JUNE 15, 1921)
91 (JUNE 15, 1921 THE WORKERS COUNCIL 90 THE WORKERS COUNCIL regulations were interfering with efficiency in the from the national body of their industry. The industry. Then joint conferences which were well union fighters tried to launch a United States on the way to working out these adjustments were Senatorial investigating committee against the mysteriously deadlocked. little while later the union, the first time a labor organization was ever peacefully inclined labor manager for the em so honored. As in the earlier New York talk of a ployers association was forced to resign, and a probe, they lost heart for the enterprise when the notorious union fighting attorney was retained, resolution was broadened to include the manufacafter denials, as advisor. On the heels of that came turers and retailers as well. As if it were provithe ultimatum already described. Only after this dentially timed to make up for the deficiency, the covert edict to commit hari kari was hurled back New York Lusk committee sprung its report on in the employers teeth by unanimous mass meet radical activities, pillorying the Amalgamated as ings in three cities, and the lockout of union mem one of nine great unions which were dangerous to bers had actually begun, did the belligerent em American life, principally, it seemed, because they ployers come out in the open with what they really were not armed bands of revolutionaries, but wanted. In the name of one of their number they only industrial unionists.
brought suit for a permanent injunction against On its side the union was equally active. Picketpicketing, for half a million dollars damages, and ing demonstrations including 3, 000 workers were for the dissolution of the union. The wolf had ceased held. Halis were hired where the membership asto discuss the alleged muddying of the waters. He sembled daily for addresses, entertainments, and to now admitted his desire to destroy the lamb. plan their defensive campaign. large legal departAltogether fifteen suits for damages aggregating ment was built up to meet the employers thrusts. 2, 400. 000 were entered against the Amalgamated. An international lockout resistance fund of Two suits asked for its dissolution. More than a 1, 000, 000, the largest ever known in trade union dozen and a half injunctions were demanded, and history, was called for, and in four months it went some of them were granted. The granting of one more than 50 per cent over the top. Six co operof these restraining orders was made the occasion ative stores were opened for the distribution of by the issuing judge, Justice Van Siclen, of his now groceries to the most needy and for their sale at famous confession with regard to the courts: reduced rates to those who could pay. The Union They must stand as the representatives of capi.
Health Center of the International Ladies Gartal, of captains of industry, devoted to the prin ment Workers Union initiated a comprehensive ciple of individual initiative protect property and system of medical assistance to locked out workers persons from violation and destruction; strongly and their families. Many a lockout baby owes his opposed to all schemes for the nationalization of in life today to the Baltimore girls who, although on dustry, and yet save labor from oppression. slack time themselves, began an emergency milk few shops attempted to operate with non union fund and spent their spare minutes making layettes.
labor, but met with dismal failure. They gradually New ground was broken in American labor conclosed down, sometimes assisted by wholesale Alicts by bringing a counter suit against the emwalkouts of their strike breakers, for even they ployers to prevent assault, defamation, and discould not stomach the conditions. Strong arm crimination against union members, and for 000, guards were advertised for and hired in large quan 000 damages. In every way possible the union built tities, and left their mark on many a picket. Charges up its morale and with unerring generalship counof graft were hurled at the union and its officers, tered the moves of the enemy.
and a State investigation was darkly hinted at. But Morale and generalship won. The lockout emwhen the union welcomed the suggestion, and vol ployers assaulting column lies shattered. Its unteered to put the probers on the trail of some would be union devouring leader and his legal adgood dope on the manufacturers, the charges visors have deserted the cohorts they led into undied like mildew in the sun.
willing battle, and are nursing their injured ambiWork was of course sent out of town. The very tions in wrathful silence. Their erstwhile followers men who in New York were denouncing the Amalhave lost at least 10, 000, 000 worth of business, and gamated for Sovietism sought to get coats and are late in opening their fall season. The union, on pants made in Chicago on the plea that the garthe other hand, has gained every point it fought for.
ments were for Soviet Russia. Wherever workers It keeps its organization, it keeps its conditions, it found that they were tricked into making up goods keeps the right to a voice in the management of infor the union fighting employers of the metropdustry. It may have spent 2, 000, 000 in the strugolis, they refused to continue. In Philadelphia this gle, but it has reaped rich returns in growth of refusal was joined in by 6, 000 men and women, and union spirit, in solidarity, and in the consciousness netted the Amalgamated a thousand new members.
of unconquerable strength.
The New York lockout employers tried to carry The real issue behind the fight was the effort to the war into Africa hy egging the manufacturers destroy the Amalgamated, in New York by all in other cities to join the anti union movement. In means, throughout the country if possible. That this Boston they succeeded, and partly in Baltimore. was the motive behind the opening of hostilities is In every other large clothing center the factory shown by the gradual development of the employmanagers who had agreements with the union held ers demands, the attempts to drag the rest of the to them. The net result of the New York manu country into the fight, and the culminating suit for facturers out of town campaign was to isolate themi the disbanding of the union. It is shown also by the statements of the presidents of both the New sought in various ways to cripple the Amalgamated York and the Boston clothing manufacturers asso in its hour of trial. At the height of the struggle ciations, that they were not bearing the expenses Gompers editorially declared in the American of the quarrel, but were receiving help from out. Federationist that the Amalgamated had be.
side. The drive against the Amalgamated is thus trayed the labor movement of America. In Louislinked up with the general open shop movement ville, Montreal, and Boston the insignificant but throughout the nation. That issue has been settled regular United Garment Workers of America dein favor of the union.
liberately signed contracts with employers who had To many employers, labor unions are like Indians locked out their Amalgamated workers. The Louisto many pioneers there are no good ones but dead ville Trades and Labor Council endorsed the United ones. In the campaign to convert live unions into against the Amalgamated, and even went so far as dead ones, however, it is sometimes convenient to to expel a delegate from the boilermakers who dedraw distinctions in badness, as it no doubt helped nounced the act as imperialistic and un American.
to call a prospective Indian victim a horse thief. So In Montreal the manager of a lockout shop openly in this struggle the employers sought to strengthen went to the city central labor council and bespoke their assault on the Amalgamated with charges of and received their approval of his taking in the Bolshevism, Sovietism, revolution, and what United to figlit the real union in the industry. The not, as distinguished from the nice, orderly Ameri Boston Central Labor Union refused to assist the can Federation of Labor. The files of the union Amalgamated in its struggle. With characteristic official papers, the speeches of its leaders, were vindictiveness these elements in the official labor fine combed for evidence of its subversive characmovement allowed and furthered a drive which might ter. Every mention of the word revolution was end by overwhelming them, hoping only thereby to dragged out of its setting and strung into a brief. achieve the ruin of a body too advanced and too inIf the union had been making pinwheels instead of dependent to remain in the reactionary harness. It clothes, there would not have been enough revo speaks well for the growing manhood of American lution in its literature to please its assailants labor that certain unions, such as the Internatonal The bright particular jewel in their charges was Ladies Garment Workers, the Fancy Leather Goods a clause in the preamble to the union constitution Workers, the milliners, the machinists, Alexander which said: Howat Kansas district of miners, and individual pro The industrial and inter industrial organization, gressive locals in Boston and Los Angeles, broke built upon the solid rock of clear knowledge and through the embargo and did what they could. Notclass consciousness, will put the organized working able assistance was given by the Canadian Brotherclass in control of the system of production, and hood of Railroad Employees, also an independent orthe working class will then be ready to take pos ganization.
session of it.
An interesting chapter of the conflict was written in This clause, according to the union fighting em mud on their own nighties by the Old Ladies of the ployers and their legal adjutants, made the Amal Brass Check, the capitalist newspapers. While some gamated clearly a conspiracy against the United of the journals were fair or even favorable to the States government, the capitalist system, and the locked out workers, the prevailing spirit was one of Holy Trinity. Such a union they would never ne inveterate hostility. Every occasion was seized to degotiate with. It would have to be executed or at cry and attack the union people, and when occasions least deported.
did not exist they were manufactured. Thus a refThat issue also has been settled in favor of the erence of President Hilman to the war departunion. We do not presume to tell the employers ment of the union, meaning the picketing and other how to write their constitution, and we shall not defense committees, was heralded broadcast as a bloodallow them to dictate to us how to write ours, the thirsty threat to the federal Department of War not union leaders said. The stern abitrament of facts to intervene in the lock out or industrial warfare of has vindicated their stand. The employers have the fiercest kind will follow. Before 19, 000 members now signed a year agreement with that very of the union, no one knows how many policemen, and union, with its preamble unchanged. Vindication an official stenographer, Secretary Schlossberg dehas also come from the bench. Justice Bijur of the clared that the employer may determine for himNew York Supreme Court upheld the disputed self where his factory is to be, but that the workers clause as perfectly proper. Even if it did mean that would not permit him to determine for them how the clothing workers were going to come into the long they should work, or for how much, or whether possession of the clothing factories, he said, there they might form a union. Yet this statement was is still absent any statement or implication that this twisted into an assertion that the union was not gois to be accomplished by forcible or other unlawful ing to permit the employer to determine where his means. For the present, at least, aspiration to factory is going to be. correction of the misquotaward and preparation for working class ownershiption was sent to the New York Times, which puband control of industry remain legal.
lished it obscurely. Yet a week after the retraction True to form, true to their policy of protecting was printed, the Times repeated the charge in an editorial.
the vested interests of their place holders and of the employers in preference to those of progressive That is to say, the capitalist press is the capielements in the ranks of toil, the American Federation of Labor and some of its constituent branches The public played a negligible part in the fight.
talist press.