Page "William Z. Foster" Paragraph 14

The Wilson administration wanted to bring about a peaceful resolution of this dispute and put great pressure on the employers to agree to arbitration of the issues in dispute — wages, hours of work, and union recognition — without a strike, even threatening to seize the plants as a wartime measure if necessary.

While the unions had their own reservations about arbitration, they also agreed to it rather than find themselves forced to strike.

The arbitrator's initial award, ordering the eight hour day, overtime pay and significant wage increases, was a major victory for the workers.

The Amalgamated Meat Cutters ' membership doubled in the months that followed.