The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-11-26
The Dress Makers on the Eve
of New Struggles
Article No. 2.
BY /. WEISSBERG.

IN reviewing the objective conditions in the dress
i trade as in the previous article. one must
come to the conclusion that a general strike
is the only method through which the conditions
of thu workers in the trade will improve The
second convention of the Needle Trades Work
ers Industrial Union, on the basis of this analy-
sis decided to begin mobilization for strike.
In line with this decision the union is now pro-
ceedng with all preparations for a dress strike
during the coming season.
To successfully prepare the strike, It Is neces-
cary not only to have the correct analysis of the
problems confronting the workers, but also to
formulate demands that aim to remedy the evils
in the trade around which the workers can be
modified for the strike, to organize rank and
file committees to carry through the prepara-
tons for the strike, and to raise the financial
means necessary for the struggle.
The following are the strike demands of the
cressmakers, as formulated by the Shop Dele
gates Council and approved by the membership
meeting:
Week work instead of the existing piece
work system. The workers in the dress trade
cannot continue under the piece work system,
under which their wages are reduced almost
daily The dressmakers must not permit the
bosses to decide on the prices for their work The
dressmakers must not tolerate the competition
for the bundle, that arises out of the piece work
system and compels the workers to speed each
other up. Week work will solve this evil.
2-Guaranteed minimum wage scales for all
workers in the shop, so that the worker may
know that the boss must pay him a certain
definite wage a thing which is impossible under
the piece work system
3.-The 7-hour, 5-day week. In order to at
least partially alleviate the unemployment in
the dress trade, it is necessary to cut down the
working hours The thousands of unemployed
workers must be convinced that victory in the
coming strike will give them greater possibilities
for securing job The demand for the 7-hour
5-day week will make possible the mobilization
of the employed and unemployed for the coming
struggle. 1t is in the interests OF both the en-
ployed as well as the unemployed workers to
fight for a shorter day so as to provide more
jobs for the workers in the trade.
4-Unemployment Insurance paid by the
bosses and controlled by the workers.
5.-The union is also demanding guaranteed
minimum wage scales for the young workers and
a sliding scale of increases for them, so that
their apprenticeship terminates at fixed period,
when they will have become ful-fledged work.
ers In connection with the young workers, the
union further demands two 15-minute rest per-
iods during the day, and full pay for the time
spent in continuation school.
All workers are agreed that these chief de-
mands are justified demands that aim to par
TALLY wipe out the terrible conditions of the
workers in the trade However there are some
workers who question the possibility of the union
to mobilize the workers around these demands,
which according to their opinion are too radical,
that the industrial union is not sufficiently
strong to fight the united front of the bosses,
the police, the courts, the company union and
the underworld, and lead the struggle of the
dressmakers to victory. The only answer we
can give to those sceptics is that SO long as we
will be in constant fear of the mighty enemy
and hesitate to organize for struggle for def
mite demands that call for the abolition of the
present evils, our enemies will continue to make
further inroads on the conditions Of the workers
The mobilization of the workers in united
struggle for their justified demands is the only
method for destroying the power of the enemy
and win decent conditions for the workers.
Lovestone Treachery.
The organized Lovestone opposition in the
union, which has definitely come out against the
union demands, must be distinguished from the
other workers who express their disagreement
with some of the demands The Lovestoneites
oppose these demands consciously. They are
consistent in their treachery of the workers
They stubbornly refuse to recognize the mass
unemployment. They attempt to minimize the
extent of the speed-up system In line with the
old takers of the A. F. of L., they talk about
bad conditions but refuse to take any steps to
improve them. The workers, they maintain, are
too weak and terrorized and will not fight for
the demands of the union. They fall in line with