The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-30
GARMENT WORKERS
GOING ON STRIKE
ESTIMATED THAT $4,000 WILL
WALK OUT FROM SHOPS
THIS. MORNING.
FIRST OF ITS KIND
OTHER STRIKES AGAINST CON-
TRACTORS, THIS AGAINST MAN
IFACTuRERs WITH OUTPUT
OF saso,ooe.ooe.

NEW YORK Dec. 2s.-The
threatened strike Of cutters, machine
operators, presers and taiiors EN-
ployed in thu manufacture OF mems
and boys clothing in factories in
New York and vicinity, including
Jersey City and Newark, will begin
tomorrow. Officials of the United
Garment Workers OF America esti-
mate that upward of 10000 work
ers In this Industry will I'LL the ranks
Of the strikers. They include about
$4,000 men and about 10000 women.
This Is the first strike against the
clothing manufacturers the one
three years ago having been waged
against the contractors. The ssti-
mated output Of the manufacturers
who Will be affected is $3.50. 1000. 000
annually
The strike was ordered by the
members Of the thirty-four locals of
the Garment Workers union having
headquarters in New York, Jersey
City anG Newark, by IA formal bal
lot Forty. thousand members voted
In favor of striking and only three
thousand against the proposition
Objects of Strike.
The principal objects of the
strike" said one Of the organizers
today. are to end the unsanitsry con-
dttions under which. In many in
stances, clothing is now being manu-
featured in this city and vicinity. to
secure from fifteen to twenty per
cent increase In wages and have the
men paid on a weekly basis to re-
duce the working hours TO eight
hours day and 10 abolish the sys-
TEN OF tenement house work and in
cidentai child labor
THE records show that the Iarg~
est number Of recruits to sanitsriums
and hospitals for tuberculosis In this
city come from the ranks OF the gar
ment workers. and this dread disease
is contracted because OF the long
hours and conditions under which
they are forced to labor.
Earnings Are Small.
THE members of our organization
are made up of Italians, Jews. Poles
and Lithuanians. They are employ
ed as cutters, machine operators,
tailors who work with the needle,
and pressers. The six branches OF
the business In which they are en-.
gagged are coatmakers, pantsmakers,
vestmakers. children's jacketmakers,
sailor suitrnakers. and knee pants
makers.
THE average weekly earnings In
none of those branches liz more thar
$40 dollars week. There La not a
tailor getting more than SIS or SIC
a week, the best of them, and the
! majority make seven dollars weekly
a'nd less. Some Of the cutters get s2s
a week, the most expert Of them. hut
| the average Is kept down by those
who get w. IS and 50 week.
! Must Change System.
! our demand ~ first of all that tht
: men and women be placed ON - week
iy wage basis Instead OF having, al
/ they de now. some men GU week.,
! basis and some DOING piece work Ii
A4he same shop. The employers work
them against each other They ar
: grinding each other, like two mill
stones grinding ont provrs for In
manufacturers, ana not like human
beings,
''We are asking for s25 "a week 70
the best cutters and SIT to SIS fo
the others In the other lines Their
are different grades Of the sslary
sch @dule. the general increase beinl
from I5 10 90 per cent over wha
the workers are now getting,
| For fifteen years ths- manufactur
ers have been gradually reducing tn
earnings OF the workers, while tn
number OF the latter has doubled Il
| that time"
Although the union officers are Arm
In stating their demands, the employ
,ars are declining to recognize tn
union.
Eugene BENJAMIN. one of the larges
clothing manufacturers in the city
stated tonight that the Clothing Trad
association. the employers organiza.
ton, had taken no action in anticipa
ton of a strike for the reason tina
they did not believe their men woui
quit work.