In July 2077, the Pittsburgh Union Steel Company owner, Mr. Mackeson, demanded a tripling of production. The steel workers had been having trouble making the previous quota, but this large of an increase seemed like it was doomed to lead to a strike, which would be the company's first strike in twenty years.[1] In the following September, Mr. Mackeson came down in person to see "what the fuss was all about" and was met with harsh verbal attacks by the workers. The company foreman Hal Caldwell had to call in Protectrons to prevent the situation from escalating. However, at this time, Mr. Mackeson responded that the situation "was out of his hands," as the government required more output for the war effort.[2]
By early October, Hal Caldwell, the Union, and Mr. Mackeson reached an agreement - to avoid a repeat of the labor wars down south in Beckley and Welch, Mr. Mackeson would "pull some clever accounting" to make it seem that production had tripled. In exchange, the workers would do all they could to "squeeze just a little bit more out of everyone."[3]
