The weekly examiner., 1901-05-25
WOMEN UNIONISTS.
IN MANCHESTER THEY HAVE WELL
 MANAGED ORGANIZATIONS.

] MANAGED ORGANIZATIONS.
 There Are Trade Unions Composed
 of Women Exclusively, and There 1 Is a Federation of Women Workers
 Which Does Organizing Work.
 We are apt to think of Manchester
 as the headquarters of the cotton man. ufacture, its workingmen and women organized by means of the big trades unions which have made Lancashire pre-eminent as center of combina- tion. AS a matter of fact there are very few cotton mills in Manchester itself, and the bulk of the women are employed in minor trades, such as shirtmaking, blouse, underlinen, cap,
 apron. mantle and waterproof making,
 cigar making, book folding, the fancy box, umbrella and certain branches of
 the machine making industries.
 The work, as a rule, is not highly skilled. It is poorly paid, and with the I less scrupulous employers wages are apt 10 be cut and pared in a manner
 which makes redress difficult. Speak ing generally, 10 shillings may be talk en to represent the average weekly 1 wage, 15 to IS shillings are good wages, seldom earned all the year round, while many women and girls toll for sums which do not average more than or 8 shillings. In some trades, such as shirt. blouse and underclothes making, much of the work is given out to be done in the workers homes. Here we meet l with the two great divisions which 1 have given rise to so much controversy among those interested in women's in- dustrial questions. A small proportion of the best work is given to married
 women who have earned a good name for skill while in the factory and is highly paid. The great majority is rough, unskilled work and is of course
 poorly paid. As the worker provides
 room, light and frequently such items as needles and cotton there is small 1 margin for gain, and for the least de- feet the garment is returned on her
 hands.
 I In the factory similar mischance is met by simple system of mutual aid. The girls dispose of the damaged arti- cle by railing for 1t among themselves. l Women's work in this district is paid
 by the piece, and in most trades wages
 are rendered still more irregular by 1 SoVOTd1 W0OhS O1 SldCk Ilu0. It H1dy
 seem a hopeless task to organize a
 class of labor so disadvantageously sit
 uated Nevertheless the Manchester,
 Stafford and district women's trades
 union council, which has now been at
 work for six years, is not unhopeful of
 success. The council consists of men l and women of all ranks and parties | who are interested in labor questions and includes members of the local trades council. The work is carried on l by two women organizing secretaries, one of whom has practical acquaint- | ance with the details of women's fn- 4 dts dts EnioRs hare 1 been formed among the book folders, l shirt, fancy box, cigar and cap makers. l tailoresses, upholstresses and clay pipe l finishers.
 1 Besides these trade societies there is ] general body, the Federation of Wo-
 men Workers separately founded, l which receives members from trades 1 not yet able to form their own unions. 1 These are drafted off into separate l unions as soon as the numbers are suf l ficient. The total number of women ] in union is not far short of 1000. It 1 will be perceived that the individual
 unions are small but all are solvent, 1 and some have already paid out con- l siderable sums in sick and out of work 1 benefits. Every union elects it's own | officers and manages it's own affairs, l though for the first few months help
 is often given either by member of
 the mems branch, if there be one, or
 by one of the organizing secretaries.
 The women show considerable busi-
 ness ability, and for the most part
 they stand firmly by their unions, often
 in face of great opposition. The union | committee meetings at the councils
 office in Albert square give opportunity for the quiet discussion of trade ques- tions, and any difficulties that crop up
 are laid before the organizing sccreta- l ries. If on examination the girls ap-
 pear to have real grievance, the sec
 retaries ask for an interview with the employer. As a rule the request is l courteously met, and as the secreta-
 ries, with their wider knowledge, are able to state the case clearly and dis ! passionately it is seldom that they do | not succeed in obtaining some conces- | sion for the workers perhaps a rise l Of shilling week, better arrange | menus TOT overtime or a more eQu1ta-
 table readjustment of tasks. And to
 those whose work is hard and whose
 earnings are meager very small ad- vantage is worth a great deal.
 1t is here that the existence of a | permanent council tells. Matters too ! trivial to call for intervention from some central organization at dis
 tance are settled promptly on the spot.
 The complaints of the workers are
 sifted and if not we'll founded are dis couraged. In any case the councils
 function is that of peacemaker, for it's l intervention usually results in an ami l cable settlement. In proof of this it