El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-09-09
THE CAUSE OF THE STRIKE.
The Striking Tailors Present Their
Side For Publication.

Side For Publication.
Editor HERALD:-Dear Sir-Being
frequently asked by the citizens of Ell
Paso to present to the public the
causes which developed the present diff
ficulty between the Tailors union and
John Brurner, we feel called upon to
make the following statements which
we contend cannot be truthfully con-
tradicted:
During the year 1890 we discovered
that one OF the tailOrs working for MIR.
Drummer was making clothes at prices
much lower than the union scale called
for. After we had satisfied ourselves
that this tailor was guilty of this I'M
principled trick we went to Mr.. Brun-
ner and requested him to dispense with
his services. On one condition only
would Mr.. Drummer comply with our
request, and those conditions were that
we accept reduction of 20 cents on
every suit of clothes made in his tailor
shop. In order to avoid any unpleasant
mplications with Mr.. Drummer we
accepted the reduction and continue d
working.
I'm 1893 we were notified OF a ter per
cent reduction by Mr.. Drummer and af-
ter considerable discussion among our
selves, we accepted this reduction, al
though it was much greater than that
of 1890. In compliance with this or
der we were compelled to give up ten
cents on every dollar we earned, but
we accepted it for the same reason we
did the first reducttOn-merely to
avoid trouble.
mot being satisfied with the condi-
tions which then existed Mr.. Drummer,
in 1896, started what is known as q
''sweat" shop on the Mexican side of
the river. where be could employ Mex
lean labor almost at his own prices,
and from the time that sweat" shop
was established until the present day
we have not averaged Sl2 per week for
our labor.
"FOllowing this action Mr.. Drummer
approached us with a proposition that
we make the uniforms for the city fire
department at a figure suggested by
him. We talked the matter over and
concluded that we could do nothing
else than to accept his unreasonable
proposition or strike, SO we accepted
b is proposition. This was about two
years ago.
Following. this came the demand that
we make uniforms for the conductors
of the Mexican Central road at the
figure made by him. and this imposi-
tion we accepted with very little
grumbling.
Last spring, which the readers of Ell
Paso will remember, the police force of
FL Paso were ordered uniformed. Mr..
Drummer got the contract and sent
some of the suits to his Mexican tsilOrs
across the river to be made. He was
detected in this attempt to defraud the
government by the customs officials at
this point and was told to rip the suits
up and bring them back to this side.
Seeing himself In close quarters he
consented to do this, and the suits were
ripped up and brought back and some
of them made by his union tailors and
some made in a "swest" shop which he
b ad established on San A ntouio street.
About two months ago Mr.. Drummer
presented us with new reduced scale
OF prices which we were given until
August Ist to accept. We i'm
mediately notified our national union
and asked them to investigate. They
did Investigate and ordered a strike,
saying that they could not allow such a
sweeping reduction to be made on US.
and we walked out, feeling that we
could no longer stand such treatment.
"A letter which we received from our
general secretary says: 1t has been
over year since we have had any
such demand made in the United
States. The reductions made in the
years 1894 and 1895 have all been re-
there been a reduction made in the
last year. The prospects for trade the
coming fall, it seems to me, are favor
able, and under such circumstances |
am sur prised that your employer should
have demanded any reduction
We have received the best encour-
agement from the trades unions of Ell
Paso and propose to fight it to the Bit
ter end. Should we have accepted
this reduction another would soon fol-
low and that by another until event
ually we would be working for nothing.
Mr.. Brunner is advertising in Los An
geles for tailors to come to Ell Paso,
and so far one has answered The call.
His railroad fare was paid here by
cloth house OF Los Angeles, but on ar
irving here and learning the conditions
he'refused to'work for Mr.. Bruno er. and
Is now employed in a union tailor
shop.
I'VE make this statement merely to
place the facts before the people of Ell
Psso and to show how we have been
treated for years past, and particularly
to make plain the distressing causes
which have forced us into the present
strike.
Ell PASO TAILOR'S UNION"