Montana labor news., 1932-05-12
CLOTH HAT WORKERS SHOW WAY
TO PROSPERITY
WAGES INCREASED

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The extraordinary spectacle of a labor union, in the midst of present ad-
verse economic conditions, turning the tide of wagecuting, unemployment
and debased working conditions into actual wage increases, equalization of
employment, a labor contract that would serve IS a model for any indus
was offered recently by the embattled members of the Cloth Hat Cap and
Millinery Workers international Union in the millinery trade of Greater
New York.
The achievement is considered extraordinary by every impartial obser-
yer, many of whom declare that it furnishes heartening proof that the ap.
parently relentless advance of wage cutting and other evils can be stopped
by a determined group of workers, prepared to fight and make the neces-
say sacrifices.
Within the space of a few weeks, the millinery workers of New York
have been able to lnaugurate a universal o-aay 4onour week average
and minimum wage scales that provide a decent living, time and a half for
overtime, seven legal holidays and the creation of impartial machinery for
the settlement of disputes The union, during that period, indicted 1000
new members, brought 500 shops under union control and uprooted a
racket system which had preyed upon the industry; 1t also forced two
fake Opposition" unions, created by racketeers and employers, out of
existence. The union, also during the same period, organized the craft
of girl trimmers, always difficult to unionize. 1t has left the door open
to further consideration under the Collective Agreement of an unemploy-
ment insurance fund.
about through the workers W efforts. The needle trades, in the past,
had been cursed with mercenaries. This time, 1000 volunteers, under the
command of the Union officials, armed only with determination and grit,
swept scab nests from their strongholds and defed the gangsters pistol
and the blackjack of the thug.
The campaign followed futile appeals to the Hofstadter Investigating
Committee and to the district attorneys office to rid the industry of its
underworld elements. The job developed upon the aroused workers them
selves and they did not rest until they had done it completely.
At the beginning of the year, at the instance of President William Green
of the American Federation of Labor, Max zaritsky, president of the Cloth
Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers International Union, and other millinery
officers met with the Womens Headwear Group to negotiate a collective
labor agreement. The association comprised the more enlightened EN-
ployers who offered n great obstacles in the way of a decent labor COM
An important consideration, however as the irresponsible element in
the TaOe, protected " Sdugotelsf WIZ nhBH uuAiy nc SiicS" VI NN
agreement, by underwriting and offering destructive competition to the
association OIL labor costs.
After a number of conferences, presided over by Raymond " Ingersol
that brilliant negotator appointed by Leut-Gov. Herbert H. Lehman at the
request of both parties, a notable agreement as reached.
The compact provides, among other things, that only members in good
standing with the union be employed in union shops; all those 10 10
members must enroll not later than May LIST. Work must be equally
distributed and non shall be given out to or purchased from contractors.
Minimum scales, which are lot to affect the wages of those receiving
above the minimum, are $500 a week for cutters; $500 for operators;
$500 for blockers and $500 for trmners. The minimum rate for piece
workers is $500 a hour for operators; s1O an hour for trimmes, while
blockers are to be paid al a rate to be determined by a joint investigation.
The fye-day, 40hour week is to be established; overtime is % be paid
at the rate of time and a half, but 20 is to be permitted unless all the
workers are employed full time and all available work benches arr fully
occupied. The workers are to be paid for seven legal holidays. No worker
may be discharged without sufficient aust DR. reason nr until opportunity
has been given for joint investigation of the reason for such discharge.
Both sides agree there shall not be a strike II lockout during the two
YEAR, life of the agreement All matters in controversy shall be adjusted
by a joint machinery provided for in the agreement. The union also has
the option to call for the creation of a joint committee to consider the IS
tabishment Of an unemployment insurance fund and any other lew mat
tes of mutual concern which may arise.
This is, evidently a model labor contract, but it wa important to pro-
t@t it from the Inscriptions in the trade who would be intent upon
tearing it down. While the conferences were going o with the assoca-
ton, the union had created a volunteer organization committee of 700 to
mop up the non-union and racket centers of the trade. Facing every o n
ceivabe danger, these courageous men and women went into virtually every
scab nest in the trade and brought the workers down. The committee
a augmented to 1000 and the workers remaining in the shops volun-
teered to make up their wages while working for the union.
1t became evident that a general stoppage as imperative to give the
union a opportunity to cleanse the industry. Several days prior to
March II, a shop charmen's meeting a. held in historic Cooper Union
where they received final instructions. The hall was damned to overflow
ing, while non-union shops marked in to register with the union.
Promptly at 1000 A. M. on March II, nearly $4,000 men and women
quit their places and marched to Mecca Temple. Despite the rain, the
streets of the millinery district were black with humanity as the stoppage
call "a answered Traffic was completely congested as the strikers
marched, cheering and singing, to the great meeting hall.
Only 1000 workers could get into the place, 1000 into the main audi
torium, and the remainder in a hall below the stage. The spirit at the
meeting had ever been equaned by similar gatherings of the needle
trades, according to observers present. Veteran reporters openly showed
their enthusiasm, while representatives of the American Federation of
Labor. the Socialist PARTY and other fraternal rouns mad 10 secret
of their admiration. They admitted they had not een such enthusiasm,
such a militant spirit in recent years.
The keynote of the meeting was the deathknel of racketeerng in the
in place of President Green who, unfortunately could not attend, wa moved