STRIKES IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17277, 29 September 1919, Page 7

STRIKES IN AMERICA.

STEELWORKERS' DISPUTE.

BETHLEHEM WORKS AFFECTED

OTHER EMPLOYEES RESUMING By TeJ*jra.ph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 10 p.m.) A and N.Z. PITTSBURG. Sept. 27. A general strike of employees of the Bethlehem steel companies has been ordered on Monday. Thousands of workers are expected to join. Reports from all parts of the country indicate that the strike against the Steel Corporation has diminished, and that men are everywhere returning to work. Mr. Foster, one of the organisers of the strike, stated that the situation was unchanged.

THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD.

CASE AGAINST THE TRUST. A. and N.Z. NEW YORK. Sept. 26. Mr. E. H. Gary, chairman of the United States Steel Corporation, when informed of the offer of Mr. John Fitzpatrick, organiser of the steehvorkera, to refer the dispute to an arbitration commission appointed by Mr. Wilson, said that he could not speak for the United States Steel Corporation yet, but personally he considered the issues of the strike could not be arbitrated upon.

Mr. Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labour, defining the steel strike issues, said that the workers merely demanded the right to be heard. If a large percentage of foreigners was included in the strikers, the reason was that the Steel Trust systematically imported them from Europe in order to eliminate American trades unionists from the company's plants.

The Steel Trust chronically overworked its men, though it paid fair wages. Private detectives prevented union organisations taking root, and a system of terrorism, involving discharge, prevented the men even grumbling. The right of meeting was impossible, as the halls were locked against them.

TROUBLE IN SHIPYARDS.

WAGES ORDER RESENTED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Otecd 10 p.m.) NEW YORK. Sept. 26. A despatch from Washington states that Mi - . James O'Connell, president of the metal trade department of the American Federation of Labour, asserted that 400,000 shipyard workers on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts will strike unless the Navy Department and Sloping Board revoke their joint ord«.. prohibiting increases of wages after October 1.

THREAT BY THE MINERS.

A STRIKE IN NOVEMBER. Australian and N.Z. Cabin Association. (Reed. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, Sept. 27. - The Washington correspondent of the New York Times reports that the National Coal Association has issued a statement asserting that the United Mine Workers of America threaten to strike on November 1. The workers are demanding a 30- . hour week, and a 60 per cent, increase of wages, which would mean an annual aggregate increase of j 1.000,000,000 dollars in coal prices. According to the Philadelphia Public Ledger the disturbance in the steel industry had its origin in a meeting of , leaders of the American Federation of Labour held in Atlantic City on June 16. I Mr. Samuel Gompers presided, and made I a speech attacking the "steel barons," whose wealth and power, he said, was j "beyond the ken of men." Twenty-four ] i presidents of unions were selected to go to McKeesport, in the Pittsburg district, and organise the steel workers. Mr. Gompers was asked by the leaders to take permanent chairmanship of the American Federation of Labour Committee in charge of organising the steel industry. He declined, saying his other duties would make it impossible for him to give sufficient attention to so exacting a task. Upon his suggestion, John Fitzpatrick, president of the Chicago Federation of Labour, and one of the most aggressive of American labour leaders, was chosen. Mr. Fitzpatrick had until then been chairman of a temporary steel organisation committee. Mr. Gomperfc described Fitzpatrick as the man responsible for the remarkable organisation of the packinghouse employees in Chicago. Within a year Fitzpatrick, ence a horseshoer, led j all the packing-house workers into unions, ! and then forced the packers to submit to [ federal arbitration.

Mr. Gompers, in his speech, indicated that his future attitude and the futuie attitude of the American Federation of Labour officials toward the steel companies would be one of unrelenting belligerency until they saw fit to concede the simple right of their workers to organise into trade unions. He said the iron and steel workers had already secured the eighthour day, but it was not brought to them on a silver platter. They got it because organisers were at work among them, and they were responding to the call.