The San Francisco call., 1904-07-12
Fifty-ThOusand Men Will
Lay Down Cleavers and
Knives in Chicago and
Other Packing Centers
WAGE QUESTION
is THE ISSUE
Employers and Unions Fail
to Come to Agreement on
Terms and General Walk
out Is Ordered for To-Day

plants throughout the country was or
dered tonight by Michael ]. Donnelly,
president Of the Amalgamated Meat
Cutters and Butcher Workmen Of
America. Unless the packing COM
panies offer some sort Of a compromise
TO the demands of the union the 49,600
workmen affected by the order will quit
tomorrow at noon. The strike involves
the following companies, which have
branches in Kansas City, St. Joseph.
St Louis, Omaha, St Paul, Fort Worth
and New York City: Armour 6, Co,
Swift & Co, Nelson, Morris & Co.,
{ Schwarzschild & Sulzberger, Cudahy
Packing Company and the National
Packing Company. In Chicago alone
these companies employ more than 40
600 men. all of whom will quit work at
the same time as at the packing houses
outside Of Chicago. In an interview to-
night Donnelly said:
For nearly two months we have
/ been carrying on negotiations with the
committee Of superintendents repre-
senting the packers. in order to secure
new agreements for our men. the old
contracts between the unions and 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 pro-
pOsal we have submitted. refusing to
compromise in any way. Finally the
men became disgusted and to-night's
order for a general strike was the re-
suit"
Superintendent ]. ]. Conway Of Ar
mour & CO. made this statement:
Neither side wants a strike. Of that
I there can be no doubt. While, so far
as 1 know. no arrangements have been
made for another meeting between the
representatives Of the packers and Of
the unions, still l think a further con-
l ference VIII be held tomorrow and in
all probability a satisfactory settle
ment Of the difficulty will be reached. >"
The decision 10 call a strike was
/ reached at a meeting of the Packing
( Trades Council, called by the execu-
( tive 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 wheth-
er strike would be called to enforce
the union demands for a minimum
wage for unskilled labor. The vote in
( favor Of q general strike was unani-
nous.
The butcher worlkmen at a recent
convention decided that a minimum
wage of 20 cents an hour for common
labor should prevail in the packing
centers, and that the wages of the
skilled workers should be equalized in
Z each branch of the trade. Wage scales
1 were arranged by the different unions
on the basis adopted by the conven-
tion, but a number Of conferences with
the packers failed of reaching any
agreement.
Later a proposal came from the pack
ers Offering 171k cents an hour for la
borers. This proposal was rejected by
the unions, and, although several other
conferences were held. no agreement
could be reached.
Finally 1t was decided by the officers
of the unions to take a referendum
upon the question of calling a strike
to enforce the demands. Before issu-
ing the order tonight for the strike to-
morrow, Donnelly said that meetings
similar TO the one held tonight had
been held in other cities where the
companies have branches and that at
all Of these meetings the vote resulted
in favor Of general strike
In addition to the large firms al
ready named. the following concerns
viii be affected if a strike is started
St. Louis Dressed Beef Company. East
St Louis; Fowler Packing Company
and Rudy Brothers. Kansas City, and
a number Of smaller distributing
houses throughout the East.
OMAHA, July 1.-THE packing-house
managers Of South Omaha have noti-
fed the commission men that there will
be no livestock market on Tuesday, or
account Of the threatened strike OF
400C packing house employees This
notice was given early to-day in order
that commission-house men might
notify shippers to withhold shipments
OF livestock to this market until the
threatened troubles were settled. 1t is
understood that the local packing
house men have received orders tc
strike at noon tomorrow. This order
however, is conditioned on further in
structions from Chicago, where nego-
tiations are in progress.
One Of the large packing-house man.
ayers stated tonight that, although
there would be no market tomorrow
his plant would remain open and give
employment to all men who did not
join the strikers in case Of a walkout
ST JOSEPH, Mo-, July 11.-Union
leaders of the packing house employees
in South St Joseph say tonight that
all union men in the four plants will
strike tomorrow. according to advices
received from the national officers. Six
thousand men are employed
KANSAS CITY, July 1.-THE execu.
tive committee of the various unions OF
the two Kansas Cities that owe al
leciance to the Amalgamated Meat
Cutters and Butcher Workmen's Union
met in Kansas City, Kans., tonight
and received final instructions as 10
the strike in the packing houses which
had been called for tomorrow. One
thousand men attended the meeting
When the telegram ordering a strike
was received the men arose and
cheered.