The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-01

opportunity TO take advantage OF the
widespread discomfort among the
workers as well as the contractors
These racketeers have formed what
is called the Metropolitan Dress Con-
tractors Association. Among the mi
tiators of this racketeering organ
ization were also designated agents OF
the IL.G.W.U. leaders. This fact is
generally known in the dress district
The establishment of this organiza-
ton with the secret backing of the
IL.G.WU. leaders constituted but
another attempt on the part of the
leaders Of the International together
with group of well known racket
GERS to put over in different form
the same arrangement for Fleeing
both the workers and the contractors,
and to inveigle many dressmakers
back into the defunct dress section
Of the I.L.G.WU.
Many contractors aligned them
selves with the Metropolitan, not
knowing the nature of the organiza-
ton and really hoping that this or
ganization would secure for them
higher prices from the jobbers. Many
more, however, have been intimidated
into joining through the well known
racketeering methods
LL.G.W.U. Leaders with Racket
The Needle Trades Workers In
dustrial Union had exposed the rack
eteering nature of the Metropolitan
Dress Contractors Association, the
notorious characters behind it and
their connections with the leaders OF
the IL.G.W.U. at a time when this
association was yet in the process of
formation. For the past several
months, the Industrial Union has
been pointing out this situation to
the dreSsmakerS, and are modifying
both the members of the Needle
Trades Workers Industrial Union and
the members of the I.L.G.W.U. for
struggle against the racketeers. On
the other hand, the leaders of the
International have at no time until
today told the workers the racketeer-
ing nature of the Metropolitan. In
stead of that, some of them, as for
Isl4s w CCAACNOhyy 1ldNC CNCAL
declared that through the MetropoIi-
tan they would build up their union!
However, as a result of the persis-
tent exposures of the Metropolitan as
a racketeering organization and as a
result of the ever increasing pressure
on the part of the dressInakers, re-
sulting in delegation of I.L.G.W.U.
members appearing before the Dress
Joint Board of the IL.G.WU. On
Wednesday, Jan. Is, demanding their
public reputation of the racketeers,
HICKMAN together with the other
leaders of the IL.G.W.U., have finally
been compelled to resort to a new
method Of concealing their racketeer-
ing activities. Seeing that their at
tempt to achieve their shady pur-
poses through the Metropolitan has
been exposed, these burocrats are
now resorting to the building up of a
new combination of forces, which
would serve the interests of the real
bosses in the dress trade Just as ef-
fectively as the Metropolitan racket.
The conference of representatives
Of the Jobbers Association, the Asso-
citation OF Dress Manufacturers and
HICKMAN which took place, had as its
purpose to revive the defunct aSsocia-
ton Of Dress Manufacturers as well
as the defunct dress department OF
the IL.G.W.U.
N.T.WI.U. win Fight
In a statement appearing in the
'women's Wear Daily of Jan. &c
HOFFMAN declares that the Interna-
tional would take the present con-
ditions into account" This has only
one meaning, namely, that the In
ternatioual would perpetuate the
prevailing miserable conditions of the
workers in the dress trade, as a re-
turn for which the jobiess shall as
sist the leaders of the I.L.G,W.U. to
force the workers to belong to their
organization.
The Needle Trades Workers Indus
trial Union will continue to expose
racketeering, no matter under what
form it parades. We will continue to
mobilize the dressmakers and all
other needle trades workers to fight
the jobbers for better conditions in
the shops and to unite the ranks OF
all dressmakers irrespective of their
union affiliations for a joint strug-
gle for better conditions in the trade,