The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-20
CLOTHING WORKERS
PLEDGE 100000
fight on Open shop Enlists
Aid of All Unions Out
side City.
FORESEE SIX MONTHS WAR
Cooperative Stores Will Be Es-
tablished for Use of Men
Locked Out
FOREsEE SIX MONTHS WAR

Intending to carry to the limit It's OPP
position to the open shop and imposition
OF n piecework wage basis in the clothes
making shops of New York the general
executive board of the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers OF America voted yes
terday to raise fund of s1,o00,000 in
other clothing centres for the support OF
the locked out" New York workers.
The action was the result of two
day conference of the board members
with the Amalgamateds leaders In every
big clothing producing centre OF the
country. a budget was devised appor-
tioning the s1,00G.000 among the various
cities, and before leaving for their local
tiles last night the joint board chairmen
from those cities pledged themselves to
raise their respective amounts by the
second week in January. Chicago Is
pledged to raise 100000. and before
leaving Samuel Levin. leader there,
promised to send a check for 100000
before the end of this month. The fund
is to be raised by voluntary assess
ment" among 100000 members outside
this city.
In announcing this action of the ex-
ecutves Sidney Hilman. president OF
the Annalgamated. said the organization
is preparing for six months of struggle.
SO far as he knew il Is the largest sum
a labor organization has planned to
raise In defence Of its principles.
Cooperative Stores Planned.
The Amalgamated already has more
than enough money in its treasury to
carry 1t up to the time that the million
dollar fund begins to accumulate. he
said. The details of collecting the large
sum have been left to the heads of the
Joint boarls in the various cities These
include Chicago, Rochester, Buffalo, Bal
timore and Toronto.
Approximately 10000 Amalgamated
workers in New York will have the fund
ut their disposal, according to Mr.. Hill
man. The plans for its disbursement, as
outlined at present, call for the establish
ment of commissaries at strategic points
in the East Side. The Bronx, Browns
Vile, and such centres where the workers
live In large numbers.
The union will buy foodstuffs and
other necessities Of life in wholesale
quantities and distribute them through
the commissaries to members, either on
low cash payments. on credit or free of
charge. according to the status of the in
dividual member applying for aid. In
addition to the chain of cooperative
stores the union intends to open restau-
rants where the members may eat cheap
~ OF IOr nOlnlnR, MT. ftllIfflin Salu II
necessary clothing also will be placed
at the members disposal. The exper-
ience gained in 1918. when the workers
were locked out" for twelve weeks and
n fund of 100000 was raised to aid
them, will serve as a guide in this crisis.
he added.
Sees Scheme to Keep Up Prices.
~ I'VE have reliable Information that
representatives of the clothing manufac-
turers are going through the country in
an effort to get the manufacturers else
where to lock out the Amalgamated peo-
ple--that they are trying to force a
national lockout" Mr.. Hillman charged.
In our Judgment the real purpose of
this Is to curtail production so as to stop
clothing prices from coming down.
They are fearful that the stopping
of work in New York alone will not pre-
vent the downward trend of prices, as
the manufacturers in other cities have
already started making clothes for the
coming season. and with them all busy
ut work. the spring prices are bound