Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-15
Meat Cutters and Pack
ers Have Enough
OF the Trouble With Their En-,
pl0yers In West
And Are Perfectly Willing to Call III.
Difficulty off and Attend to Bushes.
in the Line of Supplying the Great
Public.

1
packing companies and their so 900
striking employees was taken. Thursday.
when Pres. Michael Donnelly of the
| Amalgamated Meat Cutters and
| Butchers Union of North Americ,
held a conference with representatives
Of the packing houses in which the
| strike was called. There are indica.
tions that the conference will open the
| way for a settlement of the strike.
Both sides are i'm favor of a peace
| able settlement upon an equitable
basis. and it is believed that an ar
| rangement will be made for the men to
return to work. pending an adjustment
of the differences by arbitration.
| That this manner of settlement will
be accepted by both sides appears prob-
able. j. Ogden Armour for the employ
ers and Michael DOnnelly for the work.
ers have united in declaring they favor
| arbitration.
The head of the union in council with
| Pres. Samuel GOmpers of the American
| Federation of Labor was advised to
| make terms at once if he could secure
| what he deemed fair consideration.
1t is understood that in the confer
ence the union leaders will insist that
all strikers be reinstated. Another
point on which the labor men will lay
stress will be that Il wage scale for each
class of workers i'm the packing plants
be agreed on. This brings up one of
the original difficulties. The packers
have maintained that any contract
made should not include the unskilled
workers.
1t was announced that representa-
tives of the packing houses had ar
ranged to hold a conference previous to
the joint arbitration meeting. At this
conference, it was said, would be de-
termined just what terms the packers
would be willing to agree to.
Employment of non-uniOn men is in
creasing, according to Arthur Meeker,
manager for Armour & Co., who
said:
We are getting plenty of outside help.
Yesterdays output was 26 per cent. of the
normal We will produce more
The packers preliminary meeting was
held in Nelson Morris & Cos. office The
result was the formulation of a note to
President Donnelly and Samuel Gompers
inviting the two labor officers to con-
fereCce.
| While diplomatic exchanges of this ma
ture were in progress, a mob OF about
800 strike sympathiZers suddenly set upon
| a dozen or more nOn-union men who tried
| to enter the yards to take the places OF
strikers. No blows were struck but the
non union men We're led back TO the gates
and given gentle admonition to go
home" The non -unionlsts acted upon the
advice.
The strike thus far has not been marked
by any disturbances and no attempts have
been made to interfere with the men at
| work.
The proposals made by Michael Dom
nelly for the strikers, in connection
with the days conference, contains the
following demands:
'That all employees who struck shall
be employed in their old positions
within three days; that the packers pay
the wages prevailing prior to the strike,
pending arbitration: that the arbitra-
ton board be composed of one repre-
sentative of the packers. another Of
the strikers, the two to select a third.
The three arbitrator to be practical
packing house men.
Award in the wages to be made by
1
the time of resumption of work hut
that the award shall not involve any
reduction i'm wages"
The representatives of the packers
replied to Mr.. Donnelly as follows:
I'm reply to your note and your ex-
PLANTATION of what you are willing to
arbtrate. we cannot accept the same.
We are willing to arbitrate the whole
matter covering wages and working
conditions of all employees out on strike.
You having the privilege of bringing
before the arbitrators for decision any
question of wages or conditions. or any
other grievances you may think you
have: we to have like privilege and
both to abide by the decision of the ar
bitrators. We will retain all now ut
work and will re-employ all the men
now out as fast as possible, giving pre-
| ference in the order of application at
the wages received when going on
strike. pending the decision Of the ar
bitratOrs.'
The note was signed by Armour K 60.
Nelson Morris & Co. SchwarZschild IL
Suzberger. National Packing Co, Cudahy
Packing Co and Libby McNeill " Libby.
submitted to the members of the executive
committee Of the union for their consider
. alton.
At conference, this evening. the
representatives of the packers and
union officers. in an effort to reach an
adjustment of the strike. the packers
refused to arbitrate on the terms pro-
posed by the union. and submitted a
counter proposal. BY the terms of this
, proposal the packers agree to take the
, strikers back at the wages they were
receiving before the strike The pack
: ers purpose is to retain all the help
r that has been employed since the strike
! began.
E This reply of the packers, tonight, is
under consideration by the executive
: | committee of the unions.