The New York herald., 1921-07-11
GARMENT ALLIANCE
BROKEN UP BY ROW
Needle Trades Disrupted by
Acts of Violence Dur
ing Strike.
QUIT AMALGAMATED|
Support Given Gompers by
Ladies' Union Brings On
Final Split.
S2,000,000 FUND SPENT
Scheme to Call International
Workers Out Fails, Causing
Much Bitterness.
S2,OOO,OOO FUND SPENT

NOIhcTS OuG L dllS, CduSlIlS
Much Bitterness.
The action OF the majority of the
delegation of the International Ladie:
Garment Workers Union in supporting
Samuel ,1ompers for reelection a.
president Of the American Federation
OF Labor at the recent conveption ir
Denver has resulted, THE NEW YORK
HERALD learned yesterday. in the com.
plete disruption of the Needle Trades
Alliance, which came into a loudly
heralded existence December last
Immediately after the beginning OF
the strike Of the Amalgamated Cloth
ing Workers of America against the
clothing manufacturers of this city
To use ;he words of one of the
Amalgamated leaders, THE alliance is
non-existeut." 1t is largely because
OF this that the Amalgamated, as told
by THE New YORK HERALD a week ago,
has entered upon policy of raising a
S5,000.000 national defence fund" to
be- used next year. when practically all
of the contracts under which the
Amalgama-ed is operating with manu-
facturers organizations throughout
the country will expire.
When the Amalgamated strike be-
gan it was called lockout by the
union leaders. and to some extent this
Characterization was justified, mas
much as the Clothing Manufacturers
Association refused to have anything
further to do with the union as such,
alleging that it was a seditious and un-
American organization. having for its
avowed object the physical acquisition
OF the industry by the workers and
the overthrow of the "capitalistic"
owners.
Tried to Beat Lockout"
The charge was vigorously denied by
Sidney Hillman and Joseph Schlossberg,
president and secretary -treasu of the
Analgamated. and they loudly protested
tiic AHicriCdH anu pdlTlOllC motives OF
all Amalgamated workers. They called
upon the correlated unions In the trade,
Che Ladies' Garnent I1Notlssss ~svhcss
membership numbers about 100, ,611 men
and women. and the Jouneymeri Tailors,
whose 5000 members occupy sort Of
Key" position in the trade the United
Cloth Cap and Hat Makers and the In
ternational Furriers Union to assist
them in defeating the lockout"
The response was sympathetic and in
stantaneous from these unions, of which
the most important one, the Interna-
tional Ladies Garment Workers, is
affiliated with the A. F. of L. The
Anlalgamated loudly boasts that II is not
so affiliated. and denounces the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor as a Capital
fstfc tool" with Samuel Gompers as
foreran in charge. Believing in the
protestations of the Anlalgamated lead
ers that they were not Bolshevik propa-
-andists but victims OF ruthless open
shop" campaign. the leaders of these
other unions agreed at meeting In the
Hotel McAlpin on December to form
an offensive and defensive alliance.
with the Amalgamated under the name
OF the Needle Trades Alliance" The
total membership Of the unions embraced
was well over 400, 900 men and women.
pledging their followers to the aid of
the Amalganated, announced that they
would give their unqualified support to
the Amalgamated workers in the fight
that has been forced upon them"
Unions Gave Generously.
The Amalgamated then entered upon
It's plan Of raising a s1,000.0O0 defence
fund for the maintenance OF the locked
out" workers. and, true to their prom
ises. the other clothing unions contrib
uted with prodigal liberality to the fund.
The International clipped in almost
slSO.ooo. and the other unions gave in
proportion to their membership.
But when the Amalgamated entered
upon its warfare OF violence BENJAMIN
schlessinger. president Of the Interna-
tional Eadies' Garment Workers Union.
protested. The denials of Hillman and
Schlossberg and other Amalgamated
leaders that they were responsible for
the violence. their insistence that the
burnings. acid throwings, hold-ups.
bomb throwings and other innumerable
instances OF personal and property in
juries inflicted on non-union tailors and
the firms they worked for, told for a
while. Finally. It is said. Schlessinger
demanded a SHOW down" He insisted
that IL the moneys contributed by his
union were to be used for the support
Of the Amalgamated strike Il must be
conducted in a decent way and not by
outrage and intimidation.
Nothing can be accomplished by
this sort OF tactics" Schlessinger is re-
ported TO have told Hilman and Schloss-
berg. IF you can't fight fair, don't
fight at all. You and other Amalga-
mated men are bringing the clothing in
dustry workers into disgrace"
Quarrel over Rumors.
A violent quarrel followed. according
10 those who have heard the story
Schlessinger frankly informed Hillman
and Schlossberg that he was beginning
TO believe some Of the things he formerly
had been loath to credit. Stories OF
rapacious graft by AmalEamated shop
chairmen. active workers and walk
ing delegates had reached Schlessinger's
ears, and nc - snid to have insisted
that unless the Amalgamated leaders
We're ready 10 call or the paid gangsters
and others who were bringing disgrace
upon the strike and upon the whole in
dustry he would recommend to his
union that the Needle Trades ALI
ance." which was still more of a po-
tentiality than an actually except for
the financial assistance already given
the Amalgamated. be called off"
schlessinger was told, II is said. that
he could do as he pleased and that sus-