The Mankato free press., 1921-03-18
CLOSE PLANTS
NOW WAITING RESULT OF
WAGE CONTROVERSY
REPRESENTED Chooses For Confer
ence To Be Held In
Washington
[Associated Press Dispatch ]

ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch.1
Chicago, March 16.-While interna-
tional officers of the unions involved
in the packers wage controversy were
assembling here for conference today.
it was learned that eight independent
packing companies, in or near the
main stockyards here have closed
down or greatly reduced their forces,
throwing nearly 1000 men -out OF
work I'VE want to see how the la
bor controversy is to come out" said
Patrick Brennan, president of the in
dependent packing company, the larg-
est of the eight companies. I'VE would
be affected by strike. When con-
ditions warrant it we will open UP
again." Heads of some of the other
companies declared the present price
of live hogs and the low price of the
slaughtered product have made op-
erations improbable just now.
The Conference In Washington.
Two men are to be chosen to rep
resent the employees at conference
In Washington March 21, with two
representatives of the packers and
Secretary of Labor Davis. Two rep
resentatives were designated by Sam
uel Gompers, president of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, to represent
him at the conference. Delegates from
the allied unions involved in the pack
ers' wage controversy also planned to
attend the conference. to discuss their
action in the event of a strike by the
butcher workmeu -
Predicts General Strike
Before the meeting opened Dennis
Lane, secretary of the Amalgamated
Order of Meat Cutters and Butcher
Workmen of North America, the or
ganization which is taking a strike
vote said that unofficial conference
with heads of other packing plants
unions convinced him they were
their men. ~They cannot, of course,
make any official announcement until
a decision is made in today's meet
ing" said Mr.. Lane, "but l have yet
to find a union official opposed to
the strike. All seem convinced the
packers are giving us an unfair deal
The statement of Samuel Gompers
yesterday denouncing the packers
employe representation plan as anti
union propaganda has strengthened
us immensely. 1t has convinced the
men that Mr.. Gompers is behind them
and they will have the support of the
American Federation of Labor. There
is no doubt but there will be strike
and little doubt that ali packing plant
unions eventually will join it,
Ballots Distributed In Omaha
Omaha, March 16.-Ballots were
distributed to packing house en-
ployes here today for the referendum
by the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and
Butcher Workmen's Union to deter
mine If a strike is to be authorized
in the event the government or un-
ion is unable to induce the packers
to maintain and eight hour day and
compliance with what the man con-
tend is national working agreements.
Allied Unions Will Vote Oh Strike
Chicago, March 16.-Balloting in
the national referendum strike vote of
packing house employees began here
today. While members of the Anal
gamated Meat Cutters and Butcher
Women were voting or preparing to
vote on a strike, ten allied unions
having member employees in the
pacing houses were comforting on the
question aof a simultaneous strike.
The stockyards were quiet today
but 1000 workers descended upon on
a union headquarters on the south
side last night and their demands to
vote became so insistent that the
today was said to be orderly and
packers officials professed no great
uneaCines over the situation.
A conference between the twenty
four representatives of Armour and
Company employees and a like COM
mittee from the company met today
to outline the preliminaries of the
companys proposed industrial plan.
Final returns given out by the COM
pany showed that 1887 out of 5,724
packing house workers voted on the
plan yesterday. Union officers esti-
mated that 1000. men were out of
work today as the result of the clos
ing of sight smaller packing plants
Monday.
Ten Unions Pledge Support.
Representatives of ten national
packing plants unions today pledged
their support Of the Amalgamated Or
der of Meat Cutters and Butcher
Workmen of North America in case
the members of that organization
strike. Leaders of these unions con-
ferred with officers of the meat cut
ters organization today and while no
official announcement was made, un-
officially 1t became known there had
of the meat cutters that the other
organizations take a strike vote.
Indications were, however, that
no organization would strike until,
after the conference Monday at
Washington when representatives of
labor and of the employers are to
confer with Secretary Davis A for
NAL vote on the matters before the
conference was expected late this
afternoon. The organizations repre-
sented, We're the International
(CntafiniInd \