283^ COLLECTRT BARG.\IXIXG I5I 



be an equal number of employers and employees at the con- 

 ferences. Votes are not taken jointly, but the members of 

 each side stand together and continue negotiations with the 

 other side until an agreement is reached. In connection 

 with each proposal that requires formal action, the repre- 

 sentatives of the two sides adjourn for separate caucuses, 

 and, by vote among themselves, decide as to the position 

 which shall be taken. If these two votes fail to result in 

 an agreement, further negotiation in joint conference takes 

 place.^* 



The extent to which conference committees of the union 

 were bound by the instructions of their constituents has 

 been an important feature in the development of collective 

 bargaining among the Iron and Steel Workers. In the 

 early years of the scale convention, the conference commit- 

 tee had no power to act whatever. It was simply " mes- 

 sengers of the Association to carry its dictates to the manu- 

 facturers."-^ Later, the committee was given certain limited 

 powers. For example, in 1885, it was instructed by the 

 scale convention to demand the old scale, but, " if necessary, 

 to accept a reduction of ten per cent upon all scales, except 

 the sheet and jobbing mill scales. "^^ In other years, the 

 committee was given discretionar}' power on " extras " and 

 " footnotes," but not on the " base "of the scale. 



The Homestead disaster ser\-ed to accentuate the need 

 of a more liberal policy. President W'eihe, upon vacating 

 his office, voiced this sentiment in these words: "The aim 

 of trade unions should be to remedy the strike system, by 

 either adopting a method of arbitrating between them and 

 employer, or granting conference committees more discre- 

 tionary powers to overcome these bitter struggles that have 

 so frequently taken place during the past few years."'* In 



" In 1901. if one or more of the divisions of the conference com- 

 mittee failed to reach an amicable agreement, the general conference 

 met and endeavored to adjust the matter. 



2» President John Jarrett's report to the convention, Proceedings, 

 1883, p. 1 102. 



'0 Proceedings, 1885, p. 1551. 



^1 Financial Statement of the Association for the quarter ending 

 October 31, i8<)2. 



