Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-03-14
Completion OF Strike Vote
And Outcome OF MEDIA
ton Plan. Will { Decide
Length OF Time Men viii
Continue I'll To !. Work Work Al Al
Lower Pay.

Chicago, March 14.-While waiting
the outcome Of mediation plans and
the result Of strike vote, employees
in the packing plants Of Chicago and
their leading branches in the middle
west had decided to 90 to work today
under the reduced wage scale an
nounced by the five leading packers
which goes into effect today. More
than 100000 men are affected by the
reductions of :15 and IL 1-2 per cent
in the hourly rate and piece work,
respectively, with time and q half for
overtime after ten hours.
ANY assumption that we are at-
tempting to establish a ten hour day is
wrong" said a statement from Ar
mour & Co. today, in answer to charges
Of union leaders. 1.-The whistle in
the Armour plants will continue to
blow at the end Of eight hours work
each day."
Agreed to Work.
At mass meetings held in half
dozen packing centers yesterday. this
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 employ
ers and employees with James j. Davis,
ports here. Secretary Davis has re-
ceived but one official response from
the packers to his mediation proposal,
Wilson & Co. agreed to send two rep
resentatives.
"Our cut in wages is small when
compared to other firms" said lthe
statement Of Armour & Co. I'VE have
where the decreases ran from 1925 to
1884 per cent. The stockholders of
Armour & Co. could not dodge the
fact that we are losing money. That
lis why wages are reduced.
No 1O-Hour Day.
"Any assertion that. we are At
tempting to establish a ten 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
week, and the adjustment in the hours
of. labor is to enable then1 to get 1t.
The average working time In the kill
ing gangs in the past year has been
AZ hours. Under the new arrange
ment a worker will be able to earn
a substantial increase"
Thousands of packing house en-
ployes marched in the rain back to
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. Texas. Kansas City. Kansas.
and Sioux City, Iowa. also decided at
mass meetings yesterday to go to
strike vote. Employees in the Omaha
plants planned to hold meetings to-
night to discuss their action. The
wage cut will be delayed until April
II in the plants at st. Louis and St.
Joseph. Mo-. it was stated by G. X.
Urquhart, manager of the St. Louis
plant, because Of a state law requiring
thirty days notice for wage reduc-
tions for employees of manufa cturing
Washington. March 14.-Secretary
Davis had received today replies from
the five leading packers and their
| employees agreeing to his plan for a
conference between two representa-
tives from each in an effort to reach
an agreement on, wages and other
differences. . -..s4 ~
Mr.. Davis has not set a date for
the conference. but he is understood
to be considering Friday of this week
suggested by the employees who will
by then have checked up the results
Of their strike referendum.
Armour Calls Election.
Chicago. March 14.--Ar1nour g.
Co. today called an election in all Of
its plants for tomorrow. for the en-
ployes to elect Representatives to
form an industrial democracy in
which employers and employees would
have equal representation and which
would settle all matters of working
conditions. wages and hours in the
Armour plants.
| The representative selected tomor-
| row will form a temporary board
which will work out permanent
! plans. The announcement of the
packing COMPANY said that it was
! planned eventually to have plant
conference board Of five members in
each plant and general conference
| board of three members. selected
! from all plants.
The outline of the proposed plan
as given out by Armour & Co., said
that when the representatives of en-
ployer and cmploye could not agree
on any matter. the question could be
! referred to an arbitrator.