Union Ready to Negotiate To End Strike
Article taken from The Lima News, July 6, 1936
PORTSMOUTH, O., July 6 - (AP)-- A union official led a committee to Pittsburgh today to negotiate settlement of the six-week-old, violence-marked strike at the Wheeling Steel Corp. plant in New Boston and left behind a statement predicting a "satisfactory agreement."
Richard Evans, president of the joint committee of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers in charge of the strike announced that the strike, announced that the strikers had authorized him and four other men to negotiate with the company and agreed to accept the committee's settlement as final. The strike made 5,500 men idle.
They were scheduled to meet in Pittsburgh today or Tuesday with Earl Reed, attorney for the Wheeling Steel Corp., Parker F. Wilson, assistant to the president, and several members of the committee on industrial organization of John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine workers .
HOPEFUL
"We are very hopeful that our committee will reach a satisfactory agreement with the company today," Evans said.
His announcement stated conditions of settlement as follows"
1--All men to return at the same wages, except five strike leaders, names withheld, rejected by the company. (The Amalgamated demanded 50 per cent wage increases when it called the strike May 22.)
The company to continue to bargain collectively with the Amalgamated, recognizing it only as an employees' organization and not as a union, and with the 17 departmental councils organized by employees two years ago. (The councils opposed the strike, and the company defied a National Labor Relations board order to recognize the Amalgamated as the sole bargaining agency. the company contended the Wagner Labor Relations act, which established the board, was unconstitutional.)
Evans' announcement said the Amalgamated would continue to seek increased wages and a union contract.
He added that the committee for industrial organization was not in a position to support this strike, which was called May 22, before the committee was formed.
The Times estimated the strike cost the city and county at least $1,000,000--$750,000 in loss of payrolls and $250,000 to firebrick manufacturers, store clerks laid off because of slackened business, and Scioto-co for extra expenses for 100 special deputies sword in following a wild riot in which one company guard was shot and killed and four other men wounded.