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Show WOVE STARTED TO ORGANIZE STEEL J Ul I i. Executive Council of Federation ; Laying Plans to Unionize Workers. . TO BEGIN WITH ORE MINERS i 1 ii. i Campaign Work, Say Leaders, Will Be Constructive and Conservative, and Radical Element Will Not Be Permitted to Control. -. The first step in the new campaign of the American Federation of Labor to unionize the Iron and steel mills of the country will be the launching of a ., movement to organize the more than ; 250,000 metal miners who produce the . . basic materials for the industry. . Proposed plans for the new offensive offen-sive against the United States Steel .. corporation and Its subsidiaries and .he large nonunion independent com-anles com-anles practically were decided upon t a meeting of the executive council - f national and International orgunizn-. orgunizn-. ions In the steel Industry utllllated i vtth the A. P. of L. This body was organized more than a year ago, replacing re-placing the national committee, headed by William Z. Foster, that conducted the unsuccessful strike of 1910. Because of present Industrial conditions condi-tions and the threatened strike, the council has decided not to open the campaign to organize the metal miners ; for several months or more, although some propaganda work may be launched within the next few weeks. The committee, it Is stated, has at least $70,0(K) to finance Its Immediate ' needs, and with the co-operntlon of its " affiliated organizations, which have a combined membership of mure than (500,000, ran raise additional funds. Officials of the council declare that the campaign work will be "eonstrue- ; live and conservative," and assert that :' the radical element will be prevented from getting control. Kspeelal otten-tlon, otten-tlon, It Is stated, will be given to the Industrial Workers of the World, who have been active among the ore miners of Michigan, Minnesota und Montana. Michael F. Tlghe, president of the : Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel ond Tin Workeis and chairman t the executive council, said that because be-cause of the unemployment ond Industrial Indus-trial situation it probably would bo some time before active unionization of the steel workers themselves would le attempted. "We are determined to proceed on conservative and constructive lines, " he said, "and have eome to the conclusion con-clusion that the better plan would be to devote our effort first to the ore miners who furnish the basic products needed In the Iron and steel Industry. We will co-oiernte with the mine, mill and smelter workers' union, which has now become a part of our committee. "It has been proposed thnt we start the campaign In the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan region, then tackle the dock looders and other classes of men ' that handle the ore en route to the steel mllbv It will probably take a long time and be a. hard fight, but this looks to be the most logical and sure method of capturing the steel Industry for the American lubor movement." : William O'llannnn of the Machinists' union, secretary of the council, said that a complete canvass of the steel situation had been made and pluns ' were being mode to take advantage of . any condition that might arise. The proposed campaign, he explained, would cover the metal miners em- . ployed In Michigan, Montana, Minnesota, Minne-sota, Colorado and Arizona, with spe- . rial attention to the Mesubl and Gogebic Goge-bic range regions, owned and controlled con-trolled by the United States Steel cor-"Yratlon cor-"Yratlon and the big Independents. In-hiding In-hiding the Oliver Interests of l'ltts-urgh. |