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The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, January 18, 1913, Image 5

Image and text provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1913-01-18/ed-1/seq-5/

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ONE BRANCH GARMENT WORKERS' STRIKE SETTLED
BECAUSE UNION SHOWED ITS STRENGTH
New York, Jan. 18. An un
usual state of mind on the part of
the employers was disclosed
through the settlement of one di
vision of the great garment work
ers' strike today.
The manufacturers' and em
ployes' committees of the waist
and dressmaking trade came to
an agreement under which 25,000
workers will return to the shops
Monday.
It was then learned that the
manufacturers and union leaders
had agreed three weeks ago to
test the strength of the union by
calling out the workers.
President Bartholomew of the
manufacturers' association told
the union that the manufacturers
would gladly grant the increase
in wage and other demands if the
union could show it controlled the
majority of the workers.
At that time the union had only
2,000 actual members in the waist
and dressmaking trade. In two
weeks the membership had gone
up to 13,000.
As soon as the manufacturers
realized the union's power to
control the workers, their agents
went into every shop and advised
every girl to join the union.
Then the strike was called,
chiefly in in order to pull out the
workers in the shops not associat
ed with the Manufacturers As
sociation, most of - which are
sweatshops.
"It is in the shops outside our
association," said Bartholomew,
'Jhat conditions against' which
the unions are protesting are at
their worst. We feel it is for the
best interests of the trade that
the union should be helped to
give a demonstration of its
strength.
"Now that the union has
shown us it is a legitimate labor
organization, with a true purpose
of helping its members, and not
an organization run by its leaders
for their own profit, the members
of the Manufacturers' associa
tion are glad to abide by all rea
sonable propositions advanced on
behalf of our employes." .'
The strikers were granted their
demands for general increase in
wages on a sliding scale, better
hours and fire protection. The
Manufacturers' Assoc iation,
which agreed to these terms con
trols 75 per cent of the waist and
dressmaking shops affected by
the strike.
Several times today the police
charged down on girl strike
pickets, and broke, half a dozen
heads. The police used their
clubs right and left.
The mayor and police depart
metn still are refusing to give the'
girls protection from the white
Lslavers who are working amongst
them.
Mass Meeting to Be Held.
A mass meeting of the .Chicago
garment workers will be held in
Hod Carriers' hall, Harrison and
Green streets, next Tuesday
night.
If it be shown at that meeting

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