The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-07-29
Was a Long Fought Struggle,
and while Teamsters Lost
They Succeeded in Maintain
ing Their, Organization
Old Men Will Be Taken
Back at Once.
Chicago Employers Associa-
tion Was Early to Butt Into
Strike for the Purpose Of
Destroying the Unions, But
It's Attempt Result in Fail
ure.

sympathetic strike to aid the Garment
Workers, it developed into a struggle
for the preservation Of the teamsters'
unions.
The attempt of the employers to dis
rupt the unions has ended in failure,
for the while the teamsters have called
off the strike, 1t is understood all the
union men will be reinstated.
While the teamsters have withdrawn
from the fight. the strike Of the Gar
ment Workers will continue until the
employers agree to abide by their con-
tracts.
The Garment Workers strike COM
menced Nov. Is, last, and was caused
by the National Wholesale Tailors' as
ISOLATION, abrogating its contract with
the unions, and declaring for the
open shop" Montgomery Ward &
Co., employing about 275 garment
workers. was a member Of this asso-
citation. The teamsters called strike
on this firm to aid the garment work.
ers.
The Chicago Employers association.
in trying to help Montgomery Ward
& CO. and the other clothing firms,
instituted sympathetic lockout,
which In a few days, involved about
$500 teamsters and practically the en-
tire wholesale trade of Chicago. This
sympathetic strike and lockout lasted
105 days and caused a loss to the
business interests of Chicago Of about
$s,oo0,ooo.
J., j.. Sonsteby, representing the
striking Garment Workers, who is at
present In Duluth, soliciting financial
help for the strikers, in an interview,
gave the following complete story of
the causes Of the struggle, for the
readers@of the Labor World:
The ending Of the Teamsters'
strike will have no effect on the" Gar
I.aezsk- poflsss I'M.
7StfdEvle against: sweat shops" and
child labor" e a
I'VE are only asking our employers
to live up to the contracts they signed
with us.
Origin Of the Strike in Chicago.
The special order clothing industry
Of Chicago is controlled by about fifty
firms, twenty-seven Of which are in
an association called the National
Wholesale Tailors' association. The
Garment Workers are organized into
thirteen local unions and these local
unions are organized into a District
Council.
In the spring Of 1903, the District
Council entered into a contract with
the National Wholesale Tailors' asso-
citation; the thirteen local unions also
entered into agreements with the same
association. The District Council con-
tract was a broad, general one, COW
ering the entire City of Chicago and
the local contractors covered the de-
tails Of the particular branches of the
industry,
One Of these contracts between the
Custom Cutters union and the. said
association was itself a result Of ar
bitration; being the award of a Board
of Arbitration, composed of Messrs,
Ed. v. Price and Attorney Peaks fol-
the Employers and ex-Judge William
Prentiss and T. A. Rickert, for the
Union, with ex-Judge Neely of Chi
cdgo, as arbiter and which said con-
tract. did not terminate until June l.
1906,
: Nearly all Of these contracts pro-
vlded for their own continuation
either by agreement or compulsory ar
bltration, and as result thereof
many of them have not expired at this
time and do not expire until March
1st, 1906. All of those contracts pro-
vided for arbitration of every posi-
BILE trouble that might arise.
|, During the summer and fall OF 1904
the National Wholesale Tailors' asso-
citation openly and secretly violated
these contracts by attempting to hire
no1.-union people, although the said
contracts provided for the exclusive
employment Of union men and women
The firms meanwhile continued to use
the union lab Ell.
October 10Th the association notified
by letter two Of the local unions, that
they would enter into no more con-
tracts with the said Unions. The let
ters were referred to the District
Council and a committee was appoint
ed to wait on the association and in
quire the reasons for the breaking OF
the contracts. A meeting was refused
but later OH. through the efforts OF
the president of the association, the
two committees met. At this meeting
the employers stated that they were
dissatisfied with the present condition.
with! their contracts and that the,
wanted them changed, in such a way
as to allow them to hire any one they
pleased and be allowed to raise and
lower. wages whenever in their opin.
ions the conditions demanded it.
The committee for the Garment
Workers said, If conditions were un.
satisfactory, the matter should be sub.
mitted to arbitration, according to thu
contracts and that they would considel
new :cgnracts, when the. old ones ex.
pired: The employers then replied
that unless, they could get the changes
desired, they considered the contract,