Evening star., 1921-03-15
BALLOTS GOING our
TO PACKERS MEN
Eight-Hour Day Vote to Be
Taken-Conference Here
on March Fl.
BY the Associated Press.

| Sh1CAGo, Nlarcu 1o.-benIis Lane
secretary-treasurer Of the Amalga-
mated Meat Cutters and Butcher
| Workmens Union, and another labor
representative not yet selected Will
represent the packing house workers
at their conference in Washington
! March 21, with representatives of the
| five leading packers and Secretaries
! of the Department of Labor, Com
merce and Agriculture, 1t was an
j nounced today.
| Strike ballots are being mailed out
! by union leaders to the packing CEN
! ters in the middle west. asking their
members to vote upon the eight hour
! day question involved in the wage
! reductions and rearrangement OF
| hours which the packers placed III
! effect yesterday.
| President Samuel Gompers of the
! American Federation of Labor is ex-
| pected to arrive in Chicago late to-
| day, Lane announced, to address
mass meeting tomorrow at headquar-
ters of the Chicago Federation OF
Labor.
Conditions Are Normal.
Conditions were reported norma
in dispatches from the leading PACK
ing centers yesterday, ana a much
greater number than usual applied
dt
terday, packing officials said. Inc?
issued d statement warming men not
to come here from other cities seek
ing work in the stock yards.
Plans of Armour a. Co. announced
yesterday. to organize councii rep
resenting the employes to settle ,.i mat.
ters involving working conditions.
were characterized by Lane as
bunk"
THE packers go ahead and cut
wages and then announce the WORK
men will be given voice IN the man
agement," Lane said. But you notice
the order comes a day too late-too
late for the employees to have any
thing to say in the matter of the
wage cuts"
Similar plans for a council OF EN-
ployes are expected to be announced
soon.
ArmOur's Plan.
The following synopsis of the plan
was given out by Armour & Co:
Principles-To give employees voice
ss TO conditions of labor. To pro-
vide expeditions. orderly procedure
,kr prevention and adjustment OF
disputes. Equal representation for
employers and employees.
Represe entation-Generally, one EN-
Moves representative to each zoo
900 employees Not less than five
employe representatives on confer
ence board.
Management representation = Man
agement to appoint representatives 10
boards equal in number 10 eHpioSes
representatives.
Duties and poWers-Board may con-
slider and make recommendations on
empIoyment and working conditions
wages and cost of living, safety and
prevention of accidents. health and
nf =
cation and plant publications. recrea-
ton and athletics. employees trans :
portation and other matters or mutual
interest Board concerned solely with
policies Execution in hands OF the
management.
Procedure OF Board.
Procedure of plant board-Matters
presented through representatives or
through secretary of hoard. Employees
board May elect three spokesmen.
Boa rd may call any employe before II.
After investigation and discussion the
board will vote on all matters. EN-
ploye and management groups vote
separately each being recorded as
unit In case of tie. it may, on re-
quest of either group, be referred 10
general superintendent. He Will. with
~ ten days. propose plan OF settle-
ment. or refer matter to general con-
ference board. II he does neltner,
matter may go to arbitration.
General conference board-ieneraI
conference board formed on basis OF
one employe representative Tor the
first 500 employees md one additional
for each additional 1000. Manage
ment to name equal number OF repre-
sentatives.
Arbitration-Wher agreement is
impossible matter may b. mutual
consent be referred to impartial arbi-
tration.
Decisions-All decisions by general
conference board binding on plants
affected.
Lane Makes Comment.
The public will NOT be deceived by
this attempt to slip one over on the
employees" Mr.. Lane said Nor will
the men be confused or stand for It,
Having cut wages and heightened
working hours, Mr.. Armour now an
nounced that next time he wants to
cut wages he will put it up to a
board on which the labor side Will
have representation, but which will
be controlled by Mr.. Armour.
He can tack W all the notices OF
elections he wants and put out all the
finely worded statements he can
write, but we won't fall for them"