The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-25
SYMPATHY STRIKE
In PACKINGTOWN
Teamsters, Cattlehandlers and
Mechanics Walk Out to Aid
the Butchers. :,
Union Leaders Declare Greatest
Labor War in America s His
tory Is Now On.

tory Is Now On.
Chicago, July 25.-Chicago,s SYM
pathetic general strike at the stock
yards, predicted by Its leaders to be
the greatest and most extensive this
o'clock today, when thousands Of
teamsters, cattlehandlers and members
of the mechanical trades quit work
and made grand rush for the gates
leading from the busiest square mile
OF buildings, yards and pens In the
world.
In the first big detection came 700
men, including the scalers and pen
cleaners employed by the Union Stock
yards & Transit company, who refused
handlers. This eliminated the useful
ness of the teamsters, and they fol-
lowed. AS they passed out Of the big
gates at Exchange avenue, they were
greeted with cheers by the thousands
Of strikers gathered in the vicinity.
Non-union Men Ready.
Prior to this spectacular exodus.
came small strikes in the various
| plants, including carpenters, hremen,
elevator men, machfnists, ETC., but
these did not have the effect Of tieing
| been anticipated and as often as a
union man stepped out a non-union
man or a union man who had de-
serted his organization was there to
take his place.
The teamsters and cattlehandlers,
as a whole, employed by the various
| Industrial firms had refused to join in
| the pre-cOnference movement SO much
desired and ardently urged by aPresi-
dent Donnelly of the butchers union.
but at that a large number of them
quit and quietly left the yards to at
tend a big mass meeting called for the
| benefit of all who had refused to await
results of further conferences.
| While these walkouts were taking
place, a conference between strike rep
Iresentatives and the packers was being
held at the offices of Nelson Morris &
Co., and the delegates representing the
allied trades We're in session at Elmer
aid avenue and Forty-1rst street.
Earlier in the day the allied trades
\ and the committee Of eight tearnst tiers,
4 chosen last night to seek peace anew
lbefores permitting the teamsters to
| strike, had been urged by President
1 Donne1ly Of the Meat Cutters to de-
! clare a general strike and then seek
a further conference with the packers.
I Golden for Peace.
There was a lively debate, President
4 Golden, for the transfers governing
body, declaring his belief that a COM
mon sense campaign would end in
peace. He pointed out the danger of
shutting UP the Union Yards and
Transit. company which he said
would be detrimental, to the strikers
| friends, the Independent packers, who
were doing the big packers almost as
much damage as anybody else. He
urged that the stockyards company
be permitted to continue under some
/ kind of agreement.
but his argument had no weight
with President Donnelly, who said:
THE time to strike is right now.
Let us talk about the independents
concerns and about settlements later"
/ Then it was arranged that President
Schaerdt, representing the Chicago
Federation Of Labor. and Barney
Cohen, representing the butchers
union committee, to which had been
added John Sheridan, business agent
of the ice wagon drivers. There are
1900 of the ice wagon drivers en-
ployed by the packers and with their
striking it is admitted the packers
would have much difficulty getting Ice
to their refrigerator cars.
Under instructions the representa-
lives Of labor told the packers that;
they could not waive their demand
hours Of the cattle butchers and meat
/ cutters and within ten days for all!
4 others and for individual arbitration
In all cases Of alleged discrimination.
Stock Handlers Go Out.
!. While the peace conference was in
session, news came of the strike of all
the livestock handlers, which was
called at 10 o'clock. Most of the men
quit promptly at that hour, but many
afternoon to finish delivering cattle
outside the yards. Independents
. packers took advantage Of this and
droves Of cattle and sheep were driv-
, en- out Of the yards long after 10
o'clock.
, when it became known that the
walkout of the livestock handlers af-
fected the independent packers as
well as those against whom the strike
had been called, representatives of the
Independents called on the strike
officials at the headquarters Of the
packing house teamsters to ask for a
special provision allowing them to-
secure cattle from the yards in the
regular way. Representatives of the
Allied Packinghouse Trades promised
to take the question up at formal
meeting.
Meanwhile the sympathetic general
strike has spread rapidly. When the
scale men got word to quit, they cool
, ly locked their scales and left, many
of them, having unweighed cattle on
commission men and packers, nearly
!, all the weighing had been done and
! little inconvenience resulted.
Not all the mschinists went out. IN
: fact, it is claimed a small majority
= responded to the call of their leaders.
! The electricians and dynamo men
! made large assertions. Their places
were asserted to have been filled by.
) men who have been in the employ Of
the packers for many days.
Strike Spread Fast.
The strike movement soon involved
Z every craft at the stockyards except
I ing the teamsters. Steamfitters,
= plumbers, boxmakers, ETC., walked
4 out successfully, these departments
: being totally tied up in some instances
: and but partially in others. Thou
sands of workmen, with their lunch
pals, began moving out of the yards
, in an orderly manner. There was a
/ !, marked absence Of any suggestion of
9 violence during the walkouts.
q Continued on second Page,