The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-09-20
Both Sides Express Confidence
in Outcome of Strike Effective
Monday in All Non-UniOn
Steel and Blast Plants.
UNIONS CLAIM 90 PER
CENT CONTROL OF MEN
Steel Companies in Pittsburg
District Say Only About 20
Per Cent Men Organized and
That They Expect to Continue

Pittsburgh, Sept 19.-Preparations
by both sides for test of strength
between organized labor and capital
in the steel industry went forward to-
day with both sides apparently con-
fident of the outcome of the strike,
which is due to begin Monday.
Representatives of the steel COM
panies of the Pittsburgh district said
they intended to operate Monday, and
indicated they are not looking for as
large a walkout as union leaders have
asserted. The latter claim about 90
per cent are oragnized.
Headquarters of the national COM
mittee for organizing iron and steel
workers was a busy place today, pre-
parations going forward rapidly for
inaugurating the strike of steel work.
ers next Monday morning. Organizers
and district officers were given in
structions and sent out to the mill
communities making up the Pitts
burgh district
Headquarters here are in charge of
William z. Foster. secretary treasurer
reports today, he said, except that
enthusiastic meetings" had been held
by workers in differnt parts of the
Pittsburg district and that the men
were ready to quit.
Mr.. Foster said he wanted to make
it clear that the strike is called against
every irGsl and steel mill nnd -rrast
furnace in the United states not work
ing under union apraeyr.ar,fs
John Fitzpatrick, OF Chicago, chair
man of the national committee, is
in Washington today, making a report
to Samuel Gompers. president of the
American Federation of Labor. It was
learned that one of the things to be
discussed there is a proposal to be
held in Pittsburg within the next two
weeks a meeting of all the unions in
.yolved and the executive council Of the
federation.
Word came from McKeesport, Pa,
today that the hot mills OF the Port
yue plant of the McKeesport Tin Plate
Company. shut down last night,
throwing about 1900 men out of work.
This is an independent concern. The
reason given by the company was con-
gestion in the finishing department.
Union organizers said they were of the
opinion the company was getting
ready for the strike Monday. There Is
much speculation going on here as to
the number of men who will answer
the strike call. Responsible union
leaders said they would not give the
figures, and there were none forth
coming from corporation sources. Re-
ports that 100000 would quit in the
district between Youngstown, Ohio,
and Johnstown. Pa. could not be con-
firmed, and are regarded as merely
speculative.
The United States steel corporation
claims that only Is per cent of it's
employees are organized. while the
union leaders assert that the majority
of the men are members of unions.
David J. Davis. assistant president
of the Amalgamated Association OF
Iron, Steel and Tin Workers, the
largest union involved in the strike,
said today he had telgrams indicating
that officers of some independent
companies whose employees are partly
organized, are encouraging the unioni-
zation of the remainder of their men
so as to prevent shutdown. Inde-
pendent plants include all concerns not
owned by the United States steel cor
poration. Mr. Davis would not name
the plants. Neither would Mr.. Davis
give the number of companies
throughout the United States that are
working under union agreements
Discussing the grievances at issue
with the United States steel corpora
ton, Mr.. Davis said that dealing with
the union does not necessarily mean
a closed shop. What the union wants,
he said, was an opportunity to confer
with the corporation officials.
All hopes for a postponement Of the
strike until after the industrial con-
ference in Washington, October 6, as
requested by President Wilson, were
lost yesterday when the committee
voted down a motion to rescind the
strike order and adopted motion
favoring the walkout-
In letter dispatched to President
Wilson last night, the committee as
serted that it's entire membership. the
presidents Of twenty-four interra-
tional unions, representing over two
million organized men," desired to
comply with his request for post
ponement of the strike If possible,
and that action would have been taken
had 1t not been for certain facts,
which were embodied in the commu
nication-