The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-22
CHINESE LABOR UNIONS.
HOST CHINAMEN HERE MEMBERS
or SOME or THEN.

WOyT AlNhMEN mona
or SOM6 or THEN.
ops>ntsadpus with q semi Political Charac-
Ssr and q Connection with China Terri
tori Apportioned By the Laundry Unions
Probably every Chinaman in the United
49, belongs 10 SONS organization composed
entarsly Of ren OF his own race. There are
1abor unionA insurance societies. secret po-
lftdoal bodies and the pohoe OF San Fran
cisoo haVe found societies for putting out OF
~ way Cinnamon against whom some OF tho
nsmber have q grudge.
TIA Chinese labor unions are the most nu-
usroun. They exist not ONLY IN New YORK.
Chicago and other largo cities, but also through
cut the Pacific Stntes and are especially strong
n California. The unions are composed OF
ssarmakers. shoe manufacturer, clothing
makers and laundrynen. Most OF the Jean
ooats and trousers worn west OF the ROCKIES
ars made by Chinese. The unions include the
neat majority who follow these occupauohs'
o. every effort is made TO drive the noh-umion
Chinaman out Of business. lie is considered
An m,tcnst by his countr, men. Is boyootted
and blacklisted and sometimes murdered II
che organizations think it best TO get rid OF
him IN thnt way.
Tho labor unions nre modelled somewhat
OIL lIt " w - WV 49, $500
Their meetings are secret. The members are
faxed quite heavily in case Of sickness or death.
Benents are paid on the plan followed by the
American %Traternal bodies. II costs s. to JOIN
n Chinese cigarmahrr~' union. \ few wears
ago il coet $50 Initiation fee 70 enter IN" laun-
dr. mems s~oole,icS. but two years ago TINS
wac reduced TO SO. The Initiation foe OF the
~elct,lng makers is SIS. During the year the
expense of each member will range from %
u SIS, but it is usually paid without protest
a. the organizations are considered r great
beneht.
Tho principal objects Of the various unions
.re 10 rrotcct members against their non
union country men in the various lines OF work.
and also against the oppression and ih)ueuce
of Americans" This Is the way one OF the
constitutions reads. II is a well-known ract
shat in San Francisco and other Pacific Coast
cities many Of the labor unions are OF aseml-
political character and that large sums OF
money annually are paid by them 70 organ
Lations In China, The police along tho Fadno
Coast believe that much OF this money goes
tnto the treasury OF revolutionary socioues
such us the Boxers. .-
The labor unions also do quite an extensive
banking business tor MENTORS A,shoefDaker.
Tor instance, can deposit his surplus earnings
IN the treasury OF a union until he accnmuiates
enough 70 nuke him comfortable for the rest
Of his life IN China, when he may draw II put
and take 1t bIx With him, or possibly engage
In the mercantile business and eventually 6s-
rome on, of the rich mcrchants OF the Pacflc
slope. The amount, paid during illness are
enough 10 keen the sick member oomiortaDle.
while Il he dies a fund iS approprlated 70 oury
tend a Chinese funeral A large amount
81 the money contributed by members of the
unions goes for counsel fees Each union m
conduct suits which may he broight against
is metnber' or in which thy may 90 pia,nuhs,
Whioh the Chimes get int, not only with their
American neishhor', put also among them
eelves, The court n IN San s spms of which
Involve from $1,000 to $1,000 In damages,
Most Of the unions mHnt weekly or monthly,
sion an officer who ia especially elected for
this purpose goes = each member and leaves
with him a wooden Stat about eight inches long
name of the society in Chinese and also tho
mark for 81. Each member has a plumber
business done az the session is to collect these
slats. In this way ths members present are
checked oil The number o. Stats missing
sent and the latter arc lined 81 a piece. The
dollar mark on the ,lat i, intended TO be a gentle
reminder Of What i In store Tor them II they
declare a strike or boycott. Several factories
Ia San Francisco hnye employed from time to
fIms from so to ~, Chinese shoemakers, az
they are considered good workmen. on
several occasions strikes have occurred which
have shut M these plants Tor three or Tour
months AT a time. For this reason tho factory
owners have gradually substituted white labor
end most OF the Chlnatlep at present nave
little repair shops or are doing job work for
their own country men.
Until the improvements made by the use
of steam in laundry work a few years ago the
Chinese for "A period of years had practically
a monopoly of the washing business on the
Pacific Coast. II n customer Cud not IKE their
way Of DOING he was boycotted oy the laundry
mems union, with the, result mat he had to
hire some outsider TO do the washing ut more
expense and with great difficulty. as wash
women were few and far between. These
were the days When the unions demanded the
go initiation fee, and their Teasuri les were
filled to overlooking, The large cities were
mapped out into regular districts and each
laundryman had a certain territory, One OF
the rules was that no member OF the union
could open a laundry within ten aTwinsins
meant for main doors. In other words. the
wash places were required to be at least ten
houses or stores apart. II a member violated
this rule he was liable to a fine Of from s25 to
go, and If he persisted in his violation he was
expelled from the union and boyc3tted An
would be allowed IN a union, Laundry except
from the wives or members Of the union. No
Department under heavy penalty. The intro,
durtion of the steam laundTies broke up the
monopoly to a certain extent and weakened
tho power Of the unions 30 that quite a number
OF members have des"rted. some of the more
Progressive Chinese bought washing and IRON
y apparatu, and are now ownrrs Of several
~ NIf ll' h'N' i"'ihi ~ ~ "A'f ''' e' W
o Color ado.
The cloIhing makers work in what would
be called in the East sweatsnopS, They obtain
the cloth for the jeans from contractors, with
WHOM they agree to make a garment for so
much. Tie agreement requires that so many
must be finished in a certain length of time
or the money Is forfeited. The makers carry
the finished work to the contractors weekly.
The garments are carefully examined and
then paid for. Tho contractors send the goods
10 a number of Chinese merchants who make
a specially of the jobbing trade. Thus they
ore distr ibuted. II IL an actual fact that prices
paid In these swcatshops are as low as five
and six cents for making a single coat and
ten cents for making a pair Of trousers, The
contractor turns them over TO the merchants
at a p~roft.of four or five times the cost on each
garment. The rates paid garment makers in
New York and other Eastern cities who work
IN tenemerts are rrincely compared with the
Even these figures would DO lowered were It
not for the inf of unions. but II costs
the aver age Chlnaman such a small sum TO
live that he Is able TO save quite a little even
out Of this pittance.
A. already stated. there is a connection be-
tween the Chinese labor unions In this country
and the Empire itself. A member in good
etanding in China who comes to this country
u provided with q card which gives him an
entrance into one OF the American unions with
out paying any fee. There Is n constant cor
YespondenCe between tho organizations on
the other side and this side Of the Pacific, and
they have a banking system by which any
member who has made enough money to re-
turn 10 spend the rest Of his days in China can
draw on the unions and go to the mother country