257:
contributions from fellow "forge" members, not the national union. This strike policy led to the collapse of 11 local unions in 1867 and 16 more in 1868. The union counted only 600 members in 1868. In 1870, the Sons of Vulcan instituted a new policy in which only the national union could approve a strike and all workers in a local "forge" were required to walk out if a strike was approved. Additionally, the national union began providing limited financial support to strikers. These changes significantly improved the union's stability, and membership climbed to 3,331 members in 83 "forges" in 12 states by 1873.
343:, did not accept merger at that time. The Sons of Vulcan replied on August 23, 1875, and informed the merging unions that they would participate. The three unions met in Pittsburgh on December 7, 1875, and drafted a constitution and bylaws. The three unions met separately in Emerald Hall in Pittsburgh on August 2, 1876, and adopted the resolution for amalgamation. On August 3, the three unions as well as a fourth (the United Nailers) met to debate and adopt the new constitution. The new Amalgamated Association was formed on August 4, 1876.
127:
299:
The main impetus for merger was the growing failure of many strikes. If the puddlers struck, steel and iron already manufactured would continue to be milled by the rollers, heaters, roughers and other mill hands. This enabled the employer to continue to manufacture product and receive revenue, and so
205:
As it became apparent in June 1864 that the Civil War might be coming to a close, employers attempted to cut wages. The union responded with a nationwide strike of its members, which lasted eight months. The strike ended on
February 13, 1865, when the employers agreed to a wage scale based on the
142:
and burns off. This process creates steel. As practiced in the early and mid-19th century, puddling required great strength as well as skill. Because chemical testing of the molten iron had not yet been developed, puddlers relied on their long experience with steelmaking to determine whether too
185:
led to a sharp increase in the demand for steel, and wages rose substantially. Employers were loath to fire puddlers during the war because so few replacement workers could be found. This led to renewed interest in the Sons of Vulcan, which expanded rapidly. The locals formed a national union in
256:
policy, however, nearly proved its undoing. Initially, only the workers with a grievance would strike, with the majority of other workers in the refinery continuing to work. Absent union solidarity, employers easily broke strikes. Financial support for striking workers was provided by voluntary
331:, in 1874, the Sons of Vulcan debated the industrial union proposal, and reacted favorably to it. However, the union took no formal action. The Roll Hands sent a representative to the Associated Brotherhood convention of July 1874 to negotiate a merger of the unions. Merger was effected in
296:, formed in Chicago in 1870. This union attracted anyone whom the Associated Brotherhood would not permit as a member. The Roll Hands never achieved much membership growth, which led the union to propose merger as a way of combating employer resistance to unions.
273:
174:. The union's national leadership received no pay, but this changed in 1866 when the three national officers were paid the average industry wage in exchange for devoting full-time to union business. Membership in the union was kept secret, for fear of
143:
much or too little carbon had been oxidized. Puddling was also an extremely dangerous trade, as some steel processes required the molten metal to boil and bubble as the puddler stirred in scrap iron and puddlers were required to physically remove
346:
The Sons of Vulcan provided 85 percent of the new union's membership, and dominated the new organization for much of its early history. Its membership was almost exclusive to the iron industry, as steelmaking was still in its infancy.
170:, accepting only puddlers as members. Miles Humphreys was the new union's "Grand Master" (leader), and offices were established for a vice president ("Grand Vulcan") and secretary. The new union did little for two years, fearing the
158:, from December 20, 1849, to May 12, 1850. The employers broke the strike by cutting wages and hiring new puddlers. Labor relations in the iron and steel industry remained tense for much of the next decade. Wages plunged during the
293:
165:
On April 12, 1858, a group of puddlers met at a hotel bar on
Diamond Street to form a labor union, which they called the "Iron City Forge of the Sons of Vulcan". The new union resolved to commit itself to
206:
price of iron bars—the first time employers recognized the union, the first union contract in the iron and steel industry, and what may be the first union contract of any kind in the United States.
312:, a newspaper dedicated to labor issues in the iron and steel industry, discussed industrial unionism extensively for the next year. On December 10, 1874, locals of all three unions from Columbus,
640:
130:
A puddler draining steel from a furnace to create a ball of molten iron, which he will carry to the rolling mill to be fabricated into useful steel items.
630:
111:
28:
327:
After three years of negotiation, the three unions merged to form the
Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. At its convention in
213:
which opened August 7, 1865, Humphreys reported that "forges" (as local unions of the organization were called) had been established in
292:
steel in railroad track mills, but soon expanded its membership to rollers throughout the iron and steel industry. Another union, the
635:
272:
Other iron and steel unions had also formed in the post-Civil War period, and in 1873 merger of the largest unions was proposed. The
110:. In the 1870s, it was the strongest union in the United States. It merged with two other iron and steel unions in 1876 to form the
436:
512:
487:
245:, and the union's membership had tripled. The following year, the union began employing paid organizers across the
308:, where locals of the Sons of Vulcan, Associated Brotherhood and Roll Hands amalgamated into a single union. The
246:
186:
Pittsburgh on
September 8, 1862, calling itself the "Grand Forge of the United States, United Sons of Vulcan".
625:
150:
The first strike in the iron and steel industry in the United States took place among puddlers in
195:
134:
Puddling is the process of stirring pig iron with iron bars, exposing it to the air so that the
332:
99:
313:
8:
317:
301:
115:
182:
508:
483:
432:
210:
264:. Nonetheless, by 1876 the Sons of Vulcan was the strongest labor union in the U.S.
222:
328:
305:
285:
167:
619:
261:
253:
242:
199:
159:
58:
340:
336:
289:
234:
155:
175:
95:
320:, met in Louisville to formulate a proposal, which was published in the
431:
Illini Book edition. Urbana, Ill.: University of
Illinois Press, 1998.
274:
Associated
Brotherhood of Iron and Steel Heaters, Rollers, and Roughers
226:
151:
335:, on August 6, 1875. The Sons of Vulcan, meeting at the same time in
171:
139:
507:
Cheltenham, Gloucester, U.K.: David and
Charles, Newton Abbot 1971.
281:
230:
218:
214:
103:
277:
260:
The union saw a membership decline of about 25 percent after the
147:
and drain pure steel out of furnaces for additional processing.
135:
107:
608:
The
Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers.
249:. The union had 36 active forges and 1,514 members in 1867.
238:
144:
202:
in 1862, at which a constitution and bylaws were adopted.
126:
98:
which existed from 1858 until 1876. The union recruited
84:
Miles
Humphreys, first Grand Master (later President)
452:
505:
The Iron and Steel Industry: A Dictionary of Terms.
112:Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers
29:Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers
617:
294:Iron and Steel Roll Hands of the United States
162:, and the steel industry was slow to recover.
411:New Haven Conn.: Yale University Press, 1940.
409:As Steel Goes: Unionism in a Basic Industry.
641:1876 disestablishments in the United States
602:
600:
598:
596:
594:
592:
590:
588:
586:
584:
582:
580:
578:
576:
574:
572:
570:
568:
566:
564:
562:
560:
558:
556:
554:
552:
550:
548:
546:
544:
542:
540:
300:outlast the union. The movement to form an
538:
536:
534:
532:
530:
528:
526:
524:
522:
520:
454:New York: Columbia University Press, 1924.
429:Steelworkers in America: The Nonunion Era.
631:Defunct trade unions in the United States
474:
472:
470:
468:
466:
464:
462:
460:
403:
401:
399:
397:
395:
393:
391:
389:
387:
385:
383:
381:
379:
480:Racial Competition and Class Solidarity.
446:
444:
377:
375:
373:
371:
369:
367:
365:
363:
361:
359:
125:
517:
423:
421:
419:
417:
194:A second annual convention was held in
16:Former trade union of the United States
618:
499:
497:
495:
457:
610:Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1920.
441:
356:
414:
102:, skilled craftsmen who manipulated
492:
13:
288:recruited the skilled workers who
14:
652:
636:Trade unions established in 1858
482:Albany, N.Y.: SUNY Press, 2006.
1:
350:
209:At the union's convention in
198:in the newly formed state of
189:
121:
7:
10:
657:
178:and physical retaliation.
267:
78:
68:
50:
42:
34:
24:
114:—the forerunner of the
322:National Labor Tribune
310:National Labor Tribune
131:
74:3,331 in 1874 (height)
333:Indianapolis, Indiana
129:
407:Brooks, Robert R.R.
314:Louisville, Kentucky
626:United Steelworkers
606:Robinson, Jesse S.
450:Gulick, Charles A.
318:New Albany, Indiana
138:in the pig iron is
116:United Steelworkers
21:
132:
19:
437:978-0-252-06713-6
211:Buffalo, New York
88:
87:
648:
611:
604:
515:
501:
490:
478:Boswell, Terry.
476:
455:
448:
439:
425:
412:
405:
302:industrial union
284:, in 1861. This
94:was an American
61:
25:Merged into
22:
18:
656:
655:
651:
650:
649:
647:
646:
645:
616:
615:
614:
605:
518:
502:
493:
477:
458:
449:
442:
426:
415:
406:
357:
353:
270:
192:
124:
81:
71:
64:
57:
17:
12:
11:
5:
654:
644:
643:
638:
633:
628:
613:
612:
516:
491:
456:
440:
427:Brody, David.
413:
354:
352:
349:
329:Troy, New York
306:Columbus, Ohio
276:had formed in
269:
266:
191:
188:
168:craft unionism
123:
120:
92:Sons of Vulcan
86:
85:
82:
79:
76:
75:
72:
69:
66:
65:
63:
62:
54:
52:
48:
47:
44:
40:
39:
36:
32:
31:
26:
20:Sons of Vulcan
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
653:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
623:
621:
609:
603:
601:
599:
597:
595:
593:
591:
589:
587:
585:
583:
581:
579:
577:
575:
573:
571:
569:
567:
565:
563:
561:
559:
557:
555:
553:
551:
549:
547:
545:
543:
541:
539:
537:
535:
533:
531:
529:
527:
525:
523:
521:
514:
513:0-7153-5302-0
510:
506:
503:Gale, W.K.V.
500:
498:
496:
489:
488:0-7914-6671-X
485:
481:
475:
473:
471:
469:
467:
465:
463:
461:
453:
447:
445:
438:
434:
430:
424:
422:
420:
418:
410:
404:
402:
400:
398:
396:
394:
392:
390:
388:
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
376:
374:
372:
370:
368:
366:
364:
362:
360:
355:
348:
344:
342:
338:
334:
330:
325:
323:
319:
315:
311:
307:
303:
297:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
275:
265:
263:
262:Panic of 1873
258:
255:
250:
248:
244:
243:West Virginia
240:
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
216:
212:
207:
203:
201:
200:West Virginia
197:
187:
184:
179:
177:
173:
169:
163:
161:
160:Panic of 1857
157:
153:
148:
146:
141:
137:
128:
119:
117:
113:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
83:
77:
73:
67:
60:
59:United States
56:
55:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
30:
27:
23:
607:
504:
479:
451:
428:
408:
345:
341:Pennsylvania
337:Philadelphia
326:
321:
309:
298:
271:
259:
252:The union's
251:
235:Pennsylvania
208:
204:
193:
180:
164:
156:Pennsylvania
149:
133:
91:
89:
286:craft union
176:labor spies
96:labor union
620:Categories
351:References
227:New Jersey
152:Pittsburgh
106:to create
80:Key people
304:began in
190:Expansion
183:Civil War
172:blacklist
122:Formation
70:Members
43:Dissolved
282:Illinois
231:Maryland
223:New York
219:Kentucky
215:Illinois
196:Wheeling
140:oxidized
104:pig iron
100:puddlers
51:Location
278:Chicago
35:Founded
511:
486:
435:
316:, and
290:rolled
268:Merger
254:strike
241:, and
136:carbon
108:steel
509:ISBN
484:ISBN
433:ISBN
247:East
239:Ohio
181:The
145:slag
90:The
46:1876
38:1858
622::
519:^
494:^
459:^
443:^
416:^
358:^
339:,
324:.
280:,
237:,
233:,
229:,
225:,
221:,
217:,
154:,
118:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
