Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-19
Labor Leaders On
Way Home From The
Pittsburgh Meeting To
Arrange For Big Strike
Many Unions Represented.
CONTINUED from page i,

Ea * 141ASAyF ~ v 4SLEIO0OAAV0AAs -Ast H
The following unions said to
ings of the NATIONAL committee:
B~lacksmiths, bOilermakers and iron
ship builders, brick an clay workers,
bricklayers, ~plasterers and mason
and structural iron workers,
electrical workers, foundry
iron. steel and tin workers,
machinists, metal p%olishers, mine,
mill and smelter workers. molders.
pattern makers, plumbers and steam
men. seamen, sheet metal workers,
stationary fremen. steam and oper-
ating engineers, steam shovel and
dredgeman and switchmen.
Make Twelve Demands.
The twelve demands Of the steel
workers are:
Right Of collective bargaining.
Reinstatement of men discharged
for union activities.
An 8-hour day.
One days rest in seven.
Abolition of the 24-hour shifts.
Increase in wages sufficient to guar
antee American standard of living.
Standard scales Of wages in all
trades and classification of workers.
Double rate Of pay for all overtime.
IOilOdy anu ouIludy WIN. -
Check-off system of collecting
union dues and assessments.
Principles Of seniority to apply in
maintenance, reducing and increase
of working forces.
Abolition of company unions.
Abolition of physical examination
of applicants for employment.
send Letter to Wilson.
Pittsburgh. Sept. 18.-The stee
workers national committee late to-
night made public a letter it ha.
drafted and sent to President Wilson
giving eleven why it could not
comply with his request to postpone
next Monday. The letter also recite.
the history Of the movement to better
the conditions Of the workers and ex'
presses faith in the presidents de
sire to bring about a conference will
employers.
Regret Outcome.
We regret that for the first tim,
your call upon organized labor canno
meet with favorable response" thu
letter states. IF delay were no NOR
than delay, even at the COS of los
of membership in our organizations
we would urge the same to the fulles
of our ability. notwithstanding tn
! men are firmly set for an immediate
| strike. But delay here means tn
! surrender Of all hope"
The text Of the letter is as follows
Answering your request through
Samuel Gompers, president of tn
; American Federation of Labor, tina
dustry of this country be postponed
! from September 20 next, until ate
a conference called by you to meet i
| Washington on October s, We respect
fully make the following report:
Great Unrest for Years.
For years. there has been grea
unrest among the steel workers OF gu
country because Of the unusual, un
American and despotic industrial con
ditions. Finding no redress in indi
vidual efforts, the men %naturall
sought, by the example Of othe
workers through their organization.
to associate themselves for .collectiv
defense. Oppression growing beyon
endurance, the call for assistance t
redress grievances came from ever
quarter of the. industry to the St. Pal
! convention of the American Fedora
ton OF Labor, held in June. 1918.
committee consisting of represents
tives of the. crafts engaged in this in
dustry we're ordered to and did max
Investigation. They found the fiel
! over-ripe for organization. The er
rollment of membership grew by lear
and bounds. Relief from their OF
preston was imminent, and yet. o,
Of patriotic consideration to OF
cause, they endured the continue
suffering without cessation of the
labor to the end that despotisl
abroad might not gain thereby al
and comfort.
9S Per Gent for Strike.
Immediately after armistice =:
declared, the men insisted upon ha'