Denver labor bulletin., 1915-03-13
LENNON OPPOSES
SCHEME OF BRAIS
Warns Tailors Of Union's Dis
ruption Unless Halt Called
Man Who Built Up Journeymen Tailors
Union Charges Sharp Practices Of
Those in Charge Of 0rfanization

John B. Lennon, for many years Sec
retary treasurer of the Journeymen Tai
lors Union of America, under whose guild
ance the organization grew to be of
great benefit to the workers of that
branch of the clothing industry, is
strongly opposed to the amalgamation
project recently evolved by the present
secretary treasurer, Z. j. Brais. In the
last issue of The Tailor, there appears
letter in which he forcefully expresses
his views, as follows:
Editor, The Tailor,
NV dear sir:-In recent issues of The
Tailor. editorially as well as in commun-
ications, there have been published by
innuendo rather than directly, certain
intimations regarding myself and my at
titude and action regarding the so-called
amalgamation between the seeding fac
tion Of the United Garment Workers and
the Journeymen Tailors Union of Amer
lea. In this controversy, there is no
necessity for any one to refer to me by
indirection. | am positively and un,
qualifiedly against the action that has
been taken. l maintain that it has
been accomplished through lack of in
formation, mis-information on the part
of our general membership, and by sharp
practice on the part of those who have
charge of the organization.
1t is true that l am not working at
the trade, but there is no tailor on this
continent who has a right greater than
mine to express his views upon the
methods and policy of an organization
of journeymen tailors. My life has been
spent in the movement. Whether my
service has been of any value or not, is
for the tailors to say, not me. l say
that the amalgamation cannot succeed;
that the portion of it composed of the
seeding garment workers viii return TO
the regular organization of the United
Garment Workers; that if the present
policy is pursued, large number of To-
cal unions of journeymen tailors will be
disrupted, and at the end OF two or
three years, perhaps much less time, the
dream of amalgamation will be found to
be only a dream, and there will be
but little left of the journeymen tailors
Union OF America
Considerable has appeared in the col
umns of the Journal regarding the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, and its inef-
ficieEcy to either help or injure the un-
ions of journeymen tailors. Whoever
wrote these articles was simply talking
through his hat. The factory legisla-
tlOn tndI has Deen secureu III tuI8 coun-
try, both that which is national and that
! which is state in its character, has been
secured by the general labor movement
and the general labor movement has
been and is The American Federation of
Labor. If the old records of our organi-
zation as they pertain to local unions
and their birth and growth could be ex-
amined carefully, the tailors would find
that it has been in scores of cases
through the influence and the direct as
sistance of The American Federation of
Labor that their life and progress has
been made possible. I believe in my
union, but believe that it should be a
part of the general labor movement,
abiding by the decisions and policy of
the general movement, until by reason
and argument they can bring about
change.
No amount of alleged argument will
obliterate the unquestioned fact that the
amalgamation which has been consum.
mated is between seceders and bona
fide union. Such partnership cannot
last, and it cannot be denied that it has
been brought about in violation Of the
express decision of the organized labor
movement as represented in the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor.
/ ask every member of the J. r. OF
A. to take up this matter for consid-
Grafton and to take such action they
believe will protect their interests.
Yours very truly,
JOHN b. LENNON.