Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-08-11
UNIONS PROMISE AID
CHICAGO FEDERATION OF LABOR
ENDORSES BUTCHERS STRIKE.


ENDORSES BUTCHERS STRIKE.
Packers Admit Only $50 Former EN-.
ployes Have Returned to Work.
Strikers Say They Are in Better
shape Now Than at Start of Fight.
chicago, Aug. 8.-All the labor
unions IN Chicago have indorsed the
STOCK yards strike. After listening to
the strikers side of the controversy,
Wnlch was presented to them by M. J.
Donnelly, president of the striking
putchers' union, the Chicago Fedora
ton OF Labor, which is composed of
every labor union in Chicago and has
membership of nearly 100000, adopt
ed resolutions pledging the mceal and
financial support of the federated body
as long as the strike continues. Each
member Of the central body will be
assessed small sum per week and
the whole amount will be turned over
10 the striking unions to help in the
support of the strikers and their fam
HES during the struggle with the
packers. The total sum will be we'll
up IN the thousands each week.
Fifth Week of the Strike.
After fight which has lasted for
four weeks, a settlement of the strike
seems to be as remote as at any time
since the struggle for supremacy be-
gan. Neither side to the conflict, dur
Ing all this time, has shown any sign
OF weakening. The packers, while
claiming they have been successful in
securing nonunion men, still admit
that so far they have been able to get
but $50 of their old employees back
and that the majority of their men
are unskilled workers. In the last
statement given out by the packers
1t was said that not half as many men
began. These men have been brought
to Chicago from all parts of the coun-
try, the majority of them having never
seen meat packing plant before COM
Ing here With these men the pack
ers have succeeded in accomplishing
a great deal of work, but according to
the strikers, every animal that has
been slaughtered since the strike was
called has been at a financial loss to
the packers, as in the majority Of
cases lack of skilled workmen has
made 1t impossible to operate the by
products departments and this source
Of revenue which under normal con-
/ ic o1o fo
has been allowed to waste.
Statement by DonneIly.
According to President Donnelly,
the strikers are in better position
today than they were on July 10, the
day they original strike was called.
During the four weeks that the
strike has been in force" said MT.
Donnelly, There has been less than
200 assertions from the various
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
er. To Offset these assertions our
men have secured at least twice that
number of new recruits from the men
the packers have brought to Chicago
to take the strikers places. From a
dispute between the packers and
butcher workmen, the strike has
spread into struggle betgeen organ
ICED 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 their business Is
about back to it's normal basis. I
have received assurances from the
most powerful labor organizations
throughout tho United States that
| they are with us in this fight and are
| only waiting to have representatives
from our union sent before them and
make the request when contributions
to our financial support will be free
ly made. Under these circumstances
there is nothing for us to fear, as the
victory will be with us in the end
no matter how long that may be-"
Strikers Not Wanted.
The determination of the packers
to re-establish their business on q
normal footing without overtures te
or recognition of the union was given
emphasis by placards which were
posted in the Nelson Norris & Co
work rooms and along the new loading
docks. The placards read as follows
"Foremen and old employees engaged
in all departments of this plant will
watch new employees and instruct
them as much as possible in the de
tails of their duties. This order is is
sued to aid in the rapid organization
of our forces, as few, if any, of oul
former employees will be reinstated.'
Representatives of the packers will
seek recruits in the Michigan ant
Wisconsin lumber camps. The search
in new territory for strike breaker:
arises from the fact that fewer mer
are being enlisted in southern states
1t having been found that the planta
ton negroes do not take kindly to thu
hard labor of the hacking houses