Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-09-20
STEEL WORKERS
AND EMPLOYERS
READY FOR TEST
Pittsburgh District Magnates
Say Mills viii Operate
Monday.
THEY DO NOT LOOK
FOR LARGE WALKOUT
American Federation Committee and
Leaders in Unions Affected to
Hold Important Conference
Within Two Weeks.

Pittsburg, Sept. 80 Preparations
tor the test of strength between or
canned labor and capital in the steel
industry throughout the United
States to begin Monday, went for
ward today with both sides appar-
emily confident of the outcome.
There were no official statements
Forthcoming from eith.r side, but in
formal talks Indicated that they were
ready for the contest
Representatives of steel companies
IN the Pittsburgh district let it be
known that they intended to operate
their plants Monday and also let the
impression go out that they do not
look Tor as large a walkout a. the
union leaders assert will take place.
Organized labor expects large turn
out OF men and predicted that the
employees will receive the surprise Of
their lives. Neither side will venture
figures. Both frankly confess they
do not know how many men will re-
main at work or fail to answer the
whistle. Monday only can tell, they
said
Steel companies in many eases are
understood to have canvassed their
men to get an idea of the number Of
men who will strike. Union leaders
said that from their experiences
these canvasses usually prove to be
Inaccurate and pointed to past strikes
where majority of men in plant
has signed up not to strike and then
quit when the time came.
All the national leaders of unions
involved in the strike had left the
city tonight for their respective head
quarters to make final plans for the
strike, and much of the activity about
tional committee had to do with the
preparations in the Pittsburgh dis
trict. While national headquarters
are in this city in charge of William
Z. Foster, secretary Of the national
committee, it was learned that much
Of the work will be conducted by dis
tricts.
A. F. of l.. Takes Hand
Mr.. Foster in answer to queries
said that all men in non-union mills
have been asked to strike. None will
be left to preserve company property;
such as keeping up furnace fires and
prevent ore from cooling, he said
1t was given out here that an i'm
portant meeting of the executive
council of the American Federation Of
Labor and representatives of the UNI
ions in the strike will be held prob
ably in Pittsburgh within two weeks.
Questions of financing the contest, it
was said, would be taken up. Ac-
cording to the letter addressed to
President Wilson last night by the
national committee the unions coop
Grating in the strike have total
membership of two million.
M. F. Tighe, international presi-
dent of the Amalgamated Association
of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers,
speaking today of the issues involved
in the strike said the twelve demands
voted upon by the steel workers, are
not the stumbling block to a settle
ment. He said that the United States
Steel Corporation is clouding the is
sue when it asserts that the unions
are fighting for "closed shop" "All
we want is a conference" he said.
"They have not even given us a chance
to ask them if they are satisfied to
have a closed shop"