The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-12-24
NOT A STRIKE IAN UPRISING
Enthusiastic Revolt Of Young
Workers Driven TO- Despera-
ton By 1ntolerable Conditions
in Chicago Workshops Is Des-
cribed BY Woman Writer.

cribed BY Woman Writer.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, Dec. 23.-1t is not
a strike that has practically paralyzed
the garment-making Industry of Chi
cago. 1t is an uprising. full Of grim
enthusiasm. Before had been with
these people an hour they had trans
! fused me with that same enthusiasm,
says a; woman writer. sent to the
scene by the Superior Telegram. s.
Back of a strike there is organiza-
ton, a vote: action, under: direction,
orders to be .obeyed, almost always
differences Of: opinion. discussion,
often dissatisfaction with the move.
| Back of an uprising there. Is, no
Organization, no vote, no orders.
Grievances are. borne for a long
time. Then suddenly some one revolts
1t is psychological movement, and
the same spirit flames up in all parts
of city or country, or an indus
try. The common cause is carried
through to the end with an enthu-
siasm which does not waver. There
is no change of sentiment until the
conditions which compelled that re-
volt are overcome.
That is what has taken place in
Chicago. That is why the enthusiasm
of these $4,000 revolters has not:
dampened in the long. cruelty bitter
weeks they have struggled against
conditions they declare intolerable,
I'm not going to work here any
more said Marie Shapiro last Sep
tember, to a foreman in one of the
Hart Schaffner & Marx plants.
That's how it began-no organiza-
ton, no concerted plan. Just a young.
woman driven to the desperate steps
of throwing away her chance at liveli-
hood. Now there is organization of
a makeshift sort. with temporary
union cards for the "strikers' But
they are still essentially revolution
lists in spirit.
! 1t was this enthusiasm kindled by
causes Of long duration that most i'm
pressed me when I came to Chicago
to find out just what this uprising,
Of $4,000 people, of all ages, really
meant,
I went to big rally meeting in
P11sen hall, one of the sort held al
most daily. Translations of r5 the,
peace. offering: of the sbiggest firm
involved, Hart c.Schaffner g;&;, Marx,
were. being distributed. by Agnes Mes
tor and Emmet Flood, a national or,
/ ganizer. I talked to all sorts Of people
there, Mrs: Raymond Robbins, men,
7 bers Of the Women 8 i. trade union
1 league. and the striking girls -.,!TneS,
same. spirit dominated ALL :: It is not
su1lenness at i'll 'treaerQent,: 1t lis not
class bitterness It is enthusiasm for
a movement that they believe means,
something better for the future of
the strikers and their people,
When Mrs. Laura Pelham finished
talking, young Italian girl rushed
from her place, threw her arms
around the woman's neck and kissed
her.
When Agnes Nestor took her place
on the platform, applause delayed the
meeting for two good minutes.
1t is costing $4,000 day to feed
these people who have no work. But
there is no complaint from the unions
that are assessed to meet this.
Don't any of you get discouraged ?"
asked John Fitzpatrick, president
of the Chicago federation of labor
Don't the strikers, or you who are
supporting them, any of you feel
downhearted at the. length of time
they have been out Of work?'
| I'VE can't get discouraged. And
we're not he said. I'VE don't want
those people to go to work until they
know they are going to get fair treat
ment.
"There IS no way the manufacturers
can get them back except by Offering
them decent conditions or by starving
them.
And we can make it long time
before they starve them. don't know
how long; I can't tell how long we'll
have money to buy food, but we can
last for quite while yet"
The central office of the revolt is
in the Open Board building. Union
and labor offices use the entire build
ing, the "open board," a miniature
of the big board of trade across the
4 street.
While Fitzpatrick was talking about
starving out the workers heard COM
Ing up through the open court the
frantic, maddened bids Of the wheat
gamblers in the room below.
Because the real nature of this up
rising is misunderstood by many peo-
pie, the workers have been accused of
"sympathetic strikes" There are none
In this big revolt. Hart Schaffner
& Marx have Al plants. The foremen
were courts of last appeal for the
workers because they were not al
lowed to carry grievances to head
quarters They. had, suffered under
conditions that were hard rather than
stop work. Finally because. they be-
lieved they could never have better !.
conditions until their employers would
grant them the, right. of collective
bargaining, they rebelled. " =.
| And it's a rebellion not unlike that
which followed the Boston tea party
in 1875. - .: = -" (
ENGLISH LOCKOUT OVER. .4
! London. Dec 23.-The lockout of
boiler makers in the northern ship