Chapter 335 Roosevelt Mediation
"Yeah, fortunately it's not directed at me!" Sheffield scratched his scalp, grinning and muttering to himself, as if he was possessed by a demon.
This frightened Natalia. Since she met this slave owner, she had never seen him show any fear. But now she saw clearly that the emotion flashing in Sheffield's eyes was fear. There was no doubt about it. He called softly, "William, you..."
"I'm scared!" Sheffield stared at the air in front of him, shook his head vigorously, forced a smile, and said self-deprecatingly, "You didn't expect that I would be afraid of something too. I'm not even afraid of the private armed forces of the DuPont Consortium, Morgan and Rockefeller who are richer than me, and I'm not even afraid of the president, but I'm afraid of these workers. I'm afraid of them gathering together, afraid that they will say things in private that I don't know, and they can scare me just by sitting together and chatting. You've also seen this time that once these workers find a way, they can bring the overlord of the coal industry for decades to the brink of bankruptcy. Not to mention Jace, even Morgan must agree to the conditions of these workers this time."
Because of the existence of the coal cartel, no decent union in the coal industry has survived for more than 20 years. This kind of repressive force has never appeared in railways, steel, or any other fields. Even most people believe that the coal industry will be controlled by giants for a long time, which also indirectly shows that most people generally recognize the power of the coal cartel.
But the coal cartel that has prevented the miners' union from forming for more than 20 years has this time encountered a crisis that is fatal, and it may become history.
How could Sheffield not be afraid? When the Soviet Union was established, how many noble monks lost their heads? I admire a country like the Soviet Union, but it would be better if it happened in other countries. If the United States showed such signs? It would really make me sleep uneasy.
"Come with me to relax and go to the car production line!" Sheffield, whose mind was blank, took Natalia's hand and stood up. They could go anywhere now, as long as they could let their wandering brain freeze.
Sheffield regained some consciousness only after getting in the car and heading to the car factory. He whispered in Natalia's ear, "Don't tell anyone about my reaction just now."
It is true that the workers' movement is an undoubted nightmare to any monopoly capitalist, but few capitalists admit this in their hearts, and Sheffield is unwilling to admit it either.
On the Ford automobile production line, the workers were still so busy, doing their work in an orderly manner, and they did not express any special concern for the young men and women accompanied by the factory director.
The factory manager of this production line wanted to let the workers notice the boss's arrival, but was stopped by Sheffield just as he was about to take action, "They are working hard for their lives, don't disturb them, they are fine now."
It was lunch time, and the workers on the production line took turns to go to the canteen to eat. Each worker received his or her own portion of food at the window with his or her work badge. They wolfed down their food and then went to work. What? You said that working right after a meal is bad for the body? That's true, but what does the bad health of the workers have to do with the factory? If the workers got sick or something, the boss would just kick them out of the factory and then recruit a guy who was paid for a probationary period to replace them.
The food at the United Motors was quite good. As a comprehensive conglomerate that started out as an agricultural and animal husbandry company, it would be a shame if it could not provide basic food needs. During the holidays, the United Motors could also ship a batch of old goods from the canning trust to be used as welfare for the workers. It didn't matter if they didn't like canned food. After the introduction of filter cigarettes, the old squeezed non-filter cigarettes also had old goods, which could satisfy the simple happiness of men.
In general, although the degree of exploitation was great, the slave owners were still very good at giving small favors. There shouldn't be a strike by the coal cartel...right?
"In three months, New Orleans will host the World Expo. The factory workers will have a holiday then. Give them a ticket to visit the World Expo and let them know that the American Century was created by them. Just don't tell them that I've been here!"
Before leaving, Sheffield called the factory manager over and gave him instructions with a mysterious look. He didn't even know why he did this.
"Have you recovered a bit of your spirit? I scared you today." Natalia just leaned against Sheffield and said coquettishly, "Did the strike irritate you?"
"I will never use any trade unions again. These workers are too dangerous. They will only bring disaster upon themselves! They are my biggest enemies." Sheffield sighed gloomily. He actually thought that he was smarter than Carnegie. Now looking at the situation of the coal cartel, he realized that they were too inflated. They still thought that the workers' movement could be controlled. What was the difference between this and seeking death?
Coal is such an important field. We have just entered the 20th century. Although the oil industry is booming, it has not yet replaced coal. In the automotive field, many steam cars are still being improved in Europe. It will take another 20 years for oil to surpass coal in importance.
For the United States, coal is also related to national security. Once there is a shortage of coal supply, what kind of damage will the country suffer? Therefore, this strike led by John Mitchell can be said to have a quick impact on society. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is an artificially created energy crisis.
The slave owner, who thought he was very smart, thought that he could disgust Morgan without thinking, but when something really happened, it affected not only Morgan, but also made Sheffield regret his decision.
Anne had advised Sheffield not to get involved in too many industries, but he never agreed. Now, for the first time, he carefully examined the industries in his hands and estimated whether there were any loopholes that could be exploited. What the people around him could not do was successfully done by the coal workers who gathered together.
However, although he regretted helping John Mitchell, since he had already agreed, Sheffield had to finish the thing. Temporary retreat would only make others see that the slave owner was weak inside, so he could only bite the bullet and support to the end.
His newspapers continued to report the coal workers' strike led by John Mitchell in a positive image. The layout was his newspapers, belonging to Pulinzer and individual newspapers. The public, the press and the political circles did not blindly condemn the strikers, but generally sympathized with them. This was won by the miners' just reasons for the strike and Mitchell's non-violent struggle.
Public opinion was overwhelmingly in support, just as Sheffield was attacked from all sides and Hearst was blamed from all sides, but this time the ones in dire straits were the major coal companies in the cartel alliance.
When John Mitchell organized the strike, he also stated that he was not seeking revolution, but would accept arbitration to obtain the rights and interests that workers deserved. The union leader stated that he would accept arbitration instead of revolution. This statement made many people feel relieved, including Sheffield.
In the first half of the month, he was really afraid that such a large-scale strike would turn into a revolution. After all, when it comes to such a large group of people, historical references are almost useless. As long as there is something wrong, the strike will turn into another direction. Fortunately, this miner leader still kept a clear mind.
"After this strike, if possible, I want to make friends with these hunchbacks. If he doesn't want to, I'll wait until the storm is over and find a way to get rid of him." Sheffield also saw John Mitchell's statement on the strike in the newspaper. As long as it is not a revolution, everything is easy to talk about. Can't union leaders make friends with capitalists? Of course they can.
Aren’t those forces that evolved from the Second International in Europe also friends of the capitalists? They can be disintegrated as long as they can be negotiated. We are only afraid of the Soviet Union, which is unwilling to negotiate and insists on fighting once it gets too excited.
John Mitchell, as long as he learns from those Engels followers in Europe, he can also become a guest of honor at the United Company. It’s nothing, as long as there is no revolution, everything can be discussed.
"I have several subordinates who are always by his side. After the strike is over, they will convey the boss's intention to him." Jesla still had that wooden attitude and carried out the boss's orders meticulously.
As the coal workers' strike continued, the impact began to spread to other areas. Coal and steel are closely related, and steel is an important raw material for many industries. This is why the energy crisis is so terrible. The energy of this era is still dominated by coal. A quarter of the coal production capacity of the United States is affected. It will take time for bituminous coal to fill the market, and once it is filled, the companies in the coal cartel will go bankrupt one after another.
No matter which outcome occurs, many people will be affected by this confrontation between the union and the cartel. The strike has lasted for a month. President Roosevelt, who has been paying close attention to the strike, could not help but announce his willingness to mediate the conflict between the coal workers and the coal mine owners and end the strike as soon as possible.
President Theodore Roosevelt then invited Mitchell to the White House to work with Bell, a representative from the coal cartel sent by Jess, to discuss a solution.
Roosevelt invited both parties to the White House, which attracted everyone's attention. For Rockefeller Jr. and Sheffield, both of them wanted to see what the president's attitude was. Once he showed a tough attitude, they would know what was going on.
I think I said I would update three times yesterday! I am a bit overconfident. Go to sleep first, I will go to code!
(End of this chapter)
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