New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-13
Vote with Applause al
Meeting-UniOns Get
Orders to Quit
TWO WINGS MAY BE
INVOLVED IN WAR
Manufacturers Offer Va
cant Places to United'S
Members

The 10000 members Of the Amalga-
mated Clothing Workers Of America
went Oh strike last night. The action
was taken unanimously at a meeting Of
the union held in Beethoven Hall, when
Sidney Hillman, its president, arose
and shouted, "Are you ready to hght|
A roar of applause greeted the ques-
ton, and shop chairmen and delegates
shouted that the strike was declared.
There was no dissenting voice.
Hillman then announced that the
struggle was on, issuing orders for the
members of the union in New YORK,
Newark and Ridgewood, y. j. to qult
work to-day After warning the strik
ers TO be orderly, he impressed upon
their minds that the strike was pr,
marjlv for the purpose Of taking down
tho non-union shops. The employers,
he asserted, had determined to disrupt
"Tbe question Of wages is Of sec
ondary importance" he said I'VE are
fghtinc 10 break the open shops ana
attain a forty-eight-hour week.
Will BE at Headquarters
All strikers will report to-day at
headquarters, 50 East Fourth street, ioi
instructions. They will then Inarch 10
the thirty halls which have been ell
Gagged. where meetings Will be held'
There is danger that the two "ings
Of the clothing trade-the Amaigama' at =
ed Clothing Workers oil America hn1
Tho United Garment Workers-wlll
come 70 blows through the efforts OF
the manufacturers affected by the
strike.
American Clothing Manufacturers As
sociation. announced yesterday that ms
organization had offered TO the ChlIeu
Garment Workers the positions lett va
cant by the strikers, on the terms
which had been refused by the clothing
Workers.
If the Garment Workers accept this
offer and take the places left by mem
bcrs of the other union, labor leaders
predict trouble. Actual warfare will be
the result, they say.
United Has Strong Backing
Although inferior numerically by
MANY thousands to the Amalgamated,
the United has behind it the powerful
American Federation of Labor, with
which it is affiliated, and the United
Hebrew Trades. The Amalgamated as
it exists to-day is an independent or
ganization. formed and firmly cement
ed together two years ago, when It's
members withdrew from the United, at
the same time cutting the knot that
bound them likewise TO the American
Federation of Labor and the United
Hebrew Trades.
Unsupported as it is by national al
filiation, the Amalgamated IS recog-
nized by labor men as one of the most
workable and perfectly organized
unions in the country.
"The American Clothing Msnufact-
urers' Association is done with the
Amalgamated," Mr.. Ansorge said last
night. 1--WE will not enter into any
arbitration negotiations with this or
panization; we will not sign any
agreement with it. The last agree
ment we had with the organization
was not lived up 10 by its members.
'If the association of which ] am
now president should enter into an
other such protocol with the Amalga-
mated. ! personally shall Immediately
withdraw. OF course, We cannot say
that the individual manufacturers
holding membership in our association
shall not form such agreements them
selves" w.,
The proposal made to the United
Garment Workers by the manufactur-