New-York tribune., 1904-09-09
MEATSTRIKE CALLED OFF
LABOR DEFEAT
Surrender of Butcher WorkmeH-
The Terms Made.
Isr TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE

TBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUNE.
Chicago, Sept. acknowledging defeat and
disruption the national executive board of the
Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Work
men brought the great packing house strike TO
an end tonight by order g a complete surrender
of the butcher worlSrneiI. The order calling of
the strike and signalling the most disastrous
blow that organized labor has received in many
years went into effect at midnight.
Tomorrow at 1o o'clock the allied trades
conference board which had the strike defantiy
snatched out of it's hands after overthrowing the
leadership of President Donnelly. will meet TO
order the corporation of the sympathetic t-sdes
in submitting TO the inevitable terms that end
the struggle. Donnelly. the man who led the
fight against the packers until he was convinced
OF defeat. determined this morning TO take
strategic action after ne the leadership of
the strike pass into the hands OF the allied
trades conference board The allied tradeS
leaders would not listen 10 his advice that the
proposed terms OF peace voted on by the unions
on Tuesday be resubmitted Tor another vote.
| They received his advice with bitter denuncia-
ton and practically ousted Donney from active
| participation in the affairs OF the strike.
Viewing the dissension added 10 the chaotic
| condition OF his organizations and driven TO
desperation by the closing OF the comnlissariat.
| Donnely sent kilograms TO all members OF the
executive board early in the day. asking them
to concede defeat he had done. Answers
were received from ali the packing house egBtres
I y here executive board members Teslks. siving
| the order 10 call of the strike A dramatic day
| for the strike leaders followed. The new strike
| dctators met about noon, and determined to
continue their policy OF prolongiRg the fight
/ until the packers could be forced to make con-
/ cessions. a second vote was taken on the propo-
/ sitlon urged by President Donnelly. II was
/ again voted down. Donnelly was not present.
/ but he appeared short time later. almost fight
ing his way Int othe hall
The scene that followed had the effect Of an
/ explosion upon the labor leaders. who looked
/ upon Donuely with anger flashing from their
I eyes. Donnelly made his way to the front ~
! the hall. and. mounting the platform. said with
/ all the vgor he could throw into his wTds:
You have voted here not 20 resubmit the peace
proposition ending the strike TO vote of the
strikers. Your vote has been taken in vain. We
have received the authority from the national
executive board of the butcher workmen's
ganizaton 10 call off the strike. The strike has
been lost. unions rapidly being smashed
to pieces and, by the eternal. going 10
cali the strike off and let many of our men
return to work possible"
This startling information caused the allied
trade leaders to the light. Their hopes of
possible victory vanished Some of them
stormed and Denounced, but Cass B. Schmidt,
| yice-presiGent of the Butcher Worxmen, leaped
to the platform and in a long address pictured
the bitter prospect of further proonging the
! struggle and revealed the hopelessness In any
! attempt of the allied trades to continue the
! fight without the aid OF the butcher workmen.
Schmidt declared that the order calling off the
! butchers strike would be issued officially be-
fore midnight, and that the packers would be
informed at once This brought a Feconsidera-
tion OF the decision TO continue the fight and
after arranging to meet this morning CO.
operate in the strike end, the conference board
| adjourned.
President Donnely. Vice-P President Schmidt
and ther union officials FASTENED 10 the Transit
House, where they met DR. Cornela de Bey
who had been serving intermediary with
| the packers DR.. de Bey Immediately informed
Thomas j. Connors. of Armour & Co.. of the
action that had been taken. and later President
Donnelly talked TO Mr.. Connors the tele-
phone and made preliminary arrangements for
! a conference with the packers to-day for the
purpose of arranging for the return of the strik-
ers to work.
The terms of the surrender are these:
Packers to reinsta,e strikers as rapidly as pos
workers as desire to remain
Men h to return return individuals and no agreements
skilled men t. receive same wages received he
tions before The he strike not 10 he considered and
wages OF uhskillen men not to be arbitTated.
All livestock handlers TO be reinstated by the
CnonStOckYards and Transit Company.
This settlement affects the situation in all
cities where the strike has been in progress for
nearly nine weeks. originally involving fifty
thousand men. But desertions from the union
ranks and the men who have sought other ap-
plications the weary fight went on have
caused the ranks 70 dwindle down to thirty
thousand OF this number of men probably
twenty thousand will return, owing TO the non
union men who will remain at work and be-
cause OF the new system of operation adopted
by the packers, which viii give steader EN-
poyment 10 fewer workmen than formerly 1t
Is probable that the strikers will not be Dut 10
work before Monday. but the stampede of the
strikers 10 apply for their old Jobs will begin
morrow morning at I O'clock The hackers an
ticpate that at least twenty thousand men and
women will surround the packing houses when
the day dawns. and men were kept busy to-
night making preparations TO record the sp
plcations of the men preparatory TO taking back
the old employees on Monday morning
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