The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-08-20
From Page One. }

CONTINUED From Page One.
FIND ONE WHO is SORRY HE
STRUCK OR WANTS TO GO
BACK - EXCEPT ON THE
TERMS DEMANDED-THAT IS
A LIVING WAGE.
6ecy. j. l.. Zimmerman, the ex-
ecutive of the strike committee,
tried to tell about the strike amid
that talking, jabbering, gesticulat-
Ing mass of humanity in Beetho-
ven hall. Every half minute some
one pushed his way through the
crowd, past the sentinels at the
end of the tables and into the
space where clerks and volunteer
workers were solving the problems
Of the strikers. A few words to
this man sent him away happy,
with the news that his shop had
settled. A short, crisp mo" to
this delegation answered their ex-
cited plea to strike again, over
some trivial trouble in some shop
already settled.
"They don't know; they don't
understand" he almost shouted
above the din. "They want to quit
again because of discrimination
against one man-something we
can iron out with the employer in
fve minutes. We've got to hold
them down, to prove to the en-
ployer that we mean to be fair. >
Then more Interruptions, until
finally this quick, decisive mar
waved back the scores still un
answered, grabbed his hat and
made for the door-to gobble {
little lunch at $3.50 p. m, the frs
food since breakfast. Over tn,
sandwiches and coffee he outlined
the strike.
six months ago we didn't hav'
5000 members in the unions nov
on strike" he said. when tn,
strike was called July z, W,
didn't have $4,000, but the da.
after we had practically ever!
man and woman working in tn,
industry-75, 900 of them. They
stuck because they had to, OIL
) starve. They were just a mass o
,unorganized workers, most o
them Jews, thousands not ever
speaking English.
First we called big mas
meeting in Madison Square gao
den. 1t was damned, and tn,
streets packed with people out
side. The papers said $4,000 OF
$4,000 were there. Did they wan
to strike? They were eager, ex
cited, demanded it. Then it was
announced that red CALL issued
at noon, would tell the hour of the
strike. They waited for it impa.
tiently. Then on July 7, the red
cali was issued. At 2 o'clock that
afternoon every worker in the in.
dustry walked out.
What do we want? just
enough to live on, ~ months in
the year. There are two short
seasons in the women's garment
industry. We work for three
months, then there isn't much tt
do for three months. Then come.
the rush season again. When the
rush is on, our people work night
and day. They go to the shoI
early, sometimes at o'clock. The,
work till seven or eight, and Their
take home more goods to work or
till midnight or later, with all the
family helping. They strain every
nerve to make all they can in the
rush season, to tide them over
when work is slack. Work AT
something else? They don't know
any other trade, and there isn't
any other work for them to do.
Look at them, hundreds OF
them. Do you see any red cheeks
any signs OF red blood like you
Americans have? They're enact
ated, woodworking day ant
night when there's work, worry
ing and trying to get it wher
there Isn't any,"
I'VE haven't had any riots, OF
caused bit of trouble. We have
picketed the shops-that's all-to
keep new workers from taking our
places. Sometimes there's trou-
Bile, but it's caused by the private
detectives, the men hired to make
trouble II possible.
We're winning-we're bound
to win. Forty, fifty, sixty firms
are signing every day. The small
er ones? Yes, but some of the big
ones, too. Mostly those that make
the highest grades are standine
out. They belong to the Employ
ers' association"