Ottumwa semi-weekly courier., 1903-09-29
STRIKE IS
NOT FEARED
oTTuMWA AND SIOUX CITY PACK.
ERs NOT ANXIOUS ABOUT
EMPLOYEES.
WILD STORY is AFL0AT J
Report Comes From Chicago That Un.
ion Butchers Are About to Declare a
Strike Affecting $500 Men IneIud-.
ing 1,5oo in Sioux City.


ing 1,500 in Sioux City.
If present indications are not mis-
leading neither Ottumwa nor Sioux
City, the two cities in Iowa where the
packing interests are greatest, will be
affected materially by the impending
strike of the members of the Amalga-
mated Meat Cutters. Reports come
from Chicago today to the effect that
$4,000 men employed in the packing
houses throughout the west will take
vote tonight on the propositions
made by the packing firms regarding
the hours of work and the amount to
be accomplished by each employe in
the beef killing departments.
ottumwa Union Small.
The Amalgamated Association Of
Meat Cutters has an organization in
Ottumwa, but very few of its members
probably not more than half a dozen
are employed at the plant of John
Morrell e Co., according to the state
men. OF the secretary of the union this
morning The other members work
at meat markets in different parts of
the city. Nothing is know here by
members OF the organization regard
1 ing the strike that is said to be threat
ening and the first news came when
the Chicago papers reached Ottumwa
! this morning.
No Trouble at Sioux City.
According to the reports received
from Chicago there are 1900 men en-
ployed in the packing houses at Sioux
| City. A telegram from the Courier,s
correspondent there this afternoon,
1 states that neither the labor unions
/ nor the packing firms there know any
thing of the impending strike and that
| no light can be thrown upon the mat
4 ter there
AS Chicago Sees 1t.
4 A Chicago paper gives the following
story publicity today:
"Fifty-three thousand employees of
the packing interests of the United
4 States will present demands Wednes-
/ day for the absolute unionizing of all
4 the plants, substantial increase in
wages and ten hours of work per day.
Il These demands will be in the form of
an untimatum. and refusal to grant
I them may result in general strike.
Both the packers and their men have
4 submitted terms by which it was hoped
to avert trouble. The unions assert
that complete organization under their
banners of all packing house employees
will enable the union leaders to more
4 effectively carry out agreements to pre-,
vent strikes in such plants Five dol
4 lars a day for foormen and splittera
in the cattle killing departments ana
proportionate increases in other der
I partments are demanded.
Many Meetings Called.
4 "In order that unions in other
cities may debate the questions in
volved, meetings of all the Butcher
workmen's unions have been schedul-
ed for tonight. Copies of the PROPOSE
tions to be voted on have been. for
warded to the several packing centers
by the Packing Trades Council. The
cities where these unions exist and the
number of men involved are:
Chicago .................... 80, 600
Kansas City 1000
South Omaha ................. 5000
st. Joseph, Mo-. 5000
Sioux City, Ia. a.................. 1900
New York City. 1000
ST. Paul -. .............. 1000
= Fort Worth, Texas s............. 700
: THE packers have thus far met the
: demands of the men with counter-de-
+ mands. In substance the packers ask
t of the union employees that work be
/. continued without interruption during
the regular hours, and in case of a dis
pute the business agent of the disaf-
fected union is to make settlement
after working hours; also that floor
men are to side sixteen and one
half cattle an hour instead of fifteen;
splitters to handle not less than twen-
n ty-eight an hour, instead of twenty-five
and all relative work to be increased
, proportionately. 1t is also desired
that no more strikes be called unless
indorsed by the executive board of the
international union.
Complaints of Unions.
"The unions consider these require
1 ments will mean 10 per cent extra
work for the men, aside from threat
ening reduction in the total number of
: men to be employed. Union leaders
g declare that as things now are the
E men have TO work under high pres
. sure to turn out the amount of work
1 expected They pointed out that a
n slight increase in wages would not
e counterbalance the 10 per cent greater
burden OF labor.
p, Z t.