The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-10
Support Pledged to Anal
gamated Members Affect
ed by N. Y. Lockout
A. F. OF L. MAY OBJECT
Manufacturers Will Meet To-
morrow to Act on Proposed
Piece Work System.

J open shop, Joined ranks yesterday
with four other unions in the needle
trades in forming an offensive and de-
\ fensive alliance with a nationwide
IVA membership approximating 100000.
IN The possibility of the whole 100000
being drawn into the present clothing
NJ war. which affects 5000 in New York
and 1000 In Boston, was contained in
"a a resolution adopted at the organiza-
" ton meeting in the McAlpin Hotel. in
which the delegates declared their
eii unqualified support to the ANAL
X gamated workers in the fight that has
49, been forced on them"
A Benjamin Schlessinger temporary
chairman of the alliance, declared the
resolution did not commit the body to
such a step, but he would not define
to what extent unqualified support
would go. That is a question to be
taken up when organization details
are perfected, he said.
When we need support we will con-
suit with the alliance about the means
the support should take, but just now
we do not need support" said Sidney
Hillman, president of the Amalgamated
and one Of its delegates at the forma-
ton OF the alliance.
The combination OF unions adopted
the temporary name OF the Needle
Trades Alliance. Its members. besides
the Amalgamated. which claims 177,OOo
members, are the International Ladies
Garment Workers Union. 10000 mem
- bers: tho International Journey1nen
MS Taiiors Union of Chicago. 5000: the
o. United Cloth Hat and Cap Makers
49, Union, 1900, and the international
ms Furriers' Union, 1900. The garment
u workers union, of which Mr.. Schles-
singer is president, is sponsor for the
scheme. having appointed committee
at It's Chicago convention in May to
try to get the other bodies together.
~ Tho purpose of the alliance. as OUT
lined then and reiterated yesterday, is
M, to form a body that will create a
strong Influence on public opinion and
Z legislation affecting the trade" The
specific lines OF work followed by the
"a members of the different unions have
been found to be so interlocked that a
- disturbance OF one branch Immediately
,,c had It's effect on the others. Hence
forth, Mr.. Schlessnger pointed out, the
trades represented will take counsel
with the others when grievance
comes up in their branch and get the
advice of all before declaring a strike
Under the alliance each union will re-
os tain it's autonomy and control over Its
internal affairs.
Mr NJ az ed
~. 20 the fact that the formation OF the
~ alliance is a marked step toward the
~ "one big union" of clothing workers
that is the aim Of some labor leaders
~. in that industry and that an article in
- The current issue Of The Advance. the
Amalgamated's weekly seems to favor
- the zone big union" idea. He replied
= that the magazine article merely ex-
"a pressed the personal view OF the
~ writer and did not represent the ANAL
ios gamated's stand.
~ Due TO the fact that the Amalgamated
y liz an outlaw" organization and does
N, not belong TO the American Federation
on Of Labor though at present more power
fui than the Federation's United Gar
j y rnent Workers from which 1t seeded, the
Q Needle Trades Alliance may face war
.. with the Gompers organization. Since
the four other unions in It's have A r.
Of L. affiliations and It Is contrary to
a
< outside unions. Mr.. Schlesslnger In
sisted, however. that the new alliance
is not antagonistic to the organized la
Dor movement and seeks no conflict with
the A. r. OF l..
De- The local clothing situation wns a
quiet sector" yesterday. Mr.. Hillman
issued a statement asserting that 6.gT0
more workers had been locked OUT
making a total to date of 23,270 he claims
the manufacturers have barred from
work. When II was pointed out to him
that this number exceeds by more than
5000 his own highest estimate of Tar.
~ number OF men working when the fight
began. due to the slack season. he gave
this explanation Of what he means by
the term lockout"
When q manufacturer tells you TO
n stay home for a couple OF weeks because
- work Is dull. that ia all right. But when
you report back and you know he has
work to be done but he Ia unwilling for
you to do II and tells you to. go away
again. that In a lockout"
rt One reason why the amalgamated Is
not looking for support from the new
= alliance Just now is the fact that AZ. 900
~ Of It's own members In Chicago have
80 just been assured by the leading manu-
facturers there that there win be no
~ break with them and that their wages
u will remain as they are, Mr.. Hillman
, sat1- Ino lineage WOTkefB tneTeIOre
l viii be in a good position to assist their
! New York brothers..
~ But we can't tell how long the war
viii last" he added. Wed like TO see
u ended within six days; we are pre-
pared. however. for,six months"
Little activity IN the iccG. fight IL
expected until after a meeting OF tho
Clothing Manufacturers Association Of
New York tomorrow morning in the
Hotel Brevoort committee appointed
70 arrange standard for the piece
nni work system which the clothes makers
srs fighting 10 install ls expected to make
report, and announcements will be
made OF definite moves 70 install II.
49, Neither the manufacturer nor the
union worker Is the dominant factor In
the co'tning war" william BandIer,
president Of the manufacturers. as
rertsd. The public has given thumbs
down on high priced goods and Il ls up
- - bon makers and workers 10 revi-f
an - ~ewts downward
.ikt