New-York tribune., 1920-12-11
Suit Makers
Start Open
Shop Monday
Move Is Expected to Test the
Strength of Amalgamated;
Unions in Other Cities
Plan to Aid i'm the Fight
Needle Trades Rift Grows
Employers Abrogate Agree
ment With 100000 Work
ers on Ladies' Garments

The first test Of strength between
the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of
America and the New York Clothing
Manufacturers Association in the dis
pute which has paralyzed the CLOTHING
industry in this city was foreshadowed
yesterday for next Monday, when the
manufacturers will attempt to nut into
operation the new open shop and piece
work system.
At the office of the Amalgamated it
was announced meeting of the execu-
we board and representatives of the
unions from Philadelphia, Rochester.
Boston and Toronto would be held to-
morrow, when plans would be designed
to combat the stand taken by the manu-
facturers. The meeting, it was ex-
pected, would continue all day. The
members of the executive board who
Will attend are Joseph Schlossberg,
general secretary and treasurer; Au-
gust Bellanca, Hyman Blumberg,
Samuel Low, Lazarus Marcovtz, An
zuine %. Marimpietri, Abraham Miller,
Peter Monat, Sidney Rissman, Frank
Rosenblum, Mamie Santora, Nathan
Siegel, Stephen Skala and Thomas
Uzarski.
Invitations to the conference have
also been issued to Harry Madanick,
manager of the Philadelphia joint
board; A. l. PearIman, manager of the
Rochester joint board; II. D. Rosen-
bloom, manager of the Toro-to JOINT
board; A. Miller, manager of the Bos-
and Aldo Carsi, organizers in the
Rochester market.
Needle Trades Breach Widens
The rift between the employers and
employees in the needle trades was
further widened yesterday by the abro-
cation by the Children's Dress Manu-
facturers, Association Of its agreement
with the international Ladies Garment
Workers Union. The employers,
through their secretary, D. r. Szak-
vary, informed Benjamin Schlessinger,
president Of the international Ladies
Garment Workers Union, an organiza-
tion of more than 10000 members,
that henceforward they would have no
dealings, official or unofficial, with the
union. Mr.. Szakvary informed Mr..
Schlessinger that any further COM
munications from the union would not
be ackno owledged.
The break came close upon the an
nouncement of the formation Of a
Needle Trades Alliance, composed of
unions in the needle trades throughout
the country. 1t was interpreted yes
terday as another indication of the de-
velopment of bitter conflict in the
needle trades in which the unions
would be compelled to fight to main
tain the position they had won for
themselves in the past decade.
1--WE realize" said Sidney Hillman,
ing Workers, yesterday, "that we are
face to face with crisis and that under
the guise Of readjustment of prices
and conditions of labor and the return
to peace footing the employers have
undertaken to smash the unions. can
say, however, that we are ready for the
fray and that no matter how great the
strain put upon our workers may be
we are ready to fight it out"
Workers Reject Offer
In the case OF the international
Ladies Garment Workers Union, it
was explained yesterday, the break
with the employers was caused by the
refusal Of the union to accept mini
mum scale of production in exchange
for minimum wage. The union sug-
gested negotiations Ito straightcn out
the existing controversy between the
parties in manner satisfactory to all
sides concerned" The employers in
sisted upon acceptance Of their new
conditions. The situation here is SIM
liar to that in the mems clothing con-
troyersy, and, like the latter, Is the
result OF many weeks of correspond
ence.
1t was learned yesterda that break
in the suit, waist and dress trade in
was expected. Mr.. Schles
singer will go to Philadelphia to-day in
an effort to avert break with the
employers. The employers in that city
have put forward demands for tfty.
-hour-week and piece work, which the