The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-06-13
FROM CHICAGO.
Our woRKINGwoMEN.
CHICAGO, June 10, 1874

To the Editor II The woRKSssAS's ADVOCATE
Will You allow me little space in your
columns to recount the wrongs that are
practised upon working-girl that the pub
hc may know what We have to submit to
from unprincipled employers.
1t will be recollected by your readers
that there was in the winter some trouble
among the " shirtmakers" at one of our
principal factories, ON account of reduc-
ton in wages, to which we finally had to
su. lit, but we were Iot ''fined" AS we
were before the strike, and we believe
that vas owing to Mrs. Wynkoop's letter
in the Sunday Tribune Everything moved
along quite smoothly after that until few
weeks age, when we were most outrageous
ly used
The machinery in the factory is worked
by steam, and every afternoon the steam
is shut off at b o'clock. The girls then
have ID minutes u lsave the factory, when
the door through which they pass is shut
and locked. On one Saturday the steam
was shut of at % minutes past ,. Some
Of the women have watches by which We
know the exact time. At 20 minutes To q
clock, five minutes before the usual time,
we were at the door, and to our dismay,
we found 1t locked. We rung the bell
again and again, but no one answered it,
and there We were shut up in that factory
on saturday afternoon AIth no prospect If
being released until Monday morning.
| What were We 10 dot We dehberated
some time, ana at last AZ went back mp
stairs and got All instrument ~ith which We
broke the lock, ana thus set ourselves at
liberty. | don't thInk amy one can blame
us for doing this, a. thy prospect II staying
III that place without any food until they
should release Is ga Monday Mas very IN
pleasant.
When Ne assembled together o. 20 g.
work Oh the t"iiuNing Mrnd..y the fore
man wanted us IA il.,y rur the broken lock
| We refused. /, Gauss. W. hsd been locked
IN, anu whoever dnI, that should LAY tpI
the broken lock lut they were deter
mined u 81 the pucc w several lock uut
Ot us, tur durU- thr past NccA " hav,
been most mvry.lr,~iy uucd sutchro
one dozen collars Iur uI-It shirts, the Cpl
lars should nave hvru stiJchrd a quarter w
an inch from Tine edge. bat ] made a sI hi
mistake, ANA amen tIv collars we're exam
med they we're lacking f,ru H,re1,is VI Jh,
required width. the tWu threads less uI,
NOT mJure them thvy would sell Just AZ
readily As Il they Had been the require,
width dnu Nrt, trr that little uIstahc
was nned V5,, 'iOil1T ofd agility cents ] d.
not complain about the .,ropuyturs byiu.
strict, tins they have u be Iur protection
from Negligent girls, but hve cents Wuul,
have be nnu enough tor such AN error. ant
as tlve cent pieces are not very plentiful
among sewing girls, they would De eau
tlUus If only that small sum was al stake
but to De lned the eXhurDltaut sum ID
81 80 cents Is more than human natur,
should endure. And nov / want tn know
If an employer c,t,, iatrT,,iig take thrs, enot
nous hnes cat "a our wages NIlI aul
lawyer tell US Il We have any redress, al,
how We can obtain ttl
| have been working tor this firm uu,
year, ana Thought ! had established 4 rep
utatIOn for honesty, but one day last Weei
| was deceived Inc foreman gave NE tv,
dozen pairs IL cuffs a. make when ! cam,
To stitch them | found c,.- ri the Inning
missing reported It CIV the foreman, bu
lac insisted thai / had ill., ana | had tu ia,
three cents tur U. uId uot care So Iuucl
for the previous nuu AS ! uId Ton thls tor
had prldvd my self IVA lily good reputation