Denver labor bulletin., 1918-05-04
SECRETARY DENNIS LANE TELLS HOW 1,
100000 PACKING HOUSE EMPLOYEES
HAVE GAINED THEIR EMANCIPATION
Two Million Dollars Paid for Back Pay Under Judge Alscue
Arbitration Award EightIour Day Becomes Effective
Tomorrow; One of the Greatest Victories in His
of the Labor Movement

Under the recent award of Judge
Alschuler of Chicago, federal arbitra-
tor in the packing house wage contro-
versy, owners of packing plants have
paid to 100000 employees something
over 100000 as pay accumulated
increase from January IA to May 5.
This statement was made in Denver
last Sunday afternoon when Dennis
Lane, secretary-treasurer of the Anal
gamated Meat Cutters and Butcher
Workmen of America, in an address
at an open meeting of packing house
employees in Yeoman hall, 1909 Welton
street, under auspices of Local Union
No. GAL. 1t was a most interesting
and instructive address, showing the
evolution of packing house employees
during the past year. In this time
has grown from 1000 to $4,000
Strong unions have been formed in
eleven packing centers, as follows:
Chicago, Kansas City, Sioux City, st.
Joseph, st. Louis, East st. Louis,
Denver, Oklahoma City, st. Paul,
Omaha and Fort Worth. Local GAL
in Denver has approximately 1000
members.
Emancipation of Packers.
Following is a brief summary of
Secretary Lanes address:
Emancipation from virtual slavery,
fair livelihood, some time for
needed rest and recreation and con-
sequent social and educational ad-
vancement, recognition of organized
effort, collective bargaining and finally
more humane working conditions in
the packing industry will be the i'm
mediate and far-reaching benefits the
packing house workers will derive
from Judge Alschuler's award. Not
merely the men and women employed
in the packing houses, but all organ
lied labor will profit by the fair solu-
tion of a complex and vital problem
of paramount concern to every toiler
who works for a stipulated wage. The
binding decision of Judge Alschuler
will be recorded in labor's history as
one of its greatest achievements.
"The eminently able counsel of
Frank P. Walsh and the keen insight
and fair judgment of Judge Alschuler,
the A NJ. C. & B. w. of N. A. has
gained every weighty point in the
recent struggle for urgent relief from
intolerable conditions for the welfare
of 100000 packing house workers and
their 100000 dependents.
March 80, 1918, the day of Judge
Alschuler's momentous decision, will
be recorded in the annals of labor as
one of its big red letter days. 1t
will be commemorated as the eventful
day when thousands of impoverished
slaves of a soulless and enervating
system, which taxed their working ca
pacity to the utmost for a meager
recompense, have welcomed the sun
shine the humane award of Judge
Alschuler has brought into their hum
BILE homes-the consoling balm for the
aching wounds of the degrading mis-
cry and humiliation of the past.
Dramatic Finale of Struggle.
"The last act of one of labor's
greatest and most successful strug-
giles for rescue from the mire of pow
erty and wretchedness into which
thousands of faithful and willing
workers had been driven by the avar-
ice and lack of understanding of the
human element by the men who en-
ploy them, took place in Judge Kohl
saat's court room in the Chicago fed
eral building, where Judge Alschuler
had made his temporary quarters.
Here the administrator read his find
ings on the evidence submitted dur
ing the arbitration hearings, lasting
from February II to March 7, to an
expectant and intensely interested
audience of union men and women,