Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 114, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1919 — BIG MILK STRIKE ON [ARTICLE]

BIG MILK STRIKE ON

Chicago Drivers Walk Out and Tie Up Huge Supply. Producers in Illinois, Indiana and Southern Wisconsin'Ordered to Stop All Shipments. Chicago, May 15.—Milk distribution in Chicago was paralyzed Wednesday when the associated dealers and wagon drivers ended wage negotiations and a strike was declared at midnight. Strike disorders were reported and Chief Garrity immediately ordered large reserves of police to suppress violence and disperse assembling strikers and others.

Telegrams were sen! to milk producers in Illinois, Indiana and south- ‘ ern Wisconsin to stop shipping milk into Chicago at once. The*order will divert 1,000,000 quarts of milk and cream from the Chicago market. The associated dealers, who have producers under contract, took this action. Chairman Wanzer of the dealers’ strike committee said it was impossible to tell when a resumption of shipping would be ordered. He said the action was taken to save the million quarts from spoiling on the tracks each day. Nearly 1,000,(100 quarts, of milk in milk trains from the surrounding country, the dealers asserted, will remain in the cars and probably will spoil. The strike came without warning to the public. The drivers voted on May 1 to strike if the dealers refused to increase their wages to $5 a day, effective at midnight May 13. According to rhe drivers their men reported for work at midnight and were told that the increase in wages would not go into effect. _| “Our 2,800 drivers were locked out,” • W. A. Neer, secretary of the drivers, declared.

The milk dealers* association named a committee to handle the strike : The number of persons or families served in Chicago normally by the associated dealers is estimated to be just under 450,000. That many customers were left without a milk plyAccording to statements of both drivers and dealers, the men were paid a minimum of $26 a week for distributing on their milk routes. The drivers stated - that their demand is clear —they want $5 a day, and say nothing about bonus or commissions in excess.