ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1956-06-27
Croatian Immigration
To Allegheny County
BY STJEPAN GAZI, Member, Lodge 20


Unions - Particular position of immigrants
The huge demands for supplies during the Civil War
brought about enormous progress in the develop
ment of Pttsburghs steel industry Post reconstuc
tons and the trend of expansion towards the west helped
it to gain steadily in Importance. After year of panic
1873 Pittsburgh and it's vicinity entered new era of
industrial prosperity Steel iron and coal magnates began
to make their appearance in Allegheny County.
The following decades witnessed the mpacable march
of industry which, by introducing other methods created
host of problems and new demands.
The old working class did not accept the changed
conditions without protests and requests to have their
in it, Opportunities in other parts of America at
tracted many veteran Those who stayed left their jobs
for new asked for better working conditions and
higher wages
The detection of the old worlmen from their jobs put
the evergrowng industry before the problem of replacing
the deserers by Europe alone could fulfill these
requirements AS Germany very soon failed to send imm
grants Northern Europe by itself unable to satisfy
Americas needs. Hence Central East and South Europe
chief providers of cheap labor for the United
States industries during the eighties.
Along the rivers in Allegheny County steel mill
followed the other. The Edgar Thompson Works were
founded 1873 the Homestead Works in $780, and Car
negie and Frck created in 1882 big enterprise which in
1901 became the United States Steel Corporation In 1872
Westinghouse opened plant the Westinghouse
Electric and Manufacturing Company in East Pittsburgh
These only few but most important companies
which among others employed the new European mmi-
grafton including the Croats whom destiny had brought
to Allegheny County,
During those years, so prosperous for side of
society," the workers the other side continued their fight
for better conditions and higher wages Unions began to
FORM and clash between these and their employers
imminent
The Associated Brotherhood of Iron and Steel Heat
existing already in 1866 founded with the Iron and
Steel Roll Hands, 1863 and the Sons of Vulcanos 1873,
the Amalgamated Association Iron and Steel Workers
in 1876'
When the first Croatian immigrants reached Alleghe
ny County, the fight between employers and the labor
unions at it's peak Major strikes occurred in 1882
1885 and 1885,
The newcomers welcomed by the industriaists
the ideal with which to encounter the demands
of the labor unions Hence the attitude Of the organized
workers towards their companions the least
dial Various signs and manifestations confirmed the fact
This tension evident especially during the struggle
between unions and ndusrialists The former showed
complete indifference to the fate of the newcomers
After having the Homestead strike 1889 the Anal
gamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers up
contract from which excluded all unskied workers
Thus the Savs and Italians themselves compelled to
work under the former unfavorabe conditions wages
considerably inferior those obtained by the union for
the skilled and English speaking workers.
This preference scheme affected their living &C
commodations They had to put up with the worst dwell
ngs in the city pay twice much their English
speaking neighbors for the apartment the plants
they forced to work from twelve to fourteen hours
day. without remuneration for overtime, for wages
otang half the amount of those of the union members
Yet steady increase of these former European agri
cuturiss in Allegheny became obvious The day labor in
the mills in those days considered to be slav7
Pittsburgh, at the beginning of the XX-th century,
had cosmopolitan reputation. Roughly speaking,
quarter of the population of Pittsburgh 1910 foreign
born The foreigner nowhere at home than here
and nowhere has he been actively welcomed by en-
ployers" stated Peter Roberts,
Baldwin Leland D. Pittsburgh Pittsburgh
Pa University of Pittsburgh Press 193s $685. Baldwin
burgh 526 SANDERS Meyer A Labor
gheny County Sesqu Centennial
gheny County Sesqu Centennial Committee Pittsburgh
1885, bd Baldwin, Pittsburgh, Story
oers Peter Immigrant WageEarner in Kellogg,
wood wage Earning Pittsburgh lPtsburg New
bursh Survey 191o SO; Ibid sRobers Immigrant Wage
Farmers,