March 25, 1880

  • William Steinway agrees to the union’s demand of 10% wage increase to all the workers. On the same evening William Steinway writes new price list and circular “To Our Dealers and Agents”: “After six weeks of intense excitement and trouble if the gravest kind, and at a direct cash loss to us of over $40,000, the strike in our factory has come to an end.”
  • During the strike many of Steinway & Sons better workers have quit, and started working for smaller factories that were offering higher wages.
  • While the strike has continued, many American piano manufacturers have been buying up New York-made pianos, to create the illusion of an increasing demand, so that New York piano manufacturers increase the wages for their workers and raise the piano prices, giving the cheaper outside-of-New York pianos better price leverage on the national market.