The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-03-14
PACKER CALLS
FOR ELECTION
BY employees
Asks Choice of Representa-
tives to Form Industrial
Democracy to Settle All
Disputed Questions.
COOPERATION SOUGHT
CBy Associated Press)

tBy Associated Press)
CHICAGO. March 14.-Armour and
company today called an election in
all of its plants for tomorrow for the
employees to choose representatives to
form an industrial democracy in which
workers and employers would have
equal representation and which would
settle all questions of working condi-
tions, wages, and hours in the. Arm
our plants.
The representatives elected tomor-
row will form temporary board
which will work out permanent plans.
The announcement of the packing
company said it was planned eveptu-
ally to have a plant conference board
OF five members in each plant and a
general conference board of three
members selected from all plants
Provides Arbitration.
The outline of the proposed plan as
given out by Armour and company,
said that when the representatives of
employed and employe could not agree
on any matter the question could be
referred to an arbitrator
While awaiting the outcome of
mediation plans and the result of
strike vote, employees in the packing
plants of Chicago and other centers
in the middle west had decided to go
to work today under the reduced wage
scale announced by the five leading
packers which goes into effect today.
More than 100000 men are affected
by the reductions of Is and 1914 per-
cent in the hourly rate and piece e-work
rate respectively. with time and
half for overtime only after 10 hours
ANY assumption that we are attempt
ing to establish a 10-hour day is
wrong" said a statement from Armour
and company today in answer to
charges of union leaders. The
whistle in the Armour plants will con-
tinue to blow at the end of eight
hours work each day
Advised to Remain.
At mass meetings held in half
dozen packing cities yesterday. the
workers were advised to remain at
work until the strike vote was COM
pleted, which it was said here would
be about Friday. Union leaders sug-
gested Friday, March Is, as the date
for the proposed conference in Wash
.ington OF representatives. of employers
and employees with James j. Davis,
secretary of labor. According to re-
ports here, Secretary Davis had yet
received but one official response from
the packers to his mediation proposal.
Wilson and company agreed to send
two representatives.
In a drastic shakeup of the police
department, Capt. Wesley H. West
brook was on duty today in the stock
yards police district because of his
ability to cope with labor troubles,
Chief of Police Fitzmorris said.
Say Cut Is Small
Our cut in wages is small when
compared to other firms" said the
statement of Armour and company.
We have list of 81 other firms re-
ducing wages where the decreases ran
from 1925 to 1884 per cent. The
stockholders of Armour and Company
could not dodge the fact that we are
losing money. That is why wages are
reduced.
ANY assertion that we are attempt
ing to establish 10-hour day is
wrong. The guarantee Of extra pay
for overtime after 81 hours in! any one
week makes this impossible. The
butcher workmen in this industry are
entitled to 4S hours wage earnings
per week, and the adjustment in the
hours of labor is to enable them to
get it. The average working time in
thC hhilA6 gangs III IhC past sSdl hoo
been 42 hours. Under the new ar
rangement a worker will be able to
earn a substantial increase.
Thousands of packing house en-
ployes marched in the rain back of
the yards" here yesterday afternoon.
and later listened to outdoor speeches
of union leaders who urged them not
to start a runaway strike"
Packing house employees in Fort
Worth, Kansas City and Sioux City
also decided at mass meetinss yester-
day to go to work toady pending COM
pletion Of the strike vote. Employees
in the Omaha plants planned to hold
meeting today to discuss their
action. The wage cut will be delayed
until April IL in the plants at ST. Louis
and St. Joseph, Mo-. it was stated by
c. X. Urquhart, manager of the St.
Louis plant, because of a state law
requiring thirty days notice for wage
reductions in manufacturing concerns.