United labor bulletin., 1914-11-07
Golden Jubilee Year Cigarmakers'
International Union of America
Organized 1864 Dih FeW Struggling Members Has GToon
to One of the Leading Militant Labor Organizations
of the United States; Splendid Record rs

ly rebelled against the use of molds. In
some instances employers offered a dol
lar more a thousand for molds and they
were refused. This condition led to
many a disastrous strike. The newly
arrived immigrants were pressed into
service quickly and used the molds.
This, together with the fact that We
had no funds, brought about disaster.
The first formidable attempt at or
ganization followed the great tenement
house strike in 1877. In that strike l2,
900 people We're involved and it became
universally talked of strike. Thou
sands of people were evicted from their
homes. Want, privation and condition
bordering on starvation were every
where present, and while one of the
most spirited and persistent fights that
had ever been made in any organization
or any industry up to that time, the
strikers, many OF whom were morgan
lied, because of lack of financial sup
port. We're through starvation finally
forced back to work. This fight, how
ever, which was discussed in the daily
press all over the country, aroused the
| interest and attention of cgarmakerss
everywhere, and a systematic attempt
was made to reOrganize the defunct
unions and establish new ones.
This work progressed slowly until the
convention of 1879, when reorganization, j,
high dues and a chain of benefits We're
established. Since that time organiza-
tion has gone forward slowly but stead
ily, through good and bad times, and
never receded.
Successfully Met Every Obstacle.
So far the International Union has
successfully met and overcome every OBJ
stacle in its pathway, and we venture
the prediction without mental reserva-
tion of any kind that it will continue
to do so. We believe that in the near
future means viii be found whereby
we can more rapidly organize the un-
organized who are working long hours
for extremely low wages. An effort in
that direction was started at the Balti-
more convention. and we venture the
prediction that the plan there proposed
or one better will be adopted, and when
it is the enrolment of those now in the
cheap districts Will become aceentuated
and the international Union on its way
toward carrying forward the fulfillment
of its declared intention and determine
tion to organize every man and woman
employed in our industry. This can be
done, it should be done and it will be
done, not in a minute or a day. but
finally surely it must, and it will not
take 90 years more to do IT. With the
lessons and experience of the past now
behind us, and with the increased
knowledge horn OF this experience, and
the assurance of success grounded upon
past achievements, the movement will
go forward and without serious inter.
ruption.
Circumstances over which We have no
control have brought about changes in
the industry. 1t may and does require
time to overcome deeply rooted preju-
dices, but the necessity of organization
and the absolute necessity of making
changes to meet changed conditions will
come as surely as day follows night.
Had the International Union not ex-
listed We would now all be working for
the same low wages, and long hours of
labor, that the non-unionists are work
ing for in the cheap, unorganized dis
tricts.
Good lpck to the International Unionl