- born ▁sk illed ▁workers ▁often ▁looking ▁down ▁on ▁their ▁imm igr ant ▁cow ork ers , ▁who ▁were ▁often ▁un sk illed ▁or ▁sem isk illed . ▁F oster ▁proposed ▁a ▁similar ▁strategy , ▁but ▁on ▁a ▁much ▁larger ▁scale : ▁a ▁national ▁campaign , ▁led ▁by ▁a ▁union ▁council ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁craft ▁un ions ▁and ▁the ▁Am alg am ated ▁Association ▁of ▁Iron , ▁T in ▁and ▁Ste el ▁Work ers , ▁that ▁would ▁organ ize ▁all ▁of ▁basic ▁steel ▁simultaneously . ▁Fitz pat rick ▁agreed ▁to ▁put ▁his ▁name ▁on ▁the ▁project ▁and ▁sent ▁F oster ▁as ▁the ▁C FL ' s ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁A FL ' s ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁convention ▁to ▁present ▁the ▁plan . ▁ ▁The ▁A FL ' s ▁reception ▁was ▁te pid : ▁it ▁end ors ed ▁a ▁special ▁conference ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁committee ▁to ▁organ ize ▁steel ▁workers , ▁but ▁each ▁international ▁union ▁contributed ▁only ▁one ▁hundred ▁dollars ▁ap ie ce ▁— ▁leaving ▁the ▁committee ▁with ▁somewhat ▁less ▁than ▁the ▁$ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁F oster ▁estimated ▁it ▁needed . ▁Many ▁un ions ▁did , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand ▁contribute ▁organiz ers , ▁whom ▁F oster ▁used ▁as ▁his ▁base . ▁ ▁Without ▁the ▁funds ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁truly ▁national ▁campaign , ▁F oster ▁decided ▁to ▁start ▁close ▁to ▁home , ▁sending ▁organiz ers ▁into ▁Gary , ▁Indiana , ▁and ▁South ▁Chicago , ▁where ▁they ▁received ▁a ▁tum ult uous ▁out p our ing ▁of ▁support