The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-02-04
BEGAN WITHOUT MONEY.

Remarkable Success of the Chicago /
Clothing Workers In Their Recent |
Fight For Justice-Employers Re- /
fused to Submit to Arbitration.
Fight Financed During Struggle.
After twelve long drawn out weeks |
the strike of the Amalgamated Cloth |
ing Workers in Chicago ended with
victory for the toilers, says Graham
Taylor in the Survey It's dreariness |
and violence were enlivened by many |
picturesque scenes and lightened by |
not little heroism. Although not all /
the shops represented in the Whole
sale Clothing Manufacturers associa- |
ton came to amy agreement with their
striking employees at once, the largest |
of them entered into negotiations, and |
Sidney Hillman, international presi- |
dent of the amalgamated association, !
sanctioned the return to work
This virtually closed the strike. Some
of the workers did not 20 back until
their employers came TO the agreement
that has already been made with the
majority of the shops crews, but 49,
600 strikers were in their old places
shortly after the opening of the year
1t was difficult to get authentic in
formation concerning the number OF
strikers and other controyerted details.
This has been due, on the one hand, TO
the unwillngness of the employers TO
hold any communication either with
their striking employees or with rep
resentatiyeS of the public and, Oh the
other hand. to the fact that the work
ers We're not thoroughly we'll organ
lied. Their rev unions, however. are
in far better form than they were
when the clothing workers successfully
terminated their last great strike tiyeI
years ago by the noteworthy agree
ment with Hart Schafiner * Marx.
Mr.. Hillman, then one Of the striking
employees of this firm, helped to nego
tiate and operate that agreement
The recent strike was called for Lit
tie more than to secure for other shops
the terms of that agreement. which
has worked so satisfactorily to both
parties in this largest manufacturing
establishment in Chicagos clothing
trade The associated manufacturers
would yield naught, however. to the
success of their competitors, the inde-
pendent manufacturers. in elfecting
that permanent basis for settling diff
ferences with their employees. ColIec-
tive bargaining was, OF course, de
manded as Indispensable 10 any such
basis but not the closed shop. This
was denied consideration from the be
ginning Of the strike until after the
strikers went back to work
AS soon as the strikers had returned
their shop committee went into con
ference with their employers to ar
range the details Of settlement The
union and its officials received no rec
ognition thereby, yet the principle for
which it struggled was recognized
The shops that have settled with their
crews have conceded another claim Of
the strikers also-namely the reduc-
ton from fifty to forty-eight hours
week without diminution Of wages.
III. A1AlilliolI CAdlillS llldJ lilG SlI uSSlC
was "the most successful strike ever
waged against the association, which is
the bitterest and strongest anti-un
organization in the industry" And he
added: I'VE have done something bet
ter than punish the enemy. We have
infused a new solidarity among our
people"
The employers association issued no
public statement 1t refused in 81
lence all appeals from public officials
groups Of private citizens and its en-
ployees either to arbitrate or confer.
Perhaps the man most competent to
estimate the outcome of this long strug-
gle is John L. Williams. chairman Of
the board of arbitration established by
the agreement between Hart, Schaff-
ner Il Marx and their employees, who
acted in the same capacity under the
protocol in the New York clothing
trades. Says Mr. Williams, in part:
"I have been close to it from the be-
ginning and think it was one of the
best organized best fought strikes ever
pulled off in this country. Starting with
out money, the strikers raised $140,000
and spent it SO well that scarcely a
person suffered from actual hunger
or want. They developed a wonderful
loyalty and devotion among many diff
ferent races and peoples and held
them together with very few deser-
tions to the end They developed also
remarkable corps of commanders
right out of the raw material on the
spot"