Carnegie’s Workers on Violent Strike in Homestead
On July fifth, a violent battle started early in the morning at the Carnegie steel mill in Homestead, Pennsylvania between the Pinkerton agents hired by the Carnegie steel Corporation and workers who were on strike over the factory conditions. It started when Andrew Carnegie left on vacation in Scotland and left Henry Clay Frick in charge of his factory. The battle is still progressing but obviously has a long background.
Andrew Carnegie has been in the steel business for quite some time now. He has always been a major fabricator of steel and now makes the most in the world. However; many of Carnegie’s workers have now joined labor unions to protest the unfair conditions in the factories of the Carnegie Steel Corporation. A year ago, Carnegie thought that he should take his workers ideas to mind and signed a one year contract with all of the labor unions that his workers were in and made agreements to make working conditions better. Before he left on vacation a few days ago, he told his manager Mr. Frick not to extend the contract. The workers in labor unions were outraged by this and protested outside the factory when Frick shut it down. Frick then built a fence around the entire facility and hired new workers for low pay. However; the workers on strike wouldn’t allow the new workers to enter. Bodyguards were hired for the new workers but were fought off as well. Frick hired Pinkerton Detective agents to fight off the protesters, but violent shootouts occurred between the agents and the protesters. Six people have been killed and it appears that the agents will surrender. The state might also call in the militia but we’ll get that info, as the situation develops.