The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-08-13
ALL LABOR UNIONS
INDORSE STRIKE
Chicago Federation Of Labor Pledges
Moral and Financial Support.
WILL FIGHT TO THE END


Chicago, Aug. S.-Al the labor un-
ions in Chicago have Endorsed the
stock yards strike. After listening to
the strikers side Of the controversy,
which was presented to them by Mi
chael J. Donnelly, president Of the
striking Butchers union, the Chicago
Federation of Labor, which is composed
Of every labor organization in Chicago.
and has membership of nearly $780,
600, adopted resolutions Sunday night,
p.eusing the moral and financial sup
port Of the federated body as long as
the strike continues. Each member OF
the central body will be assessed q
small sum per week, and the whole
amount will be turned over to the
striking unions to help in the support
of the strikers and their families DUR
ing the struggle with the packers. The
exact amount each member is to be
assessed was left in the hands of a
committee, with orders to report re-
suits Monday. While the officials of the
Federation of Labor were unable to
give an exact estimate Of the amount
OF money the strikers would secure
from this source, it was stated that the
total sum would be we'll up in the
thousands each week.
After fight which lasted for nearly
four weeks, a settlement of the stock
yards strike seems to be as remote as
at any time since the struggle for SUI
premacy began. Neither side to the
conflict, during all this time, has
shown any signs of weakening,
Few Skilled Mem at Work.
The packers, while claiming that
they will soon have their affairs in
normal condition again, SO successful
ly have they been in securing non-un-
ion men, still admit that so far they
have been able to get but $50 of their
old employees back, and that the ma
jority Of their men are unskilled
workers.
In the last statement given out by
the packers it was said that nearly
half as many men were at work now
as before the strike began. These men
have been brought to Chicago from
all parts of the country, the majority
Of them having never seen a meat
packing plant before coming here.
With these men, the packers have sue
ceeded in accomplishing great deal
Of work, but according to the strikers,
every animal that has been slaugh-
tered since the strike was called has
been at a financial loss 10 the packers,
as in the majority of cases a lack Of
skilled 'workmen has made it impossi-
BILE to operate the by-product depart
ments, and this course Of revenue,
which, under normal conditions, is a
clear profit to the packers, has been
allowed to go to waste.
No Sign of a Break.
Last week the packers were figuring
on a break in the ranks of the strik-
ers when work was resumed Monday
morning, but there was nothing Sun
day night that would indicate that the
men were even considering such a
step, or that they had any idea of sur
rendering Monday or at any future
time According to Michael ]. Don
nelly, president of the Butchers union,
the organization which precipitated
the strike, the strikers are in a better
position than they were on July IL, the
day the original strike was called.
During the four weeks that the
strike has been in force" said Mr.,
Donnelly, there has been less than
two hundred assertions from the vari-
Gus unions whose members have Joined
the struggle for living wages, and not
one of these workmen who have gone
back to the packers is a skilled work
or.
"To Offset these assertions, our men
have secured least twice tina: mum.
Der Of new recruits from the men the
packers have brought to Chicago te
take the strikers places. From dis
pute between the packers and butched
workmen, the strike has spread into a
struggle between organized capital and
labor, but there are not enough men
and women on this continent to break
this strike, despite the assertions Of
the packers that they have nearly all
the workmen they require, and that
their business is about back to its nor
NAL basis. have received assurances
from the most powerful labor organi-
cations throughout the United States
that they are with us in this fight. and
are only waiting to have representa-
tives from our union sent before them
and make the request, when contribu-
lions to our financial support VIII be
freely made. Under these circum-
stances, there is nothing for us to fear
TUE ciTY ne REpIIM clMKc