Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-11
COMP ANY TREATS
REPRESENTATIVES
Of ORGANIZATION
D|SCOURTEOUSLY
Refuses to Allow Delegates to
Go On Property For Purpose
of Promoting Union Cause,
Is One Charge.
SAYS MEN HAVE BEEN
ATTACKED BY HIRELINGS
Employees Cannot Be Longer
Restrained and Gigantic
Strike Is To Be Called As.
Result of Conditions.
nv sorS'So JouRsAL .pr-pL lt.sso w,aEl

tey hoFhiNo JOUR SAL PE-isL LEssEp wiREl
Washington, Sept. 10.-Regardless
of the request of President Wilson
that they take no action pending the
coming industrial conference, repre-
seEtatives of organized workers in the
steel industry late today called a
strike, effective September 20, to COM
pei recognition Of their unions and
of the principles of collective bargain
ing by the United States steel corpo-
ration.
The executive council of the twenty
four unions represented among the
workers made known their decision in
an announcement issued today after
they had requested the president by
telegraph for "more definite state
ment' as to the possibilities of ar
ranging a conference with steel corpo-
ration officials and after they had re-
eeved reply from the president ask
ing that they withhold action until
after the industrial conference.
The presidents telegram was not
made public by the steel union heads
but its context became known in
Washington tonight through press
dispatches In their statement the
not been advised that tho efforts Of
tlles' 'gFsstdesls fd bnei' Elore sue-
sses, f.si than the efforts q t9s s85s.a'
iiidicuiS Gary's Glaze.
Ufion OFFICIALS tonight firmly res
fused to indulge in any speculation re-
garding the extent of the strike,
though a declaration attributed to
Judge Gary of the steel corporation
that the steel workers were not more
than 10 per cent organized. was ridi-
culed as erroneous. The steel corpo-
ration was sale to employ about 262,-
600 persons and the entire industry
nearly 100000. In some places, it was
said, the men are 95 per cent organ
lied and at virtually all mills, organ
izers have been active for weeks and
still are working to obtain recruits for
the unions.
This campaign of organization
union officials said, has been opposed
vigorously by the mill owners who
were said to have adopted every pos
made that at least 100, 900 men in the
Pittsburgh district, 100, 900 in the Chi
cago district and $4,000 in scattered
areas. employed by independently as
well as by the steel corporation, had
been brought into the union and would
answer the call for dropping their
tools. In addition. union officials
said, the strike would have wide rami-
fications by its effect on other indus
tries.
Evidence of the bitterness existing
in the relations between the unions
and the steel mills was seen in allega-
tions made in the statement by the
union heads announcing the strike.
Seven union members and organizers,
the statement said, had been killed re-
Gently by the farmer guards and
thugs employed by the companies.
Statement BY Unions.
The statement issued by the union
heads said:
'sThe "a international unions in the
steel industry and affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor, having
exhausted every honorable and posi-
BILE means of securing conference
with the United States Steel corpora
tion for the purpose of discussing the
intolerable and brutal conditions un-
der which the men are compelled to
work, and having failed in these ef-
forts, have decided by unanimous
vote to cease work on Monday, Sep
temher 22.
The representatives of these inter-
national unions for the past four
months tried every conceivable means
to secure conference with Judge
Gary, representing the United States
Steel corporation. A personal letter
from President Gompers to Judge
Gary was totally ignored Later on q
committee waited upon Judge Gary
in New York and were refused an
audience. Subsequently they were ad-
vised through letter signed by Judge