The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-09-11
'STRKE ORDER ISSUED
. IN STEEL INDUSTRY
Heads Of Twenty-Four
Unions Disregard Pres
dents Plea for Delay,

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1l.-Regard-
ess of the request OF President VIII
ION that they take no action pending
lie coming Industrial conference, rep
esentatiyes Of organized workers in
he8steel industry late yesterday called
strike, effective September %, to
ompel recognition Of their unions, and
i the principle of collective bargain
ng BY the United States Steel Cor
loration.
The executive council of the twenty
our unions represented among the
Workers made known their decision N
III announcement issued after they
iad8requested the President by tele-
.faph for a more definite statement as
B the possibilities Of arranging con-
erence with steel corporation officials
md after they had received a reply
rom the President asking that they
Withhold action until after the indus
rial conference.
The statement issued by the union
leads follows:
The twenty-four international
ttiions In the steel industry and affili-
ifed with the American Federation OF
Jabor, having exhausted every hon
srabie and possible means Of securing
conference with the United States
teeI Corporation for the purpose OF
itscussing the intolerable and brutal
conditions under which the men are
compelled to work, and having failed
nthese efforts, have decided by unan-
NOUS vote to cease work on Monday,
September %.
The representatives of these inter-
NATIONAL unions have for the past four
months tried every conceivable means
d secure conference with Judge
larry, representing the United States
Steel Corporation. A personal letter
rom President Gompers, to Judge
5sry was totally ignored. Later on
committee awaited on Judge Gary in
New York and were refused an audi
nee. Subsequently they we're advised
through letter signed by Judge Gary
hat he would not deal with union la
,or representatives which is an abso-
ute denial to his employees Of the
dght Of collevtive bargaining.
1.-THE executive council of the Amer
can Federation of Labor brought the
situation to the attention of the chief
executive Of this nation. President
Wilson, for the purpose of securing his
Incorporation in arranging confer
ence. Up until the present time the
committee has not been advised that
the efforts of the President have been
my more successful than the efforts
pf President Gompers and the COM
nittee representing the employees.
While we were engaged in these eff
forts, the most un-American outrages
and unlawful tactics were employed to
destroy our unions. In Western Penn
sylYania we were denied the rights OF
free speech and free assembly, own
ers OF meeting places were prevented
from permitting our gatherings in
their halls. Mass and street meetings
were broken up with the pretex, that
NE did not have permits for the same,
Ia spite of the fact that it was impos-
sible to secure such permits from the
steel mill town officials, who are own
ed body and soul by the steel interests.
Our organizers have been jailed and
fined for attempting to speak to our
members, Our meetings have been
picketed by hundreds of gunner,
thugs and company officials, in an eff
tort to browbeat and intimnate the
workers from meeting together to dis
cuss their grievances. Thousands OF
our members have been discharged for
no other reason than having become
members Of our union.
I All OF this, with the cold -bloodeu
and brutal murder of seven of our
organizers and members by steel mill
guards and professional gunner dur
ing the past few days, have made it
Impossible to restrain the employees
any longer. In view Of the stubborn
and uncomprOmising attitude of thb
steel trust officials, there is no alter
native left to the committee except to
comply with the demand of the steel
workers for release and to declare a
strike to become effective Monday,
september o."