New-York tribune., 1921-11-08
Garment Strike
lis Held Certain
By Both Sides
Workers Begin Referendum
Vote, While Manufacture
ers Take Steps to Combat
Walk-Out Over Piecework
90, 900 Workers in Move
Employers Deny Breaking
Agreement Will, Union
TO Arbitrate Change

A strike Of the 10000 members of
the International Ladies' Garment
Workers Union because of the deci-
sion of the Cloak Salt and Skirt Man
ufacturers' Protective Association to
restore the piecework system in the
trade instead of the weekly wage sys-
tenn was declared yesterday by both
sides to be inevitable.
Benjamin Schlesinger, president Of
the union. said that referendum vote
on the proposition to strike was begun
yesterday and would continue for three
days. The result, he said. probably
would be known either tomorrow or
Thursday. Mr.. Schlcsinger asserted
that the manufacturers in announcing
their decision to restore piecevork,
which was abolished more than three
years ago, had broken an agreement
with the union. He said the union mad
an agreement with the employers to
submit the question Of working
agreement to a Joint commission on
November l, but that instead of wait
ing they announced their piecework
decision on October 20.
Defends Pieceworl System
A. E. Lefcourt, chairman of the
manufacturers publicity committee,
said the employers we're preparing for
a strike. He denied that the manufac-
turers had broken any agreement. The
union members of a joint committee.
he declared, had refused to submit to
arbitration any suggestion that tn he
piecework system be restored. He
charged that the unions had broken
the agreement.
"A return to the piecework system
means virtually return to the sweat
shop, and the vote against it by the
workers Will be almost unanimous. y
said Mr. Schlesinger. "The greatest
menace of the sweatshop is not its un =
cleanliness, but the speeding up. sweat
ing system OF piecework that degrad
and oppressed the men and women in
the cloak industry. The garment in
dustry because of the piecework svs-
TEN, has furnished more recruits to
tuberculosis institutions than any other
industry. Under the week-work system
the workers are less fatigued and less
driven, and they will fight to the bitter
end for its continuance.
The cloak. suit and skirt industry is
highly seasonal industry On the
average the workers have no more than
thirty two weeks of work in the two
seasons of each year. Increasing the
hours during the working seasons
would mean reducing the periods Of
employment to even less than thirty
two weeks in the year. Only such EN-
ployers who cannot reap swollen profits
except by sweating their workers under
obsolete and outdated work systems can
dare come out for piecework and for an
increase IN working hours"
Says Issue Is Distorted
The manufacturers side of the dis
pute was explained by Mr.. Lefcourt.
If Mr.. Schlesinger persists in going
through with his strike call he will
have no one but himself to blame for
the consequences that are certain to
follow" he said. "The Yiddish news
papers, acting as a mouthpiece for the
union leaders, are melting the work
ers to strike by distorting the issues.
The manufacturers feel it national
duty to establish normalcy in the gar
ment trade. Prices are dropping in all
lines, so why not in clothing? The
women Of the country have rebelled for
too long period for Us to sit back
and permit continuation of q policy
that has been SO disastrous and ruin
Gus in it's extent Piecework, with it's
resultant decrease in prices for cloth
ing, is coming back at all costs. 1t
has to be. in the name of progress and
economy and the threats of few labor
leaders and the vaporings of a few
Yiddish newspaper editors are not 60
ing to stop it.
I'VE are not doing what others are
doing We are not decreasing wages.
although such a proceeding would be
justified. On the contrary, we are 60
ing to maintain the present wage scale
for sample makers. cutters and press
ers. We have every reason to believe
the public will frown on a strike"