Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1919 — STEEL STRIKE IS SET FOR MONDAY [ARTICLE]

STEEL STRIKE IS SET FOR MONDAY

Unions Say Only Gary Can Prevent Walkout by Granting • Conference. STATEMENT BY.LABOR HEADS National Committee Declares Head of Corporation Errs When He Doubts Labor Agents Speak for Workers. Pittsburgh, Pa., Sept. 19.—The steel workers’ natlonal committee made public a letter to President Wilson. It gives 11 reasons for not complying with his request to postpone the strike. With this final letter turning down the president’s request for delay, the great strike now appears inevitable. Leaders of the unions are leaving for. their homes to make final preparations for the struggle. Pittsburgh, Pa., Sept 19.—Before resuming their discussion on inalters In connection with the steel workers’ strike, called for next Monday, the national committee for organizing Iron and steel workers issued a statement saying that, having failed to obtain a conference with (he United States Steel corporation, the last and only hope is to strike until stich time as the corporation will meet the represenitdtives of the men. The statement follows: “In his letter of September 16 to the presidents of the subsidiary companies of the United States Steel corporation, Judg? Gary avers that he had two reasons in mind when be refused to meet

with the Almfrlcun Federation or unbor committee. which called upou him ru><-ntly requesting a conference fibf the purpose of presenting grievance* of hl* employee*. Fears Closed Shop’s End. “Flrft. he did not believe that the "oinmlttcd was authorised to speak fur large numbers of. tlft employee*. "Second, a conference with the committee would buve been treated by them as a recognition of the ‘closed xhop‘ method of employment. “If these are the real reasons nctu atlng Judge Gary, surely they nre not sufficient to plunge the Industry Into a great labor conflict. Judge Gary presents a false premise and then declares that he will stand or full upon this false ground. “The committee thut waited m>on Judge Gary were the selected representatives of the employees. And they requested a conference for the purpose Of establishing the principle of collective bargaining and some practical method of redressing grievances. Decide to Use Other Methods.

“Judge Gary denied their authority to represent the employees and refused to meet them in conference. The only way left for the employees to convince Judge Gary that the committee does represent the great body of the employees of the United States Steel corporation Is to cease work until the corporation agrees to meet their representatives in conference. This, the employees have decided to do on Monday morning, September 22. “It Is unfortunate that the employees are compelled to resßrt to a strike In order to prove the authority of their selected representatives to present their grievances. But as there Is no other way, the proof, In the form of a strike, will effectually rtmove all doubt In Judge Gary’s mind. ««Tn the qecond place. Judge Gary sets the question of the closed shop, which has absolutely no basis whatsoever In the present controversy. It is simply dragged In here by Judge Gary as a bugaboo to becloud the real Issue. “There Is one and only one question at issue, and that Is the question of a conference. The employees have exhausted every avenue of approach to the corporation for the purpose of securing a conference, and every avenue has been closed to them. “Their Last and Only Hope.” “Their last and only hope Is to strike, and now the employees declare that they will work on next Monday morning until such time as the corporation will meet their representatives In conference for the purpose of establishing humane and reasonable methods of dealing with the very vital problems which affect their lives, thelhomes and the future. —John Fitzpatrick, D. J. Davis, William Hammon, W. Z. Foster.”