30,000 Cloakmakers Vote in Big Strike
30,000 Cloakmakers Vote in Big Strike Cloak Bosses Seek Parley But Won't Yield As Yet Comifeiunisto Fail to Disrupt Great Strike Mass Meeting Tuesday — A Battle for Decency While...
...the Milwaukee Federation of Hosiery Workers...
...McKeown, president" of the Philadelphia Hoaiery Workers...
...A state campaign committee was selected with H. W. Walbrldge of Bennington as state chairman and Henry A. Cheney, 61 Pleasant street, Rutland, as state secretary...
...Lynn Thompson, member of the Minneapolis School board} Elmer Libert, president of the Milwaukee machinists, No...
...The meeting was solidly for a strike vote and one-hundred per cent for the demands of the union...
...It Is political folly for the National Council to persist In their disaffiliation mania...
...While the strike vote was under way, however, George W. Alger, Impartial Chairman of the Cloak and Suit industry, was holding a series of conferences at his office seeking to effect a settlement without the turmoil of a strike...
...If the recommendation is persisted In I am afraid the result will be injurious to the I. L. P. and harmful to the future of Socialism...
...Midwest Supporter...
...For six years he was president of Vermont Federation of Labor, and he has long been an active Socialist...
...Alger's office, "but it's only a hope...
...tlonal advlfory . cjpuncll ft...
...result was a large amount of unemployment of men for whom the newer and scantier styles provided no work, and a consequent weakening of union standards, while tat Communist forays In the union left the treasury bankrupt and the members in no spirit to wage further battles...
...The employers willingly entered Into conferences with Mr...
...Whether they like it or not their proposal for disaffiliation is nothing more than' a foolish1 scheme to split the I. L. P." Dollan adds that "it would seem stupid to biff the I. L. P. because one has a quarrel with the Labor party over something which Mr...
...J. Plepenhagen, of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers la Milwaukee, and Leo Krayckl, member of the general executive board of the A. C. W. and an organizer for the United Textile Workers...
...Henry R. Linvllle, president of the Teachers' Union of New Jfork City...
...Dollan says "The National Council of the I. L. P. nave probably realized by this time that there Is no enthusiasm for their proposal to withdraw from the Labor party...
...In later years other strikes still further Improved conditions in the garment industry unto it was considered a model, but radical changes In women's styles and Communist disruption combined to weaken the union and to cut down the number of men employed in the trade...
...Alger, but they were not a* willing to agree to...
...The first step looking toward the strike was taken Tuesday when the 165th Regiment armory, at 24th street and Lexington avenue, was jammed with members of the union who listened to their spokesmen and determined that they would strike if they could win their just demands in no other way...
...Eastern trade unionists who are helpingN organize the committee Include Emll Rieva, president of the American Federation of Full Fashioned Hosiory Workers and a vice-president of the United Textile Workers...
...J. J. Handley...
...Jf...
...Labor Leaders Favor Thomas * In the west, James D. Graham, president of the Montana State .Federation of Labor...
...Plans will be made for meetings for Norman Thomas in Vermont at Bennington and Rutland on August 15 and Barre and possibly Burlington on August 16...
...the demands of the workera for a further step away from the sweating system...
...James Maxton (Parliamentary leader of the I. L, P.) and Mr...
...Already there Is abundant evidence that the rank and file are not going to allow themselves to be dragged Into- a civil war with the Labor party...
...Samuel S. White, secretary of the Central Labor Union of Bakersfleld, California, and H. H. Freedheim, vicepresident of the Idaho State Federation of Labor, have joined in sponsoring the League...
...We hope it will be followed not only by members of the I. L. P. but by all determined Socialists who have not so far associated themselves with the I. L. P." Labor Leaders Pledge Support To Thomas Milwaukee Central Body Joins Labor League for Socialist Candidate CHICAGO.—With the endorsement of Its purpose by the Federated Trades Council of Milwaukee and the addition of the names of a number of prominent trade unionists, the Labor League for Thomas and Maurer has begun to assume proportions that promise to bring much strength to the Socialist presidential ticket...
...By so doing they will wreck the I. L. P. in such a manner as may make it Impossible for the party to recover...
...The I- L. P. has been prepared to wait nine months to test whether there has been any real change in the mind of the Labor Party leadership...
...At the same time there Is widespread opposition to the break in I. L. P. circles, most vehemently expressed in the Glasgow "Forward"-by-Pr Jv ^ollan, a leading party worker In Scotland...
...The I. L. P. will hold a special national convention at Bradford July 30th and 31st to take up the Issues raised by the break, and to call upon the membership either t^ ratify or reject the action of their executive...
...League...
...There may be a possibility of reaching an adjustment," said Dublnsky, after leaving Mr...
...At the same time, true to their tactics of seeking to set the efforts of all non-Communists at naught, a noisy band of ' Communists sought to crash into the meeting and to break it up, as they have broken up mbny another labor meeting for no reason whatever, except that they are not running things...
...IfMhe week-work system and limitation of contractors cannot be achieved without a strike, he said, the union members were ready to Institute another In the long series of battles through which the ladies' garment workers slowly battled and overcame the vilest sweat-shop conditions and Instituted something like order and decency in the industry...
...The chairmen of the I. L. P. and the I. L. P. Parliamentary Group have given the lead...
...This Is the first time ia some years that the union'felt prepared to wage a fight to re-establish the high-grade union conditions that so long characterized the shops III which members of that magnificent union do their work...
...In an editorial In the official organ of the I. L. P., A. Fenner Brockway, editor and chairman of the party, says: "The pitiful failure of the Labor Government is now openly recognized In circles which were silent when a protest might have saved the situation...
...Jac Fricdrlch, labor editor of the MUwaukee Leader...
...Leaders Cheered The vast throng of earnest and determined workers at the meeting cheered the defiant speeches of President David Dublnsky of the I. L. O. W. U, of Isidore Nagler, of Matthew Woll, vice-president of the A. F. of L, speaking on behalf of President Green, of Jacob Panken, and others...
...Those from the middle west who are pushing formation of the League include Andrew Burt, president of the Detroit carpenters' local, No...
...Jasper McLevy, Socialists Name Labor Official For Governor Fred Suitor, Quarry* men's Official, Heads Ticket, With Maehinists' Official for Lieut...
...George Lansbury (Parliamentary leader of the Labor Party) have both declared to be of minor significance...
...Police cooperated with union officials in keeping out of the armory all persona except bonaflde paid-up members of the union, who could show by their cards that they had legitimate business in the place...
...30,000 Cloakmakers Vote in Big Strike Cloak Bosses Seek Parley But Won't Yield As Yet Comifeiunisto Fail to Disrupt Great Strike Mass Meeting Tuesday — A Battle for Decency While negotiations looking toward a peaceful settlement of difficulties with their employers are under way, close to 30,000 New York cloakmakers, members of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union are taking a vote on whether or not to go out on a great general strike, thus again tying up the Industry in a battle for decency in Industry...
...Goventor of Vermont RUTLAND, Vt—Fred W..Suitor, old-time Soclalls' and veteran trade union official, was named as candidate for Governor by the Socialist party at its state convention here...
...This is the meaning of a cautious statement in the leading I. L. P. paper defending the break...
...A Series of Battles If the strike is called it will be another of a aeries that began Just 22 years ago, when the late Meyer London, as counsel for the union, led a brilliantly successful strike of 60,000 men who struck the first blow at the then all-prevailing sweatshop...
...1102...
...secretary of the Wisconsin State Federation of Labor...
...The league proposes to reach every trade union local in the country, by personal contact or by mall, with a presentation of the Socialist platform and the labor records of Norman Thomas, presidential nominee, and his runningmate, James H. Maurer, for 16 years president of the Pennsylvania...
...State Federation of Labor...
...Alger's efforts...
...The strike won a great deal of sympathetic support on the part of the general public, even so wealthy a man as the late Jacob H. Schlff contributing heavily to the strike fund and speaking at strike meetings...
...Acting Governor Herbert H. Lehman, according to Dubinsky, would be willing to mediate the differences If called upon...
...British Socialists Divided On I. L P. Split With Labor (Ry ii .Vriu .j./n Coireaiiondext) LONDON.—The u n d e r 1 y 1 n'g cause of the break between the Independent Labor Party and the Labor Party, the most sensational event in Labor circles since the breakdown of the Labor government last August, is the fact that the I. L. P. maintains that it sees no real change in Labor party leadership since Premier MacDonald undertook to lead the Tory party and smashed political Labor into pieces in the process...
...The strike followed the famous battle of 35,000 young girls in the waist and dress Industry in 1909 and 1910, which resulted in the first agreements between workers and their employers for a closed union shop in the garment trades...
...John Banachowltz, president of...
...But can any other conclusion be reached from the attitude of the leaders of the Labor Party than the conviction that they do not yet realize how they have betrayed the working class and the cause of Socialism or the need for a revolutionary policy to meet the collapse of Capitalism ? "Sincere Socialists can wait no longer...
...Ready to Negotiate Dubinsky said that union officials had no desire to precipitate a strike, and would prefer a peaceful settlement, but that there would be no compromise on the issues...
...Samuel E. Levin, manager of the Chicago Joint board of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers...
...Powers Hapgood, of the International Federation of Technical Engineers...
...Suitor is International Secretary-Treasurer of the Quarry Workers' Union, and a legislative agent of the Vermont Federation of Labor...
...and Oliver C. Carruth, for nine years assistant editor of the International Labor News Service...
...David Bapoaa, of the faculty of Brook wood...
...Krayckl this week wrote to editors of labor papers inviting them to accept membership on the na...
...The ostensible cause of the break is a purely technical dispute over Standing Orders, or parliamentary discipline, and generally speaking that is the only subject discussed either In that paper or in the "Dally Herald," official organ of the Labor party...
...The candidate for Lieutenant Governor Is Norman Oreenslet of Bennington, member of the International Association of Machinists, and also a life-long Socialist...
...Union officials have as yet set no date for the walk-out to win the demands of the union, namely a week-work system in place of piece-work, and the limitation of contractors...
...Herman F. Nelsner, for three years international president of the Plate Printers' International Union...
...The officials, if and when the strike vote Is taken and is In favor of a general strike, will hold that yote as their main weapon in their negotiations, if the employers and union officials are brought together by Mr...
...Trade union leaders of many Industries from all sections of the country have given their enthusiastic support to the formation of the Labor League for Thomas and Maurer...
...Henry A. Winkler, president of the Metal Trades Council of Jollet, Illinois...
Vol. 14 • July 1932 • No. 3
