The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-31
BY JOSEPH ZACK.
loneInded from last Fridavl

The employers We're in an uproar
at the nerve Of small, tame local
daring to antagonize these million
aire firms, among the biggest in the
needle industry, by an organization
drive. They got together and got
busy, as a result of which arrests be-
gan among our leaflet distributors
for littering the sidewalks. Our wom-
an organizer was arrested every few
Gays for obstructing the traffic with
her open air meetings Police and
detectives began to appear every
where.
Meanwhile the conference commit
tee of the union was negotiating.
FIRST the bosses ignored all the de-
mands of the union except the in
crease of wages for tailors only. I'm
der no condition would they recognize
the union so far as the dressmakers
were concerned. The negotiations
were expedited in our propaganda in
the organization drive. An injunction
move was made through the lawyer
of the bosses association and effec-
lively countered.
Employers Weaken.
Meanwhile, under pressure of the
organization drive, approaches were
made by the employers and some in
formal conferences took place, ac-
eording to which they were ready to
grant the tailors the 40-hour week
and 10 per cent increase in wages.
they were even willing to give the
time agreement through a supplement
tary agreement according to the abil-
ity of each firm, but nothing for the
dressmakers. Ii was tempting bait
for us to make a highly profitable
seIl-out for the benefit Of the tailors
at the expense of the dressmakers,
and if we would refuse them the
right-wingers, who were already
working indirectly with the bosses,
would keep the tailors from support
ing the strike. They we're already
spreading rumors that the tailors' in
forests We're being sacrificed for the
benefit of the dressmakers, uttering
threats of ousting the left wing
leadership, etc.
Exposes Bosses Trickery.
The organization drive was mean
while going at fever heat. The strike
machinery was ready 1t was Friday
and the strike call was to be issued
next Tuesday. Many of the old timers
were shivering in their boots at the
dash with which the union was chal-
longing these big aristocratic firms.
In whispers it was said, LET US hope
that the union will at least be saved
no more OF these inexperienced left
wing Youngsters" The unions con-
ference committee arranged formal
conference with the employers in or
der to find out whether the informal
proposals were not merely maneu-
yer to line up the tailors thru getting
us to reject these proposals, and so
it was. In formal conference the en-
ployers were not ready to grant what
their unofficial representative said
they were. They even made some
ccunter-demands.
TailOrs Line Up.
This helped US to line up. the
tailors. We did not break off nego-
tiations. However, we needed mere
time for the organization drive,
Meanwhile the employers got very
little production in the shops. The
strike call was delayed one week. The
employers were up in the air. Tense
nervousness prevailed among their
female workers The employers had
cleared the decks for a strike Tues
day. There was no work cut up for
another week. They did not know
how many of the dressmakers would
respond. This was week Of strike
on the job" with pay, and it cost the
companies tens Of thousands of dol
lars. In this week the union did its
best shop propaganda.
Try Bribery.
Finally the employers, driven pam
icky by these unusual methods which
they had never experienced peIore
in the trade. began to heavily "sacri-
flee" in order to kill the effect Of
our organization drive. They gave
wage increases to thousands Of the
unorganized dressmakers and also re-
duced their hours to A and in a few
cases. to 40. We knew this would
have quite an effect on these organ
lied, raw female workers that had no
union experience.