Evening star., 1946-01-21
No Raise, No Work
Says Strike Leader
AT Homestead Steel
By the Associated Press.


HOMESTEAD, Pa, Jan. 2l.-
We're going to stay out til we
get that raise :"
In those words a steel strike cap-
tain summed his view while stand
ing in a raging snowstorm early to-
day outside the darkened Home
stead works Of Carnegie Illinois
Steel Corp.
A dozen men slowly trudged a
long, oval pattern in the snow,
picketing the plant entrance. Some
wore boots and hunting clothes as
protection against the wet and cold
One by one they took turns toast
ing hands and feet at a flaming
coal tire built in an empty oil drum,
"salamander."
The strike captain, Barney
Shields, was enthusiastic.
I'VE have about a thousand men
picketing, I guess" he said. I'VE
have about 5000 members in all
here, including about 300 women
and every one will get a postcard
telling when and where to report for
strike duty.
Each will picket one day a week.
On that day he'll picket two hours,
go OF two hours, then picket two
hours more.
"A man has got to have a good
excuse, very good one, not to re-
port for picket work. If he fails
to show up he gets fined S. If he
refuses to show up he gets fined $40
and he won't be able to hold any
union Office for two years. 1 don't
think Wen have any refusals or any
failures"
Some pickets carried large printed
placards saying: "USA-CIO Local
1897 steel workers are on strike"
Others wore smaller cards stuck in
their hatbands. The captains had
satin armbands letered strike cap
tain"
Mr.. Shields is the locals record
ing secretary and assistant chairman
of its Picket Committee. He and
another strike captain, 54-year-old
John Sharp, said they had worked
out a deal with a lunch counter
down the street to furnish coffee
and doughnuts to pickets at all
hours. Pickets get tickets emitting
them to the eats paid for by the
union
Merchants Helpful.
But that's only temporary,
Mr.. Shields explained. Our mer-
chants here have been very helpful.
"A hardware store man gave us
big steel urn for making coffee.
Others have given us all kinds of
equipment and utensils. We're
going to open our own feeding setup
in union headquarters and the
women will serve"
The strikers said it was only right
for the towns businessmen to help
because they depend on us Just as
much as we depend on them"
There's going to be something
big every day down here" Mr..
Shields declared. Wen have prom
inent people in the picket lines,
you'll be surprised.
You know it's funny thing
but these steel strikes seem to run
in cycles of 27 years. The first
big one was in 1892, the next in
1919 and now it's here again in
1916. So maybe this is the year"
10 Killed in 1892 Strike.
One day of picketing, Mr.. Sharp
said. will feature only veterans of
that first 1892 strike In the picket
lines, men in their seventies. The
1892 strike at Homestead was
marked by one of the bloodiest labor
fights in the Nations history. Ten
men were killed.
The union had amplifiers set I'D
to carry speakers words to crowds
of strikers outside the hall at
mass meeting last night. Two of
the things the speakers said were
that there must be no violence and
no liquor.
We're all set to stay out until
we get what we're after" Mr..
Shields insisted.