Out of This Furnace

Part 4 finds the later Kracha generations struggling against the steel mill company, American industry in general and the Great Depression. Times are tough for the entire country, and Dobie and his family feel the effects of the economic downturn. Dobie attempts to protest earlier on at a plant in Detroit, but is sacked and kicked off the premises. Though he has stood up for his rights, it is also the beginning of the Great Depression, signaling that times will be hard for everyone. Dobie has a conversation with his younger brother, Mikie, about working. The fact that the two brothers can have a conversation about whether to leave or remain at an apprenticeship shows just how far their thinking has come since the days of George Kracha. Though it is limited, the newer generations have more choices than their predecessors.

An interesting turn of events finds Dobie renting a room from a hotel owned by Joe Perovsky. Joe was the same bar owner who counseled George about buying lots back in Part 1. Joe made something of himself, and was even elected for councilman before falling from grace due to a steel mill strike in 1919. George looked up to Joe, and wanted to have the same mindset as Joe and other businessmen. With the Great Depression, however, Joe has fallen on hard times. He is no longer the infallible businessman that George once thought him to be. Indeed, Joe must eventually return to the steel mills to earn his living because he cannot keep his businesses going with the Depression. This highlights just how much fate and hard work play in the lives of these individuals. Hard work only goes so far, and like George and his butcher shop, the American Dream can be snatched away from anyone, even those previously held on high pedestals.

The younger generations are marrying, but still must deal with the very real task of providing for their families. Dobie becomes fed up with his working conditions and becomes more involved with unions. He and other workers do not want to vote for the company union even though a new law has called for union members to be included when voting. Dobie knows that the company union is simply a tool of the company to intimidate workers and keep wages the same. Dobie begins speaking to the other workers and is eventually elected secretary of the union. His support of the union highlights just how far he has come in wanting better working conditions. As such, Dobie is representative of the newer generation of workers who do not want to put up with oppressive bosses and pitiful working conditions.

Agnes writes to Dobie to say she plans on marrying a widower named Martin. Her previous suitor did not work out, but she has more hope with Martin. Though Dobie does not trust the marriage, he resigns himself to the fact that Agnes is of age and can marry whomever she sees fit.

Much of Dobie’s time is spent now with union work. Many of the union workers want the union to seek official recognition, though the company warns the workers against attempting this. The company is still at its intimidation tactics as well; the union workers receive fewer hours than the company men. Fears are raised in February when a few lodges of the union in Pittsburgh go on strike and are kicked out of the union. Dobie questions the irony behind a union that does not work for its workers. The delegates of different lodges get together to discuss their problem. They create a plan to request recognition from the union all at once. If the plan is not accepted, the lodges will all strike at once. The union, however, does not support the lodges. Though they try and meet with the company on their own, the company refuses to see them without the union to represent them.

After a bit of back and forth, company management finally agrees to meet with the bargaining units. As Dobie is on the unit for his mill, he joins in in the negotiations. Flack, the Superintendent, lets the units know that he must first be told who works for which section of the mill. Furthermore, he asks for some type of proof that Dobie and the others are representatives for the units, as well as asking for the membership list of each unit. Flack says that this is to let the company know how many men they are dealing with. Flack then says that the units must deal with the City Office, not him. Dobie is angered by Flack, and leaves the office annoyed.

Dobie and Julie wonder later that evening if there will be a strike because the units got nowhere with Flack. Dobie’s concerns are that experienced people are needed for the strike, and that the company is preparing for a strike by buying guns and hiring labor, including strikebreakers. They are also keeping up with intimidation tactics, such as questioning workers about their allegiance to the company. Even the union leader, Tighe, tries to say that they are not ready to strike, to help the company. A radio announcement later reveals that a strike has been averted. As it turns out, a vote to accept a special labor board has been approved. Though Dobie is excited about the news, he is troubled when he returns to the union office and is told by a representative that many people now dislike the union, including the government, the company union, the company itself and others.

Dobie and Julie, along with George, go and visit Dorta. George tells Dobie that Dorta was like a mother to him, and he should visit her to pay respect. As the family walks through town, George points out to the younger couple where businesses used to be. Arriving at Dorta’s, they are then told by Dorta about how life used to be when she and George were younger. They also discuss family. Dorta also tells Dobie that his father, Mike, was in favor of unions as well.

The economy starts to improve after a time, and Dobie gets more hours at work. By springtime, he and Julie can pay off their debt, though they buy a washing machine and end up in debt again. The couple talk about their future one night, including buying a home. Dobie insists that they will have what they want one day. When they return home, they find a crowd of people standing around. George has collapsed on the steps from a stroke. Though he is lying now on the couch, he refuses a doctor. His left side is now partially paralyzed, though he recovers from the stroke and does not suffer another one.

Dobie becomes more and more involved with the union. There is still a glaring disparity between the portion of the union that technically works for the company and the union lodges, or the bargaining units, which want genuine representation. Dobie and the other workers want recognition from the company, and to do so, they must go against the portion of the union that represents the company. The lodges organize and hold meetings to make their points known amongst themselves. They draft up a plan but do not receive the support of the union itself. This highlights just how corrupt the union was at the time. As Dobie noted earlier on, many of the company bosses are a part of the union, and keep the status quo going by intimidation. Dobie and other members want to end this puppet union in favor of a union that is truly for worker rights.

The differences between the generations are also highlighted in this section when Dobie and Julie go to see Dorta with George. George points out how the town used to look back in his day, while Dorta regales the younger couple with stories of when they were younger. In this way, the generations are tied together by beliefs and common desires for a better life. This hope spans the generations, and connects the family members just as closely as their blood ties do. Though George’s stroke at the end of this section signifies a declining generation, the older generation is made strong through Dobie’s efforts to better the working and living conditions for all workers through his union activities.

With the general dislike of the union from many sides, steel towns all over the country are affected by union membership drops. Dobie has had his hours cut due to his meddling in union business, but he has not told Julie about the reduction of hours. Dobie still wants to continue with the plan to organize and gain recognition for the mill workers. Dobie and other members begin a new campaign, but Tighe revokes their charter and has police protection instituted for the headquarters of Amalgamated. Dobie and the others attempt to appeal the revocation, but are unsuccessful.

Though they have faced a major setback, Dobie feels that the men must push forward with trying to gain recognition. He warns that the bosses can practically do whatever they want to them now, and though he wants to fight, he needs a job. More than ever, they need to ensure that they are protected by a legitimate union. Dobie and his coworkers want to try and win an election despite the sharp drop in union dues and members. They then talk to other members, like Burke and Hagerty, and devise a plan to run in the election as Employee Representatives. When they do so, they are all elected. Their next task is to ask for a twenty percent wage increase, as well as vacation time and representation on the U.S. Steel board. When they approach Flack with these demands for the workers, he dismisses them and forces them to leave his office. They continue to meet to try and get more favorable conditions for workers, though the company ignores them for the most part.

The Committee for Industrial Organization is then formed by John L. Lewis. This is a subcommittee within the A.F.L., and its task is to address and organize industrial unions. With this seeming support, the C.I.O. gains favor across the country with industrial workers. 

One night Dobie discusses politics with a man named Steve from Uniontown. Dobie is invigorated by the discussion. When he, George and Julie return home, however, they are awakened in the middle of the night by a noise and find that George has fallen. He has had another stroke. They call for the doctor, but George dies the next day. The family is then informed, and relatives arrive from all over, including Mikie from New York. Mikie now has a steady, well-paying job. He makes more than Dobie, and does not have to be concerned about layoffs. As he journeys back to the house with Dobie, Mikie says he has forgotten just how dirty Braddock is. George is buried next to Pauline, who died from consumption. The family then eats and reminisces. When Mikie and Dobie leave to buy food for dinner later that night, Mikie says he could never live in Braddock again.

Mikie asks Dobie if he is afraid of automation in the mills, but Dobie says that even the machines will need to be fixed, so he should always have a job. He and Julie then discuss more matters with Julie over dinner. Mikie takes pictures of them all, then leaves on the train for New York. Julie later reveals to Dobie that she is pregnant. The family must watch their money even more closely now as they no longer have George’s pension to help them get by.

Dobie’s desire to fight for the rights of the steelworkers is met with strong dislike from the powers that be. The union has already garnered a bad name due to its meddling in what is considered company business, and Dobie makes things worse for himself by persisting in his cause. His hours are cut, though he does not tell Julie initially. Dobie knows that he can make a difference if he can get the workers to put their hope and bitterness to good use. He believes in the cause of labor unions so much that he gets elected so that his voice can be heard. Though things look bleak for the union, when the C.I.O. is formed, industrial workers the nation over rejoice. For Dobie, this is a breath of fresh air. It looks like there is indeed hope for a better union and better working conditions. The formation of the subcommittee shows that America and American industry are evolving.

With George’s death in this section, the family comes together to grieve. A generation has passed with George’s death, and the family that has come from his shadow is one that is now stretched out over America. Mikie has a steady job and makes more than Dobie, and wants nothing to do with Braddock again. Mikie exists as a strong contrast to Dobie in his desire to find an identity apart from the steel mills. He is a new type of individual, one that wants more than his brothers or fathers had or envision now. He sees his hometown as a dirty place with bad memories. America is the American Dream of legend for Mikie, and he intends to pursue his dreams. Dobie, too, has dreams of a better America. With the evolution of the union, he hopes those dreams are realized. He finds a connection to Braddock, and wants to make his home a better place for all its inhabitants.

The C.I.O. eventually takes over Amalgamated by forming the Steel Workers’ Organizing Committee, or the S.W.O.C. By doing so, it can better organize the steelworkers. The steel industry is then besieged by the C.I.O., which sets about protesting against the City Office and attacking the inherent structure of the E.R.P. union. Dobie enjoys being around the men of the subcommittee and hearing their stories. He also likes how they are not afraid to say what is on their mind regardless of who hears, and that they are made up of different ethnicities. They all have a common goal, and put differences aside for the greater good.

The C.I.O. is successful in drawing attention to the steel company, as the company is cited by the Labor Board for promoting a company union. Dobie finds himself going back and forth to Pittsburgh to meet with investigators and Labor Board lawyers. Dobie finds out that both he and Hagerty will be called to be witnesses against the company. He will need to go to Washington for this, but when he requests time off, the company refuses him the time. Dobie knows that he can be fired for not showing up to work, so informs the union office. He is told not to worry about the matter, though he still does.

Dobie says his goodbyes to Julie and then meets the other witnesses in Pittsburgh. In Washington, he meets with John Lewis and attends the Labor Board hearings, which are a lot drier than he expected. He contacts Julie and learns that various stories are being reported in the papers about the hearings, and he cannot help but feel that those involved, such as the lawyers, are far removed from the reality of what goes on inside the mills. Though he and the other witnesses are taken around town and shown a good time, Dobie still cannot help but wonder if he will have a job when he returns to Braddock.

Dobie finally testifies on Christmas Eve, and then leaves to join Julie in Donora for Christmas. Before he gets to Donora, he stops by the union office to pick up his pay. He has been told that he will find out whether he has been fired when he opens his pay envelope. He is relieved to find that his check is for the regular amount, then talks to a few workers about the hearings. One rumor is that Hagerty was asked to be a spy for the company, but Dobie does not know if it is true. He again asks them about his job, but no one has heard anything about him being fired. As he is talking, Flack enters the office and asks where Hagerty is. He then tells Dobie that he made him look bad during the Washington hearings. Dobie says that he only told the truth under oath. The two men almost come to blows, and must be separated by the other men. Dobie then asks if he has been fired, but Flack replies that no one will be fired for matters outside of work. Dobie finally gets his answer: he still has a job. He then leaves to meet up with Julie.

Dobie is called back to Washington in January, though he does not have to testify this time around. As the Labor Board delineates on the hearings, the steel industry signs a contract with the new union, the S.W.O.C. With the contract, the union has effectively won its battle, and the E.R.P. representatives resign their posts. Dobie’s dream of better working conditions has finally come to fruition, though there are still battles to be fought and won. Workers still face problems of fluctuations in work based on the economy, and there is also the issue of unemployment due to machines and newer technology. Lastly, the novel mentions the racial tensions and discrimination, especially when workers of Slovak descent like Dobie are called “Hunky,” a derogatory word meant to comment on their appearance. Dobie knows, however, that the discrimination is based off ignorance. He likes the way of thinking that the C.I.O. men embody. They know that it does not matter where you are born or who your ancestors are. What matters most is how you think and approach the world.