The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-26
5 GREAT PLANTS
ARE EINVOLVEDIN
WALKOUT ORDER
Quick Action by Bethlehem
Workers After Company's
Head Bars Arbitration.
10000 OR MORE IN PLANTS
Concern Is Largest Independ-
ent Steel Manufacturer
i'm United States.
10000 OR MORE IN PLANTS

BETHLEHEM, Pa, Sept. 25.-Follow-
ing the refusal of E. G. Grace, presi-
dent of the Bethlehem Steel Corpora
ton, to grant the conference re-
quested by the American Federation
of Labor committee for organizing
iron and steel workers the general
committee of the labor organizations
In the Bethlehem plant of the corpo-
ration voted unanimously tonight to
strike at 8 o'clock Monday morning.
David Williams, general organizer
for machinists, who is In charge of
the strike movement here, received
word over the telephone from Will
lam z. Foster, secretary of the ma
tional committee, that the reply of
President Grace was unsatisfactory.
He received no detailed information
as to what the reply contained. but a
meeting of the general organization
committee of the Bethlehem plant was
called and the strike ordered.
Mr.. Williams said tonight that the
reply of Mr.. .Grace was being consid.
cred by the national committee at a
meeting in Pittsburg this evening
For several hours Mr.. Williams tried
to get in telephone communication
with Mr.. Foster, but without success.
Everything to BE Tied Up Tight.
"Hcw has the reply of Mr.. Grace
impressed us?" said Mr.. Williams.
"It has impressed to such an extent
that our general committee voted
100 per cent. strike. The reply has
not got us bluffed one bit. If you
will be around here on Monday morn
ing you will see not n 10 per cent.
strike, but you will see everything
tied up tight. This Is the final fight
between capital and labor, and we are
going to fight to finish. If the men
In the steel mills have their way they
will tie up the whole country"
The strike vote was taken at the
headquarters Of Mr.. Williams, COS
Hamilton street, Allentown. Mr.. Will
Jams occupies two rooms on the third
floor. One Of them is used as an Of
fee Of the international Machlnists
Union and of the Pennsylvania Labor
Herald, trade paper owned by Mr..
Williams. The other room is used as
an assembly room for organization
meetings
Five Plants to he Affected.
The plans for the Bethlehem Steel
Company strike include a simultaneous
walk out OF all Of the workers In the
corporations five steel plants. They are
located at Bethlehem. Steelton, Reading
and Sparrows Point. Maryland. No word
was received tonight from the organiza-
tion workers in the other plants. Mr..
Williams said that he was waiting to
hear from the national committee before
he advises the local organizations to go
ahead. The vote taken by the Bethlehf m
general co-lmittee was a spontaneous
protest to the refusal of President Grace
to arbitrate.
Mr.. Williams would not say this eve
ming how many men the strike order
would affect. He simply said that the
walkout would be 100 per cent, and that
the plants would be tied up.
According to a circular letter written
to all OF the local unions which have
members employed In the Bethlehem
plants, the main thing that the workers
want are recognition OF the A. F. OF L.
In steel plants. the same rate OF wages
that are now in force in the shipyards OF
the Bethlehem Steel Corporation and the
right OF collective bargaining.
Mr.. Williams says that the collective
bargaining system that ls now in effect
is a failure. AS an instance Of It's fall
ure to work, Mr.. Williams cited the case
of a number OF men who a few weeks
ago had been promised time and q half
for work on Saturday afternoons. He
said that the promise had been made by
Quincy Bent. one OF the officials OF the
CORPORATION.
When the men tried to get time and
half time from their foreman they were
turned down. A committee then tried
TO get a conference with Mr.. Bent to
see what the trouble was and they say
they have never been able to sec him
since.
obey the strike order still vary from 10
per cent to 100 per cent, Organization
leaders say that their strength is in
creasing and point to the 100 per cent.
vote as an indication. People who do
not believe that more than small per-
centage of the men in the unions will 20
out say that most of the steel workers
'N"'- N"'0 h~mes and want no inter-
ruption in their work.
Tue Bethlehem Steel Company is the
larg' 81 Independent steel corporation in
the United States employing between
10000 and 10000 men.