am ated ▁Me at ▁C ut ters ' ▁membership ▁double d ▁in ▁the ▁months ▁that ▁followed . ▁ ▁Those ▁g ains ▁were ▁short - l ived , ▁however . ▁The ▁arbitr ation ▁award ▁had ▁not ▁required ▁the ▁employ ers ▁to ▁recognize ▁the ▁un ions , ▁leading ▁some ▁workers ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁government , ▁not ▁the ▁S LC , ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁these ▁improvements ▁in ▁their ▁w ages ▁and ▁hours . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁Am alg am ated ▁Me at ▁C ut ters ▁attempted ▁to ▁claim ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁members ▁as ▁its ▁own , ▁breaking ▁off ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁S LC . ▁Race ▁ri ots ▁in ▁Chicago ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁dissol ved ▁what ▁little ▁trust ▁black ▁pack ing house ▁workers ▁had ▁in ▁white - led ▁un ions . ▁Once ▁the ▁arbitr ation ▁award ▁exp ired ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁employ ers ▁fired ▁union ▁activ ists ; ▁by ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁after ▁a ▁failed ▁strike , ▁the ▁S LC ▁was ▁def unct . ▁ ▁The ▁steel ▁strike ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁ ▁F oster ▁turned ▁his ▁attention , ▁while ▁the ▁pack ing house ▁campaign ▁was ▁still ▁under way , ▁to ▁another ▁project : ▁organ izing ▁steel ▁workers . ▁The ▁problems ▁here ▁were ▁even ▁more ▁complex : ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁defeated ▁strik es ▁and ▁the ▁deep ▁eth nic ▁divisions ▁within ▁the ▁work force , ▁the ▁steel ▁mill s ▁were ▁also ▁divided ▁by ▁differences ▁in ▁skills , ▁with ▁the ▁higher ▁paid ▁native