The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-07-18
STEEL AUTOCRACY
MUST CAPITULATE

The autocratic conduct OF en-
ployers in the steel industry has
long been one of the outstanding
points Of industrial injustice in
America. When the great steel
companies merged into the com
bine known as the steel trust, the
employment policy, left by the
trsut agreement in the hands of
the component corporations, be-
came fiXedly anti-union. Gradual
ly this old-time policy of the sew
eral companies has become the fixed
policy of the great trust, backed by
all of the immense power of the
combine. 1t has been the policy of
the steel corporation to operate a
shop closed to union men. This
policy is a relic of the brutal past
1t has no place in the scheme of
things today.
During the convention of the
American Federation of Labor in
1918, in St. Paul, by direction of
the Convention, a conference was
held at which were present the Of
ficers of the International Unions
interested in the steel industry.
This Conference, presided over by
President Gompers, formed the
Committee for Organization of the
Steel Industry. The meeting at St.
Paul was followed by a year of
hard work, the fruits of which were
recounted at a similar but larger
conference held during the Allan
tic City Convention, just closed. In
this conference there were present
the representative of "a National
and International Unions. Much
progress was made during the year,
but the brutal, archaic policy of the
steel corporation persisted in oppo-
sition to the tide of human events
and the tide of sentiment flowing
so strongly in the direction of prog
ress everywhere.
1t was reported at this conference
that in the Pittsburg district the
right of free speech was being de-
MED by authorities in some of the
steel towns. Organizers were not
permitted to speak openly in behalf
IF the work or organization. This
denial of a fundamental right by
he exercise of arbitrary authority
IN the part of those clothed with
)rief and passing power constitutes
most fragrant breach of deep
'ooted American principles not to
)e tolerated, and the conference so
,egarded it. The result was that !
very International President in the |
conference arose and volunteered |
o go into the district to speak |
when called upon by the Organizing
Committee, facing arrest and i'm
,risonment if necessary in asser-
ion Of rights of American citizen
hip and in furtherance of the
truggle to give the workers of the
teel mills a measure of justice in
he ordering of their lives.
This is notice to the autocrats OF
he steel industry that their. auto
racy must remove itself from the
ace of the earth, or be removed by
he sweeping tide of progress that
S today leading the people every
where to better and higher concepts
# life. No such industrial auto
racy can continue to exist and
JUNCTION in this age of the worlds
development. AS political autocra-
V has gone, so must industrial
utocracy go. The roseate path OF
espots ended in the consuming fire
f the war.
There has got to be freedom in
he lives Of all men and women. The
light of few to order and direct
nd control the lives of the many is
oday denied and abrogated. For
he steel workers there can be no
reedom and no. democratic voice in
he ordering of their lives until
hey are free to organize and deal
with their employers
oncerning the wages and condi-
ions and hours of their work-un-
il they are able thus to exercise