The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-12
Hatters Spurn
Novelty Work
Rate Slashes
Local 3 Members Vote
Fight for Regular
Price Scales

Close to 800 hatters of Local 8
of the United Hat, Cap and Mil
Nnery Workers International Union,
A. F. of L., voted Thursday to re-
fuse to work on so-called novelty"
hats, unless the full price, as paid
for regular hats, is paid by the
manufacturers. The meeting was
held at the Beethoven Hall, 30
East Fifth Street.
The novelty" hats have become
increasingly popular in the last few
months. The work on these hats is
somewhat easier than on regular
hats. The manufacturers used this
as an argument, when orders for
this grade of hats began to come
in, to request special price below
the regular bill of prices" from the
union for finishing.
They claimed that the men will
be able to earn more on these hats
than on the others, even at the
lower price. Coupled with this
argument a threat was made that
this work will be lost for the New
York shops and will go to out-of-
town shops If their request was not
granted.
This happened shortly after a
strike of six weeks in the trade and
at a time when there was little
work in the shops, although the
fall season was supposed to be in
full swing.
AS a result the bosses succeeded
in convincing the crew of the big
geSt shop in the city, the Manson
Hat Company, TOO Broadway, to
grant the request for special price,
namely, so cents per dozen for fin
ishing. Upon the insistence of the
shops crew, and in view of the
whole situation in the trade at that
time, all the members of the Execu-
tive Board of the unions, including
those connected with the rank and
file group, agreed to this request.
But it did not take long until the
men in the shops found out that
they had struck no bargain. The
work was no longer as easy as the
bosses claimed at the beginning it
would be, when they were bargain
ing for a lower price, and, what's
more-the bosses were trying to get
other work done for this low price
by labelling it Novelty" work.
The whole thing was brought to
head at the regular October meet
ing of the local. That meeting went
on record to back up the men in
the Manson shop, who had few
days before the meeting decided at
shop call (meeting) not to work
on the novelty" hats unless the
regular price were paid.
After this decision was made
struggle took place in the Manson
shop. The men knocked off from
work one day, after which the own
ers of that concern agreed to pay
the full price.
However, this victory was won
only after the manufacturers we're
promised by the officials, Mr.. Rich
ard M. Humphrey, president, and
Louis j. Africk, secretary of the
local, to call a special membership
meeting to reconsider the entire
question
This action was taken by the Of
ficials of the local without the
knowledge of the membership or of
the executive board. The commit
tee that was elected by the Man
son shop to negotiate the question
with the owners has shown weak
ness in agreeing with the officials
to call special meeting to recon-
slider the question.
This was certainly not in line
with the big speech delivered" by
Mr.. Max Finger, spokesman of the
Manson committee, at the October
meeting of the local, or his speech
at the special meeting last Thurs
day. No fiery speeches can cover
up his agreement with the policy
of dilly-dallying with the bosses
pursued by the officials.
AS result of this weakness in
the enforcement of the ruling of
the local the manufacturers gained
courage in their fight against it.
Encouraged by this, Mr.. Max
Schnell of the Perfect Hat Co., 297
Mercer Street, went even as far as
to attempt to cut the price on an
other grade of hats. The price of
fered by him was even lower than
what he paid before the October
local meeting.
The Thursday meeting gave the
proper answer to the moves of the
manufacturers and the dilly-dally-
ing policy of the officials, by voting
unanimously to stand by the former
action of the local.
The task of the men in the shops
is to see to it that the stewards and
the union officials check up on the
fulfillment of the decisions twice
adopted by the local. A stop should
be put to all this dilly- dallying. The
decisions of the union have to be
enforced. 1t is up to the member
ship to see that It is done.