Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-25


patrick continued, were looking for
relief. They had no hope. They
responded in large numbers and 1t
was only a short time until we had
very successful organization"
up to that time there had been
no unionism in the steel mills 2"
asked Chairman Kenyon.
NO" Fitzpatrick replied. About
that time - October 1918 - the
steel corporation was resorting to
every effort to force action on the
part of the men or of the labor or
ganization to spread their influence.
| They announced establishment of
4, the eight-hour day and we know
that was an effort to prevent our
organization"
Senator Jones, Democrat, New
! Mexico, asked whether the employees
had made application to the Ameri-
| ization, or whether the movement
had been initiated by the American
Federation of Labor.
"The American Federation of
Labor initiated the movement, F1tz-
patrick replied.
WAS there no movement of the
men inviting the organization
asked Senator Jones.
mo, only as the men met in diff
| 1eTenI lOCdllleS tiiiu SApA SSSSO SASAA
desires"
why was it incumbent on the
American Federation of Labor to
organize the steel Industry" Senator
| Jones asked.
"It was a bad spot in the indus
trial situation" Fitzpatrick replied.
"In the steel industry the hours are
long, the wages small and the treat
ment - you can't describe the treat
ment."
100000 Employees
These conditions. he added, led
other large employers to consider
| imposing similar conditions on their
| employees, and so for the benefit of
| organized workers everywhere in the
| country, organization of the steel
! industry was deemed essential by
| the leaders of the labor movement.
How many men are employed in
steel mills?" asked Senator Ken
| yon.
I'VE figure about 100000" Fitz-
! patrick replied.
Continuing his statement, Fitz-
patrick said the steel corporation
| finally gave assurances that it would
establish the eight-hour day. but the
steel workers paid no attention.
Meetings Suppressed
Demands kept coming from
! YOUNGSTOWN, Pittsburgh, that organ
! iZers be sent to help them" he said.
"The first opposition was met in
McKeesport We were told there
we could have no meetings in rented
halls or lots.
I'VE went to McKeesport and put
the matter before the city author
tiles. The mayor said we couldn't
meet there and the city council said
the mayor had full authority"
This was in October, 1918, FitZ-
patrick said, and the issue was
brought to Washington.
"President Gompers of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, wrote the
mayor" he continued, and the
Governor of Pennsylvania. There
was no answer"
Everywhere the organizers went
they met opposition, Fitzpatrick
said.
But we went on as best we
in the outskirts of cities and else
where, and the men came and signed
up. BY May we had something over
| $4,000 men in the various districts.
These men wanted to take immediate
action, but we prevailed upon them
to wait until other points were or
| ganized."
First Effort in May
The first effort to obtain confer
ence with Judge Gary was made last
May, the witness said. This was by
the tin workers. They received
an answer stating that the corpora
ton would not meet the representa-
tives of labor, but would do business
as they had in the past" said Fitz-
patrick.
After the steel situation had been
discussed at the convention last June
OF the American Federation of
Labor, President Gompers wrote
Chairman Gary. Fitzpatrick said,
adding:
"That letter was ignored, abso-
lutely. There was no reply"
In continuing the steel workers
union organizers were Jailed and
opposed in every possible way"
Finally on July 20, he said, the "a
steel unions Representatives decided
to take a strike vote of the men.
THE organizations responded
Unanimously" the witness continued,
land on August 20, we had reports
that 90 per cent. of the men the
unions were able to get an expression
from had authorized their represen-
tatives to call a strike if they were
| UNABLE 10 get IL COHleIenCe WIFI lnt
corporation heads"
9S Per Cent. Strike Vote
Did you have the total number
of men who voted on the strike 2"
asked Senator Wolcott, Democrat,
Delaware.
mo, each union took it's own
vote"
Did you have any figures to show
the number of men who voted in
each union?"
mo, we didn't get them. Each
union got its own figures and re-
/ for the strike. The average for the
"a unions was 9S per cent"
Fitzpatrick said 100000 men out
of 500, 900 in the steel industry were
in unions when the strike vote was
taken, but added that when the
workers saw hope, $4,000 more
| joined"
$4,000 on Strike
Asked as to the number now af-
fiiated, he said 100000 had Joined
the strike.
I'VE compiled the vote, and au-
thorized a committee to approach
Judge Gary and get conference"
he said. I'VE went to Judge Gary's
Office and he sent out word asking
| to be excused from a personal in
| terview, but saying we could sub
nit our proposals in writing. We
| did so, and got letter from him
| saying that he did not consider us
to be representatives of the men,"
Gary Could Have Stopped
IF Judge Gary had consented to