The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-13
BUTCHERS WALK OUT
AT SOUTH ST. PAUL
Swift Packing Company En-
pIoyes Obey General
Strike Order

Six hundred employees of Swift & Co.
packing houses at South ST. Paul went
on a strike yesterday at noon.
When the whistle blew the strikers,
including thirty women, walked out
quietly.
The strike, which is general in all the
packing centers of the West, was occa-
stoned by the failure of the Amalga-
mated Meat Cutters and Butchers
union, and the packers to reach an
agreement over the scale to be paid Ia
borerS during the coming year. The
union demanded that the packers pay
all men classed as laborers 20 cents an
hour, while the packers offered 171a
cents an hour, to the laborerS in the
killing, cutting and packing depart
mentS.
The walkout was ordered by the ma
tional officers in Chicago on the refusal
of the packers to come to an agreement.
The employers were given until yester-
day noon to accept the scale submitted,
and when they neglected to respond,
orders were wired to the local unions at
all the plants to walk out at once.
Local Union Determined
While the outcome of the struggle
cago, the members of the local union
are determined to keep the South ST.
Paul plant tied up until peace is de-
clared. At a meeting held yesterday
afternoon at the South st. Paul city
hall, measures were taken to put the
union on a strike basis Pickets were
appointed to guard the packing house
and other pickets will be posted at the
union depot at st. Paul to intercept
any men the company might import.
While the pickets were instructed to
maintain constant vigilance, they were
cautioned that violence must be avoid
ed.
Fearing that the strike may cause
disturbances at South ST. Paul, Chief
of Police Mccormick has doubled his
force by adding three men. There
We're no instances of violence yester-
day, the strikers behaving in an or
derby manner, many leaving for their
homes after the afternoon meeting.
Though the South st. Paul plant is
tied up by the strike, as far as pro-
ducing capacity is concerned, $50 men
employed in the ice house and packing
room remained at work. They were
approached by pickets when they left
the plant last evening, but refused to
go out They said they would work
as long as there was work for them to
do. 1t is expected that if the strike
runs any time the men still at work,
together with the Office force, consist
ing of 200 men, will be forced to lay
off.
The strikers decided at the meeting
to draw their pay today, and will go in
a body this morning and receive their
money.
SWitchmen Nav Join
Considerable enthusiasm was Gre
ated at the meeting by the announce
ment that the switchmen's union. be-
ginning today, would refuse to handle
cars containing products of the Swift
company or cattle destined for the
packing house. The stock yards Off
Gals, however. refused to credit the
report, and when the Great Northern
asked whether train of stock en-
route should be forwarded to South ST.
Paul the officials of the road were no.
titled to send it on. No freight was
moved at the yards yesterday after
noon, and no member of the switch
mems union could be found to verify
the claim of the strikers.
The strike, it is expected. will prac-
tically tie up the meat industry in
the West. The commission men of
South st. Paul, at a meeting yesterday
afternoon, decided to notify their
shippers that no cattle should be sent
TO South st. Paul until the plant has
resumed operation. w. E. Mccormick.
an independent packer of South ST.
Paul, who has conceded the demands
OF the union, has greatly increased his
force and has taken on some of the
strikers
Meat dealers are looking for sensa-
tional prices.