The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-30
DRESS COMMITTEE OF CRAIRMEN
FIND SIGMAN LOST UNION GAINS

Charging that President Morris
Sigman has brought the Information
al Ladies' Garment Workers Union
to the brink of ruin, that standards
in the industry are growing worse
and worse, and the 42-hour week sup
posed to have been won by the strike
has been practically wiped out, the
dress committee Of the Shop Chair
mems Council issued yesterday a
renewed pledge of loyalty to the
Joint Board Of the cloak and dress
makers and statement of its de-
termination to struggle side by side
with the Joint Board for the preser-
walton of the union.
TO Save Union
Over the signature of Brauner, the
chairman, Kleinman, the secretary of
the council, and five members Of the
Dress Committee, the following
statement is made
The Shop Chairmen's Council was
organized with an object so clear, so
sharp, and so vital that all honest
and right thinking workers have been
ready to give it their fullest support.
Our object has been to save the union
from destruction and to again con-
vert it into a militant instrument,
democratically administered, and ca
pable of defending the union condi-
tons in the shops and the interests
of the workers everywhere.
Impartial Elections.
During the first days Of its ex-
istenee, the council recognized that
the present internal strife must be
stopped, and that elections under the
supervision Of some impartial group
would be the only possible way Of
settling the controversy. Conse-
quently the council went to both sides
with a plea that elections be held.
The president of our international
not only failed to give us proper con.
sideration, but treated us with the ut.
most disrespect and emphatically re-
jected our appeal. Again and again,
through written requests and COM
mittees, we requested that the presi-
dent order general elections for the
Joint Board, so that the members
could exercise their elementary right
to decide upon who they desire for
their leaders.
The Joint Board, on the other hand,
was the first to welcome the organ
cation of the council, and gave it's
hearty support to all our efforts to
bring about order in our union
through a general election.
After continued attacks by Presi-
dent Sigman upon the council, in
which he alleged that the council
wished to bring about a fake peace
so that the Communists could cap.
ture the union, the Shop Chairmen's
4 Council realized the righteousness Of
the demand of the members that tn,
union can only be safe through a
struggle against the disruption OF
Sigrnan, and declared itself side by
side with the Joint Board in the
struggle. Now that the Shop Chair
mems Council has been forced to take
up arms in the struggle, we will not
relax our efforts until our aim has
been realized.
Under the pretext of saving the
union from Communist control. Sig
man has brought the union to the
brink of ruin and has sacrificed con-
ditions for which we have struggled
many years. Piece work is rapidly
spreading throughout the cloak in.
dustry. The 42-hour week which we
won in the struggle on the picket
fine has practically been wiped out.
In spite of the efforts of Sigman to
maintain control Of the union with
the aid of the bosses, the workers
viii not submit to the rule of terror
and will not recognize leaders who
want to dominate them by force.
Members Must Rule.
We have but one aim in view, and
with the support of the members, we
shall accomplish this aim, namely
that the union will be given back to
the membership who will elect the
officers that they want to lead them.
Only then viii the war against those
who rule us by force and terrorism
come to an end, and only then will
we be able to take up the construc-
tive task Of building union that will
defend the interests Of the great
mass of cloak and dressmakers."