, ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁The ▁Chicago ▁area ▁was ▁not , ▁however , ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁steel ▁industry ; ▁the ▁Mon ong ah ela ▁Valley ▁was . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁F oster ▁sent ▁organiz ers ▁into ▁that ▁area ▁several ▁months ▁later , ▁however , ▁the ▁influen za ▁ep ide mic ▁had ▁led ▁the ▁authorities ▁to ▁bar ▁all ▁public ▁meet ings ; ▁the ▁announ cement ▁of ▁the ▁arm ist ice ▁soon ▁led ▁to ▁w ides p read ▁lay offs ▁in ▁the ▁mill s . ▁The ▁union ▁no ▁longer ▁could ▁rely ▁on ▁a ▁tight ▁labor ▁market ▁or ▁a ▁federal ▁government ▁interested ▁in ▁labor ▁peace . ▁The ▁union ▁faced ▁other ▁problems : ▁the ▁rival ries ▁sp ur red ▁by ▁the ▁constitu ent ▁un ions ' ▁self - inter est ▁and ▁the ▁om ni present ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁industry , ▁which ▁had ▁turned ▁the ▁Valley ▁into ▁a ▁large ▁version ▁of ▁a ▁company ▁town . ▁ ▁Even ▁so , ▁the ▁National ▁Committee ▁for ▁Organ izing ▁Iron ▁and ▁Ste el ▁Work ers ▁managed ▁to ▁sign ▁up ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁steel ▁workers ▁by ▁early ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁The ▁strike ▁vote , ▁taken ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁was ▁almost ▁un anim ous ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁a ▁strike . ▁When ▁the ▁steel ▁companies ▁refused ▁to ▁meet ▁with ▁union ▁officials , ▁ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁steel work ers ▁went ▁out ▁on ▁strike ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 2 .