The morning call., 1894-08-21
TAILORS Go OUT.
A Strike On Against
Three Firms.
ATTEMPTS TO CUT WAGES.
The Union Declines to Accept a
Reduction.
LEADERS STATE THEIR POSITION
Workmen Average Only Ten Dollars
Week, They Say, and Cannot
Stand a Cut.
LEADERS STATE THEIR POSITION

The tailors employed in three tailoring
establishments in this city have struck,
and the employees in another shop will 90
out this morning.
The firms affected are Brandt & Co. and
Hart Bros. of Montgomery street. and
Henry Mayer of 100 Suffer street.
The trouble grew out of & request from
the proprietors OF the shop that the Jour
neymen Tailors' Union agree to a lower
scale of wages for making certain grades
of garments i'll order to give the firms an
opportunity to make cheaper business
suits.
Mayors tailors struck few days ago.
Hart Bros men walked out yesterday
morning and Brandt s. Co.'S employees will
strike this morning.
The three firms declare they will hire
non-uniou tailors and conduct their bust
ness regardless Of unions, strikers or any
thing else.
Mr.. Brandt. member of the firm of
Brandt ~ Co., in relating the circum-
stances mat led up TO the strike at his
shop. told the experiences of the other two
firms.
$40 understand the trouble" he said
"it is necessary to know the way tailOrs
are employed. All members of the union
are paid by the piece, according to a scale
agreed upon by their employers and the
union. Business has been dull lately,
and l asked my men If they couldn't
reduce the scale on cheap goods only, in
order TO give me an opportunity TO make
up cheaD business suits al a reduced
figure. They didn't oppose the PROPOSE
ton, but suggested that L make written
application TO the union for reduction OF
10 per cent of the scale.
hoi oI,yfo 4
communication TO the union. This
morning a committee from the union
visited me. and to my surprise told me
that II any attempt TO reduce the scale
should be made the men would he called
out. was given twenty-fOur hours to de-
eide what l would do"
Mr.. Brandt feels that the union is med
ding too much with his private business
affairs, ana he will discharge every tailor
he has got this morning. In their places
he will employ n0n-uniOn men, of whom,
he says, he can find plenty. Brandt &
Co. and Hart Bros. each supply fifteen
taiOrs.
Henry Mayer. the Sutter-street mer-
chant tailor. says the condition of affairs
at his place has not been correctly stated
He declares that three weeks ago be asked
his men to give him reduction of 20 per
cent on all clothes that we're ont of date
and upon which he had to make a big
reduction. In order that the men might be
sure that he would not ring 10 any new
goods on them he says he gave each one of
them a sample of the goods upon W ich he
wished reduction.
Some OF his workmen, however, advised
him to address q commun icatiOD to the
union asking for 10 per cent reduction all
around. He did so three weeks ago Sat
urday. On Monday morning. he SAYS,
committee from the union called
on him and told him they were going to
call his men out. lie asked for fOrty-eight
hours for consideration. but they would
only give him twenty-four. The result
was that his men left, and be has been
compelled to obtain help outside the
union. He states that if he had been
given the time he asked for there would
have been no strike.
Henry Haab. president of the Journey
man TailOrs' Union. SAID there were many
reasons why the union could not grant the
reduction asked by the three firms men,
toned. In the first place he said such a
step would establish bad precedent in
asmuch as every other tailor in the city
would ask the same thing. A further and
stronger reason, he said. was the fact that
tailOrs are not averaging more than $40 a
week at present, and a reduction, be it
ever so small, means want ana suffering
for the wOTkmen and their families.
Andrew Thulin of the shop meeting at
Brandt IL Co.'S said he could furnish sta
tistics TO prove that for the last three
months the tailors of this citv had not
made as much as an ordinary Chinese is
supposed to earn. He SAID a reduction OF
wages was out of the question.