The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-19
Packer Employees Chiefs Claim
Victory However.
Cut Had To Be Made Declares
Their Chairman.
UNIONS HAD NO VOICE
Decision Reached Under New
Swift Shop Plan.
Expected Unions VIII Reject
Schedule and Strike.

Chicago, Nov 19.-Stock yards
workers IN plants of the big Five
packers thruout the middle west today
were making their decision upon the
wage cut fixed by the Armour, Swift
and Wilson employees themselves. after
inspection of their employers books.
The cut is 8 per cent for piece work
ers who comprise about half the en-
ployes and from to Z u cents an hour
for others
Representatives of 10000 employees
adopted the wage cut yesterday and
it is believed that within the next
few days 1850 employees in the in
dustry will have agreed to the new
scale. No change in the overtime or
eight-hour day arrangements was
made. The cut goes into effect No
vember 2S.
Decision Is lCheered.
The initial step toward the reduc-
ton taken by representatives of all
the Armour plants, came after five
| hours of deliberation by the shop
representation" committee of en-
pIoyes. a. S. Triplett, of St. Joseph
Mo, chairman of the employees. was
cheered when he read the report fix
to be made and we made it," he said.
I'VE saved the cardinal principles for
the men, however"
Representative of the butcher
workmen's union at Omaha were un-
certain whether members of that craft
there would agreed to the reduction
| Their union officials are now in con-
ference over a new working agree
ment. Seven thousand local employees
of Swift & Company followed the Ar
mour action with a vote in favor OF
the reduction and employees of Wilson
@ h 40.I to q v.c-
duction and are to meet today to fi1
the amount.
Other Plants May Follow.
It is expected similar action will be
taken by other large packing plants
in the near future and that ultimately
the wage cuts will affect $4,000 en-
ployes.
The decision to accept the wage cuts
| was reached after conferences held
under the shop representation plan
recently adopted by the packing
plants. The various labor unions hav'
! ing membership of stockyards work
I ers were not represented as organiza-
! ton. 1t is expected the labor union:
will refuse to accept the wage cuts an6
+ the possibility of a strike Is not dis
| counted.
| First Time in History.
! Never before in the history of the
/ packing industry have the employe:
I voluntarily agreed to a wage reduc-
I ton. The decision was reached after
officials of the company had submit
/ ted statistics showing the financia
/ condition of the business.
| The decision to cut wages will mo-
affect the rules governing overtime
/ and working conditions now in effec
/ in the packing plants.
Kansas City Employees Accept.
Kansas City, Mo. Nov. 19,-Tht
plant assembly" representing en-
/ ployes. has voted unanim ously to ac-
cept the wage cut proposed yester-
day, it was announced today. Uncon-
firmed reports here were that the rep
resentatives of the employees at the
Cudahy plant. had voted to reject tht
wage cut proposal. Representative
of the men could not be found thi:
morning to confirm this report and
( the Cudahy officials made no state
ment
/ Figures given out here this morn
4 ing by packing house officials indi-
Gated that 9,285 men and women are
affected by the wage cut. Seventy
five hundred of these are members OF
| packing house unions, it was saids