New-York tribune., 1895-12-17
THOUSANDS ARE OUT.
TAILORs REFUSE TO WORK UNDER THE
CONDITIONS REQUIRED.
AN ADMISSION THAT THE EMPLOYERS HAVE
BROKEN THEIR AGREEMENT UNDER AN
ALLEGED NECEssITY-RUMoRs OF

ALLEGED NECESSITY OF
A SETTLEMENT
1t was estimated that about four thousand
working tailors OF the city and 1000 in Brooklyn
refused to work yesterday because OF the notice
which was posted in the shops of the National
Protective Association. the employers organiza-
ton. on Sunday The taors declared that the
notice was a lockout because it violated the
agreement with the Brotherhood OF Tailors.
Particular stress was laid on these sentences
in the notice:
No shop chairman walking delegate admitted
here.
Any one ten minutes late shall not start work be-
fore quarter OF day.
The proprietor is the only boss OF this shop and
the management is under his control only.
The employers declared yesterday that they
had not locked out the tailors. but that they
had posted the new rules for their own protec-
ton and the refusal Of the taors to so to work
under those rules was strike B. Witkowsk
the secretary Of the employers association, was
at the headquarters No. 200 East Broadway
Yesterday and said: I'VE admit that we are
repudiating our agreement, but have been
forced TO do 80. Under It's working the men be-
came altogether too insoent. They did what
they pleased and nothing more. They would
work. perhaps four days out Of the week, and
then for full weeks wages We 90 not
reduce the wages In the least ne Hleh
who work by the day will be paid proportion
ately just the same if they We're working by
the week. We simply wish to get our moneys
worth out of them
about five hundred and fifty in the city. the
EMPLOYERS declared that they could stand
strike longer than the employees could
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.
The Executive Committee Of the Clothing Con
tractors Mutual Protective Association Issued
the following statement last night:
The present trouble in the trade is the result ss9f Of
leaders who have encouraged them TO usurp 10
themselves all the privileges due to thelr emP%oSeL. %
have only to provide the work ana pay FOR it, but
have right 10 discharge any neonpetent, woin NJ
whether the work was rightly done or hot, , III
nsopJe could not stand 1t any longer. Men who
demand mechanics wages have not seen NJ 10 per-
dismisSsi even ar the end Of the week have gone
on strike, and We were prevented rom tains nd ou5
other troubles have been OF almost daily occur
se result Tn5 Of nS %hPh as w preed
Many of the employees who are WING 10 worK s as
which are simply that we shall hereafter insist on
being the bosses of our shops ana carrying Oh oui
business as II SH0"iu B. b WiiTKoWsKI Secretary.
The contractors have insisted all along that
they are not seeking to drive the tailors back to
task-work system. They have denied that they
wished TO abolish the weekly wage system Mr..
! Camp a member Of the contractors Executive
Committee yesterday, however acknowledged
thar this was the true object Of the present lock-
out He said: We cannot get along without the
task-WOrk system The tailors VINO WORK lot US
must make a certain number or coats IN a uay'
There is unusual phase In the present
trouble between the contractors and their en-
ployes The bosses, not the men, are seeking 70
make the most of it. The mems leaders sad last
night that the men were locked out OF seventy
shoDs and that IL appeared as II the trouble
would soon be over and the men be back TO
work The bosses. on the other hand said there
were 200 shops closed and that there would PROB
ably be 400 closed to-day
CONTINUOUS MAss-MEET1NG HELD.
A continuous mass-meeting Of the tailors was
hold in Walhalla Hall yesterday. Harry White,
general organizer Of the United Garment Workers
of America with which the Brotherhood OF Tall
ors is affiliated. said: There are seventy shops
out The propretors of the other shops have re-
fused TO obey the orders Of the contractors asso-
ciation" In a speech made at the meeting MT
White hinted at a general strike coming when all
the tailors and garment workers would refuse to
work for any contractors. The manufacturers
who now employ the contractors, would nave 70
hire the people and provide good workshops. ne
said that If all the $50 contractors IN TINS CITY
closed their shops and broke their agreement
with the Brotherhood of Tailors. the Brother
hood would be S250GOO richer The contractors
would lose this amount by Iorteltlng the Dohds
"
Herman Robinson, secretary of the Brother
hood of Tailors said last night: Up 10 late
hour we find that the 10 kout has not extended
and we hardly think that it Will extend, because
tbere is no dissatisfaction in the ranks OF the
contractors We are making an Investigation
Our business agents have travelled through the
various districts where the shops are located
and failed to find in any Of the shops visited
euch notices posted up as those Issued by the
Contractors Association The owners Of the
ebons told them that they would not post up
eucb notices as they did not want their men to
| eton work We find the shops in the best OF
working order. Several of the seventy contrac-
tore who did close their shops row that they
were deceived by the lea 1ers Of the association
and they have already applied 70 us 10 send back
their men They appeared before the Brother
| hoods Executive Committee tonight We think
that the majority OF the men VIII IetuI" ~
work tomorrow.
sar,nle contract and bond OF those made with
| tho contractors He had several hundred OF
! those documents locked up In his safe The
! contract referred 70 one which the Brother
! hood Of Tailors has with r. Dreson. vce-pres-
| dent Of the Contractors Association. Mr.. Drle-
son employs about thirty tailOrs and is under
| S40O bonds TO keep his agreement with the
| brotherhood. BY the terms Of the agreement
! he is 10 employ only union tailors on the weekly
wage system. The Brotherhood holds the bonds
! OF over five hundred contractors.
The tailors will hold mass-meetDg In Cooper
| Union tomorrow night at which several or the
/ sbor leaders in attendance at the convention
! of the American Federation Of Labor nave
| promised TO make speeches.