108 FARMERS' UNION AND FEDERATION 



"CHICAGO, March 30. 'Men back of the yards' or the 'food pro- 

 viders of the nation/ as they have been called, won a momentous de- 

 cision against the big packers today when Judge Samuel Alschuler, 

 arbitrator, handed down a decision upholding virtually all of the de- 

 mands of the workers. More than 100,000 workers are affected by 

 the decision. Here are the six big issues granted : 



"1. Eight hours shall constitute the basic day beginning May 5, 

 1918. 



"2. Overtime. Double time shall be paid for work on Sundays and 

 legal holidays. Week day overtime shall be time and one-fourth for 

 the first two hours over ; time and one-half thereafter. Time and one- 

 half shall be paid for all work over 10 hours a day from January 14 to 

 May 5. 



"3. Allowance of 20 minutes for lunch where operation is by three 

 eight-hour shifts. 



"4. Employes who received 30 cents an hour or less on December 31, 

 1917, shall be given 4)^ cents increase. Others to receive increases in 

 proportion. 



"5. Wage rates shall be the same for men and women doing the 

 same work. 



"6. There shall be no change made in the guaranteed time in ef- 

 fect now, except that Swift & Co. shall make its guarantee time 40 

 hours to conform with the other packers. In weeks where there is a 

 holiday, there shall be 333^ hours guaranteed. 



"Both capital and labor are satisfied with Judge Alschuler's deci- 

 sion. The packers, through their attorney, James G. Condon, promised 

 to abide by the decision, and John Fitzpatrick of the Chicago Federa- 

 tion of Labor, declared he was 'highly satisfied.' Judge Alschuler 

 seemed astounded at the praise he received both from the packers and 

 the workers. He all but wept. The increase to the workers will cost 

 the employers about $75,000,000 this year." 



"WASHINGTON, March 22. Overriding requests of the postoffice de- 

 partment, the House, in a tumultuous session this afternoon voted large 

 increases in pay to all postal employees and ordered they should be 

 made permanent. Postmaster General Burleson's champions made un- 

 successful pleas of 'economy.' Several of them were all but cried down 

 in shouts of derision. Bitter attacks on the Postmaster General, de- 

 claring he underpaid his help and ' persecuted ' them for trying to better 

 working conditions, was applauded. On the largest test vote that of 

 making the pay increases permanent instead of only for the period of 

 the war as the Burleson forces had asked the department's wishes 



