Evening star., 1935-07-21
CITY Jobs AWAIT
SHIRT STRIKERS
Alexandria Mayor Pledges
Aid if Arbitration
Move Fails.
Nv . stan Correspondent of The Star.

.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, July 90
Ninety-five woman employees, striking
against alleged "sweat shop" condi-
tions in a shirt manufacturing plant
here, looked forward today to NUM-
cipally- provided Jobs should Mondays
arbitration meeting fail.
The band of grim women which has
been picketing the Century Manu-
featuring Co. plant for more than
week applauded and cheered Mayor E.
C, Dawson when he drove up yeSter-
day afternoon and announced he
would provide at least temporary work
for them during the dispute with their
employer, Morris Weinman Of Balti-
more.
Dawson issued an appeal to the
housewives of Alexandria to loan sew
ing machines to the striking workers
and promised he would establish
temporary shirt manufacturing shop
in the old county aims house, which
municipal workmen were clearing out
this afternoon.
Already Has Orders
He said "fair" wages would be pro-
vided through Virginia State welfare
and r. e. r. A. funds, and that the
strikers would make shirts to flll
orders he already had obtained. City
trucks were to collect sewing machines
loaned to the strikers.
Howard T. Colvin, Labor Depart
ment Cancellation commissioner, per-
suaded Weinman to meet committee
of six woman strikers at 2 pm. Mon
day in the plant, which has been
closed since the strike began.
The strikers declare they have been
subjected to three 10 per cent cuts
since the N. R. A. code was abandoned
about the first of June and that, ever
under the code, they worked for as
little as SO for SO hours of piecework
Heat Declared Intense.
They charged they were obliged tc
work under a fiat tin roof on the
second floor of the ramshackled build
ing in intense heat in Summer anc
inadequate heat in Winter.
The night and day picketing ha.
prevented removal in trucks of clotf
from which the shirts are manufac.
tured. Plans were to discontinue the
picketing at midnight tonight because
a city ordinance prevents the truck
ing of commercial goods without {
permit and city officials have giver
assurance that none will be issued
The picketing will be resumed at mid
night tomorrow, however, the striker!
said.
The women say e5 of the plant!
los employees have signed Amalgatec
Clothing Workers Union Cards dur,
ing the past week.
Pickets Watch for Trucks.
All day today, during the hotties
hours of the year. the women, youne
and old, maintained their picket
watching for trucks they believed tht
company would send to remove the
materials. They planned to place
themselves between the trucks anc
the building and be run down rather
than give way.
The women declared that Weinmar
told them he had no orders, coulC
make no profit and would have tt
close the plant unless they submitted
to the wage cuts. They insisted, how
ever, the plant had at least thret
rush orders for its work shirts anc
could run at capacity for weeks tt
come.
Children and friends of the striker.
brought them cooling drinks anc
sandwiches from meager larders. The
friendly and encouraging greetings Of
passers-by indicated the strikers hac
the sympathy of the community a!
well as that of the mayor and welfare
officials.