The Homestead Strike was precipitated by the Carnegie company's announcement of a sweeping wage reduction and their refusal to recognize the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, which created a volatile situation among the workers. The company indicated that it would replace any workers who did not accept the new terms, leading to a determined resistance by the employees against the introduction of non-union labor and the company's efforts to stifle union organization.
what were the causes of the homestead strike in 2 sentences using the text
Pittsburg, Pa., July 6—Pittsburg has had another experience with labor riots, and this time, as during the fearful scenes which were witnessed during the railroad riots of 1877, blood has been spilled, life jeopardized, and valuable property placed in danger. This time there was no destruction of property, but the mob was thoroughly well organized and well disciplined, and had efficient officers at its head to conduct operations. The force embraced all of the men employed in the extensive plants of the Carnegie Iron and Steel company at Homestead, some eight miles east of Pittsburg. A battle, which, for bloodthirstiness and boldness of execution, has never been excelled in actual warfare, was waged from 4 o’clock in the morning until 5 o’clock this afternoon, and only ceased when the force of Pinkertons brought to the place to suppress the strike unconditionally surrendered, leaving their arms in the barges in which they had been transported to the works.
ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE.
The riot today was the culmination of the trouble which has been brewing at Homestead for the past month. The Carnegie company submitted a scale to govern their workmen in the steel plants, and announced that it was their ultimatum. The scale made a sweeping reduction in the wages of the skilled men. It was officially announced that unless the terms were complied with before July 1 the places of the men would be filled by others. This was followed by a preemptory refusal on the part of the company to recognize the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers as such, or to confer with any committee of workmen short of an acceptive of the terms offered. The men stated that they would never submit to the proposed reduction and announced a determination to resist any effort on the part of the Carnegie company to start up the plants with non-union men. . . .
Yesterday the Carnegie company announced its intention to proceed to get ready to make repairs, and the officials asked the sheriff to appoint deputies to protect the property. . . .
The developments today show that the application made for assistance of the sheriff was merely for the purpose of covering what was intended to be a coup de main on the part of the Carnegie company, in clandestinely introducing a body of Pinkerton detectives into the mill enclosure. The detectives had been rendezvoused some five or six mills below the city on the Ohio river, at which point two barges had been prepared for them. . . .
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