On November 22, 1909 the first garment workers strike occurred. They were striking because of unfair conditions such as hours that started in the early morning until late at night for as little as three dollars a week. One factory made its employees work long hard hours by moving the hands of the clock when no one was looking. (Stein, pg. 78) They shortened the lunch periods and set the clock back at closing. (Stein, pg. 79) It was the largest strike of women ever known in the United States. Twenty thousand shirtwaist makers, mostly women and children walked off the job, in what became known as the “Uprising of the 20,000.” (Funk and Wagnalls, pg. 133) In an article from McClure’s magazine, November 1910, one worker said, “So we all stood up, and all walked out together and already out on the sidewalk in front the policemen stood with clubs. One of them said, “If you don’t behave, you will get this on your head? And he shook his club at me.” (Stein, pg. 71)
Unsure of how to strike, where to go and what to do, Women’s Trade Union League, assembled the workers and gave them instructions about how to picket quietly and what the law says. The women were given a pamphlet by the Union that read: RULES FOR PICKETS
Don’t walk in groups of more than two or three. Don’t stand in front of the shop; walk up and down the block. Don’t stop the person you wish to talk to, walk alongside of him. Don’t get excited and shout when you are talking. Don’t put your hand on the person you are speaking to. Don’t touch his sleeve or button. This may be constituted as a “technical assault.” Don’t call anyone “scab” or use abusive language of any kind. Plead, persuade, appeal, but do not threaten. If a policeman arrests you and you are sure that you have committed no offense, take down his number and give it to your Union officers.” (Stein, pg. 72)
The strikers next marched on City Hall to complain to the Mayor about the abuse and mistreatment that they received from the police force.
Reaction to the strikers was harsh. Many picketers were beaten or fired. Management had other problems. The Bijou Waist Company actually had to install one hundred and fifty cot beds for their scabs to sleep on in the factory and had to position a large police force to stand guard in front of the factory. The reason for this was that their scabs were becoming sympathetic to the strikers and were voluntarily deserting the cause. (Stein, pg. 83)
After fourteen weeks of striking and hardship, the workers were victorious. Three hundred fifty four employers signed the union contract, which agreed to a fifty two-hour week, a raise of wages from twelve to fifteen percent. (Sweatshop Journal, pg. 1) They also agreed to do away with the subcontracting system and many other abuses, to limit night work to two hours per day and no more than twice a week, to pay week workers for legal holidays, and in the slack season, to divide the work among all workers, instead of giving it to a favored few. (Stein, pg. 85)
Although the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union was made up of mostly women, they were seldom found in the leadership positions above the lowest level. Helen Marot states in her book, “American Labor Unions,” the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union is the third largest union affiliated with the American Federation. This union has jurisdiction over one of the largest fields in which women work. It is officered by men who believe that women make good strikers, but who have no confidence in their ability to handle union affairs.” (Tax, pg. 239)
Less than half a year after the shirtwaist strike was settled, fifty thousand cloakmakers were on the picket lines in a general industry strike. (Stein, pg. 87)
In contrast to the previous strike, these employees were mostly men, family breadwinners fearful of the grim reality of hunger that a strike brings. Instead of settling their dispute by hundreds of shop agreements, the cloakmakers strike was resolved by a single Protocol of Peace in which workers and employees had bargained collectively. They set up uniform wage scales and minimums; an arbitration board to settle disputes and a Joint Board of Sanitary Control which was responsible for the health, safety and decent living standards of the garment workers. This Union victory caused the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union to grow in membership. (Sweatshop Journal, pg. 1) The ILGWU established a union health care center in 1914 to fight tuberculosis among garment workers. (Funk and Wagnalls, pg. 133)
On April 28, 1916, a lockout was declared by the employees and a strike of the New York Cloakmakers quickly followed. This action led to the scrapping of the Protocol of Peace. This strike lasted about fourteen weeks during which the strikers were supported financially by various unions, the Women’s Trade Union League and individual donations. The league raised over thirty thousand dollars, which it spent on services to the strikers and their families. The ILGWU spent more than $627,000 on the walkout, much of it raised by sympathetic unions and organizations.” (Foner, pg. 387) Even American heroine, Helen Keller, supported the cloakmakers. “I am with the cloak strikers, heart and soul, in their heroic struggle. If it were possible, I should come to New York to help them with my voice too. I enclose a check for $200.00-my earnings-to be used for strikers in the fight for better wages and a more human life. (Stein, pg. 165)
President Woodrow Wilson authorized the secretary of labor and commerce to intervene and helped to force manufacturers to agree to negotiate a settlement with the union. (Foner, pg. 387)
The result of this strike granted manufacturers the right to hire and fire, while workers were free to strike if they could not peacefully obtain compensation from their employers. The new agreement also gave workers increased wages, reduced hours, union recognition and preference in employment. (Foner, pg. 388) At this time a permanent Educational Committee was also established. Its purpose was to develop programs to instruct women workers in the benefits of unionism and to train new leaders. In spite of this effort to educate women, men continued to dominate the official leadership positions. By 1917 women constituted fifty percent of the 82,000 members, but only one woman, Fannia Cohn, was on the International’s General Executive Board for the 1916-1918 term. (Foner, pg. 388)
In the 1920’s a Communist-led group of garment workers attempted to gain control of the union. The group succeeded in electing officials in a number of local branches. Under their leadership an unsuccessful strike was attempted in 1926. Under the leadership of President Morris Sigman the ILGWU is saved.
President Benjamin Schlesinger came back into office in May 1928. David Dubinsky, a young manager of Cutters’ local 10, aided him. He took note that many of the members on the books had not paid their dues. His job was to obtain funding to rehabilitate the Union. Schlesinger obtained loans from outside sources and issued bonds, which brought in considerable revenue. (Stein, pg. 220)
The depression had killed unions, beaten down the workers spirit and caused bitter competition for jobs and food. The garment industry was no different. Garments were being made from sunup to sundown, with women and children being part of the workforce. The wages were sweatshop wages below the basic living rate. One woman protested to her employee, “his rate of twenty-five cents per dozen dresses meant twenty-five cents per day for her,” his reply was that if she was not satisfied he could find many other women to do the work. There is no other employment, which she can turn to supplement her husband’s part time wage of nine dollars per week for work in a foundry. Four children must be fed.” (Stein, pg. 242-243) This law is enforced by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and sets the federal minimum wage and overtime requirements. It also prohibits child labor and requires employers to adequate time and payroll records. (Sweatshop Journal, pg. 1) This was part of Roosevelt’s New Deal.
In 1943 the ILGWU announced its plan to start a pension fund for its employees in which three percent of their weekly payroll would fund pensions for workers over the age of 65. During the same year the union began providing health insurance for their employees. Employers would contribute 3.5 percent of weekly payroll or $3,500,000 annually. (Stein, pg. 256)
The largest nationwide strike of the ILGWU occurred in 1958, when 100,000 union members walked out of factories demanding higher wages and more holidays. (Sweatshop Journal, pg. 1) In the 1960’s the benefits improved in the northeast, wages increased and companies began moving factories to the south in order to save money. By the 1970’s the South had caught up in terms of Union activity. From 1968 to the early 1990’s the union lost more than 300,000 workers as a result of low cost imports and the transfer of factories overseas to such countries as Central America and Asia.
(ILGWU, pg.1) The laborers in these countries work as cheaply as nine cents per hour. Due to this increased competition from foreign subcontractors sweatshops started to flourish once again in the United States. (Sweatshop Journal, pg. 31)
In 1995 the 125,000 member ILGWU merged with the 175,000 member Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE). (ILGWU, pg. 1-2)
In general the public is not fond of striking workers. They are viewed as an annoyance and an inconvenience. Recently a transit strike in New York crippled thousands of commuters in their ability to get to work. Teachers strikes often inconvenience working parents when their children are out of school and must find temporary day care until the strike is settled. The public often fears crossing picket lines for fear of physical harm and harassment.
Finally, the field of health care should not permit strikes or walk outs of any kind. This could be potentially dangerous to the lives of patients in hospitals and health care facilities. Additionally, occupations that affect large groups of people such as transportation should not be allowed to strike. The government should regulate them so that the population is not brought to a grinding halt.
