ABSTRACT
On June 30, 1892 the contract between the Carnegie Steel Company and the Homestead branch of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers was set to expire. The Amalgamated had reason for confidence. Having won an earlier strike, the steel workers union was at the pinnacle of its power. Since the late 1880s, membership had increased by 100%, while their general fund was at nearly $146,000 (Brody, 1998), a princely amount in the 19th century. Moreover, overall business was generally good, as Carnegie Steel had access to a number of lucrative government armor contracts (Krass, 2002). The workers deserved better, as well. Working and living conditions in Homestead, as was typical of the American steel industry at the time, were abhorrent (Standiford, 2005). Under the leadership of Hugh O’Donnell, the steel workers began negotiating for higher wages and better working conditions.
