The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-12-24
PACKING HOUSE
UNION RECRUITS
1900 MEMBERS
Demands Made Simultaneous
Iy With Other Cities,
REPLY is EXPECTED SOON



q possibility OF strike being called in
the near future at the two big packing
plant, here. lu the event that the strike
IS called, labor officials here assert that
at least l,8O0 Of the approximately 2,SG
employees of Morris x Co. and Wilson
4 Co. will walk out
Conferences are now being held IN
Chicago between the representatives OF
the International Meat Cutters and
Butchers union and the packers Ths
conferences are the result of demands
filed with the packers by the labor rep
rcscntalivcs at Chicago
Decision Binding Here.
my decision reached by tho labor
representatives At the Chicago confer
encc will he binding ON fhe local meat
cutters and butchers unions throughout
the country, which will include the local
union, the members " which are en-.
ploycS Of Morris X Go. and Wilson K
Co.
The lacol employees will receive full
benefit Of all the demands which are
allowed by the packers, and it is under.
stood that the demands presented cali
for general improvement oi conditions.
Increase Year Ago.
The Oklahoma City Meat Cutters and
Butchers union was organized here
slightly over year ago Immediately
following the organization NJ the union
The packers granted an increase of
wages, and after that the union went
down 10 practically nothing, there be-
ing less than 100 members.
Elmer T. Ball, organizer Of the Meat
Cutters and Butchers unions, was sent
here BY the International unions Off
cial' to conduct membership CAM
palgn
A few day, after hi, arrival he wa,
arrested by W h Nichols chief Of
police ~ a vagrancy charge, and ha
left the city after signing an agreement
not Ia return as long as Nichols was
chlcl OF police or Charlie, Seby, coun.
~ attorney Following the arrest Of
Ball, the state federation Of labor filed
charges against Chief Nichols and
asked that the city commissioners
grant a public hearing, and Ball re-
turned from Kansas City to which city
he went following his release here.
Many Join Union.
Upon Balls return to Oklahoma CITY
he continued his campaign among the
employee ol tho packing houses and il
was stated today by state federation
ni labor official, that the membership
IN the local union had increased from
less than 100 Ia more than 1900 and
that At every meeting additional en-
ployc, joined
Had the international union presented
It's demands prior Ia the last lew weeks,
and had they been rejected by the
packers no effect would have been felt
here a, the union was not strong
enough then to participate in any
strike but under present conditions,
and with the local union growing
stronger and stronger daily, a strike
'rdcr ISSUED by the International union
would be obeyed here.
Labor officials here sal dtoday thar
indcr present condition, mcploye, of
he packing plants here guaranteed
orly hour, OF work each week, but that
hey did not know whether they would
ave 10 work that length OF time in
hfcc. four or six day, The wages
II the cmpoyr, range from seventeen
cnr, an hour for the common laborcr
% forty cent, an hour to the skilled
lhor
Official, OF the packing plants here
ecllncd 10 discuss today the local
ltuaton as TO hours, scale OF wages or
he percentage ot their cmployc, who
ere now member, OF the union.