The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-02-02
The Coming Needle Strike

general strike in the dress trade significant ways
than 1t indicates that the Needle Trades Workers
Industrial Union organized little month ago the
ruins of the international Ladies' Garment Workers Union
and the international Fur Workers Union ready to fight
with words but with deeds for the interests of the needle
trades workers 1t indicates that the Needle Trades
Workers Industrial Union far from being paper union
the yellow Forward has been franticay insisting has be-
hind the support of fighting rank and file that will rally
those other thousands of needle trades workers whom the
corruption and betrayal of the officials of the international
Ladies' Garment Workers Union and the International Fur
Workers Union have cast into the slough of apathy and
pessnsm.
1--WE are readyr shouted the thousands with voice
Wednesday night The dressmakers stand readyand the
coakmakers furriers and all other needle workers with
them-to fight against all their enemies whether those
carry the gold watch and chain of the boss the club
of the police the torch of the socialist party AS in 1909
when the revolt of 10000 dressmakers paved the way for
the great strike of 1910 which to large extent broke down
the sweatshop and marked the rise of the L. G. W. IT,
1929 these workers have been cast in the role of the
vanguard of the struggles of the needle trades fighting
against mercess sweatshop SYSTEM fighting
against the reahery which has converted the onceoweru
International into company union and subjected thousands
of workers to slavery widespread and intense han
any they knew before the 1909 strike.
The frantic efforts of the scab International its $50
ciaist president Benjamin Schlesnger and the yellow
Jewish Daily Forward save off the dress strike by threats
lies and closer cooperation with the bosses and the police
department show how real is the CONSERVATION in the
of these conscious tools of the employers simultaneously
with this campaign of filthy SANDER Schlesnger has at
periodic Organization drives Organization for the Bosses
of couse and has begun peddng bonds to rehabtae his
bankrupt company union. Since the election campaign
Tammany bankers longer ready to turn
huge of money to their friends for fighting the left
wing and Schesinger and his socialist hope to
mut additional thousands out of workers
But the workers must not be fooled Every penny turned
to the Schesnger bond campaign to swell strike
breaking fund that will be used against the dressmakers in
the coming strike
The campaign of intimidation and SANDER reached its
height with the publication in the Forward of of the
e pieces of provocaton that has emanated from
that prostitute sheet On the front of the Forward
of JAM 25 appeared box signed Shesnger which stated
1T will go hard with the Communist sec and with
strke York the police
not yet Communists
No detective agency openshop corporation head could
have voiced the threat of capitalist government violence
against the workers brazeny than ths And in adj
dton to acting agents provocaeurs it is evident from
statements appearing in Women Wear organ of the
facurers that the Schesnger clique also have under
standing with the BOSSES Womens Wear of JAM 80 states:
"The Association" e the Manufacturers
Assocaon has recently entered into conactual relations with
the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union and is be-
eved that by concentrating work in shops affiliated with that
ganzaton most of the troubles be avoided"
Thus have the Holy Trinity the Socialist" union
officials the employers the Tammany police-a united front
of workers enemies.
haitian Opera House demonstration by the newly created
called international Dress Council with the strikebreaker
julius HICKMAN as head) urged:
"Dressmaker remember the achievements of the
Remember the heroic strikes of 1909 1918 1877"
Yes, Mr. HICKMAN, Mr. Schlesnger and all your strike
breaking the dressmakers will remember. They will
remember their glorious achievements of the pasand they
will also remember the part played to destroy them they
will remember the heroic strikes they wagedand your
miserable reachery The needle workers will forget nothing
When the Joint Board of the industrial union issues the
call for the general strike dressmaker must out
Every worker must to it that his shopmaes and the
workers in the other shops his building down 100
per cent.
This is strike not merely for the improving of working
conditions but every of the word for the Organza
ton of the the shop against the
scab beraye and for the Needle Trades Workers Industrial
Union.
1t contains lesson for all workers in this that the
clearly expressed unity here between the government
the socialist party and the old line mseaders of labor is
thing that must be expected in all the approaching struggles
of the unions miners textile needle trades and Others
Workers must be prepared for this combination of their
enemies.
The workers of the entire needle trades and of all sections
Of industry must not forget that the basic principles of
dustra unions conrasted with the DID, futile craft
unonsm and of conscious class struggle against class