The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-07-15
ST RIkE
Of EmpIoyesOf
PaCkingHOuse
Begins in City of
Chicago.
more MONEY
Demanded by 5O,-
600 Men.
Tieup is Complete and May
Result in Widespread
inconvenience.

Chicago, July 13-As the result OF q
stubborn disagreement, chiefly over
wages for unskilled labor, one OF the
most extensive strikes in the history
of the meat packing industry of the
United States began Tuesday in
Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha, st. Jo-
seph, Mo-, and other cities where
large packing plants are located. II
prolonged the strike is expected to
cause widespread inconvenience, pos
sibly equalling the anthracite coal
famine of two years ago.
The unanimity of the strike was
complete. More than $4,000 employees
are directly involved. In Chicago
alone 5000 men are on strike.
The effect of the strike upon the
food supply of the country and the
prices of meats is being earnestly dis
cussed, notwithstanding the an
nouncement that the packing houses,
contrary to somewhat general expec-
tation, will continue operations with
out any close down, employing what
ever help may be obtainable. How
much alienation In the furnishing oi
supplies to the public this course may
afford is a matter of wide variation OF
opinion The packers declare that
hundreds of men who could not be
provided with places have been apply.
ing daily for work.
The walkout here was started by
the employees of the killing depart
ments at the various packing houses
The killers were followed by the
workers in other departments as fast
as the current work left by the
slaughterers could be cleaned up
Thus as the workers in each depart
ment disposed of their part of the
work, they threw of their aprons anC
departed. This consideration wa'
shown the packers, the labor officials
announced, because it was not the de
sire of the men to cause the employ
ers any financial loss as a result o
neglecting meat that was on hand Il
be dressed.
President Michael Donnelly, of tn,
Amalgamated Meat Cutters ant
| Butchers Workmen Of North Amer
| lea, the leader of the strikers, salt
last evening that he believed tn,
/ strikers would have little difficulty il
withstanding a siege of more than
year with the strike funds the union
had on hand.
In Chicago there are 35 local union
| involved in the strike. Presiden
Donnelly and the presidents of tn
| various locals assembled at the head
| quarters Tuesday morning thinkin
they might receive a notice of sur
render from the packers. But n
| word came. The packers took the pc
sition that they had replied decisivel
| to the workers demands and ha
nothing more to say except to empha
size a refusal to pay the wage seal
| asked.
President Donnelly, the strik
leader, said: I'VE are not fighting fo
an increase of wages, but against
decrease. Our original demand wa
for a minimum of 90 cents an hour fo
laborers. This demand was amende
after our conference with the packer
in June. We then agreed to a seal
of 1914 cents an hour, except in Ohah
and Sioux City, where the scale is
cents. The packers refused to pa
more than 17i1 cents an hour and d.
clined to sign any agreements. excel
with a small proportion Of the worl
men.
The question of wages to skille
men was not discussed. To unsklle
workmen the average wage was 1Sl
cents, but when we asked that this t
made the minimum wage they cut
to 171k and Is cents. Men coul
live on Is cents IL they got stead
work, but in some plants men hay
been able to make just 13 hours
week at this scale. They could N
1--we on it. No one could"