The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-07-22

This was clear from the deVe
the hearings in Washington o
reports from the delegates Of
Industrial Union who came to
present the demands of the
rank and file cloakmakers to
he Recovery Administration.
Louis Hyman, veteran fight
err for the needle workers, was given
the floor at the final session of the
hearing today after Earl Dean How
ard, the recovery administrator, was
no longer able to evade the emphatic
demands of the Industrial Union
delegation to permit their spokes-
man the floor. Lyman was not per-
mitted speech, however. He must
only answer specific questions put
before him, Howard ruled. Lyman
protested but took the opportunity
offered to bring forward the main
points in the cloakmakers program
covering week-work, minimum wag-
es, guaranteed number Of weeks of
work per year, maximum hours.
| To Towards first question as to
whom he represented, Hyman replied
that he represented an organization
Of workers in the needle trades with
membership of more than 10000 of
which 5000 are cloakrnakers paying
dues to the Industrial Union. "The
majority of the cloaklnakers in the
International Ladies' Garment Work
ers' Union are there because they
are compelled to belong to the IN
ternational," LYMAN declared. I'm
reality they support the policies OF
the Industrial Union" Lyman der
MED that the cloakmakers are mem
bers of the International voluntarily
as Dubinsky had testified. LYMAN
also declared that If the cloakmak-
ers had been free to choose their
delegates to represent them in WASH
ington they would have chosen rep
resentatives Of the Industrial Union
to present their demands.
Week Work Only Guarantee of
Living Wage
In presenting the cloakmakers' de-
mands for week work, Lyman de-
clared that week work was the only
guarantee Of living wage.
Exposes Misuse of Funds
mo union conditions could ever be
enforced on the basis of the piece
work system for the worker has ne
way of telling what he will earn
LYMAN emphasized-while exposinr
the I. L. G. w. officials support o.
piece work.
The high point of Hyman's testi.
mony came in his discussion of un.
employment insurance. He created
a sensation when he exposed the mis-.
handling of the unemployment in.
stlrance fund in 1927. He told how
the bosses, through various lega
I tricks gave Sigman, then president
OF the International, the opportunit,
to misuse the fund of S650,00O which
was set aside for unemployment in.
surance for the workers. Howard
pounded vigorously on the table. de.
claring that Hyman would not b
permitted to continue making charge.
against anyone. In sharp rotor
Hyman stated that he was not max,
ing charges, but was presenting fact.
and challenged the bosses who wer,
gathered at the hearing to deny thest
facts.
In subsequent questioning, Hymar
showed why the demand of the In.
ternational for 30-hour week was
gesture, a paper demand which tn,
officials had no intention Of gettin,
for the workers. On the other hand
the Industrial Union recognized tina
the workers would not be able II
force a $55 minimum wage for 3,
hours Of work a week from tn,
bosses and was therefore fighting TO
a 33-hour week with no reduction ii
pay, which it intends to win. Wha
the International Union wants, Hy
man pointed out, was an extended
stagger plan.
Hyman presented the demands o
the cloakmakers for the right +
strike and to belong to union O
their own choice and for guaran
tee Of rs weeks work year.
International officials, followin
Hyman's testimony, showed the eff
fects of the heavy verbal Sledge
hammer blows delivered by Hymar
The session closed following How
ards announcement that anothe
. hearing would be called If it wa
considered necessary leaving tn
door open for government interyen
ton in the event of strike.