Evening journal., 1904-07-12
GENERAL STRIKE
HAS BEEN ORDERED
President Donnelly Calls Out
$4,000 Meat Workers.
RESULT OF A LONG CONTROVERSY

After Nearly Two Months Of Nesotia-
tlons With Beef Trust, Union Of Meat
Cutters and Butchers Workmen De-
eides Upon Open War.
Chicago July PA general strike
Of the employees Of all the big pack
Ing plants throughout the country has
been ordered by Michael ]. Donnelly,
president of the Amalgamated Meat
Cutters and Butchers WorMnen of
America. Nearly $4,000 worltinen are
affected by Donnelly's order.
The strike involves the following
companies which have branches in st.
Joseph. Mo-; ST. Louis, Omaha, Kan
sas City. ST. Paul, Fort Worth and
New York city: Armour & Co, Swift
& Co., Nelson, Morris q Co., Schwarzs-
child & Sulzberger, Cudahy Packing
company and the National Packing
company. In Chicago alone these com
panies employ more than fs,O0O men.
In an interview following the strike
order Mr.. Donnelly said:
"For nearly two months we have
been carrying on negotiations with
the committee of superintendents
representing all the packers in order
to secure new agreements for our
members, the old contracts between
the unions ana the companies having
expired on May 2S. Since that time
we have been working without any
agreement and have tried in every
way to reach a satisfactory agreement
with the packing interests, but they
have held out on every proposal we
have submitted, refusing to COM
promise In any way. Finally the men
became disgusted and tonights order
for a general strike is the result"
Superintendent J. j. Conway Of Ar
mour & Co. made this statement:
"Neither side wants a strike; of that
there can be no doubt. While so far
as know no arrangements have been
made for another meeting between
the representatives Of the packers and
Of the unions, still ! think a further
conference will be held tomorrow and
in all probability a satisfactory set
tlement Of the difficulty will be reach
cd"
Unanimous For a Strike.
The decision to call a strike was
reached at a meeting Of the packing
trades council called by the executive
officers of the different unions whose
members are employed in the packing
plants to decide whether the unions
would continue negotiations for the
skilled men only, as proposed by the
packers representatives, or whether a
strike would be called to enforce the
union demands for n minimum wage
! for unskilled labor. The vote in favor
of a general strike was unanimous.
The butcher wOrkmen at a recent con
vention decided that n minimum wage
of 20 cents an hour for common labor
should prevail in all packing centers
and the wages Of the skilled workers
should be equalized in each branch of
the trade. Wage scales were arranged
by the different unions on the basis
adopted by the convention, but a mum
her of conferences with the packers
failed Of reaching an agreement. Later
] n
! ferlng 11ia cents an hour for laborers
and helpers to the killing. cutting
casing and beef loading departments
only. and no consideration was to be
/ taken Of the common laborers and help
ers in the many other departments
This proposal was also rejected by the
unions, and, although several other
conferences were held, no agreement
could be reached
In addition to the large firms already
named. the following concerns will be
affected if strike is started:
st. Louis Dressed Beef company
East st. Louis: Fowler Packing com
pany and Ruddy Brothers, Kansa:
City, and q number of smaller dis
tributing houses throughout the east.
The men handling dressed beef To-
the export trade have also been ordered
out. as the union intends to strike a
every point controlled by the so called
beef trust.