Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-29
1900 TAILORS
In and About New York City
Are Now Out on Strike.
They Intend to Get Cast Iron Agree
ment f.om Contractors,
In Regard TO Their Hours Of Work and the
Rates Of Wages.


o's employed by contractors in this city,
Brownsville and Brooklyn, fully ~, 600
are or strike. Mayor Schoenfeld. one Of
the organizers of the United Garment
Workers, called the men out. Saturday
night. The strikers held three meetings,
today, at Walhalla hall, all being largely
attended.
The most important was held at
o'clock in the afternoon. There were
fully 5000 people present, the hall being
packed to sutfocation. A large crowd was
| assembled in the street. Max Corfield pre-
sided and speeches were made by Mayor
| Schoenfeld, Benjamin Schweitczr and
Samuel Levy.
The speakers urged the strikers to hold
ont until their demands were acceded to
Mr.. Schoenfeld stated that the stat ement
attributed to Contractor Driesen in 3
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.. Schoen-
field, will call for SO hours work instead
of 60 hours as heretofore, an hour being
taken off Friday, on which day the Sab
bath begins 1t will also call for weekly
wage at union prices; the employment of
union men only; total abolition of sweat
shops as demanded in last years agree
! ment.
''Of the G3O shops in New York, 6l0 are
now out and the remainder will be out be-
| fore tomorrow morning. All the men are
out in Brooklyn and Brownsville, and in
| addition fully 1000 women employed in
button sewing and filing The strikers
number 1000 in Brownsville, 2000 in
Brooklyn, and from 10000 to II, 900 in
this city. The compose majority of the
| branches of trade as follows: operators,
basters, finishers, pressers and bushellers.
I've intend to fight this strike to the
bitter end. We intend to get a cast iron
| agreement from the contractors. Unless
| they make overtures to us in course Of
three day, they will be astonished by fur
| Their demands.
"Some of the contractors, in spite of the
| agreements they made last September,
| have not paid the men for two, two and
| half and in some cases three weeks.
| Sweat shops in tenement houses still exists,
although the Assembly investigating com
mittee has done considerable good, and
last of all the task system still prevails.
Many of the contractors, when employ
| ing men, said: How many coats can
you make day, or how many pairs of
pants? The poor man might answer Il
| certain number, and If he failed TO make
them or the contractor found any defects
real or imaginary, he would deduct a GER
tain amount from the employee wages at
the end of the week.
At the headquarters 70 the contractors,
Chairman Benjamin Wilkowski, today,
| said:
About the only true statement made
| by our employees is that when they say the
strike has taken us by surprise. An
agreement was made in September and
| kept to tho letter, and does not expire IN
til some time between Sept. l and Is. If
the men went out then, the month of
| Jewish holidays would be in progress.
Our summer work would be pretty well
| finished up and the Inconvenience would
| be comparatively trifiing,
by going out now they would do Us
and themselves out of the little work We
have on hand They allegc that we have
nrecipitated the strike, but that Is not SO.
Since the men got the agreement, last
| September, they have been unbearably "a
rogant. They now demand further con
| ce -SluiiSi WHICH Wo pooiuifoiy ohhb'p
grant.
'Our employers, the manufacturers,
have during the past suffered irretrievable
losses, and are in danger of becoming the
same as the cloak trade When we learned
that there was prospect of a strike. We
| sent out u circular to the manufacturers
| Our circular denied the truthfulness Of the
assertions of the circular addressed to the
manufacturers by the Brotherhood of
| Tailors
J The latter's circulars purp0rt to show
| the terrible conditions the members of
that union are compelled to endure ami
| that we are forcing the issue to comptl
them to strike. The men are driving 30
per cent. of the work ont of New York,
and farmers in Maine, who ought to be
making hay or ploughing, are making
coats.
During the past 10 months the men
have been scamping their work, and as
Stunning to dictate to us how we shall con-
duct our own business Instead of get
ting 10 or IL shillings for making a coat
as formerly, we now get eight shillings.
We are prepared to fight the matter to the
bitter end We won't compromise.
eve are prepared to concede 10 hours
for 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 some
thing to say in our own affairs If the
manufacturers decide to open shops for
themselves, we are perfectly willing to
agree to IL and work forthwith. We asked
them to do it before, but they refused TO
| do so.
A meeting of the contractors will be
held, Monday night, and some decision
will be arrived at. 1t Is certain that no
advance will be made TO the strikers.
The executive board of the Brotherhood
of Tailors met tonight, in Walhalla hail.
A committee was received from the New
ark tailors, who told the New York men
| that applications from individual contrac-
tors for settling the differences between
the contractors and men had been received.
| They said that all the tailors in Newark
were ready for strike, aud q mass meet
| ing will be held, tomorrow. The execu-
tive beard appointed committee to at
| tend the meeting, The strikers feel conf