The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-16
Ladies Garment Workers
Get Ready for Big Strike
CONTINUED from page u

Continued from page ~
TO discuss some Improvement in con-
ditions and slight change in wages
which would better even a little
the miserable earnings now being
paid the girls who turn out the ex-
pensive dresses for the ''better
classes"
Demands had been made for dis
cussion upon an increase from the
scale which now leaves many girls de-
pendent on their own earnings, or
even with loved ones to support. only
SIC, $18 or $40 a week on which to
exc out an existence. The associa-
ton scorned the plea that working
girls needed more than the minimum
necessary to avoid starvation which
Is euphemistically called "a living
wage" and one fat-necked boss whose
appetite for the higher things of life
never ranges above Getting Gertie's
Carter" Indignantly protested the
suggestion that working girls might
like to attend the opera. "Why. I
never go to the opery," he had
grunted.
New Bosses Associations.
Negotiations being broken with
the association, warnings had been
sent to the individual members of it
that the union may be forced to
strike. These individual bosses had
In two cases broken from the old as
ISOLATION and informed the union that
they were organizing a new associa-
ton of the manufacturers in the trade
on the Northwest Side, and that an
other association was in process Of
forming. The letter of warning as
to impending strike which was sent
to the non-union shops had gone I'M
answered.
The possibility of the union reach
ing an agreement with the newly or
ganized and reorganized association
members complicated conditions so
that it is yet impossible to say wheth-
er or not the strike will be forced
upon the union, but as every agree
ment expires on Monday, Vice-Presi-
dent Pertstein demanded that a strike
committee be elected at once, and he
specified that such committee would
alone decide the date of the strike.
Take Back Expelled Before Strike"
Plea From Floor.
At this point the destructive effects
of Perlstein's expulsion of the most
active and devoted members of the
union for connection with the Trade
Union Educational League became
manifest. Member after member
took the floor in passionate plea that
the expelled members be taken back
into full union membership before a
battle against the bosses be engaged.
How can the International officers
expect the union to win in a fight with
the bosses when these officers have
destroyed the fighting spirit Of our
union by expelling its most active
members? What are we going to do
without Dora Lipshitz, who in strike
after strike has given every ounce
of energy and every minute of time
to leadership in the strickland who
now is expelled and is not even al
lowed in this hall? Can we who
know how much the union has been
weakened by expulsion of our best
members undertake responsibility of
accepting on the strike committee?
And can we accept knowing that af-
ter the strike is over, maybe we, too,
shall be expelled, like Dora Lipshitz
was?" Such were the questions put
by the first girl who got the floor, and
she continued with the demand that
before strike action was taken that
the expelled members be re-instated.
This brought the first exhibition of
real enthusiasm shown at the meet
ing; members rose to their feet and
strained their ears to hear the pro-