50 ASSOCIATION OF IRON, STEEL AND TIN WORKERS [^l82 



different States." Secretary Martin, in order effectively to 

 counteract the inroads of the Knights of Labor, advised all 

 Amalgamated unions to " take in every man in the mills 

 outside of common labor, and him too, if necessary." Thus 

 the influence of the Knights upon the Amalgamated Asso- 

 ciation served, in a measure, to democratize the union.^' 

 Similar disagreements with the Knights took place in 1888 

 and 1889, as the result of conflicting wage scales; also, at 

 the Chicago Steel Works, as late as 1892. The Knights of 

 Labor, however, did not succeeed in getting control of any 

 great number of mills. After the formation of the Ameri- 

 can Federation of Labor, the power of the Knights waned, 

 and it has since played no important part in the organization 

 of the iron and steel trade. 



Similarly, in recent years, the Industrial Workers of the 

 World have shown activity in organizing unions in iron and 

 steel mills.^^ Like the Knights of Labor, the L W. W. is 

 a dual union with respect to all craft unions. This has been 

 recognized by the Association, which forbade its members 

 to unite with the L W. W. on the ground that it was a dual 

 organization. 



^* National Labor Tribune, June 9, 1888, p. i, col. 5. 



35 Secretary Martin, in urging the local unions to admit the un- 

 skilled, said : " Be liberal and admit to membership the men whom 

 the Knights of Labor are plaj'ing to reduce wages. . . . We mean the 

 unskilled workmen. . . . Yes, even the daily laborer. We have 

 nothing to lose and all to gain by the admittance of these men. All 

 they ask is recognition. Failing to get that, they naturally seek and 

 get in the Knights of Labor." He chided the local unions for being 

 "aristocratic" and "narrow" (Financial statement for quarter end- 

 ing January 31, 1888, p. 5). 



30 In 1906 the L VV. W. were trying to secure a foothold at Read- 

 ing, Pa., by scattering literature, talking with the men, and making 

 arrangements for meetings (Proceedings, 1906, pp. 7494, 7500, 7678). 

 In 1910 the Clark Rolling Mill, of Massillon, Ohio, was placed on 

 the prohibitive list, because the men refused to organize ; where- 

 upon, the men formed a local union of the I. W. W. " with the con- 

 sent of the manager" (Proceedings, 1910, p. 8859). In 1915 a dis- 

 ruptionist movement was originated in the Wheeling district by 

 certain malcontents, advocating industrial unionism, but President 

 VVilliams declared that the Association would " never become the 

 tail of a kite to any seceding organization, particularly one of the 

 character of the I. W. W." 



