The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-02
STRIKE ORDERED
VIII Be $4,000 Meat Workers
Out on Monday.
Unions Issue Instructions for
Wage Cut Protest.
GOVERNOR ALLEN TAKES HAND
Industrial Court Plans to Halt
Kansas Strike.
Kansas City Plants to Fill Jobs
Left Vacant.
GOVERNOR ALLEN TAKES HAND

Chicago, Dec. 2.-Forty-five thou
sand packing house employees have
been instructed by officials of the
Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butch
ers' Workmen of North America to
go on strike at 6 o'clock next Monday
morning. Orders for the strike are en-
route today to branches of the union
in all packing centers.
1t is estimated that 10000 men will
go on strike in Chicago if the strik e
call is obeyed. Other cities affected
by the strike are st. Paul, Milwaukee,
Sioux City, Omaha. Kansas City, Wich-
ita, Oklahoma City, East st. Louis,
Fort Worth, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids
and Austin, Mimi.
Allied Unions Included.
Included in the strike call are
about 5000 members of the allied
unions, sucn as tine stationary firemen,
steam and operating engineers. car re-
pairmen, carpenters. blacksmiths and
other craftsmen employed in packing s
plants.
The strike is In protest against re-
cent wage reductions announced by
employees under the shop representa- :
ton plan. The unions have refused
to participate in this plan.
Authority was given the officials of
the union to call the strike by vote
of the members. The decision to
strike was reached at a meeting of
officials of the union here.
The Armour. Wilson, Swift and
Cudahy companies imm ediately began
a system OF plant conferences, calling
in representatives of their employees.
In October, the Amalgamated Meat
North America, took a strike vote, de-
claring the union was not recognized
and a ,Walkout was authorized by a
large majority. The plant assemblies,
after several conferences, decided
upon 10 per cent wage reduction,
the amount being fixed by the men
and it. became effective last Monday.
Outlaw Strike Urged.
The strike order apparently was re-
ceived enthusiastically in the middle
west packing centers, according to re-
ports received here early today. Kan
sas City packing employees, while
awaiting. receipt of the strike order,
are said to have urged their leaders to
declare an autwaly strike if the order
was longer delayed.
Union leaders at Omaha declared
the strike would affect nearly 5000
men there and predicted they would
have the Slpport of the American
Federation of Labor. Mass meetings
at st. Joseph, Mo-. Fort Worth, Okla
homa City and South st. Paul. Mimi,
voted to uphold the action OF their
international officers in calling the
strike.
Gov. Allen Takes Hand.
Kansas City, Dec. with pack
ing house union officials predicting
a complete tieup of the Armour, Nor
ris, Swift, Wilson and Cudahy plants
here when the strike order becomes
effective and officials of the packing
companies declaring that they would
go ahead as usual with the men who
reported for work and hire new men
to replace those who quit, the situa-
ton here today was complicated by
the announcement by Gov. Allen of
Kansas that the Kansas court of in
dustriaI relations would take action
to prevent packing house workers IN
the state from striking. All the big
packing plants at Kansas City are To-
Gated on the Kansas side of the Mis-
souri-Kansas boundary line. Pack
ing house officials here today said
that 1870 out of 9,210 employees had
been affected by the recent wage cut.
Estimates as to the number of union
men in the packing houses here
varied widely. Henry Smith, superin-
tendent at the Wilson plant estimated
that not more than 20 per cent of his
men belonged to the union, while
union officials said SO per cent of the
Wilson employees were union men.
Union officials say they believe non
union men will join them in striking.
Packing officials said LOO new men
applied for work today.