The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-26
Pa,
OUTLOOK SHOWS
LABOR HARD HIT
Union Bureaucratic In
Deal With Bosses
BY FRED &. MERRlcK,
Organizer, Workers Party, for the
Pittsburgh, Pa, District.

| TtLASDNi9 Ht Fa'y OtSAilS1'
PITTSBURGH, Pa, April 25.--The
industrial situation in the Pittsburgh
District this May Day may be sum
married. as follows:
COAL MINING coal mining in.
dustry is in deplorable condition
An understanding between the union
bureaucrats and the Pittsburgh Coal
Company has resulted in a wholesale
campaign of discharge and blacklist.
ing that has depopulated about TWEEN
ty-five camps of militants.
These camps are now favored with
steady work so as to make them hot
beds of reaction. This is easy to do,
for such concerns as the Pittsburgh
Coal Company, subsidiary of the
United States Steel Corporation. AS
they don't need much coal now, they
are working few camps most of the
time and letting the rest stand idle.
At the present time the mines of the
Pittsburgh district are probably not
working more than 20 per cent ca
pacity.
RAILROADS The Pennsylvania
Railroad has been successful in pre-
venting the shopmen from winning
their strike, and as result the rail-
road stock of this road is in very poor
condition.
The industrial additions on the
railroads in this locality are in very
good ccnultion at the present time.
I STEEL INDUSTRY - There has
been notable decrease in the de7
mand for steel in the last sixty days,
without much actual reduction in en-
ployes.
The United States Steel Corporation
has steadied its price in order to keep
the mills going. This means the in
dependent mills will suffer soon.
The tinplate mills are all working
steady, as this is the beginning of
their busy season. But there is a gen.
eral feeling, both between the men
and the employers, that there will
soon be a back recession in this in.
dustry.
BUILDING TRADES-Due to abb
normal conditions, the building trades
are enjoying boom in Pittsburgh at
the present time. 1t can pretty we'll
be settled that the end of the present
season will complete a cycle of extern
sive industrial and commercial con-
struction which has been going on for
several years.
Due to these conditions, practically
all of the building trades maintained
their wage scales, with some increase.
The carpenters were successful in get
ting a considerable raise, making their
total wages $11 a day.
STREET RAILWAYS-Th largest
local union in the Pittsburgh district
is the street car mems union, with a
membership of more than 1000. They
have just demanded an increase in
wages to take effect May 1.
The managers of the railways COM
pany, altho admitting they made a
profit of about $4,000 900, emphaticalIy
informed the city council today that
they will not grant any wage increase.
They stated that the men should be
well satisfied and there has been a
decided decrease in passenger trips on
the lines in the last few weeks, with
prospects of still further decrease in
the future.
They claim that in other cities de.
creases have been accepted by local
unions, and that the men are making
unreasonable demands.
NEEDLE Pittsburgh is
not a good needle trades town, and
things are in rather demoralized
state here at the present time. There
Is little chance of improvement, and
quite a possibility of recessions. Busy
season, of course, will soon be over.
FOOD INDUSTRY-Most of the
bakers unions suffered serious de
feats in the conflict with the Ward
Baking Company and are trying des
perately to improve their situation
The foreign locals Jared better thar
the American and strengthened Their
position during the strike.
METAL TRADES-There is a meta
trades campaign on under the auspices
OF the American Federation of Labor
but there are tremendous obstacles &c
overcome. The employers of course
In the district have powerful organ
izations and unlimited espionage.
What will be the result of this cam
paign we cannot say, except that th.
Reds" are giving their best support.