The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-10
Blue Eagle Struts
Proudly on Streets
Of Nelv York Citu

business and is perfectly capable o,
enforcing its decisions"
As for unfair business practices
the retail codesters have been SC
thorough in their investigations Of
complaints that they have sent shop.
pers about the city pricing all kind.
OF goods.
Fake bankruptcy and going
out-of- business sales, misbrand-
/, ing Of goods, and other common
lodges Of inscriptions merchants
have been halted in every case in
which complaint has been lodg-
ed against them.
Mr.. Whalen himself Is proudest oil
his organizations accomplishments ir
the labor field.
Settled Garment Strikes
"Our outstanding achievement" he
says, was the early settling Of the
garment strikes, in which $4,000 needle
trades workers walked out. Mediation
of those strikes was the supreme test
locally, of the proposition that labor
could, and would, Cooperate"
New York's garment industry never
had been more than scatteringly un-
ionized. Hideaway sweatshops, child
labor, clashing union factions and the
schemes Of sub-contractors to dodge
labor laws kept the situation pretty
we'll out of hand
When the Blue Eagle first swooped
on the teeming midtown garment
section. the International Lady Gar
ment Workers Union ranked twenty
sixth in membership among the city S
labor organizations.
The strikes began early in August,
and the MIRA faced its most formid-
able problem right at the start Of its
own activity. Dress factory workers
walked out, 10000 strong. Embroidery
and underwear workers. about $4,000,
struck next.
Grover Whalen and his men pre-
sided at hearings night and day, for
weeks. One by one the different
branches Of the industry resumed
operation. and in every case labor was
benefited.
Wages Are Boosted
The work week, which had been
virtually unlimited was reduced to 48
and 50 hours. Pitifully low wages Of
many employees were increased as
much as 100 per cent in reaching the
SIS minimum.
A minimum wage also was eStab-
lished for unskilled as we'll as skilled
labor.
Sweatshops and home work
practically were abolished. So
was child labor. with the working
age limit raised to Is years. From
= membership Of 10000. with .
ranking Of twenty-sixth, the gar
ment union membership rose to
l75,0OO and third place In strength.
Up to Nov. l, when the Regional
Labor Board took over the work Of
the city committee. settlement had
been made Of IS strikes involving ESQ.,
600 employees, total weekly payroll of
5000 900. and affecting the livelihood
Of some 100000 persons.
Since Nov. l, the Regional Labor
OO0AA 4A0S0 oLGtlCA A1O otA AACSy dVCA VGA
%, and thus has kept approximately
q 900 workers at their jobs.
RacketS Still Alive
Labor's opposition to the NRA in
New York has been negligible. with
few such examples as the food work.
ers and walters unions threat to
cause a New Years Eve strike of $780,
600 persons as protest against the
restaurant code when 1t was awaiting
the signature of the president.
In spite Of Mr.. Whalen's statement
that there have been only a few cases
in which there was even a suspicion
Of racketeering. there is considerable
newspaper evidence that some labor
unions still are victimized by racke-
teers.