The sun., 1919-01-21
$4,000 STRIKE
TO-DAY, ENDING
6 YEARS TRUCE
Walkout of Shirtwaist and
Dress Makers May Affect
100000 Other Workers.
MAJORITY ARE WOMEN
Right of Discharge Is Involved
Paterson Faces Silk
Mill Shutdown.


An the workers In the waist and dress
making Industries, about $4,000 opera
tives, have been ordered to go on a gen.
eral strike at 10 o'clock this morning.
The decision to break the peace which
has existed in this branch of the garment
trade for six years was reached AZ u
meeting of the general strike committee
yesterday In Its headquarters, u Union
Square.
The walliout follows the failure OF the
union leaders to get the manufacturers
80 meet their demands for forty-four
hour work week and an increase In
wages, following tho expiration or the
protocol which kept harmony between
employers and workers The associa-
ton representing the shop owners de-
cllned to accede TO these terms unless the
right to discharge workers, when they
had in modified form IN the six year
agreement. was reserved to them
10000 Others Affected.
Not only tho union shops united In the
Dress and Waist Manufacturers Asso-
citation, but also the Independent con-
Germs operated under contracts with the
plans OF the strike committee. AS this
is the start of the busy season. in prepa-
ration for the spring STYLES in shirt
waists and dresses. the stoppage Is eN-
pected to interfere seriously with the
work of about 10000 other persons en-
ployed in allied industries, such as the EN-
broidery and textile trades At the same
time comes the threat OF an impending
strike of $4,000 silk workers in Paterson.
the International Ladies' Garment Work
ers Union issued n statement, which fol-
lows In part:
I'VE have done all within our power
TO avert this strike. When we presented
our demands to the Dress and Waist
Manufacturers Association for forty
four hour work week and for an in
crease In wages. we announced that we
were ready to submit all questions In
dispute to arbitration. The manufac-
turers declined TO accept our oifer for
arbitration and began to discharge work.
ers wholesale. right and left. During the
last four days alone from ten to twelve
thousand workers have been locked out
from their shops. and this action has
made the strike unavoidable.
I'VE expect that the undivided SYM
pathy OF the entire city Will be with the
workers and that the unbiased public
will not be Influenced BY the base ns!n-
uation OF the manufacturers association
that the workers are not loyal TO our
country. These Same workers have
bought Liberty bonds OF the third and
fourth loan for about five millions dol
lars During the last summer thousands
Of them worked without compensation
making garments for the American Red
Cross
mn M frfL Are "nnen
Posters With a red. white and blue
border announced the calling OF the
strike to the workers, Of whom about
10000 are women. The first overt men
ace Of such wholesale measures came
Hyeek ago when Schles!nger addressed
letter to Mayor H!lan declaring that the
union leaders felt compelled 10 cali out
tho workers and asking that the strikers
ne treated with consideration by the po-
dice
SchleSinger said that two months be-
fore the expiration OF the protocol or
December 81, 1918, and in accordance
with rule adopted at a previous con-
ference, the union presented to the Dress
and Waist Manufacturers Association
requests for renewal of the agreement,
under which tho working schedule was
70 be reduced five hours per week and
abe pay raised 10 per cent. The manu-
:acturers, he asserted. refused to renew
tho agreement unless they were ceded
she right to discharge employees at their
discretion. They demanded the abolition
nf the committee on immediate action,
she letter added, which under the origi-
nal protocol formed a board OF repre-
sentatives from both sides for reviewing
discharges that were protested.
The employers, on the other hand
maintained that long before the protocol
ended and the question Of It's renewal
same UP the labor leaders were laying
plans for n strike. Morris Weiss, presi-
dent OF the manufacturers' association,
said yesterday:
Last September the union made n
levy of days pay on all its members
On preparation for this strike"
The proprietors asserted that wherever
workers had been laid off IT was because
nf slack periods in tho shops and had
not been due TO any desire to anticipate
Tho strike with n lockout. On the other
hand. they contended that before there
was any official order from union head
quarters to cease work there had been
stoppages in shops all over tho city.
They pointed specifically TO the case
pf Son Ash. waist makers at los
Madison avenue. There, II was said. the
arrangements made by the owners had
satisfied all but 20 among the $50 girls.
The restless ones refused all conciliatory
offers. the manufacturers said, and left
-FOUR days ago The rest OF the workers
became infected with their discomfort
and followed suit
EGO shops DO Big business,