▁among ▁imm igr ant ▁workers , ▁who ▁organized ▁along ▁national ▁or ▁lingu istic ▁lines . ▁ ▁While ▁priv ately ▁convinced ▁that ▁launch ing ▁a ▁strike ▁under ▁these ▁conditions ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁mistake , ▁and ▁aware ▁that ▁the ▁A FL ▁leadership ▁felt ▁even ▁more ▁strongly ▁on ▁this ▁subject , ▁F oster ▁non eth eless ▁continued ▁to ▁organ ize ▁as ▁if ▁a ▁strike ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁off ing . ▁The ▁rank ▁and ▁file ▁workers ▁voted ▁over wh el ming ly ▁in ▁November , ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁and ▁more ▁moder ate ▁leaders , ▁such ▁as ▁Fitz pat rick ▁and ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁Local ▁ 8 7 , ▁used ▁this ▁strike ▁threat ▁to ▁great ▁advantage ▁in ▁negoti ating ▁with ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁and ▁the ▁employ ers . ▁ ▁The ▁Wilson ▁administration ▁wanted ▁to ▁bring ▁about ▁a ▁peace ful ▁resolution ▁of ▁this ▁dispute ▁and ▁put ▁great ▁pressure ▁on ▁the ▁employ ers ▁to ▁agree ▁to ▁arbitr ation ▁of ▁the ▁issues ▁in ▁dispute ▁— ▁w ages , ▁hours ▁of ▁work , ▁and ▁union ▁recognition ▁— ▁without ▁a ▁strike , ▁even ▁threaten ing ▁to ▁se ize ▁the ▁plants ▁as ▁a ▁w art ime ▁measure ▁if ▁necessary . ▁While ▁the ▁un ions ▁had ▁their ▁own ▁res erv ations ▁about ▁arbitr ation , ▁they ▁also ▁agreed ▁to ▁it ▁rather ▁than ▁find ▁themselves ▁forced ▁to ▁strike . ▁The ▁arbitr ator ' s ▁initial ▁award , ▁ordering ▁the ▁eight - hour ▁day , ▁over time ▁pay ▁and ▁significant ▁w age ▁increases , ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁victory ▁for ▁the ▁workers . ▁The ▁Am alg