The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-05-11
PENSION AWAITS LoNG-MISSINC
UNION HEAD WHO BEAT PACKERS

TEAL W.T.
Chicago (LPA) = Perhaps he's
shuffling in rags and broken shoes
toward the simmering cauldron of
watery slum in a skidrow soup
Kitchen; perhaps he's. still sweating
it out, trying to earn his keep-a
silent old man with wise and weary
smile-washing dishes in some
greasy-spoon cafe. He may be dead.
Nobody knows the fate of Mike
Donnelly; yet $4,000 annual pen
sion from a grateful union awaits
his return.
For Mike Donnelly, then young
and vibrant, possessed of the power
to inspire his fellows, led the
Amalgamated Meat Cutters and
Butcher Workmen of North Amer
ica-AFL through its first success
ful general strike against an in
dustry that never hesitated to mix
human tears with the blood of
cattle slaughtered for profit.
Earl w. Emerson, president of
Amalgamated, said in the unions
Chicago headquarters: "We've tried
to locate Donnelly for many years
without success. More than 20 years
ago we heard he was working some
where in California as cook,
under an assumed name. But we've
had no information about him since
then. Well see that he's provided
for if we can find him. " i"l
The story of Mike Donnelly be-
gins with the story of Amalga-
mated, back in 1887, when the pack
ers used every anti-union trick in
the book to defeat organization of
their employees. Lithuanians, Poles,
Slovaks, Bohemians, and Negroes
we're hired by the big packing
houses in the belief that the mix
ture of races and nationalities
would prevent understanding and
eventual unionization among the
workers. Discrimination, yellow dog
and blacklists were hurl-
ed at the union.
Mike Donnelly led the fight that
whipped the industry; then lost his
victory because his union men could
not keep their peace while await
ing their turn to get back to work
after the strike. And Mike Don
nelly almost lost his life as well.
Elected president of Amalgamat-
ed in 1887, Mike Donnely held the
job until 1905. Led by Amalgamat-
ed, the workers in the packinghouse
industry went out in a general
strike in 1904. More than 60,0C0, |
nearly one-third of them in Chi
,ago, cleaned up at the end of a |
lay so that the plants would be left
N perfect order, and walked out.
Their demands were union recogni-
ion and two cents per hour pay |
'aise to bring the scale from Is
,ents per hour up to 20 cents. Man
,gement offered them a 2 per cent
'eduction in the scale.
The bitter dispute, in which more
labor and more Negroes |
we're hired to break the strike,
asted eight days before the pack
ng industry capitulated.
1t was agreed by company and
Inion that at least as days would
,e needed to return all of the strik-
RS to work. Many were disgrunt-
ed of the delay. Mike Donnellyl
vas pressured into calling a new
trike, against his will and against
lis judgment. Toward the end of
his he was .ambushed and badly
eaten by erstwhile friends who
eft him for dead on Chieago's
'outh Michigan Avenue.
Shortly after this beating, his
rain injured, Mike Donnelly re-
igned and disappeared. He went
nto the Southwest where he work
d as a cook in labor camps. Little
las heard from him until 1916,
'hen he reappeared and requested
job sas organizer for Amalgamat-
d. He wrote: 81 am in excellent
ealth and fine shape to again dol
ONE. good work for the trade that
still love and yearn to put in bet
er shape once more"
He got his job, and a better one
,as due. Let Homer Call complete
he story: Brother Donnelly sue
eeded in organizing a local union
. Fort Worth, and visited someI
ther points in the State of Texas
leeting with fairly good results,
n the meantime, the organized
lbor movement in Chicago had re- |
uested Secretary Morrison of the