Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-11-10
PROPOSE CUT IN
PAY Of PACKING
HOUSE WORKERS
Four of the Leading Firms
Ask Their Employees to
Consider a Reduction to
Be Made in Near Future.
(By Tho Associates rress.)


(By Tho Associated rress.)
Chicago, Nov. 0 (by the Asso-
ciated Press) A general cut in
wages of packing house workers
was forecast today when four of
the big five packers--Armour &
Co., Swift g. Co., Wilson & Co. and
the Cudahy Packing company--re-
quested their employees to consider,
in the plant councils, reduction in
pay to be made effective in the
near future. No definite amount
was mentioned, and officials said
their conferences had not deter
mined the size of the reduction to
be sought.
Morris & Co., the only one of
the big five which has not estab-
lished employees councils, is eX-
pected to make any reduction
which the others may agree on,
The Amalgamated Association of
Meat Cutters and Butcher Work
mems Union of North America re-
Gently took a strike vote in which
A substantial majority authorized
Cornelius Hayes, international pres
ident. to order walkout II he was
unable to reach a satisfactory
agreement with the packers,
Closed Shop Not Recognized.
The big five claim. however, that
only a small portion of their men
are union members and that a
strike would not seriously affect
their plants. The closed shop has
never been recognized in the In
dustry.
The strike vote followed termi-
nation Of the period of federal ar
established during the
war with Judge Samuel Alschuler
as arbitrator the packers having
refused TO renew the agreement.
1.-THE packers action is no sur
prise to u.s." Cornelius Hayes, in
ternational president of the union.
said when told of today's announce
ment, "and the packers are going
to cut wages regardless of what
the plant assemblies decide"
Presidents 10 Meet.
Hayes announced district presi-
dents from all packing house CEN
tiers in the country will meet here
next week to consider what action
shall be taken under the strike au-
thorization recently voted.
The present scale of wages In
the industry ranges from IS cents
an hour for common labor--which
includes so per cent of all men en-
n maximum of so cents
for the highly skilled floormen.
Semi-skilled trades are paid from
As to SIS cents; killers from 81 to
IS cents, and hide remoyers from
10 to rs cents hour.
Arguments of the packers for a
wage reduction at this time were
presented by Louis F. Swift, pres
ident of Swift and company, in a
letter today to the members OF
the various plant assemblies.
I'VE regret that we must at this
time ask you to present an unpop-
ular subject to your workmen
through your assembly" Mr.. Swift
wrote, but trust that the members
of your organization realize that
we want them to suffer as little
hardship as possible from the hard
times that have befallen the COM
pany.
Need OF Reduction.
at is only because of the great
est necessity that we bring up the
need of a further substantial re-
iuction in expenses so that we can
meet the competition of other con-
Germs operating on much lower la
Dor costs. We have been doing all
hat we can in this direction, but
Unfortunately wages form such a
arge part of our expenses, tina.
t now becomes necessary to con-
slider an early reduction of wage
'ates.
"If investors would be unwilling
% put their money into the packing
business. we should have to cur
all operations, causing more I'M
and thereby injure
)ur workmen, ourselves and the
general public.
1--WE have very heavy obliga-
ion to our 10000 shareholders,
lmong whom are $1,000 of our
)wn workmen.
at is also a we'll known fact
hat the wages in other industries
nave come down faster than wages
n the packing industries, and ]
believe that every one in cur or
realizes that the only
questions today are:
"1--How much wages will have
% be reduced?
'2-How soon is the reduction to
oe made?
1--WE have held off on this mat
:er as long as we possibly can
onger than our business warra Mt
having established a sys-
EN- of cooperation through plant
we want to feel that
We can consult with our employees
through these assemblies on every
vital matter that concerns them,
For this reason we have not taken
lction before.
Labor Costs Increased.
"Swift and company's labor costs
Der hundred weight in 1919 was
10 cents. in 1921 1t Is 81. Live
took had dropped in price almost
o pre-war levels; prices of meat
PRODUCTS also have fallen, yet the
Inference between the cost of raw
and the selling price of
,ur products have broadened.
Bureau OF labor statistics for
fully show that the average weekly
Of 10 industries In the
country are less than the weekly
OF Swift and company
employees. Swift workers averaged
$50 more per week than workers
n steel and 500 more than those
n the cotton industry"
At present the packing plants
re working with reduced forces
)ne company which normally en-
,loys 100000 men has $4,000 now.
The proposed cut would affect
II of the principal packing CEN
ers outside Of Chicago. as well as
he big five plants here, including
|ioux City. Ia; Kansas City. Okla
IONA City. Fort Worth, Tex; East |