The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-15
BY DOSE WORTIS


4 Morris Sigman and the Waist and
Dressmakers' Union marked the be.
ginning Of the real struggle between
the bureaucracy of the International
and the rank and file OF the dress
makers, a struggle that has contin-
ued for many years and has culmin.
ated in the last act Of treachery when
Sigman signed scab agreement
with the dress jobbers and contract
ors, giving up concessions that the
dressmakers had gained thru many
years of struggle and sacrifice.
From its very inception the Waist
and Dressmakers' Local 25 was under
the leadership of progressive ele-
ments who had a broader conception
Of trade unionism than did the off
Gals of the international. Local -
was organized on an industrial basis
including all craft and language
groups. 1t was the first to bring
forth the idea of labor education and
the first TO initiate educational ac-
Invites under the direct supervision
of the union. The dressmakers from
the first day of their existence as an
organized body of workers regarded
their union not as purely a means OF
improving their economic conditions,
but as an instrument for the general
advancement of the workers. The
dressmakers were in the first ranks
Of the militant workers Of this coun-
try, the first TO lend a helping hand
TO all struggling workers, the first
10 give ear to new ideas, new organ
national forms thru which to
strengthen and solidify their organi-
cation.
In Disfavor With Officials.
Because Of their progressive ideas
the dressmakers quickly fell into dis
favor with the offieialdom OF the in
ternational. For years the president
and the general executive board ex-
erted every possible effort to subdue
the spirit Of revolt among the dress
makers. For years they struggled to
crush the initiative Of these workers
and keep the organization within the
stereotyped forms which no longer
suited the development OF the inaus-
try. But all these efforts were of no
avail.
Finally the general executive board
decided that the best way to rule the
dressmakers was to split them into
small parts. 1t required strong
man to put this policy into effect.
The convention, where the PROPOSE
ton for splitting up the local had
come up for discussion, dared not act
on this matter in open defiance of
the decision Of the members. The job
had to be made, however, and Sig
man, who until then was but
stranger to the dressmakers, APP
Feared on the arena.
Breaking Up the Local
Sigman, the industrial unionist,"
undertook the job Of breaking up our
powerful local 20. sThe excuse for
this unwarranted action was that
the dressmakers had violated the
constitution" by instituting the shop
delegate system, means for widen
ing the possibilities for the active
participation of the members in the
affairs of the union, TO cope with the
growing problem of the jobbers-
contractors system. With an iron
hand Sigman undertook the work of
splitting Local 20. What matter the
hitter opposition of the members
What matter the fact that this ac-
tion was not authorized by the con-
vention? Local % was becoming =
real menace, real threat to the
peace of mind of the otficialdom and
sigman was the man TO eXterminate
this menace.
Local. - was broken up. For some
time reaction tIiumphed in the Dress
makers Union which was ruled by
Sigman's appointed executive board.
Very soon, however, the members
gained heart and before long the
newly organized Local - again came
under the leadership of the progress
sive elements. A short time after
another expulsion followed The most
active members were suspended and
expelled for permitting their names
to appear on a leaflet which criti-
cized the officials of the internation-
al. Again the constitution, as inter-
IHeted by the machine, was violated
and the offenders were punished.
Expulsion Steels Dressmakers.
But every new expulsion only
served to strengthen the will and de-
termination Of the dressmakers to
free the union from clique control.
The hand-picked machine men could
only maintain themselves in power
under the protection of the officials
of the international. No sooner, how
ever, than an election was decided
upon then the progressives again
gained the ascendancy. TO obyiate
this danger the bureaucracy at first
lesorted to the expulsion Of individ-
uals, then Of groups. This was fol-
lowed by the expulsion Of executive
boards and in 1873 wholesale expul-
SONS Of all Trade Union Educational
League members.
The climax came when the three