Man" of the American labor movement in the gay life of Paris. All this time the steel workers back home were looking forward to help from their leaders in the struggle against the unutterable conditions.
As a matter of fact Gompers did not find it safe enough to indorse the strike until 400,000 were out in an open battle against the Steel Trust. What is even worse, once the strike preparations were in full swing and the workers were all keyed up for a battle royal, Gompers publicly compromised the whole strike by coming out for Wilson's plan to postpone action until after his Industrial Peace Conference. At this time over 30,000 workers had already been discharged for union activities.
Though the enemy confronting the steel workers was the strongest one ever faced by striking workers, and though the Governmental forces at the disposal of the Steel Trust were unlimited, yet Gompers gave only a dozen organizers to the National Organization campaign and strike. The financial support tendered the strikers was totally insufficient. Discussing this phase of the Great Steel Strike, William Z. Foster, the noted leader of the 1919 struggle pointed out that:
"Probably no big modern trade union organizing campaign and strike was conducted on such slender means…
"Often the National Committee had to beg for weeks to have a man sent in to organize a local union, the members for which it had already enrolled. Hundreds of local unions suffered and many a one perished outright for want of attention. Whole districts had to be neglected with serious consequences when the strike came."
And while the National Committee was calling together a delegate conference in order to enthuse the workers and throw them into the struggle for a test of strength, the reactionary leader M. F. Tighe, a pal of Gompers and President of the Amalgamated Association, made an attempt to split the forces of the workers. In the face of this call of the National Committee Mr. Tighe addressed a letter to Gary requesting a separate Conference. Fortunately for the steel workers Gary turned down Tighe's offer and they were saved from this vile treachery.
Threatens to Move An Inch
The recent report of the American Iron and Steel Institute proposing to continue the 12-Hour Day and the last exchange of vague meaningless promises between Gary and Harding on this subject for political purposes have raised a storm of public opinion against the Two-Shift system. Because of this avalanche of protest of church bodies, liberals, and members of even the most conservative of the population, Gompers has been forced to wake up. Gompers is now compelled to make hollow promises as to organizing the workers.
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