Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-11-19
PACKING HOUSE
WORKERS FAVOR
ACEREDUCTIO
Taken by Armour
Employees Expected to
Start General Move.
lBy rhe Associatcd press.l

tBy The Associated press.)
Chicago, Nov. 19.-Employes Of
Armour and Company, $4,000 in all,
yesterday. through their plant gov
ernins committee, agreed with off,
Gals of the packing house that q
wage reduction is necessary and fixed
its amount. The cut ia effective No
vember 2S. N
Last night officials Of Swift & COM
pany announced hat after an all-day
conference, the representatives Of the
Chicago assembly Of employees had
voted that a readjustment Of wages
was necessary. had extended a vote
of confidence in the management and
had voted to leave the wage read
justment to the discretion OF the
management. The company announc-
ed reductions graphically correspond
ing to those fixed by the employees of
Armour and Company and effective
on the same date, Nov. rs, company
officials said they expected the other
sixteen assemblies Of employees to take
similar action"
OF the industry that a wage reduction
has been arrived at in such a a
ner. ~
Employees Of Swift and Company,
Wilson and Company, the Cuda.hy
Packing company, who are holding
plant conferences. are expected. to &C
cept similar reductions. anl Morris
and Company. has announced that II
will follow the example OF the others.
All of the Big Five except Morris and
Company. last spring inauSurated the
plant congress-" system of employees
participation in the management Of
the industry.
The agreement between Armour
end Company and its employees fol-
lowed q. twO-day conference. TWEEN.
ty-four employees. representatives OF
the plant councils in nine cities. met
with an equal number of officials rep.
ressnting the The books
were opened and the financial situa-
ton Of the company explained. The
question was III to a. vote and the
following reductions, effective in ali
plants. xcep that at Fort Worth,
Texas. adopted:
Scale adopted. ,
For piece workers. eight per ent
Unskilled labor. getting As cents an
hour or less, ~ cents.
Semi-skilled labor, getting 40 and
soc an hour. sc.
Skilled labor, getting over SOC an
hour, &c.
A minimum wage of Csc an hour
for adult female labor is provided.
These reductions apply to plants in
Chicago, South st. Paul. Sioux City,
Omaha, St. Joseph. Kansas City, st.
Louis and Denver.
The reductions at Fort Worth.
where wages are guaeed by local la
Dor conditions, are:
Unskilled labor. receiving less than
4hc an hour. &C.
,Semi-skilled labor. receiving from
62h to AN an hour. SC.
Skilled labor receiving more than
47kc an hour. &c.
The reductions fixed by the man.
agement of Swift and Company. at
the invitation of the Chicago assem-
bly, are as follows:
Skilled labor, receiving SOC and
semA-skilled labor. receiving from
As to soc. SC. H..
Unskilled labor receiving 45c. TIC
Adult female labor was given a re-
duction of six cents and the wages OF
those doing piece work is to be re-
duced eight per cent.
Swift and Company's employees are
holding assembly meetings in the var
ious cities where such organizations
exist and these assemblies are acting
individually instead OF collectively. as
was the case with the Armour en-
ployes. -
Among the cities where such as
semblies exist are Denver Kansas
City. Fort Worth, st. -oseph. Mo.
Omaha. South St. Paul. St. Louis and
East St. Louis. ....-
When the reductions are applied to
the plants of the other members OF
the big five, $4,000 men and women
will be affected. In the final results,
a. far larger number will be directly
concerned, as wages in several hun
dred smaller packing houses arc bas-
ed on the big five scales.
No change is made in working Q n
! ditions or the 40-hour week guaran-
tee.
Fridays action. officials said, mark
ed a new departure in American in
dustry. While the "p!ant congress
idea has been tried with varying sue
cess il other lines. the packing hous'
es were the first national industry Is
attempt this method to employ rep
resentation.
During the war n UP until Sept
IS of this year. by agreement with the
department of labor, wages in the
packing industry were fixed by Judge
SAMUEL -Alschuler. member of the
United States circuit court f appeals
here. All disputes were referred tc
him for arbitration. Last spring
who" the plants declined to further
extend arbitration agreement. four o.
the DIX i've OIEAllAZSo lhC 20
committees. A number 6 minor mat
tiers were referred to the plant
boards for adjudication, but the pres
A ent wage question. was the first serlou:
problem they were called on to tackle
Ten days ago. the companies an
nounced in statements to their en-
ployes hat a wage reduction would
be necessary and outlined their rea'
sons for requesting the cut. Friday
action was the result
The final test of the plan will come
however. officials say, when it is seer
whether or not the body of employe:
accept the decision Of their chosen
representatives.
VALUABLE DIAMONDS STOLEN.
Chicago, Nov. 1s.-Uncut diamond
valued at $4,000 were stolen las
night when robbers blew the ofic
safe of the Herman Iglowitz jewe'r
store here. Discovery OF the robber
was made hy the fanitor early thj