120 Years Ago, 1905 transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:

“Mills are declared open. Official announcement made by President Shaffer received today. Idle men will seek old positions at the union works. Great Strike is terminated. Union and non-union men will soon be toiling side by side — mills that are affected.”

“‘Dear Sir and Brother — We have counted the votes received upon the subject of opening the mills at Youngstown, Girard, Greenville and Warren and find the majority favorable. We, therefore, representing the advisory board, declare the above named mills to be open, until the conventions under conditions agreed upon by the advisory board shall decide otherwise.’ – T.J. Shaffer

“The above is an exact copy of communications received in Youngstown, Girard, Greenville and Warren by the early morning mail today, and is all that was wanting to put the finishing touches on the strike, and what the union workers at the Carnegie plants have anxiously awaited.

“After a strike lasting exactly one year, one month, one week, and one day, the works of the Carnegie company in the Sixth Amalgamated association district were officially declared to be open mills, and also for the first time in Youngstown, union men and non-union men can work side by side as long as the wages paid equal the scale of the Amalgamated association.

“Copies of the above letter were sent out by Secretary John Williams from Pittsburgh yesterday and were received by the officers of Labor lodge, Iron lodge, Progressive lodge, Girard lodge and Rose lodge of Greenville today. The letters came none too soon, as the men were growing impatient and were rapidly filing their applications for reinstatement.

“Now that the official announcement of the settlement has been promulgated it is more than likely the next week will see the old men at many of the old jobs especially in the lower mill of the company. The management long since intimating that if a satisfactory conclusion of the trouble was reached that there would not be much difficulty in placing the former employees in their old positions. It is now up to the company to make good their promises, so say the men, and no doubt such action will speedily be taken….

“The fact that the mills were officially declared open was not generally known this morning, but the working men and businessmen who were aware of the situation were more than pleased to hear of the decree of the highest court in the Amalgamated association. Just how soon the finishers will be permitted to go back to work is a matter yet to be determined but it is thought that satisfactory arrangement can be completed within a few days….

“General Superintendent M.E. Coombs is in Greenville today but was reached by phone from the Vindicator. He was not aware that the mills had been declared open officially and the notice of President Shaffer was read to him. Mr. Coombs in reply said: ‘…We can give out no statement except that the Amalgamated men will receive the same courtesy and will be employed just the same as other men…. However, the management will not receive nor talk with any committee whether it is old employees or men at work in the mills now. We will listen to the men as individuals, but not as representatives of any union or mill committee. We will only receive one man at a time, no more committees. It is too soon to say anything as to the three puddle mills yet. That will develop later,’ concluded the general superintendent.”

• Compiled by Dante Bernard, museum educator at the Mahoning Valley Historical Society