The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-03-19
WIN JOB STRIKE
OF 10000 DRESS
GOODS WORKERS
Stoppage in Shops Brings
Victory
tspseIaI 70 rh. palIy workerl

NEW YORK, March IL Not a
wheel is turning in the dress goods
industry since Tuesday in perhaps
the most novel strike in the annals of
the class struggle in this city. Thirty
thousand workers, mostly women,
have downed tools and are striking
on the Job, without actually leaving
their places Of employment Altho
the strike is won by the jobbers sur.
render, not until after the shop chair
men accept the settlement today will
work be resumed.
They are striking to enforce the
agreement gained last February End
without q struggle, partly because
theiremployers knew the helplessness
Of denying the demands of 10000
workers solidly organized, but more
because they hoped, as Of old, to re-
duce the agreement to a scrap of
paper.
The clause in the agreement that
means most both to the workers and
their exploiters from Numerically op-
posite points, of course, is the one
establishing a uniform schedule of
piece work prices for all classes of
work, guaranteed By the jobbers,
which next to week work would once
and for all put an end to cut throat
competition between the workers in
the different shops OF different con-
tractors working for the same jobber.
The clause was to have gone into
effect February "a and the jobbers
proceeded to Junk 1t as has always
been their custom, with the tolerance
and connivance Of the union official
dom.
The newly elected left wing exc
cutive committee Of local %, Inter
national Ladies' Garment Workers
union, however, determined that the
workers should enjoy the fruits of
whatever advantages they had gained
from their exploiters, insist that the
jobbers live up to the agreement. The
jobbers point blank refused to do this
and the strike on the Job was ordered
Immediately.
The workers in the shops responded
at once to the order in a splendid
and universal solidarity. Confronted
with this upheaval, the Iobbers cove
red and after conference with the
offlcialdom of the International, try
ing somehow to patch up the differ
ences, gave in, the union agreeing,
however, to give up its demand for
a piece schedule commission.
A most disgusting and engaging fea-
lures Of those conferences is the fai-
lure Of the officials to bring into these
conferences members of the executive
committee of the locals involved in
the strike or of the strikers them
selves, Sigman and Feinberg alone
taking it entirely upon themselves to
patch up the matter in star chamber
proceedings.
Thousands of strikers are violently
protesting against this high handed
method and demand that their exc
cutive committee be consulted before
action is taken.
In the meantime, the women sit at
the machines or stand around in the
shops with folded arms while the
bosses wiring their hands in utter
helplessness, not even being able to
introduce scabs as the places are oc-
cupied by the regular workers who
have decided not to make profits for
the boss till the jobbers capitulate.
Already over 100000 worth of
dresses are held up in the shops Of
the contractors, and this string of
dollars are serving as picket line
that the police are not able to hit in
the head.