The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-29
TAIL0RS FEEL CONFIDENT
THEY RELIEVE THEY WILL HAVE
SUCCESS IN THEIR STRIKE.


pointed.
New York, July 2S.-Of the $4,000 tail
ors employed by contractors in this
city, Brownsville and Brooklyn, fully
10000 are now out on strike. Mayer
Schoenfeld, one Of the organizers of
the United Garment Workers, called
the men out on Saturday night. The
strikers held three meetings to-day at
Wallhalla hall, all of which were
largely attended. The most important
OF them was held at l o'clock in the
afternoon. There were fully 5000 peo-
pie present, the hall being packed to
suffocation. A large crowd was also
assembled in the street. Max Corfield
presided and speeches were made by
Mayer Schcenfeld, Banjamin Schweit-
zer, and Samuel Levy. The speakers
urged the strikers to hold out until their
demand had been acceded to- Mr..
Schoenfield stated that the statement
attributed to Contractor Driesen in
morning paper that the men employed
by him went on strike because he
would not permit them to come to work
half an hour earlier than usual was
false.
"Our new agreement" said Mr..
Schoenfeld, Twill call for fifty-nine
hours work instead Of sixty hours as
Heretofore, the hour being taken off
Friday, owing to Saturday being the
Sabbath. 1t will also call for week
ly wage at union prices; the employ
ment of union men only; and the total
abolition of sweat shops, as demanded
in last years agreement. OF the $50
shops in New York 610 are now out and
the remainder will be out before to-
morrow All the men are out in
Brooklyn and Brownsville, an din addi-
tion fully 1000 women employed in
bottom sewing and telling. The strikers
number 1000 in Brownsville, 1000 in
Brooklyn, and from 10000 to 10000 in
this city. They comprise the following
branches of the trade: Operators,
basters, finishers, pressers and buhell-
ers. We intend to fight this strike to
the bitter end, whether 1t takes three
or six months, and we intend to get
cast iron agreement from the oontrac-
tors. Until they make overtures to us
Al eA1C Sodlo VI deby . liiCy WILL DG 6iG-
tonished by further demands. Some of
oehtcnatrtc etaoin shrdlu cmfwyppppp
the contractors, in spite Of the agree
ments they made last September, have
not presented their men for two and
half and in some cases threee weeks.
Sweat shops in tenement houses still
exist, although the investigation COM
mittee has done considerable good
Then last of all, the task system still
prevails.
Many of the contractors when en-
ploying men said: How many coats
can you make a day or how many pair
Of pants?" The poor man might name
certain number and IL he failed to
make them or the contractor found any
defects, real or imaginary, he would
deduct certain amount from the en-
ployes' wages at the end ofthe week.
AT the headquarters of the contrac-
tors Chairman Benjamin Witkokowski
to-day said: went out to Connecticut
on Saturday night to visit my wife and
children, and the first thing I saw this
morning when picked up the Sunday
papers was that the tailors were out
on strike. I took the first train back.
OAAAJ
our employees is when they saw the
strike has taken us by surprise.
The agreement was made in last SEN
tember and kept to the letter does not
expire until some time between the
first and fifteenth Of September If the
men went out then the month of Jewish
holidays would be in progress. Our
summer work would be pretty well fin
oh @I,1
be comparatively trifiing. BY going out
now they DO US and themselves out of
the little work we have on hand. They
allege that we have precipitated the
strike, but that is not so. Since the
men got the agreement last September
they have been unbearably arrogant.
They now demand further concessions
which we positively cannot grant. Our
trade and the business of our employers,
the manufacturers, have during the past
suffered irretrievable losses and are ir
danger of becoming the same as the
cloak trade.
"When we learned that there was
the prospect of strike we sent out
a circular to the manufacturers. Our
circular denied the truthfulness of the
assertions contained in a circular ad-
Brotherhood of Tailors. The latter's
circulars purport to show the terrible
conditions which members of that union
are compelled to endure, and that we
are forcing the issue to compel them
to strike. The men are driving most
percentage of work out of New York and
the farmers of Maine, who ought to be
making hay or ploughing are making
DUriy1O ha ct TOW, y l,
meen have been scaling their work and
assume to tell US how we shall conduct
our own business. Instead of getting II
or II shillings for making a coat as
formerly, we now get shillings.
1--WE are prepared ~ fight t.. q mat.
ter to the bitter end We wont COM
promise. We are prepared to concede
ten hours work day, the work to be
paid for according to the merits of the
workman; weekly wages at union prices
and union people. But we have got
to have something to say in our own
affairs. If the manufacturers decide tc
open shops for themselves we are per-
fectly willing to agree to it and go in
and work for them. We asked them
to do it before, but they refused tc
do So"
A meeting of the contractors will be
held Monday night, when some decision
will be arrived at. 1t is certain, how
ever, that no advance will be made tc