New-York tribune., 1920-12-02
Iron and Steel
Mills of Ohio
Cutting Wages
Sharp Reductions i'll Prices
Of Finished Products Lead
tn Downward Revision of
Mahoning Valley Pay
Skilled Men Hit First
Small Plants Close and
Employees Accept Cut
Rather Than Remain Idle
sn.sol pispatcn to The T4soure

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, Dec. 1.-Sharp
~eductions in prices Of iron and steel
uroducts in the last month presage a
wage revision in the industry, accord
ing to the belief in influential manu-
featuring quarters.
This readjustment IS already under
way in the Mahoning Valley, where the
campaign to lower production costs is
in full swing. Revised wage rates
downward for employees in open-hearth
furnaces and plate mills are being
worked out, to become effective in some
Of the larger plants from December /.
Just how far reaching the wage re-
adjustment will become, manufacturers
are somewhat cautious to predict,
though it is the impression that large
body of employees in the industry will
be affected
Workers, on the other hand, have in
many cases privately expressed the
opinion that they would be willing to
accept a reduction in wages if such
regular employment.
Wage rates of certain employee.
who are paid more than similar en-
ployees of the United States Steel Cor
poration will be reduced to the level of
wages of that concern" said President
James A. Campbell, of the Youngstown
Sheet and Tube Company, which en-
ploys about 12,5O0 workmen.
Premium Rates Abolished
Mr.. Campbell explained that because
Of the necessity of manning plate mills
during the war, when labor was scarce
premium rates were offered to get
workers. These premium wage rates
will now be eliminated, owing to the
closer market competition in the fin
ished products. Other groups of work
men will be affected, among them en-
ployees in steel-maXing and correlated
departments
Late in November Mr.. Campbell is
sued q statement to employees of the
concern, declaring that, while it was
not likely any general reduction in
wages would come about for some time,
ut will surely come later on" when
the cost Of living has been reduced.
The statement was interpreted as a
means Of preparing employees for u
readjhstment in wages all along the
line.
During the last week an employee in
the storehouse cf the Republic Iron
and Steel Company was notified that
n fo he
to $3.50 month, though this is said to
be an isolated case.
Some of the smaller interests have
adopted the expedient of dismissing
their working forces and rehiring them
after short suspension at lower
wages. Tie men were given the alter
native OF remaining idle or accepting
cut and chose the latter.
The impression is growing that en-
ployees in comparatively few branches
Of the industry and allied lines will
escape the revision.
Common Labor Unaffected Now
It is not thought common laborers
will be affected for the present, though
they will eventually share in the re-
ductions. The prevailing wage rate for
common labor in the valley, both in the
Steel Corporation and Independent
mills, is as cents an hour and time and
half for overtime. Most of the labor
ers in the mills work twelve hours
and thus earn S6.44, or S19320 a month,
working thirty days.
number of interests have under
consideration plan to substitute
three eight-hour shifts for the two
shifts daily and thus abolish the
overtime. Besides effecting a substan-
tial saving in the money. paid for
wages this would afford employment
to larger number Of men. Most of
the foreigners prefer, however, to
work the longer hours