The sun., 1918-11-11
$4,000 IDLE soon IN
CLOTHING TRADE
Workers Call It Lockout and
Manufacturers Say
Strike Is On.

| Extension OF what Is called by thu
employers a strike and BY the employees
lockout until $4,000 men and womer
workers In the local clothing industry
will be idle was predicted last might
by the Amaigamated Clothing Worker,
the union met yesterday and issued q
statement IN which they said that more
than 1900 clothing cutters were locked
out Saturday at noon and that tht
action rendered idle 10000 operatives
The directors said they expected an ex
tension of the lockout to-day.
The Amalgamated claimed that The
employers had declined to negotiate with
their workers at the initiative Of DR.
William e. Ripley, representing the Wal
! Department. Managing Director Leor
Mann. OF the manufacturers association
replied in statement In which he said
that the employers had not refused e
srbitrate with the workers.
In justice to the nearly 200 large
New York clothing manufacturing
houses which constitute the member
ship Of this association he said. "l
have been instructed to call the atten,
ton Of the public to several salient
facts in connection with the strike thai
has been recently called In these pianti
by the Amalrama,ed Clothing Worker,
OF America.
THE members OF our association en-
pioy 50 per cent Of all the clothing
workers IN the city. The output OF
these plants represents 70 per cent
Of the city's entire clothing manu-
facture. One half OF all OF the cloth
ing made IN the United States IL mad,
In New York. The union has secured
publication OF the statement that tn,
manufacturers have refused arbitration
This We deny absolutely The strik,
will make 5000 workers Idle and Il
has already closed several hundred
plants In the various boroughs and Il
spreading because the union Is calling
men out OF the factories which manu-
facture mems clothing.
This constitutes menace TO ono o.
the city's largest industries and tn,
| manufacturer do not want the public
TO labor under the misrepresentation
| that the employers are responsible FOL
| this state OF affairs. The union mad.
It's demands upon individual employer,
and ignored this association. We sen
a letter to the union offering to arbi
| trate and received no reply. FINAL,
the suggestion was made by DR.. William
I Il. hlplcN lIhl DC Uidue
This We Immediately accepted asking
| DIR. Ripley to become one OF the arb!
traitors. and the only addition that W,
made to his proposal was that all ques
| tons relating 70 wages hours and con
ditions Of labor be taken up at I'll,
| same time
THE union not only wanted highe,
| wages. a matter We were perfect,
willing TO take UP. but II also demand
| forty-four hour week. II Is q matter
for the Government TO decide whether
the forty-eight hour week virtually es
tablished by Presidential decree shall
be abandoned"
The managing director said that tn,
employers were willing to arbitrate bu
that they insisted upon the workers re
turning pending a settlement. He sale
that II the workers came back arbltra
! ton could start Immediately. An,
! award made by DR. Ripley or the Wa
, Dor Board, he said. would be accetped
DR. Ripley Is expected to return q
/ the city from Boston to-day and max,
I further effort to bring about indus
trial peace in the trade.