Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-14
ARMOUR { CO. CALL
EMPLOYEES TO VOTE
Ask Workers in Plants to Choose
Representatives to 'Indus-
trial Democracy"
PROPOSED STRIKE DEFERRED
BY the Associated Press

Chicago, March 14.-Armour 4 ca
today called an election in all of TIE
plants for tomorrow for the employees 70
choose representatives to form an IN.
dustrial democracy, in which workers
and employers would have equal repre.
sentation and which would settle nil
questions Of working conditions. wages
and hours in the Armour plants.
The representatives will form TEN.
porary obard which will work out per.
manent plans. The announcement of tho
Iacking company said that It was
planned eventually to have plant con.
ference board Of five members In each
plant and n general conference board ~
three members, selected from all plants
The outline of the proposed rlnn As
given out by Armour & Co. raid that
when the representatives of cmployer
and cmployc could not agree on anv
matter, the question could be referred
to an arbitrator.
Strike Plan Deferred
While awaiting the outcome of medi.
alton plans and the result of a strike
vote, employees In the packing plants Of
NhNhkV uliu othVI NNhttTb IN IHc MID
die West decided to go to work TODAY
under the reduced wage scale announced
by the five leading packers. More than
100, 900 men are affected by the reduc.
tions OF ~ and 12h per cent In the
hourly rate and piece work rate re.
spectively, with time and half for
overtime only after ten hours.
"Any assumption that we are at
tempting to establish n ten hour day
is wrong" said n statement from
Armour 81 Co. today in answer to
charges Of union leaders. The whistle
In the Armour plants will continue to
blow at the end of eight hours work
each day"
At mass meetings held in n half
dozen packing cities yesterday the
workers were advised to remain at work
until the strike vote was completed
which Il was said here would be about
Friday. Union leaders suggested Fri
day, March IS, as the date for the pro.
posed conference in Washington of rep
resentatives OF employers and employees
with James j. Davis, secretary of labor.
Armours Defend Wage Cut
"Our cut in wages is small when
compared to other firms" said the
statement Of Armour & Co. 1--WE have
list Of twenty -onc other firms reducing
wages where the decreases ran from
1925 to 1884 per cent. The stock.
holders of Armour & Co. could not
dodge the fact that we are losing money.
That Is why wages are reduced"
Thousands Of packing house employees
marched in the rain "back of the
yards" here yesterday afternoon, and
later listened to outdoor speeches ot
union leaders who urged them not to
start n runaway strike"
Washington. March 14.-(By A. Pl
-Secrctary Davis had received today
replies from the five leading packers and
their employees agreeing to his plan for
conference here between two repre-
sentativcs from each in an effort to
reach an agreement on the question Of
wages and other differences.
Mr.. Davis has not yet set date
for the conference, but he is understood
to be considering Friday Of this week,
as suggested by the employees, who will
by then have checked up the results OF
their strike referendum.