholders and
turned over to the government in taxes
unprecedented sums, the aggregate for
lVIi amounting to more than $500
100000. Dividends on the common
stock since the latter part of 1916 have
been at the rate of 5 per cent regular
and II per cent extra.
The statement issued by Mr.. Dinkey,
head of Tie Midvale Steel and Ordnance
company, to the employees said:
The board of directors and officers
of the Midvale Steel and Ordnance
/ Company, the Cambria Steel Company
and subsidiary companies, recognizing
the fact that The prosperity Of their
companies is inseparably bound up with
the general welfare of their EMPLOYEES.
propose, with the cooperation and as
sent of their employees and for their
mutual interests, to establish a plan
for representation of employees which
hereafter will govern all relations be-
tween the companies and their en-
Dloyes.
"The past. history of these companies
has been remarkably free from serious
disputes with their wage earners, due
it is sincerely believed, to the fair
dealing which it has always been the