The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-21
LONG AND BITTER.

That is the Lookout For the Pro-
posed TaiIOrs' Strike in New York
NEW YORK, FEB. 2O.-A local pa
per says: Another big lockout Of
taflors is threatened. Should it be
ordered, 1000 tailors will be thrown
out Of work The trouble is due to a
fight now waging between the general
executive board of the United Garment
Workers and the socialists. who have
gained control of the United Brother
hood of Tailors. The frst-named
organization is the central body of all
the tailors and garment workers
unions in the United States. and the
Brotherhood of Tailors is the chief
body of the local unions of tailors.
The trouble dates back to the first
of the present year. AT the annual
election of officers of the Brotherhood
of Taflors held early in January, the
socialistic element elected their candi-
dates and obtained control The men
who organized the Brotherhood and
who had conducted it successfully for
five years, Immediately resigned. They
were Meyer Schoenfeld, Herman
Robinson and Benjamin s. Witzer-
Schoenfe1d had been the acknowledged
leader of the tailors for years. He al
ways took charge of their strikes, and
had been successful in leading the
tailors to victory. After he had re-
signed
THE LAST GREAT FIGHT
against the contractors took place.
This was only a few weeks ago. The
contractors repudiated their agree
ment with the brotherhood and locked
out their men. The tailors then
begged Schoenfeld to take charge and
lead them in the fight and he finally
did so. The tailors won after a hard
fight of several weeks. The con-
tractors who are members of the
Clothing Contractors Mutual Protec-
tive association, signed a new agree
ment with the Brotherhood of Tailors,
restoring the old system of weekly
wages instead of the task or piece
work system. But now the contract
ors say the Brotherhood association
has not lived up to the new agree
ment. Yesterday the Brotherhood
ordered strikes in a number of shops.
The men in half of the shops refused
to go out. however, saying that they
had nothing to complain Of The Of
1cers of the Brotherhood then ap-
peaIed to the United Garment Work
ers with which organization the
Brotherhood is affiliated. The Of
ficers of the garment workers
REFUSED TO INTERFERE.
The contractors also appealed to the
general executive board of the United
Garment Workers and threatened to
order a general lockout unless the
strikes were stopped and the Brother
hood compelled to live up to its agree
ment Charles F. Reichers, president
of the board. advised them not to do so,
and said he would try to bring the
trouble to an end.
The general executive board OF the
United Garment Workers passed a
resolution to the effect that the social
istfc officers of the board were in the
wrong and that they were running the
order. They have permitted the
sweat shops to open up again, and are
forcing socialism on both the tailors
and the contractors. President Reich
ers said last night that he was not op-
posed to socialism, but that the United
Garment Workers did not want it
practicAd in the government of the
brotherhood of Tailors or in any other
of the unions affiliated with the central
body. The contractors are in an
angry frame of mind over the action
of the socialists and a general lockout
may be ordered at any time