Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-12
Forty Thousand Employees
of Packing Houses
Out.
QUIT AT NOON TODAY
Seek Enforcement or q
General Demand
on Packers.

Chicago, July 12.-Nearly 50,1oJ
workers in all the principal meat pack
ing concerns in the United States went
on strike at noon today. The industry
is paralyzed.
Aside from such cattle, sheep and
hops as can be slaughtered in small
local establishments in the various
cities, no fresh meat can be marketed,
either for domestic use or for export.
until the trouble between the packers
and their union employees is settled,
or until non-union workers are Sc
cured.
Packing Houses Involved.
The packing houses involved in the
strike include:
NELSON MORRIS & co.
sCTWARzCHLD K sULZBERGER.
ARMOUR X co.
SWIFT X co.
CUDAHY PACKING COMPANY.
NATIONAL. PACKING COMPANY.
The National Packing company con-
trolls the Hammond. Continental, An
glo-American and Omaha Packing
Packing company and Ruddy Brothers
in Kansas City. the St. Louis Dressed
Beef company in East st. Louis. 1t
also controls a number of smaller dis
tTibuting houses in the east.
Notifying the packers in regard to
the ultimatum of the men will be a
matter OF course. as it is known that
the employers will not rccede from
the position they have already taken.
More than a week ago the packers
gave a final answer to the demands of
the union workmen.
Demands of Employees.
The demands of the employees are
as follows:
4 uniform wage scale for all pack
ing houses in the west.
4 minimum scale for unskilled la
borers Of 1Sl2 cents an hour.
Contracts to- De drawn up at the
same time to cover every department
in the packing houses. such contracts
To expire in June each year
The minimum scale at all packing
centers to be raised to the highest
scale now paid at any plant.
Working conditions to be regulated
so that employees shall work 10 hours
a day as far as possible.
PnckerS' OHer.
In reply the packers offered to pay
17h cents an hour as a minimum wage
TO unSkilled workmen in the killing,
cutting. beef loading and casing de
partments, the working conditions to
remain as at present. All of the 9th.
er unskilled departments they want
left open without any wage agreement
They also ask that the wages and con.
ditiOns now prevailing i'll skilled de
partments shall continue as at present
1000 at Chicago.
Chicago. July 12-Seven hundred
employees of the stock yards here quit
work today considerably ahead of the
noon hour. the time set for a general
strike at the principal meat packing
centers of the country.
The ranks of the strikers were sooI
swelled TO total of 2.OOO by employe.
from Armour's plant who walked on
as soon as their work for the day
closed up.
At O'Clock this afternoon the to
tai number out here was 1900.
st. Louis. July 12.-Eighteen hun
dred butchers and cutters at the stool
yards struck at noon ntoday. Their
was no confusion or excitement.
At Kansas City.
Kansas City. July 12-About 200,
stock yards employees had gone out be
fore noon today. Others are gradual
leaving their places.
At other Places.
Sioux City. July IA thousan,
men ut the Cudahy Packing plan
struck today. Business at the stocl
yards is at a standstill.
East St. Louis, July 12.-Over 500
employees of the packing houses wen
on strike at noon. There was no dis
turbance.
Kansas City. July Eight thou:
and stock yards employees quit wor
at noon. As a result all plants ar
shut down and 1880 employees are et
fected
Omaha. July 12.-Four thousan
employees OF the packing houses O
South Imaha went on strike at moo
today.
St. Joseph. Mo. July 12-More thai
5000 packing house employees struc
at noon.