Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1901 — STEEL STRIKE IS ON. [ARTICLE]

STEEL STRIKE IS ON.

TIN-PLATE, SHEET AND HOOP MILLS ARE IDLE. Nearly ioO.OOO Men Go Ont, end Big Combine Properties Are Closed—Unless Union Is kecosoized Every Plant in Billion-Dollar Trust Will Quit. The strike of the members of the Amalgamated Association employed in the tin plate, sheet and hoop mills, which was ordered as a result of the disagreement between the conferees of the United States Steel Corporation and the Amalgamated Association, was generally observed in the Pittsburg district Monday morning. At the mills where the strike order extended the skilled workmen who nre under the control of the union failed to put in an appearance, or, if they did go to the mills, it was merely as spectators, and with no intention of working. This promises to lie the greatest labor war in the history of American industries. All of the steel workers in three big branches of the lMllion-doliar steel trust are affected. These are the American Steel Company, with 28,000 men; the American Steel Hoop Company, with 24,000 men, and the American Tin Plate Company, with 23,000 men. Thus at the outset 75,000 men are affected and should the strike extend to all the other plants of the combine 250,000 workers will probably be idle within a short while. Early reports received at the general offices of the Amalgamated Association were meager of details, but indicated that the strike order was being observed at all mills of the tin plate, sheet and hoop combines. This strike bears a resemblance to the \ historical Homestead strike in 1892 in that it is not a question of wages, but of recognition of the Amalgamated Association. The manufacturers refuse to grant this demand, and say that the individual contracts with workmen which are in force ut a number of the plants must stand. The Painter mill of the American Steel Hoop Company is shut down. The men have joined the Amalgamates! Association. The Lindsay & Met 'uteheon plant of the American Steel Hoop Company in Allegheny is idle and the Star and Monongahela plants of the American Tin Plate Company nre closed down. The Painter and Lindsay & MeCuteheon plants have been looked upon by the officials of the United States Steel Corporation as the strongholds of non-union-ism in the hoop company. The prompt action of President Shaffer in thus early forcing the fighting anil carrying it into the enemy’s onmp was looked upon as evidence that the strike will be one of the most spirited of Pittsburg's history. President Shaffer was pleased with the reports from the two strongholds, and he declared that not a wheel would turn in either the Painter or Lindsay & MeCutcheon works until the strike was settled. He said that the Painter plant was pivotal with respect to the other nonunion plants of the steel hoop company, and that the men elsewhere had promised, if the Painter plant would join tfoe strike movement, there would be no trouble organizing the remainder of the plants. He said that there was no doubt that the men would respond, as they have been anxious to join the general movement and were held in check and kept nt work by the direction of the Amalgamated officials.

President Shaffer said that the movement would be carried to the other plants not now recognized by the combine as under the wing of the association. He looked for a general response to his strike order, as the men have been waiting just such a command since July 1. He declared the men were prepared to fight it out on the original lines "until doomsday.” Chicairo Motdera Quit. About s>oo iron moldcrs who think their services are worth a minimum wage of $3 a day walked out of Chicago foundries Monday morning because their employers refused to pay more than a maximum scale of $2.85. As a consequence the molding departments of most of the local establishments are idle and will remain so probably until a long and bitter struggle has decided which is the stronger, the workman or the man who employs him. a