Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-09-15
DONNELLY ENDS
BUTCHERS STRIKE
President of Butchers Union Says
the Men Have Lost.
$4,000 PERSONS INVOLVED
The Men Will Now Return to Work
Under the Conditions That Ex-
listed Before the Strike
Wage Loss Was So, 100000.

Chicago, Sept. 9.-The strike OF the
butcher workmen, which has demon
allied the meat packing industry
throughout the country for the last
two months, was officially declared off
Thursday night by President Michael
]. Donnelly of the Amalgamated Meat
Cutters and Butcher Workmen OF
America. Thursday morning Mr.. DON
nelley te~legraphed the members Of the
national executive committee, asking
their consent to an announcement of
an end of the struggle, and Thursday
night having received favorable an
swers from all, he declared that the
strike of the members of his organiza-
ton would end at midnight.
Favored Continuing the Strike.
The strike of the members Of the
affiliated unions at the stock yards,
who quit work in sympathy with the
butchers, will officially be called off
Friday morning at a meeting Of the
conference board of the Allied Trades.
This was decided upon ct a meeting
Of the central body Of the Allied
Trades, held Thursday night.
The general body was at first in ia
vor of continuing the strike, but Mr..
Donnelly, who was present, announced
that the men were defeated, and that
in order to a v his union from being
entirely disrupted, he would order his
men to return to work Friday morn
ing, no matter what course might be
taken by other unions. AS the other
unions had no grievance, but had gone
on strike to aid the butchers, there
was nothing left for them but to follow
the lead Of Mr.. Donnelly, and they,
too, decided to call off the strike, as far
as they were concerned.
When the packers were notified that
1t had been decided to end the strike,
they announced that they would give
places, as far as possible, to the skilled
men, but it was stated at the same time
that many of these men would be I'M
able to secure their old places, as in
many cases the work was being per-
formed in a satisfactory manner by
men who had been secured since the
commencement of the strike. 1t is ex-
pected that the majority of the un.
skilled men will be unable to secure
their places again. 1t was ihe question
of a wage scale for this class of men
that brought about the strike, the
packers refusing to sign an agreement
with any class other than skilled
workmen.
Cost the Strikers SO 100000.
During the strike, approximately
$4,000 persons have been involved in
the struggle, which is estimated to
have cost the men about $4,000, 900 in
wages, as against an estimated loss of
$7,5OO,OOO to the packers in loss of
business, and in increased expenses.
The greatest number of men idle in
Chicago during the strike was IS 5000,
and the total in the country outside of
this city is estimated to be about the
same.
The original cause of the strike was
a demand by the Butchers union that
the packers pay to the unskilled
Workmen 1SR cents an hour. The
packers refused to sign an agreement,
but offered to arbitrate the question.
This was accepted, the strikers agree
ing to return to work, pending the de-
cision of the a%rbitrators. The men,
however, were dissatisfied with the
manner in which they were being put
to work, and declared they would not
return until all Of the men were given
their old places in one days time. The
packers declaring that this was ply
impossible, the mon went on
for the second time.
The men now return to work un,ler
the conditions that existed before the