The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-11-15
DRESSMAKERS IN.
PHlLA. JEER AT
SlGMAN CLIQUE
Labor Takers Efforts
to Destroy Fails
by a Worker Correspondent

w - - VI NO. W. 60 ffbHtANttkf
PHILADELPHIA (By MaiD.-
The sum total result of the Sigman
clique to unionize the waist and
dressmakers in their ultra-reacticn-
ary union has been the constant is
suance of circulars warning the
workers against the Communists.
That the dressmakers are ignor-
ing HICKMAN and his crew of Sig
nantes was evidenced by a large
and enthusiastic mass meeting at
tended by more than 500 workers
held here recently by the National
Organization Committee.
Laugh at S:gman.
The warning circulars were held
up to the audience, who laughed in
derision.
Levine, organizer of the new
union in Philadelphia, was the first
speaker and he told of the false eff
forts of HICKMAN to organize for
the A. F. of L., as all the active,
alert elements among the dressmsk-
ers. native workers who had for
many years refused to join the Sig
man Union. are now joining the
Waist and Dressmakers of the N.
0. c.
HICKMAN has been chased out of
Boston, New York and elsewhere,
and he is due to go from Phila-
delphia.
Both Levine and Sacks, the next
speaker, pointed out the necessity
Of hard, constructive work to be
done in Philadelphia.
Real Union.
A real workers union is needed
and wanted in Philadelphia. This
is the sentiment of the many new
workers who are coming daily into
the N. O. C. headquarters at AZ N.
Ninth st. to join the union. These
new union members are workers
who have left the Sigman clique in
disgust and others who have never
before belonged TO a union, but re-
alize the necessity of it now.
And none of them are frightened
off by the hue and cry, Beware the
Communists" For this is rank
and file union. The executive
boards MESSAGE to the mass meet
ing was that the organization of the
new union was due to necessity and
not to fun, and that it was matter
of livelihood or starvation. to the
workers in the industry to be sue
cessfully organized.
Esther Miller, one of the rank
and file miltarts amongst the dress
makers, made an impassicned and
tervent address, showing how the
A. F. Of L. is trying to poison the
minds of many workers by calling
members of the new union Com
rlunists." "Who are these Commu-
nists?" asked miller. "They are
workers. And who are the officials
Of the Sigman clique? They are
scabs." These statements were
loudly applauded by the dressmak-
ers.
Shows Up Sigman.
Koretz, one of the organizers of
tie N. 0. C. in New York City. then
spoke. He pointed out that the Sig
man A. F. of L. Union in Philadel-
phia has degenerated from a strong
onion of 5000 to a paper member
ship of 500. He told the workers
how the same union had similar rec
crds in other cities.
Louis Hyman, the chief speaker
of the evening, held up before the
audience leaflet issued by the Sig
man Union, Local So This leaflet
makes all kinds of pretenses and
accusations and calls itself the only
"genuine" union.
Hyman asked: "Who are the A.
F. of LIZ" GLOW many workers
have they organized in Philadel-
phia ?" He said: "They print the
A. F. of L. seal and warn the work
: ers that this is the only genuine
Union seal"
eff So" asked Hyman. chow about
the Amalgamated Clothing Work
crs? How about the Railroad
BrStherhoods Are they not also
unions? And yet they do not have
the A. F. of L. seal, are in no way
aftiliated with the A. F. of L."
LYMAN was loudly cheered by the
workers.
The most recent circular is a
rathetic attempt to load lot OF
hunk upon workers who are having
hard time making both ends meet
However, this effcrt has not met
with any success whatever, but has
reacted against the Sigmanites like
a boomerang
This circular is a four-page pink
leaflet. The first page consists OF
the lines, in bold letters, "A Warn
mg in Time|
The two inside pages would be
-eally very funny, only one senses
hat desperate though futile at
,empt is being made by a dy ng
Bureaucracy, whose officials are
losing their lucrative Jobs.
c. RABIN.