l6 ASSOCIATION OF IRON, STEEL AND TIN WORKERS [] I48 



tains. The officers were unsalaried, the president and sec- 

 retary receiving merely an occasional donation for their 

 services. The income of the union never exceeded $500, 

 raised by per capita assessment. In case of strikes, volun- 

 tary contributions were made for those engaged therein. 

 No sick or death benefits were established, and the control 

 of strikes was left entirely to the local bodies, as was also 

 the adjustment of wages. Internal dissension dissipated 

 much of the energ>- which should have been devoted to 

 building up a strong organization, and the brotherhood was 

 not as efTective as it might have been. When it was 

 merged with the other two bodies in 1876, the Committee 

 on the State of the Order reported fourteen lodges in good 

 standing, having in all 412 members. Sixteen lodges sent 

 no report to the convention, and three needed financial 

 assistance. 



An organization of roll hands was formed in a North 

 Chicago mill in 1870. The Heaters' Union, as has been 

 noted, admitted rollers and roughers in 1873, ^'^t the Roll 

 Hands' Union admitted all men engaged about the train 

 of rolls — catchers, hookers, straighteners, and buggymen, as 

 well as highly paid rollers and roughers. To some extent, 

 therefore, the jurisdictions of the unions conflicted. 



The Roll Hands organized a national union at Spring- 

 field, Illinois, June 2, 1873, ^^ith fifteen lodges and 473 

 members. It was named " The National Union of Rollers, 

 Roughers, Catchers and Hookers of the United States." 

 At the second convention, held at Columbus, Ohio, in April, 

 1874, in view of the admission of two other classes of work- 

 men, buggymen and cold straighteners, the name of the 

 association was changed to " The Iron and Steel Roll 

 Hands Union." The Roll Hands' Union was never very 

 large. Strikes were ordered by the local unions, and strike 

 benefits paid by voluntary subscription. No sick or death 

 benefits were paid. The limit of a day's work was fixed at 

 six rounds. 



