Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-09
END OF THE STRUGGLE
CHICAGO STRIKE OF BUTCHER
woRKMEN DECLARED OFF.
Labor officials Take Final Action
Conditions Same as Existed Be-
fore Walkout.

d,spatch from Chicago last night
savs. The strike Of the butcher workmen,
which has demoralized the meat-packlne
industry throughout the country for the
last two months. was officially declared
Off tonight by President Michael }. DON
nelly of the Amalgamated Meat cutters
and Butchers Workmen OF America. THIS
morning MIR. Donnelly telegraphed the
members of the national executive COM
mittee asking their consent to an an
nouncement of the end OF the struggle
and tonight, having received faVoraole
answers from all, he declared that the
strike of the members Of his organiza-
ton would end at midnight.
The strike of the members OF the ar
filiated unions at the stockyards VINO quit
work in sympathy with the butchers Will
officially be called off tomorrow morning
at meeting of the conference board OF
the Allied Trades This was decided upon
at a meeting of the central body OF the
Allied Trades held tonight
Sentiment Favored Continuing Fight.
The general body was at first In favor
Of continuing the strike, but Mr. Don
nelly, who was present, announced that
the men were defeated and that in order
to save his union from being entirely
disrupted he would order his men to re-
what course might be taken by other
unions AS the other unions had no griev-
ance Of their own. 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 con-
cerned.
When the packers were notified tonight
that it had been decided to end the strike
they announced that they would give
places as far as possible to the skilled
men, but 1t was stated at the same time
that many Of the men would be unable to
secure their old places, as in many cases
the work was being performed in a salts
factory manner by men who had been
secured since the commencement of the
strike. 1t is expected that the majority
Of the unskilled men will be unable to
secure their places again. 1t was the
question Of a wage scale for this class of
men that brought about the strike, the
packers refusing to sign agreement
with any class other than skilled work.
men.
Immense Loss to Both Sides
During the strike approximately $1,000
persons have been involved In the strug-
gle. which Is estimated to have cost the
men about 100000 in wages, as against
an estimated loss of S7.5OO,O00 to the
packers in loss Of business and in in
creased expenses. The greatest number
Of men idle in Chicago during the strike
was 26,600, and the total in the country
outside of this city is estimated to be
about the same.
The original cause of the strike was
demand by the butchers union that
the packers pay to the unskiIled work.
men 1917 cents an hour. The packers re-
fused to sign an agreement, but offered to
arbitrate the question. This was accepted,
the strikers agreeing to return to work
pending the decision of the arbitrators
The men, however, were dissatisfied with
the manner in which they were being put
to work and declared that they would not
return unless all of the men were given |
their old places in one day. The packers |
declaring that this was impossible. the |
men went on strike for the second time
The men now return to work under the |
conditions that existed before the strike