120 Years Ago, 1906 transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:

“Labor unions clash, fight on in earnest. Federation sends in men to take places of the strikers. Industrial workers will open a big cooperative shop in opposition to bosses. Entire labor world will watch the outcome of the struggle — future of new organization is at stake.”

“True to his promise, M. O’Sullivan arrived in the city Sunday morning with about 15 tinners and slaters, members of the Amalgamated Association of Sheet Metal Workers, and affiliated with the A.F. of L. Mr. O’Sullivan, who is at the head of the metal worker’s organization, assigned the newcomers to several firms in the city this morning, the latter being opposed to doing business with their former employees, who have entered the fold of the Industrial Workers of the World.

“Mr. O’Sullivan’s force was gathered up in Pittsburg. They were willing to come here and help their international organization in its fight with the Industrial Workers of the World. Mr. O’Sullivan is their leader. When the men started out from headquarters they were met by a committee of the strikers, and were asked if they had come here to take the places of the men who have been out since May 1. The answer was in the affirmative. ‘We intend to remain here until you fellows return to the Amalgamated Association of Sheet Metal Workers,’ was the ultimatum delivered to the strikers’ committee….

“He says that all of the men have union cards which entitles them to admittance to the local recently instituted here by him to take the place of the deserters – as he terms the strikers.

“At the headquarters of the striking tinners and slaters, who have demanded all along that the bosses do business with the I.W.W. instead of the old organization, the leaders did not appear to be disheartened by the arrival of the newcomers, and the threat of Mr. O’Sullivan to force them back into the fold of the A.F. of L. A check for $200 arrived from the national office of the Debs Organization and W.E. Trautman, national secretary and treasurer, will arrive here this afternoon with $300 more. Strike benefits to the amount of $500 weekly will now be forthcoming until some other arrangement is made. One of the leaders stated that, providing the bosses hold out two weeks longer, and are contented with the work done by the newcomers, an assessment of 50 cents will be made against every member of the I.W.W. in the country. It is claimed that there are 130,000 members in the ranks, and that such a levy would raise $65,000. This sum will be spent opening up a cooperative shop on a large scale.

“This fight is to be made a test case. It is to demonstrate practically the principles of the Industrial Workers of the World in the United States. If it fails, it is claimed that the I.W.W. goes down in defeat. If it wins, the victory will be heralded throughout the country. Before another month passes it is said that the eyes of the organized labor world will be centered upon the local fight — a war to the finish between the American Federation and the I.W.W. for supremacy.

“The strikers claim that the newcomers are violating Article 9 of the constitution of the A.A. of S.M.W. which reads as follows: ‘No member of the international association shall be allowed to take the place of any union man out on a strike, even if such union does not belong to the international association, under penalty of expulsion.'”

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