The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-07-16
seventy-five Thousand Workers,
Goaded to Revolt by Unfair
Conditions, Are Idle at Busiest
Period of Garment Making
Season.
(Special to the Labor World

(Special to the Labor Worldly
NEW YORK. July 14.-Victory IS
in sight for the striking cloal<makers.
Over a hundred bosses have al
ready settled with the garment max
ers union and the headquarters of
the strikers are now crowded with
employers asking for terms of settle
ment.
The strike has spread far beyond
the expectations of the employers
association and now that victory Is
ficials are coming to the aid of the
employers with offers of arbitration.
The latest development of the strike
is the report that ten thousand mem-
bers of the International Ladies': Gar
ment Workers union is seriously con-
sidering calling out it's, members en-
ployed in the large department stores
II this is done paralysis of the cloth
ing trade will follow.
NEW YORK, July 15.-Seventy
five thousand cloak makers, one
third of whom are women, are out
on strike in Greater New York and
vicinity.
The strikers demand an eight hour
day, an increase in wages, and guar
antee that the employers shall be re-
sponsibIe for the wages of the men
hired by outside contractors. Aboli-
tion of sub-contracting within factor
les, is also demanded.
The strike is the largest in the his
tory of the clothing industry, If not
the largest in a single trade that the
metropolis has ever seen. Over 1000
shops are involved, and 1875 halls are
required to hold strike meetings.
The strike order was followed out
to the letter. The workers had gone
was going to happen. They had been
previously served with an order print
ed in Yiddish, Italian and English,
which read:
"You are requested to leave your
employment at p. m, as orderly as
possible. Pick no arguments and en-
ter into no discussion either with
your employers or other employees.
Take with you all your personal prop
erty you may have with you in the
shop and go direct to your headquar-
ters.
Ne. rely upon the loyaltX. of the
operatives In our trade~to cheerfully
abide by the decision of their organi-
zation and stay out from employment
until ordered to. go back to work.
Above all give no opportunity to your
employers to make disturbances which
may lead to arrests. Show the world
that you are an organized, disciplined
well-behaved body, who know your
duties and rights, and who are law
abiding citizens. Remember, great
deal of the success of your present
struggle depends upon your orderly
conduct"
Obeying the strike order, the work,
ers peacefully left their places o1
employment, singing and laughing
and proceeded to the various strike
headquarters. The tie-up was com
plete and struck the cloak making
trade at the busiest time of the year
The employers were taken by surprise
as they did not believe the strike
would be general.
ey The call for a general strike hat
been decided at a monster mass meet
ing at Madison Square Garden, which
was addressed by President Samue
Gompers and Secretary Morrison O.
the American Federation of Labor
and number of local union officials
International President Rosenberg
who is leading the big strike, de-
clares that intolerable conditions ex
list In the cloak making trade. HI
said:
THE c]oak-making trade today is {
highly-skilled trade. Twenty-Five
years ago, when I came to this coun
try, only cheap garments were manu-
factured. During that time the trad,
has been revolutionized. Nearly ev
erybordy nowadays wears readymadt
garments. high-class work therefore
ds in demand. Yet the pay for thi.
work is not nearly what it used to be
that is, proportionally.
THE manufacturers are splitting
up a garment between fifteen o
twenty men. And it is this metho'
of making garments sectionally tina
is the bane of the skilled worker. H
is put on the level with the maj
picked up around the corner, who
glad to work for any price. Thi
contract and sub-contract system a
we'll as the supervision. of work mus
stop if the skilled men in the trad
are to be able to make a living.
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