The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-07-23
CLOAKMAKERS'
union FESTIVE
Prepared to Defend Rights
Against Manufacturers.
WON'T SUBMIT To INJUSTICE

Abrogation of Protocol by the Bosses
Welcomed by Workers-Strike May
Come if Attempt Is Made to curtaI
Concessions Won In Recent Years.
Long Term Contracts Opposed.
Benjamin Schlesinger, general presi-
dent of the International Ladies' Gar
ment Workers, announces that never
again will the union sign a protocol or
peace contract except on terms of q
time limit for perhaps two years or so.
He sizes up the situation as follows:
What we shall do depends very much
on what the manufacturers do in the
next two or three weeks If they want
trouble they will get it-that's all. If
the manufacturers should happen to
want to take away any rights we have
gained in the last five years the union
would not stand for it. We are no
towards. If we had been towards we
would have submitted tamely to in
justices, and the manufacturers would
not have abrogated the protocol.
This word protocol is used here rath-
er Interestingly, | think. 1t referred
originally to treaties or agreements
made between different countries. Not
until we adopted it five years ago was
1t used IN the labor world If you re-
member, just five years ago there was
a general strike of cloak and suit and
skirt makers. which lasted nine weeks
and In which some 10000 persons were
involved
The protocol provided for adjustment
in case Of disputes by board of arbi-
tration composed of Louis d. Brandeis
and Hamilton Holt for the manufac-
turers and William O. Thompson, coun-
sci for the industrial relation commits
sion, to represent the union This was
to handle big cases only. a board of
grievance, with a committee on i'm
mediate action, reviewed all cases first
The protocol provided that regular
workers could not be discharged with
out good and sufficient reason, and the
union does not regard the mere fact
that other men are willing to work for
less money as-saehs a reason. &
Any one feeling himself unjustly
treated had the right of appeal to the
grievance board, composed Of manu-
facturers and union people both. 1t is
because the union protested at the ac-
ton of the manufacturers in discharg-
Ing men at will that the protocol was
abrogated-and by the employers.
A discharge is a big disgrace for a
man; it often makes 1t difficult or i'm
possible for him to get more work. If
he cannot succeed and so Is forced to
be idle for months perhaps he and his
family are quite likely to become pub
lie charges
We union people feel that such ac-
tions as these were intended to fright
en- the rest of the workers. Now we
would not object to working for less
II 1t were necessary, rather than lose
our jobs, but what the union will not
permit is that any man be discharged
whenever some one comes along and
underbids him
Now the manufacturers have abro-
gated the protocol and doubtless they
are satisfied since they did so. While
1t lasted however, ii was really the
salvation of trade. Had it not been for
this we would probably have AGO
manufacturers in the field today in
stead of 1900 Whenever there was a
strike in Il large house a lot of new
small manufacturers cropped up.
Where this has happened it has en-
couraged sweating, and with work sent
out to small jobbers on the lower east
and west sides that sweat shop sys-
tenn which people In general fondly
believed to have been done away with
still exists, though in slightly differ
ent form. Things have been growing
steadily worse for the last two and a
half years, and the union Is glad that
the protocol has been abrogated.
Instead of the protocol the union
suggests simple working agreement
for one or two years. The workers
demand that the agreement contain
provisions as follows:
For a minimum wage scale for
week workers, uniform basis of pay
for piece workers. equal distribution
of work, adjustment of disputes
through the organiZatio and other
provisions to maintain proper stan
dards and to preserve peace in the in
dustry."