Armour Packing Co. Union Disputes, Bob Armstrong, Union Rep, 1947

Archive

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St. Joseph Museums

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Name/Title

Armour Packing Co. Union Disputes, Bob Armstrong, Union Rep, 1947

Entry/Object ID

AM2015.7.4

Scope and Content

Armour Packing Co. Union Disputes, Bob Armstrong, Union Rep, 1947. The documents in 15.7 all concern grievances especially initiated by Robert Armstrong, a fiery advocate. See below for info on Armstrong. A = Jan. 15, 1947. Memo by R. M. Tascher, related to Grievance brought by Armstrong regarding 2 cattle who didn't die when "knocked" and ended up in Sheep Kill. They were eventually brought to Beef Kill. Armstrong contends these 2 cattle shouldn't count against the gang's productivity. When management would not a subtle slow down occurred causing a loss in productivity that day of 53 cattle. A subsequent meeting ended with the contested cattle number being removed and a request that the Union negotiate with the Company regarding unpreventable delays in the kill line. B = Jan. 16, 1947 Memo to B.E. Hoover, Armour in Chicago from Supt. C. M. Stewart regarding the Jan. 15 slowdown above. On Jan. 16, the crew again slowed work and Armstrong demanded a grievance to remove the loss of yesterday from the gang's productivity requirements. C = Jan. 16, 1947 Memo from Foreman Joe Bucher regarding Armstrong stopping the chain and insisting that Bucher stop working on the line "dropping cattle". Armstrong restarted the chain when Bucher stopped. Note from R.M. Tascher attached . D = Feb. 19, 1947 Memo on Grievance related to E. Adams in Hog Killing Dept. not qualifying for cattle splitting job. E = April 16, 1947 Memo on Grievance related to Eugene Crowley, a legger, grinding his knives on his own time when Management had agreed the grindstones would be shut down on non-work time. During this activity Armstrong stops the line to protest. F = May 19, 1947 Memo on Grievance related to Al Foster, a ribber/splitter not being able to keep up on the line and shutting the line down. The Union claims this has always been a 2-person job and Al had to try to keep up the production level on his own and sides were piling up at his work station. The foreman alleges Foster was purposely idle some of the time. The Union made some threats, but a helper was not supplied and withing days Foster was keeping up. G = May 27, 1947 Memo on Grievance by Beef Gang about being required to work 10 hours today. Gang is questioning the reason for increasing hours of work instead of increasing the number of workers as plenty of men are laid off. Armstrong agreed to the 10 hours that day but didn't know what would happen tomorrow if same occurred. H = June 2,1947 Memo on "Work Stoppage on Beef Kill" related to standards for sawing rumps with power saw as the job had been assigned to one man that day instead of two. There was considerable delay in getting this informaton and the situation escalated unitl the worker refused to do the job and was fired. This precipitated a work stoppage on the entire line by subtle means. As a result the man was reinstated and given a helper. I = July 7, 1947. Memo regarding Grievance resulting in boycott of Company restaurant when prices were raised. Management responded to boycott by laying off 4 cafeteria employees. Management agreed to consider price adjustments. J = July 29, 1947 Memo "Cattle Killing Floor Work Stoppage" by Supt. Stewart. Stoppage due to foreman not using next man in line of seniority on backing table, but was using an Asst. Foreman to replace an absent worker. Supt. instructed the foreman to use the correct seniority. Also statements by foremen Bucher & Walton. Armstrong later stops the kill day earlier than management desires. K= Aug. 25, 1947, Memo by Supt. Stewart related to meeting with Grievance Committee Armstrong & Ingersoll to emphasize the necessity of following the procedure in the contract to the letter, especially related to union reps not going into other departments that had a steward. L= Aug. 29,, 1947. Memo regarding Grievance relate to discharge of Robert Armstrong (again!) Armstrong was fired for stopping the chain on the heading line. Armstrong alleges he stopped the chain to find foreman to lodge grievance about Crowley grinding his knives on his own time. The foreman had ignored him. The Union asserted that Armstrong's methods were consistent with the past and had been previously allowed. The entire Grievance Committee gets involved and lots of statements are attached. A work stoppage ensues. M = Aug. 30. More statements related to the situation that resulted in the firing of Robert Armstrong. N = Oct. 2, 1947 Armstrong Reinstated. Meeting held by B.E. Hoover from Chicago. Armstrong agrees to modified behavior from his former fiery rhetoric. Management changes discipline to suspension. Union agrees to limit grievance notice to stewards in departments where there is one and to give list of stewards to Management. If steward needs Union Rep help, the steward is to notify the foreman to go get rep. Armstrong returned to work with full seniority on Oct. 6. Armstrong was a black man who worked as a "header" in the Beef Killing Dept. He was also a union representative and member of the grievance committee. His active defense of provisions of the Union contract he felt were being violated, he was often in trouble with management and was actually discharged a number of times, only to win his job back with Union support. He became Chairman of the Grievance Committee of Local No. 58 of the United Packinghouse Workers of America, and was later a Business Agent representing Unions at several Armour Plants in his district. Armour was progressive for its time in hiring black employees and many names on the Beef Kill lines are black surnames in these grievance documents. It was even more progressive for a black man to assume a leadership roll for a workforce that was mainly white. Armstrong died in a car accident, and some Union members surmised the Company was behind his death!!!!! A color photo of Armstrong is found in folder BHF.313 in Black History Information File. A digital image of the Armour Beef Dressing Crew in the 1940's is BHF.777. Union Representatives of the Grievance Committee that brought these grievances were Charles Ingersoll & Robert Armstrong. Armour Foremen involved are Joe Bucher, Matt Herson, Howard Miller, Lyle Smith. Armour Management involved are C. M. Stewart, R.M. Tascher,

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Memorandum

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Correspondence

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Other Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

Packing houses

Search Terms

United Packinghouse Workers of America, Local No. 58, Armour Packing Company, United Packinghouse Workers of America, Unions

Condition

Overall Condition

Poor

Maintenance

Maintenance History

Date

Jun 2, 2015

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

E. Adams

Person or Organization

Robert Armstrong

Person or Organization

Eugene Bosch

Person or Organization

Joe Bucher

Person or Organization

Eugene Crowley

Person or Organization

Jim Donaldson

Person or Organization

Al Foster

Person or Organization

Fred Groves

Person or Organization

B. E. Hoover

Person or Organization

Christine Hahn Humbert

Person or Organization

Charles Ingersoll

Person or Organization

Curley Larson

Person or Organization

Bill Meakins

Person or Organization

Howard Miller

Person or Organization

Lyle Smith

Person or Organization

C. M. Stewart

Person or Organization

R. M. Tascher

Person or Organization

Frank Thomas

Person or Organization

Clyde Webb

Person or Organization

Irwin Walton

Person or Organization

Andy Nagel

Person or Organization

Slahorek

Person or Organization

G. Taylor

Person or Organization

Bud Roseby

Person or Organization

Oscar Blair

Person or Organization

Lynn Hedge

Person or Organization

Sam Drake