Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-18
A UNION ORGANIZED
Morrells Employees Join the A. M.
q. & B. w.
FIRST MEETING HELD LAST EVENING
Men Have No Intention Of Striking and
Are Satisfied With Their Work-T.
D. Foster Raises No Objections to
the Organization of the Union.

At a meeting that crowded the
Woodmen hall on East Main street to
the, doors the employees of the Morrell
packing house met last evening and
organized themselves into union OF
the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and
Butcher Workmen of North America.
The meeting was enthusiastic and
although the evening was extremely
warm, the man paid close attention to
the addresses that were made and in
structions that were given to perfect
| their organization
Local Organizers There.
| The meeting was addressed by j. F.
Byrne organizer of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, and Charles Gustave-
son, chairman. of the organizing COM
mittee of the local Trades and Labor
Assembly. After these addresses the
local union was formed, and it starts
out with the brightest of prospects.
James Conway was elected president,
and NJ. Garland, secretary. National
President Donnley of the Amalgamat-
ed Meat Cutters and Butcher Work
men of North America, was expected
to address the meeting but on account
Ol pIGSSlu6 UupiACSo AL SblS15Oy Aii',
and Hammond. Ind, was unable to be
present. However, he will be in OF
tumwa on August 1, to look after the
interests of the new union.
Big Help for Organized Labor.
The action of the Morrell employees
in organizing solidifies the labor move
! ment in Ottumwa and will swell or
| ganized labor forces in this city, when
completed by at least 1000, and will
make the total 1000. The men or
ganized for mutual benefit and for the
purpose OF classifying the Morrell
packing plant as union house.
No Complaints.
One of the members of the new or
ganization stated to a Courier report
err this morning: I'VE did not organ
ize for the purpose of making any de-
mands upon the firm, but rather to get
closer to one another, for the purpose
of mutual protection. We have no
complaint to make as to the treatment
accorded us by the management of
John Morrell and Company, yet we re-
alke that we belong to the organized
labor's forces and are opposed to the
product of sweat shops, trusts and
combinations, and their degredations
of labor for profit. We are organized
and our every effort will be to fight
4 these combinations, trusts and sweat
shops.
- Firm Not Consulted.
4 We do not knowiwhat theJfirm thinks
about our organization. That is mat
ter of Indifference to us, as we realize
that labor must organize to get justice
from organized capital therefore we
are in it with both feet to stay We
believe that the organizing of the Nor.
rell plant will be great benefit to the
company and that it will get large
amount OF patronage that il would not
enjoy at this time were it not union
house. No sir, We did not organize to
strike That is the farthest from our
thoughts. ;"
Viii! Meet Wednesday Evening.
The next meeting will be held at
Woodmen hall, on East Main street,
next Wednesday evening, by which
time the charter and supplies will ar.
rive from headquarters.
T. D., Foster Talks.
I. D. Foster, general manager of .hc
4 Morrell plant, was interviewed by a
Courier reporter this morning concern
ing the matter, and said: 81 have
heard that the men have organized
and have nothing to say against it
They do it of their own volition, and
the firm has no objections to raise
The men will hear no complaint from
me so long as they do their worl,
Il right. That is. all / ask of them"