The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-29
WILL rRY To BREAK THE STRIKE.
Contractors 70 Open Their Shops and Employ
All Comers-strikers Say It Went work.

Coutractors 10 Open Their Shops and Employ
All Comers-strikers Say u Went work.
Tho Coat Contractors Association. In conso.
nance with their changed attitude toward the
striking coat ~tailors, will make an effort to
break up the strike next week by reopening all
their shops and offering employment 10 all
tailors who apply. on the piece-work system.
The announcement was made yesterday at the
headquarters Of the association, 112 Clinton
street. that the shops would be all thrown open
tomorrow or Monday; IL not tomorrow, Ger.
tainly on Monday.
B. Witkowski, Secretary of the association,
said yesterday that his Organization controlled
80 per cent. OF the trade. He declared his belief
that the tailors would begin to return to work
whom the shops opened and that many OF them
would DO glad Of an excuse to return.
Tho leaders OF the strike said yesterday that
this talk OF the contractors was only a blur, in
the hope of provoking q stampede of the
strikers. The mass meeting Of tho strikers
which wa. to take place on Monday, night, in
Cooper Union has been postponed until Tuesday
night by the leaders in order to keep the people
wei, in hand until Wednesday., On Wednesday
turning to work, as in case they wanted to re-
turn they would wait until the beginning Of the
More panufactprers arc signing an agree
% Srn With sith the X, p 11i9ar every ~ * ds s,t said t Mayer
IA ~ NNhSOae ~ va ~ eaSNfh
whether the backbone OF. the strike is broken or
not. II not, it will last for three or four weeks.
and notwithstanding all the contractors say the
strike is against the manufacturers, as the con-
tractors cannot keep any contract they may
make unless the manufacturers raise the prices
Schoenfeld said that all the manufacturers
who had signed the agreement and whose con.
tractors had made contracts with the union had
advanced the prices they were giving to the con-
tractors. A committee OF eight was appointed to
visit the shops Of contractors who settled with
the union. Some of the contractors do work for
more than one manufacturer, but no union man
Is to work In tho shop OF a contractor taking
work from a manufacturer who has not signed
an agreement with the union. II by Tuesday or
Wednesday it looks as If the strike would be a
long one. an appeal for aid from the various
unions will be Issued by Meyer Schoenfeld.
1t was reported at the headquarters OF the Set
Element Committee of the striking tailors yes
contractors had signed contracts. The tailors
employed by these contractors. numbering
1000, are now at work. A quantity OF bread
was sent by a baker to aid the strikers yester'
mittee ordered that il be sent back with thanks.
on the ground that the time had not arrived for
that kind Of charity. and the distribution of the
bread would create confusion.
The striking children's jacket makers reported
yesterday that twenty-five contractors had
yielded and 600 jacket makers out of 9, 500 on
strike would return to work to-day. The Exec
Makers Union sent an appeal yesterday after.
noon to the manufacturers in which they said
that the jacket makers had to strike to get living
wages.
The girl strikers have not yet been in evidence
at any Of the walhalla Hall meetings. They will
hold Q meeting, OF their own this afternoon at
1T East Broadway.
TIL coat contractors will hold a mass meeting
".~piece-work platform promulgated two or
three days ago will be presented for ratification.