Full text of Conciliation, Arbitration, and Sanitation in the Dress and Waist Industry of New York City : Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 145

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U. S. D E PA R TM E N T OF LA BO R

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
ROYAL M E E K E R , Commissioner

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BU LLETIN OF TH E U N ITED STATES
B U R E A U O F L A B O R S T A T IS T IC S f
C O N C I L I A T I O N

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A R B I T R A T I O N

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I NU M BE R
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No .

5

CONCILIATION, ARBITRATION, AND SANITATION
IN THE DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY




OF NEW YORK CITY

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APRIL 10, 1914

W A S H IN G T O N
G O V E R N M E N T P R IN T IN G O FFICE
1914




CONTENTS.

Conciliation, arbitration, and sanitation in the dress and w aist industry
o f New York City:
Introduction and summary.................................................................................
The industry...........................................................................................................
The workers.............................................................................................................
The workshops........................................................................................................
Development of collective bargaining in dress and waist industry...........
Authorization of general strike...................................................................
Negotiations between the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’
Union and the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association...........
Conferees’ report and recommendations...................................................
Protocol in the dress and waist industry..........................................................
Text of the protocol.......................................................................................
General nature of the protocol....................................................................
Wages of pieceworkers under the p r o to c o l..............................................
Obligations imposed upon the parties.......................................................
Advantages gained b y both parties...........................................................
Adjustment of piece prices..........................................................................
Rules for shop chairmen...............................................................................
White protocol label......................................................................................
Legal holidays.................................................................................................
Preferential union shop................................................................................
Collective agreements in nonassociation sh op s......................................
Grievances and their adjustment.......................................................................
Filing and adjustment of complaints........................................................
Complaint departments of union and association...................................
Deputy clerks of the industrial courts......................................................
Chief clerks of the industrial courts...........................................................
Wage scale board............................................................................................
Investigation bureau of wage-scale board.......................................
Committee on immediate action.........................................................
Board of grievances.......................................................................................
Board of arbitration.......................................................................................
Cost of maintaining the agencies of the protocol....................................
General results of adjustment of grievances filed b y union and by
association....................................................................................................
Grievances filed by the association............................................................
Classification of grievances...................................................................
Disposition of cases................................................................................
Favorable decisions secured in major grievances...........................
Favorable decisions secured in minor grievances...........................
Grievances filed by the union.....................................................................
Classification of grievances...................................................................
Recording of complaints in the offices of the union.......................




3

Page.
7-11
11,12
12,13
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13-22
13,14
14-16
17-22
22-47
22-26
26, 27
28
28, 29
29, 30
30-32
32, 33
33, 34
34-36
36-45
45-47
48-109
49-52
52, 53
53
54
54-56
55
55, 56
56-61
61-65
65-67
67-71
71-75
71-73
73
74
74
75-109
. 75-77
77-80

4

CONTENTS.

Conciliation, arbitration, and sanitation in the dress and waist industry
o f New York City—Continued.
Grievances and their adjustment—Concluded.
Grievances filed by the union—Concluded.
Page.
Cases grouped according to agencies of disposition........................
80-91
Cases adjusted b y deputy clerks................................................
80-84
Cases adjusted b y chief clerks.....................................................
84, 85
Cases adjusted b y committee on immediate action................
86, 87
Cases adjusted by wage-scale board...........................................
87, 88
Cases adjusted by board of grievances......................................
88, 89
Deadlock cases in board of grievances......................................
89-91
Frequency of union complaints..........................................................
91-93
Cases grouped according to the nature of disposition....................
93-99
Cases settled in favor of the union.............................................
94, 95
Cases settled in favor of the association....................................
95, 96
Compromised cases.........................................................................
96, 97
Dropped cases.................................................................................
97-99
Withdrawn cases.............................................................................
99
Major grievances filed b y union......................................................... 99-102
Nature of complaints..................................................................... 99-101
Favorable decisions secured........................................................ 101,102
Minor grievances filed by union......................................................... 102-104
Nature of complaints.....................................................................
103
Favorable decisions secured........................................................
104
Typical cases filed by the union........................................................ 104-109
Joint board of sanitary control............................................................................ 109-124
Sanitary standards of the industry and their enforcement.................. 111-114
First sanitary survey made by the board................................................ 114,115
Results of two semiannual inspections.................................................... 115-117
Fire protection............................................................................................... 117-119
Educational work of the board...................................................................
119
Health of the workers................................................................................... 119-123
Significance of the work of the board........................................................ 123,124
Appendix A .— Table showing plans of collective bargaining and peace­
ful settlement of grievances in ladies’ garment trades of New York City
and Boston.......... ................................................................................................
124
A ppendix B .— Protocol of peace in the kimono and house-dress industry
of New York City.............................................................................................125-132
Complaints adjusted b y the board of grievances.................................... 125,126
Complaints adjusted b y the clerks............................................................ 126-128
Text of the protocol....................................................................................... 128-131
Text of agreement with individual contractors...................................... 131,132
Appendix C.— Text of collective agreement in the children’ s and misses’
dresses industry of New York City................................................................ 133-136
Appendix D .— Collective agreement of 1913 in the white goods (ladies’
underwear) industry of New York C ity ..................................................... 137-140
Classification and disposition of grievances............................................. 137,138
Text of collective agreement.......................................................................138-140
Appendix E .— Conciliation, arbitration, and sanitation in the cloak,
suit, and skirt industry of Boston, Mass....................................................... 141-146
Adjustment of grievances.............................................................................141-144
Text of the protocol.......................................................................................144-146
Appendix F.— Conciliation, arbitration, and sanitation in the dress and
waist industry of Boston, Mass.......................................................................147-151
Adjustment of grievances............................................................................ 147-149
Text of the protocol.............................................................................. ..
149-151




CONTEXTS.

5

Conciliation, arbitration, and sanitation in the dress and waist industry
o f New York City—Concluded.
Page.
Appendix G.— Memorandum of agreement between the International
Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and nonassociation manufacturers of
dresses and waists.............................................................................................. 152-154
A ppendix H .— Table showing plans of collective agreements in the men’ s
clothing trades....................................................................................................
154
A ppendix I .— A study of the dress and waist industry for the purpose
of industrial education..................................................................................... 155-189
Introduction.................................................................................................... 155-157
Descriptive analysis of occupations........................................................... 157-165
General divisions of occupations........................................................
157
Chief occupations in the industry......................................................
157
Proportion and distribution of men and women in the various
occupations.......................................................................................... 158,159
Garment operating occupations defined........................................... 159-161
Special machine occupations defined................................................ 161-163
Nonoperating occupations defined..................................................... 163-165
How girls enter the industry and line of promotion.............................. 166-170
Relationship of subdivisions................................................................
166
Line of promotion.................................................................................. 166-170
Wages, length of working year, and demand for workers..................... 170-173
Outline of educational content of dress and waist industry................ 174-177
175
General knowledge................................................................................
Trade knowledge....................................................................................
176
Technical knowledge............................................................................. 176,177
Manipulative skill..................................................................................
177
Proposed scheme for a factory school........................................................ 178-185
Organization............................................................................................ 178,179
Administration........................................................................................ 179-181
Course of study for cleaners, finishers, and examiners.................. 181-185
Tentative rules and plans of procedure for the joint board of control
for the training of workers in the dress and waist industry............. 185-189
LIST OF CHARTS AND DIAGRAM S.
Calendar for October, 1913, showing holidays and working days...............
Plan of permanent peace agreement, protocol of January 18,1913, in the
dress and waist industry of New York City.................................................
Proportion of union and of association grievances disposed of in each
specified w ay.......................................................................................................
Proportion of major association grievances of specified kinds and propor­
tion settled in favor of the association and otherwise disposed o f..........
Proportion of union grievances adjusted by each specified agency...........
Proportion of major union grievances of specified kinds and proportion
settled in favor of the union and otherwise disposed o f............................
Six months’ progress in the dress and waist industry of New York City, as
shown by reduction of fire dangers and improvements in sanitation in
September as compared with March, 1913...................................................
Analysis of proposed trade agreement in the dress and waist industry of
New York City, providing for the inclusion of a joint board of educa­
tional con trol......................................................................................................
Proposed plan of organization and control for training workers and ap­
prentices in the dress and waist industry of New York City....................
Financial organization of proposed factory school in the dress and waist
industry of New York City.............................................................................




35
48
69
75
81
1-02

118

188
188
189




BULLETIN OF THE

U. S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
W H O L E N O . 145.

WASHINGTON.

AP R IL 10, 191 4 .

CONCILIATION, ARBITRATION, AND SANITATION IN THE
DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF NEW YORK CITY.
BY CHARLES H. W INSLOW .

INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY.
The signing of the protocol of peace in the cloak, suit, and skirt
industry of New York City on September 2, 1910/ gave a great
impetus to the development of the principle of collective bargaining
and peaceful settlement of grievances in the allied branches of the
needle trades of New York City and vicinity. The first three months
of the year 1913 witnessed the birth of no less than four new protocols
in the women’s wear industry in the city of New York, and of two
in the city of Boston. The new protocols in the chronological order
of their adoption are as follows:
1. Dress and waist protocol, in New York City, adopted January
18, 1913.
2. Kimono and house-dress protocol, in New York City, adopted
February 11, 1913.
3. White goods (ladies7 underwear) protocol, in New York City,
adopted February 17, 1913.
4. Misses and children’s dresses protocol, in New York City,
adopted March 8, 1913.
5. Cloak and suit protocol, in Boston, adopted March 8, 1913.
6. Dress and waist protocol, in Boston, adopted March 15, 1913.
The cloak, suit, and skirt protocol of 1910, which served as a
model for the 1913 protocols in other branches of the women’s clothing
industry, involved according to estimates 50,000 people. Of the
later protocols the first in importance, as measured by the number
affected, was that in the New York dress and waist industry to which
this report relates; this involved 36,000 people. Next in numerical
i D escribed in B u lle tin of the U n ite d S tates B u re au of L a b o r , N o . 98., p . 203.




8

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

importance were the white goods (ladies’ underwear) protocol involv­
ing 10,000 and the misses and children’s dresses protocol involving
7,500, both in New York, the cloak, suit, and skirt protocol in Boston
involving 5,000, the kimono and house-dress protocol in New York
involving 3,500, and the dress and waist protocol in Boston involving
3,000.
All these agreements with the International Ladies’ Garment Work­
ers’ Union and its subsidiary locals embody the essential points of
the protocol idea, namely:
1. Permanent peace; conciliation and arbitration through a board
of grievances and a board of arbitration.
2. Sanitary control of the industry through a joint board of sani­
tary control.
3. Preferential union shop.
4. Minimum standards of wages for the workers.
5. Machinery for the determination of piece prices.
6. Prohibition of home work and subcontracting.
The fundamental basis of all of these agreements is explicitly
stated in each one of them, viz, strong organizations of the respective
parties; or, in other words, it is mutually understood that the only
way to make the agreements effective is through complete control of
the parties over the rank and file of their respective memberships.
The agreement in the dress and waist industry has been in exist­
ence for a period of one year. It is now possible to measure the suc­
cess of this arrangement in terms of (a) general adaptability and
practicability of the scheme; (h) ability of the organizations to direct
effectively the actions of their membership, with reference to their
readiness and willingness to carry out the agreement in letter as well
as in spirit; 0c) efficiency of the institutions created, and the degree
of success of these institutions in peacefully and satisfactorily adjust­
ing arising difficulties.
Whatever may be said concerning inharmonious industrial relations
during the past few years, recognition must be given to a great motive
force which is shaping our industrial fortunes through conciliation
and arbitration. A growing modern dislike for the forms under which
industrial disputes have been carried on in the recent past is partly
responsible for the persistent struggles in some instances to maintain
industrial peace through the adoption of methods of conciliation and
arbitration.
As stated above, the success of such arrangements depends largely
on the ability of the respective organizations to control their rank
and file. That the framers of this agreement fully realized the sig­
nificance of this point can be seen from the fact that under the proto­
col it is the moral duty of each party to strengthen the organization
of the other.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

9

It is directly in the interest of the employer to fulfill his obliga­
tions with reference to the carrying out of the principles of the pref­
erential union shop, because the efficiency of the union in preventing
the occurrence of strikes depends almost wholly upon its power to
control the workers in the shops. No control is possible without
individual workers affiliating themselves with the organization and
standing by its mandates. The union can not be expected to con­
trol the actions of men who do not come under its jurisdiction, and,
from this point of view, the most fundamental principle of success
in this entire arrangement lies in the creation of conditions under
which it becomes advantageous for the worker to join the union.
The preferential union shop, as provided in this protocol, involves
two main points: Preference in engaging members of the union as
well as preference in retaining them.
In the cloak industry, where this principle was successfully enforced,
the membership of the union under this arrangement grew by leaps
and bounds. Apparently it actually paid to belong to the organiza­
tion. The application of the same principle in the dress and waist
industry met with a far smaller degree of success. The number of
union people in many of the largest establishments is still extremely
small. Indeed, the membership of the Dress and Waist Union,
Local 25, has decreased to a very considerable extent.
Thus the ability of the union to control the rank and file of its
membership depends, to a very great extent, on the good faith of
the individual members of the manufacturers’ association in carrying
out this promised preference.
The situation is totally different when we come to consider the
ability of the manufacturers’ association to control its rank and file.
The union has succeeded in the elimination, to a very remarkable
extent, of frequent shop strikes, phenomena particularly harmful to
a seasonal industry. That the carrying out of this obligation by the
union was of great service to the members of the association can
readily be seen from a cursory inspection of the membership records
of the association. In spite of the relatively high initiation fee
(oftentimes prohibitively high to a small manufacturer), the mem­
bership of the association increased over 400 per cent during the past
year. Apparently it was advantageous to be a member of the manu­
facturers’ association.
In spite of this increase in membership the association has met with
little success in compelling its members to carry out faithfully the pro­
visions of the protocol, particularly with reference to the preferential
union shop. The records of the union show that in 29 of the largest
establishments in the industry, many of which belong to the most
prominent members of the association, employing a total of 5,000 work­
ers, the percentage of union workers is less than 1. The existence of
such an abnormal situation can not be attributed to a lack of readi­



10

BULLETIN OF TILE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

ness on the part of the association to use its influence in compelling its
membership to carry out the principles laid down. Indeed, there is
ample documentary evidence that the organization as such, particu­
larly for the past few months, has done its utmost to enforce the
carrying out of this fundamental obligation. Unfortunately the asso­
ciation has been utterly unable to accomplish the desired result.
The degree of peace and harmony that can be achieved naturally
depends upon provisions for effective immediate adjustment of arising
grievances. If the protocol is to work at all, the worker as well as
the employer must be made to feel that it is not at all necessary to
resort to strikes and lockouts in order to right wrongs.
Generally speaking, considering the novelty of the scheme, a great
measure of success has been achieved. A grand total of 4,566 com­
plaints were filed and satisfactorily adjusted during the first eleven
months of the existence of the protocol. Of these, only 456, or
about 10 per cent, were filed by the association; the remainder, 4,110,
were filed by the union. In 62.2 per cent of the union cases and in
29.5 per cent of the association cases the contentions of the complain­
ants were sustained and the grievances redressed more or less promptly.
Many of these peacefully adjusted cases involved fundamental
principles, and sometimes large sums of money— in a word, were
cases which in the preprotocol times would probably have resulted in
strikes and lockouts. The section of this report entitled u Typical cases
filed by the union ” (pages 104 to 109) brings this point out clearly.
It is of great significance that over 98 per cent of the total num­
ber of complaints filed were adjusted through mediation; that is,
without the assistance of third parties. There are on record two
instances in which the methods of mediation failed to effect satisfac­
tory adjustments— in two cases only the board of grievances failed
to reach decisions. On the wiiole, it may be said that grievances
have been redressed more or less satisfactorily and promptly.
Though, generally speaking, the various adjustment agencies of the
protocol worked smoothly, there are to be found points where the
machinery apparently clogged at times. The officials of the union
frequently complain that the board of grievances, the main indus­
trial court of the trade, is grinding out justice too slowly, that it
often takes a long time to get the board together, that the board
always has cases left over from previous calendars, and that, on
account of all these conditions, many complaints are dropped through
neglect. These contentions of the union, to some extent, were sub­
stantiated. Often, the records show, it took the board from three to
four months to take up and adjust a specific case referred to it.
A similar charge is made by the union of the highly unsatisfactory
work of the chief clerks. The records show that over 33 per cent of
the total number of cases dropped were dropped through neglect of



CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

11

the chief clerks. The union maintains that there really was no excuse
for allowing cases referred to them to be disposed of in this way.
The very fact that the cases had been referred to them would tend
to show that the grievances involved were not trivial. A detailed
analysis of many of these cases shows that the majority of them, by
their very nature, called for immediate action.
The number of cases dropped through neglect as well as the alleged
“ masterful inactivity ” of the board of grievances has led many of the
members of the union, including most of the leaders, to the belief in
the necessity of creating a committee on immediate action, to be pre­
sided over by an impartial salaried chairman— an organization to
stand in constant readiness to arbitrate in cases that can not be
adjusted through mediation by the chief clerks or their deputies, an
institution similar to the one created by the board of arbitration in
the cloak, suit, and skirt industry on January 24, 1914, as described
in Bulletin of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 144.
It is no indictment against the administrators of the protocol in
the early period of its existence to charge a misconstruction of the
functions of the mediators, otherwise known as deputy clerks.
Apparently one of the difficulties which they later overcame was that
disputes were regarded by them as involving legal rights rather than
mere adjustments called for in the interest of peace and harmony in
the industry. The human elements of a dispute were lamentably
neglected while the legal phase was given great emphasis. The dis­
position of complaints was more nearly what might be expected in a
legal adjustment rather than in the consideration of the human or
economic interests involved.
THE INDUSTRY.
The dress and waist industry is a comparatively new member in a
line of industries which are grouped under the name of the women’s
clothing trades. Prior to 1890 there was scarcely a semblance of the
manufacture of dresses and waists in existence. The manufacture
of dresses in New York City did not begin until about the year 1900.
Since 1900 this industry has grown very rapidly until at the present
time, in spite of its newness, it is one of the principal industries in
the manufacture of women’s wear in New York City. According to
to the census of 1910, there were in the women’s clothing industry
in New York City 2,995 establishments, employing 94,258 wage earn­
ers, and having a total annual output of $266,477,000.1 To-day it is
estimated that the number of establishments manufacturing women’s
clothing in New York City is much greater than 3,000, the number
of wage earners exceeds 100,000, and the annual output is valued at
about $300,000,000.




i T h irteen th C ensus, 1910, V o l. I X : M anufactures, p . 859.

12

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

New York City claims credit for being the center of manufacture
of women’s clothing. According to the census of 1910, more than
one-half of the total number of establishments in the country, engaged
in the manufacture of women’s clothing, and considerably more than
one-half of the total number of employees and of the total capital,
were in New York City, and of the total output more than one-half
was produced in the same city.
A careful investigation of the dress and waist industry of New
York, made by its board of sanitary control, shows that there were
707 separate shops, belonging to 620 establishments, and there were
found working in these shops during the latter part of March, 1913,
36,858 individuals. A conservative estimate of the value of the total
annual output of these shops puts it at about $50,000,000.
The industry is highly seasonal in its nature; here, as in most of
the allied needle trades, there are two main busy and two main dull
seasons. Some factories suspend operations altogether during the
slack seasons of the year. Others operate with about 25 per cent
of their help. The exact beginning and ending of the fall and spring
seasons in this industry can not be definitely stated, as the season is
not uniform throughout the industry. It depends largely upon the
character of the line of goods manufactured. Only in the case of
concerns manufacturing standard lines of merchandise are any
considerable proportion of the employees kept at work throughout
the entire year; that is, from about 45 to 52 weeks.
THE WORKERS.
Though no complete census of the industry has been taken, a
partial census made in 1913 shows that only about 16 per cent of the
total employed in the industry are males.1
With reference to the nationality of the female workers of the in­
dustry, the following are the facts as far as they were ascertained:
N A T I O N A L I T Y O F W O M E N W O R K E R S .2

N a tio n a lity .

Nu m ber.

H e b r e w ...........................................................................
It a lia n ......................................................................
A m e r ic a n ....................................................................
I r is h ..........................................................................
G e rm an ........................................................
N egro..........................................................................
F re n c h .....................................................
P o lis h ..............................................................................
H u n g a ria n ....................................................................
R u ssian ..........................................................................
S w ed ish .........................................................................
A ssy ria n ........................................................................
E g y p tia n ......................................................................

15,996
9,784
1,989
234
233
94
54
50
24
10
8
5
3

56.16
34. 35
6. 98
. 82
. 81
. 33
. 19
. 18
.0 8
.0 4
.0 3
.0 2
.01

T o t a l................................................................

28,484

100.00

Per cent.

1 See B u lletin of the U n ite d Statos B ureau of L a b o r S tatistics, N o . 146.
2 Special R e p o rt, Joint B oard of Sanitary Control, M a y , 1913, p . 7.




13

CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

With, reference to the conjugal condition of the workers the report
of the Joint Board of Sanitary Control states that:
From the general impression received b y the inspectors after their investigation
of all the shops in the industry, it would seem that the bulk of the workers, probably
50 per cent or more, are under the age of 20, half of the remainder being between 20 and
25 years of age, the other half 25 years and over. As a rule very few workers were
found who were old or seemed to be much over 45.
The probabilities are also that the majority of workers, especially the women, are
unmarried, there being only a comparatively small number of women workers who
are married and have families.1

About 60 per cent of the female workers operate machines.
about 3 per cent of them are ironers or pressers.

Only

THE WORKSHOPS.
As compared with the shops of the allied garment trades, the shops
in the dress and waist industry are much safer and more sanitary.
As a rule they are much larger than the shops in other branches of
the garment trades and contain, on the average, a larger number of
workers, 52 as against the average of 29 in the cloak, suit, and skirt
industry.2
Most of the shops in the industry, 97.28 per cent, are in loft
buildings, 2.72 per cent are in converted buildings, and none what­
ever in tenements, stores, cellars, rear buildings, or on attic floors.
L O C A T IO N

AND

TYPE

OF

S H O P S .3

Persons em p loyed
in shops.

Shops.
L ocation an d ty p e of sh ops.
N u m b er.

Betw een F ou rteen th and T h ir ty -n in th Streets.....................................
B elow F ou rteen th Street......................................................................................
B r o o k ly n ........................................................................................................................
H a r le m ............................................................................................................................

Per cent.

504
183
11
2

72.00
26.14
1 .5 7
.2 9

T o t a l...................................................................................................................

700

100. 00

L o ft b u il d in g s ...........................................................................................................
C onverted b u ild in gs................................................................................................

681
19

97. 28
2. 72

N u m ber.

P er cent.

29,704
6,2 05
638
111

81.03
16.93
1 .7 4
.3 0

36,658 |
36,332
326

100.00
99.10
.9 0

DEVELOPMENT OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN DRESS AND
WAIST INDUSTRY.
AU TH ORIZATIO N OF GENERAL STRIKE.

In 1912, at the Toronto convention of the International Ladies’
Garment Workers’ Union, the general executive board was directed
to call a strike in the dress and waist industry. Accordingly, in
January, 1913, preparations were made for a general strike through­
1 Special Report, Joint Board of Sanitary Control, May, 1913, p. 7.




2

Ibid ., p. 8.

s Ibid., p. 9.

14

BULLETIN OF TH E BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

out the industry. The Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association
had seen indications of the approaching conflict and had entered into
negotiations with the leaders of the union for the consideration of
tentative proposals. As a result of these conferences the protocol of
peace in the dress and waist industry emerged, dated January 18,
1913, signed by the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association and
the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, and guaranteed
by the officers of the American Federation of Labor.1
N EGO TIATION S BETW EEN TH E INTERNATIONAL LADIES' G ARM ENT
W O R K E R S’ UNION AND TH E DRESS AND W A IST M ANUFACTURERS’
ASSOCIATION.

The first conference between the representatives of the Interna­
tional Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and the Dress and Waist
Manufacturers’ Association was held on December 13, 1912.
At this conference it became apparent that both sides were of the
opinion that the existing situation required the joint effort of the
union and of the association to perfect and make possible fair condi­
tions throughout the industry. It also became apparent that any
arrangement that was to be made between the parties could not be­
come effective without the machinery to carry it out and without
both sides being strongly organized. The conference, therefore, dis­
cussed informally the methods by which both organizations could be
placed in a position where any plan or agreement could be made
effective. The manufacturers raised the point that they feared com­
petition from other sections of the country, and it was therefore
suggested that the plan of certifying garments (white label) might
be the means of solving this difficulty.
The conference finally reached a definite point. Assuming that the
parties could come to an understanding as to standards of wages,
hours, etc., and that they were ready to put into execution institu­
tions and machinery like those in existence in the cloak industry,
how could each side assist in accomplishing this result at the earliest
practicable moment ?
The suggestion was made on behalf of the union that a general
strike was inevitable and that all of the workers must participate in
this strike, including the workers in the shops of the members of the
manufacturers’ association. It was stated that “ since what was
necessary on the union side was an opportunity to express a general
feeling of protest on the part of all the workers in the industry
against the bad conditions in the industry, it is proper that the
i The garment workers are organized under two international unions— the United Garment Workers for
those working upon men’ s clothing and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers for those making
women’s clothing. The organizations among the ladies’ garment workers fall in six divisions: Workers
on cloaks, suits, and skirts; women’s tailor-made garments; dresses and waists; misses’ and children’s
wear; wrappers and kimonos; and white goods or underwear. Similar problems and conditions con­
front all these workers, and progress in one division has its effect on all the others.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

15

workers in the shops of the manufacturers’ association should join in
the protest with their brothers and sisters, even though they should
no longer be obliged to protest against the conditions in their own
shops, having arrived at a satisfactory understanding with their em­
ployers.” 1 Accordingly it was suggested that at the very inception
of the strike a large mass meeting of the workers in the industry
should be held, to which the union would summon all of the workers,
including those in the manufacturers’ association shops. At this
meeting all of the workers would be informed of the standards agreed
upon between the manufacturers’ association and the union, and those
employed in the shops of the members of the association would then
immediately return to work.
It was understood that the union would in good faith direct the
workmen in the association shops to return, and that the interrup­
tion of work would probably last not more than a few hours— the
people would probably return and work the following morning. The
representatives of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union
thought that this scheme would be of great advantage to them, as
1it would enable them to create a feeling of solidarity among the
1workers, thus making each one of them feel that he had really par­
ticipated in the w^ork of uplifting the industry.
The next point presented for consideration was as to the manner
; of the union’s dealing with nonassociation shops. The union repre! sentatives stated that it was their intention not to sign individual
contracts with individual firms. They believed that their aims
j would be most effectively reached through a collective agreement
with an employers’ association.
In accordance with this view, when the strike should be called, it
would be understood by the union that settlements would not be made
with individual employers, but that the employers would be referred
to the association, with a recommendation that they join it. The
association was then to consider in good faith their application, and
if they were of such character and responsibility as to justify the
belief that the association could assume the responsibility for their
performance of the obligations, the association would accept them as
members. If, on the other hand, the association believed that it
could not in good faith undertake to be responsible for any of said
applicants, the case of such applicant would immediately be referred
to a joint committee, consisting of representatives of the manufac­
turers’ association and of the union, where the merits of the case
could be considered. If, as a result of this consideration, the manu­
facturers’ association should still be determined not to accept the
applicant, the disputed question would then be referred to the per­
i M in utes of m eeting betw een the representatives of the Dress an d W a is t A ssociation and the repre­
sen tatives of the In ternation al L a d a s ' G arm en t W ork ers’ U n io n , 1912-13, p p . 2 and 3 .




16

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

manent board 01 arbitration to be established. In case of the board
of arbitration sustaining the contentions of the manufacturers, the
union would then enter into such an arrangement with the individual
employer as would insure his maintenance of standards equal to
those agreed upon between the association and the union.
It was also understood that any understanding arrived at between
the representatives of the manufacturers’ association and the union
should become effective only in the event of the union’s succeeding in
bringing into its membership the bulk of the workers in the trade.
The representatives of the union contended that dresses and waists,
with certain exceptions, should be made on a piecework basis, and
that there should be a standard per hour for the purpose of estimating
the price to be paid for a specific piece of work. The unions pointed
out that in fixing the rate per hour they did not mean a minimum
standard, but rather a mean or average standard. The test should
be made by a moderately skilled operator. It was also pointed out
at this time that in order to reach a satisfactory basis for the adjust­
ment of prices it was necessary not merely that estimates be made
in each shop, but that these estimates be standardized throughout the
industry. This problem could be solved by the creation of a pieceprice board,1 consisting of an equal number of representatives of the
manufacturers and of the union, with complete power to fix piece
prices for the whole industry and to equalize existing standards as
rapidly as possible.
This piece-price board, was to transact its business as nearly as
practicable in the same manner as the board of grievances in the
cloak industry, and instead of the board itself attending to the details
of fixing prices it was to be empowered to appoint clerks, who should
be price experts. These should jointly proceed to the place where the
controversy arose, and only in the event of their disagreement should
the matter be submitted to the piece-price board. The piece-price
board was also to have power to make investigations, to collect data,
and to establish as rapidly as possible scientific standards throughout
the industry.
It was also suggested that when the protocol should be drawn
the institutions, rules, and precedents already established in the
cloak industry should be followed, as nearly as practicable, in the dress
and waist industry.
At this session the president of the American Federation of Labor
was present and expressed the readiness of the federation to act as
guarantor for the faithful performance of the obligations by the
International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and its respective
locals.
1 T h e n am e of this proposed organization w as su b se q u en tly ch an ged to w age-scale board.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

17

CONFEREES’ REPORT AND RE CO M M EN D ATION S.1

After canvassing the situation very carefully, the conferees agreed
upon the following joint report:
I. Both, parties are desirous of raising the conditions in the industry, and of obtaining
the equalization of standards throughout b y peaceful methods. To accomplish
this end they recognize the value of an organization representing the workers in the
industry, and of an organization representing the employers, and the value likewise
of an understanding or agreement between the two, with adequate machinery to
enforce and carry out the principles of the understanding.
II. Both parties desire to enforce sanitary standards throughout the industry,
at least as high as those promulgated b y the joint board of sanitary control in the cloak
industry. To that end they recommend the creation of a joint board of sanitary control
in all jurisdictional respects like the joint board of sanitary control in the cloak
industry, two representatives to be chosen b y the manufacturers, two b y the union,
and the three representatives of the public to be the same three who now represent the
public in the cloak and suit industry, the powers of the board of sanitary control to
be the same as those now vested in the board of sanitary control in the cloak industry.
III. To make more effective the maintenance of sanitary conditions, to insure
equality throughout the industry of conditions, and to guarantee to the public garments
made in certificated shops, the parties commend the value and desirability of institut­
ing a system of certificating garments b y a label to be affixed to the garment. Recogniz­
ing the difficulties of working out the details of such a plan at this time, but with the
present preliminary development of the plan in the cloak industry, they believe
that a complete plan can be worked out in the dress and waist industry within a year.
Accordingly, each side agrees to cooperate to the full extent of its power in the formula­
tion and effectuation of a system for the certification of garments adequately safe­
guarding the employers, the workers, and the consuming public.
IV. Both parties recognize the necessity for providing methods of adjusting disputes
and grievances that arise. To that end they recommend the creation of a board of
grievances, similar to the one now in existence in the cloak industry, to consist of
10 members— 5 chosen b y the manufacturers and 5 by the union—all rules, regulations,
and precedents now in existence in the cloak industry to be followed so far as they
are practically applicable to the dress and waist industry.
Y. The board of grievances to have the same power to appoint clerks as the board
of grievances in the cloak industry, and to follow the methods for adjusting the disputes
and determining controversies now in existence in the cloak industry.
V I. The board of grievances also to be the continuous conference board representa­
tive of both sides, in which shall be discussed all problems and all plans for im prove­
ments of the industry.
V II. All the provisions for peace and arbitration contained in the protocol in the
cloak industry to be followed in the dress and waist industry.
V III. The conferees recommend the creation of a board of arbitration with the same
powers and authority as the board of arbitration in the cloak industry, one member
to be designated b y the manufacturers, one b y the union, and one b y both. In
case both parties do not agree upon the third nominee, the tw^o arbitrators elected by
them shall select a third.
IX . The conferees recommend that the parties agree to the full extent of their
power to equalize standards of labor throughout the industry.
i

M in u tes of m eetings h eld betw een representatives of th e Dress and W a is t M an ufactu rers’ A ssociation

and the In tern ation al L a d ies’ G arm en t W o r k e r s’ U n io n , 1912-13, p p . 33-45.

39573°— Bull. 145— 14------ 2




18

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

X . The conferees recommend that the manufacturers accept the principle of the
“ preferential union sh op” as defined in the cloak industry, and more fully described
under that heading at pages 215-217 of Bulletin No. 98 of the United States Bureau
of Labor.
X I. The conferees recommend the standards of hours of labor and wages set forth in
schedule A hereto annexed.
X II. With reference to piece prices, the conferees recommend the following method:
a. There shall be in each shop a piece-price committee selected by the workers.
b. In the first instance, piece prices shall be settled by the employer and the pieceprice committee.
c. In settling prices, the price per garment shall be based upon the estimated
number of solid hours it w ill take an experienced good worker to make the garment
without interruption, multiplied b y the standard price per hour.
d. If the piece-price committee and the employer shall be unable to agree, after a
conference, the work shall then be proceeded with, but the determination of the price
to be paid for the work shall be made as follows:
e. One or more workers shall be selected to make the test for the purpose of determin­
ing the number of solid hours it will take an experienced good worker to make the
garment in question.
/ . Both the employer and the piece-price committee shall agree upon the operative
who is to make the test, but in case they shall fail to agree, the piece-price board
shall make such designation.
X I I I . There shall be in addition to the board already referred to, a board to be
known as the “ Piece-price board,” consisting of eight members—four to be appointed
b y the manufacturers’ association and four b y the union. Such board shall standardize
the prices to be paid for piecework throughout the industry. To that end it shall
have full power and authority to make a complete and exhaustive investigation
throughout the industry as to prices paid for work, amounts earned b y operatives,
and classification of garments made. It shall immediately make a complete and
exhaustive examination into the existing rates paid for piecework throughout the
industry, and shall report in writing within six months from the date hereof the
results of its labors. It shall be the duty of the board of grievances immediately to
convene and act upon said report, and establish thereon the standard rate or rates
per hour to be fixed throughout the industry as the basis for adjustment of piece
prices.
X IY . Pending such determination of the standard price per hour, operators shall
receive the following temporary increases:
In all shops where the standard per hour is now less than 28 cents, there shall be an
increase of at least 15 per cent.
In all shops where the standard per hour is less than 30 cents and more than 28 cents,
there shall be an increase of at least 10 per cent.
In all shops where the standard per hour is now 31 cents or 32 cents, the standard
shall be advanced to 33 cents.
In no shop shall the standard rate per hour be less than 30 cents, and where the
rate is now 33 cents or more, the present standard rate shall in no case be reduced.
In case of any dispute or controversy in any shop as to what is the standard per hour
now paid, such dispute or controversy shall be settled b y the piece-price board, and
its decision shall be final.
X Y . The conferees recommend that the piece-price board shall have authority to
appoint clerks or representatives, expert in the art of fixing prices, and that such
piece-price board shall follow, so far as practicable, the procedure now followed by
the board of grievances in the cloak industry.
It shall have power to make suitable rules and regulations for the purpose of con­
ducting its business, and shall have full power and authority to dispose of all appeals




CONCILIATION IN DRESS a n d WAIST i n d u s t r y

OF N E W YORK.

19

that may be taken either b y the union or the manufacturers’ association, and shall
settle all controversies that arise in the industry concerning piece prices.
It shall have full power and authority to make special exemptions for week work
where special exigencies arise or where special skill is required.
It shall preserve data and statistics with a view of establishing, as nearly practicably
as possible, a scientific basis for the fixing of piece prices throughout the industry,
that will insure a minimum wage, and at the same time permit reward for increased
efficiency.
X V I. The parties agree that although an understanding has been arrived at between
them as to standards, institutions, and methods, nevertheless the workers in the shops
of members of the manufacturers’ association shall join in the general protest against
conditions throughout the industry. It is understood, however, that at the time of the
calling of the “ general strike,” about to be called, they shall be informed by the em­
ployers that an agreement or understanding has been arrived at between their employ­
ers and the union and the union specifically agrees that they shall return to work within
72 hours after such protest.
X V II. In order to make for equality of standards throughout the industry, it is the
intention of the manufacturers’ association to take into its membership all employers
in the dress and waist industry, of such character and financial standing as will justify
the association in assuming responsibility for the faithful fulfillment of its agreement
with the union. The union, on the other hand, recognizes the mo^al obligation of
every employer in the industry to belong to the association and to contribute to the
expense of the institutions created b y the two parties.
Accordingly, all employers who desire to settle with the union will be referred
first to the association and requested to apply for membership. If for any reason their
applications are rejected, the grounds for such rejection shall be stated to a committee
on review, consisting of six members, three nominated by the union and three b y the
manufacturers. If any employer shall fail to join the association the union agrees
to lay before the committee on review the original contract entered into between it and
the individual employer, together with the nature of the security for the faithful per­
formance of such contract. The association agrees to remain in executive session dur­
ing the strike to pass upon applications for membership from day to day and the union
agrees to postpone the consideration of any individual settlement until the employers
applying for settlement shall have had opportunity to apply to the association for
membership.
X V III. It is understood, however, that there shall be no difference in maximum
standard of hours, or minimum standard of wages, or sanitary conditions, in any non­
association shops, except that the period within which changes to conform to sanitary
Standards shall be made, shall be fixed by the joint board of sanitary control.
X I X . Upon approval of this report b y the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Associa­
tion and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, a protocol covering the
terms of the understanding herein set forth shall be drawn up, executed by the execu­
tive officers of both organizations, and countersigned b y the president and New York
representative of the American Federation of Labor.
X X . The agreement shall become null and void in all respects unless the union shall
as the result of the “ general strike,” enroll in its membership the bulk of the workers
in the industry.
X X I . Pending the determination of whether or not the fact (that) the union will
enroll in its membership the bulk of the workers, the standard of wages and hours in
schedule A shall go into effect as soon as the piece-price board shall be constituted and
in working operation, but not later than February 1, 1913, if b y that time, in the opin­
ion of these conferees the result of the “ general strike” demonstrates that the imion
will enroll in its membership the bulk of the workers.




20

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

X X I I . The provisions of paragraph X I X of the protocol in the cloak industry with
reference to filling vacancies in boards or committees shall apply hereto, and so far
as applicable to the dress and waist industry, the precedents, usages, and rules of
procedure already established and existing in the cloak industry shall be followed.
X X I I I . The question of which legal holidays shall be observed shall be submitted
to the board of arbitration hereby created, and without prejudice to the merits of the
question, Lincoln’s Birthday and Washington’ s Birthday in 1913 shall be observed;
unless the decision of the board is rendered prior thereto.
X X I V . The conferees recommend that the gentlemen constituting the board of
arbitration in the cloak industry shall constitute the board of arbitration in this
industry.
X X Y . The conferees recommend that inside subcontracting be abolished.
SCHEDULE A.
(Tentative: Pending final decision by the grievance board or board of arbitration).
HOURS OF LABOR.

Fifty hours shall constitute a w eek’s work. After there shall-have been in opera­
tion for one year the system of certificating garments referred to in the annexed report,
the hours of labor shall be reduced to 49 per week, provided the other branches in
the women’s wear industry then under union agreement shall also have agreed to a
standard of 49 hours per week.
W E E K W O RKERS.
Cutters:

Full-fledged cutters shall receive not less than $25 per week.
Apprentices shall be divided into three grades:
Grade A: Apprentices of less than one year’s standing.
Grade B: Apprentices of more than one and less than two years’ standing.
Grade C: Apprentices of more than two years’ and less than three years7
standing.
Apprentices shall receive:
Grade A: $6 per week.
Grade B: $12 per week.
Grade C: $18 per week.
On or about the 15th day of June and November in each year Local No. 10 shall
hold an examination for the purpose of admitting apprentices of Grade C to the class
of full-fledged cutters.
After January 1, 1914, the following rule shall be adopted: In each shop there shall
be not more than one apprentice for each five cutters employed, but in case theie
shall be less than five cutters employed, one apprentice may be employed.
At least one cutter shall be em ployed in each shop of members of the Association.
D r a p e r s : Not less than $14 per week.
J o in e r s : Not less than $12 per week.
E x a m i n e r s : Not less than $10 per week.
S am ple H a n d s :

Not less than $14 per week.
Not more than one assistant to each four sample hands.
I ron ers:

Women, not less than $12 per week.
Men, not less than $15 per week.
An increase of a dollar per week in the minimum scale after the agreement shall
have been in force for one year.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

21

Pressers:

Not less than $20 per week.
\.n increase of $2 per week in the minimum scale after the agreement shall have
been in force for one year.
D r e s s m a k e r -F in is h e r s : Not less than $8 per week.
P l a in F i n is h e r s :

Sewing hooks and eyes, four for 1 cent.
Sewing patent hooks and eyes, four for 1 cent.
Sewing ordinary buttons, six for 1 cent.
Sewing self-shank buttons, three for 1 cent.
Sewing belts, two for 1 cent.
Basting bottoms of skirts, 2 cents each.
Sewing in belts, 2 cents each.
But in no case less than $8 per week for fifty hours’ work; after one weeks’ trial.
L ace

B u n n e r s — T u c k e r s — B u tto n h o le

M a k e r s — B utton

S e w in g — S l e e v e

S etting — C lo sin g a n d H e m m in g :

It was agreed that in place of the prices previously mentioned, pending investiga­
tion by the piece-price board for the purpose of establishing standards for lace
running, buttonhole making, button sewing, sleeve setting, closing and hemming
and tucking, differences as to prices shall be settled in each shop by the pieceprice committee and the employer, and. that in the event of controversy the
matter shall be settled by the piece-price board in the manner provided for
in the report for operators.
Op e r a t o r s:

Operators shall be paid by the piece, the standard price per hour to be fixed after
the investigation by the piece-price board within six months, and in the mean­
time there shall be the percentages of increase referred to in Paragraph X IV .
o v e r t im e .

Not more than four (4) hours in any one week, nor two (2) hours in any one day,
except for cutters, who are allowed to work overtime not more than two and onehalf hours in any one day. No overtime between Saturday at 1 p. m. and Monday
at 8 a. m., except on specials requiring completion by finishers or pressers for immediate
delivery, and then for not more than two (2) hours. Double pay for overtime (week
workers).
a d d it io n a l in c r e a s e s .

An additional increase of 10 per cent (approximately) shall be granted by the
manufacturers as soon as a system of certificated garments to the consumer, referred
to in Paragraph I I I of the annexed report, shall have been in operation for one year.

On January 11 the above-given original report, revised, was
approved by the conferees. It was agreed that ample notice of the
time of the calling of the strike should be given to the association, in
which to call a meeting of the members, and not less than 24 hours.
Two representatives of the union were appointed as a subcommittee
to agree upon halls to which the strikers in the association shops
should be sent. It was understood that the girls from the shops
belonging to the association would be assigned to separate halls and
that every effort would be made to keep the girls of the shops of the
manufacturers’ association separate from other girls.




22

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

The question haying been presented as to whether the issuance of
cards to the workers in the shops of the manufacturers’ association
should be dependent upon the payment of dues, it was decided that
those girls wiio were willing to pay their dues and join the union would
be permitted to do so at that time, and those who did not wish to do
so at that time would have cards free of dues.
The representatives of the manufacturers announced that, in order
to carry out this understanding, the secretary of the association would
turn over to the president of the International Ladies’ Garment
Workers’ Union a list of the names of all the present workers in the
shops of the manufacturers’ association in ample time to prepare
passes for the workers.
In order to carry out all the described arrangements for the general
strike, the unions announced that they would open an office in the
neighborhood of the quarters of the manufacturers’ association on the
fourth day of the strike, at which place all workers who had not
attended the meetings at the halls could apply for pass cards, and upon
giving their names and addresses and shops where they were working,
if these were association shops, they would receive their passes upon the
request of the manufacturer countersigned by the secretary of the
association.
It was understood that the board of strategy would meet on the second
day of the strike. Two representatives, one from each side, were
requested by this board to prepare a protocol in accordance with the
above-given revised report of the conferees, to be ready for signature
of the respective representatives of both organizations. It was
clearly understood that there would be no modifications requested nor
considered.
At the meeting of the conferees on January 16, after reading the
proposed protocol, corrections having been made of typographical
errors only, it was approved unanimously.
On January 18, 1913, the protocol of peace in the dress and waist
industry was signed respectively by the representatives of the Dress
and Waist Manufacturers’ Association and of the International
Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, and countersigned, as a guarantor,
by Samuel Gompers and Hugh Frayne, as representing the American
Federation of Labor.
PROTOCOL IN THE DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY.
TEXT OF TH E PROTOCOL.
P rotocol of P e ac e entered into this 18th day of January, 1913, between the Inter­

national Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (hereinafter called the union), and the
Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association (hereinafter called the association).
Both parties to this protocol are desirous of raising conditions in the industry, and
obtaining the equalization of standards of labor throughout the industry b y peaceful




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

23

and honorable methods. They recognize the value, to accomplish this end, of an
organization representing the workers in the industry and of an organization repre­
senting the employers. They recognize also the value of an understanding or agree­
ment between them capable of revision from time to time, with adequate machinery
and institutions to enforce and carry out the principles of the understanding.
I. SA N ITAR Y CONDITIONS.

Both parties agree to create a joint board of sanitary control in all jurisdictional
respects similar to the joint board of sanitary control now existing in the cloak industry,
two members thereof to be chosen b y the manufacturers, two b y the union, and three
to represent the public— the three representatives of the public now upon the board
in the cloak industry. Said board is empowered to establish standards of sanitary
conditions to which the manufacturers’ association and the union shall be committed,
and the manufacturers and the union obligate themselves to maintain such standards
to the best of their ability and to the full extent of their power. The standards of
such board, to begin with, shall be at least as high as the standards now existing in
the cloak industry.
II. THE W H ITE PROTOCOL LABEL.

To make more effective the maintenance of sanitary conditions throughout the
industry, to insure equality of minimum standards throughout the industry, and to
guarantee to the public garments made in the shops certificated b y the board of
sanitary control, the parties agree that there shall be instituted in the industry a
system of certificating garments b y a label to be affixed to the garment. Recognizing
the difficulties of working out the details of such a plan at this time, but believing that
the plan has been sufficiently developed and considered in the cloak industry, they
believe that a complete plan can be worked out in the dress and waist industry within
a year. To this end each party agrees to cooperate to the full extent of its power in
the formulation and effectuation of a system for the certification of garments ade­
quately safeguarding the employers, the workers, and the consuming public.
An additional increase of 10 per cent (approximately) shall be granted in all wages
as soon as the system of certificating garments to the consumer herein referred to shall
have been in operation for one year.
III. ADJUSTMENT OF GRIEVAN CES.

Both parties recognize the necessity for providing modern and peaceful methods for
adjusting disputes and grievances that arise. The system and method for adjusting
disputes and determining controversies in the cloak industry having proved success­
ful, they agree that there shall be created in the dress and w^aist industry a board of
grievances to consist of 10 members— 5 chosen b y the manufacturers and 5 b y the
union, with the rules, regulations, and precedents now governing the board of griev­
ances in the cloak industry so far as they are practically applicable in the dress and
wTaist industry.
IV . CONFERENCES.

The board of grievances shall also be the continuous conference body to which shall
be brought all problems and all plans for improvement in the industry, which both
parties are to consider.
V . PERMANENT PEACE.

The parties to this protocol agree that there shall be no strike or lockout concerning
any matters in controversy or any disagreement until full opportunity shall have been
given for the submission of such matters to the board of grievances and to the board of
arbitration created hereunder, and in the event of a determination of such controversy




24

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

or difference by said board of arbitration only in case of failure to accede to the deter­
mination of said board of arbitration.
The parties hereby establish a board of arbitration to consist of three members,
composed of one nominee for the manufacturers, one nominee for the union, and one
representative of the public, the latter to be agreed upon b y both parties to this protocol,
or in the event of their disagreement b y the two arbitrators selected b y them.
Until otherwise determined, the gentlemen constituting the board of arbitration in
the cloak industry shall constitute the board of arbitration in this industry.
V I. TENTATIVE SCHEDULES.

The parties agree that the industry is very large and the conditions complicated;
that there are many types of shops, and that the earnings of the employees in the
shops vary widely in scale; and further frankly admit that they are not now in full
possession of the facts as to present conditions in the industry. The provisions in this
agreement or protocol relating to schedules of wages or other standards of labor are
therefore tentative, and no final determination of these matters shall be made until
after a complete investigation of conditions as hereinafter provided for, and the board
of grievances shall have had opportunity to pass thereon, and in the event of the fail­
ure of the members of such board to agree then until the final determination b y the
board of arbitration in the manner herein provided.
VII. W AG E-SC ALE B OARD.

The parties hereby establish a wage-scale board to consist of eight members— four to
be nominated b y the manufacturers and four by the union. Such board shall stand­
ardize the prices to be paid for piece and week work throughout the industry; it shall
preserve data and statistics with a view to establishing as nearly practicably as possible
a scientific basis for the fixing of piece and week work prices throughout the industry
that w ill insure a minimum wage, and at the same time permit reward for increased
efficiency. It shall have full power and authority to appoint clerks or representatives,
expert in the art of fixing prices, and its procedure so far as practicable shall be the
same as now followed by the board of grievances in the cloak industry. It shall have
full power and authority to settle all disputes over prices, make special exemptions
for w^eek work where special exigencies arise, or a special scale is required.
V III. IM M EDIATE INVESTIG ATIO N .

Immediately after the signing of this protocol the wage-scale board shall, at the ex­
pense of both parties, make a complete and exhaustive examination into the existing
rates paid for labor, the earnings of the operatives, and the classification of garments
in the industry, and shall report in writing within six months from the date hereof the
result of its labors. It shall be the duty of the board of grievances thereafter imme­
diately to convene and to act upon said report, and based upon such report said board
of grievances shall establish a rate or rates per hour for the adjustment of piece prices
and to readjust any of the schedules tentatively agreed upon in the schedule hereto
annexed.
I X . TENTATIVE STANDARDS OF LABOR.

The parties agree upon the standards of labor and wages set forth in schedule A,
subject to revision by the grievance board in the light of experience, and after full
investigation of the facts as provided in Article V I.
Where higher standards now exist, they shall in no case be lowered.
X . ADJUSTMENT OF PIECE PRICES.

The following method for determining piece prices for operators is adopted:
(a) There shall be in each shop a piece-price committee selected by the workers.
(b) In the first instance piece prices shall be settled b y the employer and the pieceprice committee.




CONCILIATION I X DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

25

(c) In settling prices the price per garment shall be based upon the estimated num­
ber oi solid hours it will take an experienced good worker to make the garment with­
out interruption, multiplied by the standard price per hour.
(d) If the piece-price committee and the employer shall be unable to agree after a
conference, the work shall then be proceeded with, but the determination of the price
to be paid for the work shall be made as follows:
(e) One or more workers shall be selected to make the test for the purpose of deter­
mining the number of solid hours it will take an experienced good worker to make the
garment in question.
(j) Both the employer and the piece-price committee shall agree upon the operative
who is to make the test, but in case they shall fail to agree the wage-scale board shall
make such designation.
Pending the determination of standard prices per hour b y the wage-scale board,
operators shall receive the following temporary increases:
In all shops where the standard per hour is now less than 28 cents, there shall be an
increase of at least 15 per cent.
In all shops where the standard per hour is less than 30 cents and more than 28 cents,
there shall be an increase of at least 10 per cent.
In all shops where the standard per hour is now 31 cents or 32 cents, the standard
shall be advanced to 33 cents. In no shop shall the standard rate per hour be less
than 30 cents, and where the rate is now 33 cents or more the present standard rate
shall in no case be reduced.
In case of any dispute or controversy in any shop as to what is the standard per hour
now paid, such dispute or controversy shall be settled b y the wage-scale board, and
its decision shall be final.
There shall be no stoppage of work because of any dispute over piece prices, but the
matter shall be adjusted in the manner herein provided, and when the prices are fixed
they shall relate back to the time of the beginning of the work.
X I . INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS WITH EMPLOYERS.

The union recognizes the moral obligation of every employer in the industry to
belong to the manufacturers’ association and to contribute to the expense of the insti­
tutions created b y the two parties for the uplift of the industry. It acknowledges the
value of such an association in the maintenance of standards throughout the industry.
Accordingly, all employers desiring to settle with the union in the pending strike will
be referred first to the association and requested to apply for membership. If for any
reason the association rejects their application, the grounds for such rejection shall be
stated to a committee on review, consisting of six members—three nominated b y the
union and three b y the manufacturers. If any employer in the industry shall fail to
join the association and shall enter into an individual contract with the union, there
shall be no difference in maximum standards of hours, or minimum standards of wages,
or sanitary conditions (except that the period within which changes to conform to sani­
tary standards shall be made shall be fixed b y the joint board of sanitary control).
The union agrees to lay before said committee on review every original contract
entered into between it and individual employers, together with a true statement of the
nature and amount of any security taken for the faithful performance of such contract.
During the general strike the association will remain in executive session to pass
upon applications for membership.
X II.

EQUALIZATION OF STANDARDS.

Whether or not specifically referred to in any of the provisions of this protocol, the
parties agree that it is essential that competition in the industry, so far as labor is con­
cerned, shall be placed upon a plane of equality (making due allowance for difference
in skill), and that both parties to the full extent of their power shall establish such
equality.




26

BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OF LABOK STATISTICS,
Oil. THE PREFERENTIAL UNION SHOP.

The parties hereby accept the principles and the obligations of the “ preferential
union s h o p /’ as defined and understood in the cloak industry and more fully described
under that heading at pages 215-217 of Bulletin No. 98 of the United States Bureau of
Labor.
x i y . im m e d ia t e

p r o blem s for a r b it r a t io n .

The question of which legal holidays shall be observed in the industry shall be sub­
mitted to the board of arbitration created under this protocol, and, without prejudice
to the merits of the question, Lincoln’s Birthday and Washington’ s Birthday, 1913,
shall be observed, unless the decision of the board is rendered prior thereto.
XV. SUBCONTRACTING.

All inside subcontracting shall be abolished.
XVI. MISCELLANEOUS.

The provisions of Paragraph X I X of the protocol in the cloak industry with refer­
ence to filling vacancies in boards or committees shall apply hereto, and so far as appli­
cable to the dress and waist industry the precedents, usages, and rules of procedure
already established and existing in the cloak industry shall be followed.
The minutes of the proceedings of the conferences resulting in the acceptance of
this protocol shall govern all matters not specifically referred to herein.
In witness whereof, the parties have hereto set their hands and seals, and authorized
their respective officers to affix the signature of the respective organizations hereto.
For the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association:
S a m ’ l F l o e r s h e im e r , President.
W a l t e r H . B a r t h o l o m e w , General Manager.
For the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ U nion:
A b r a h a m R o s e n b e r g , President.
Jo h n A . D y c h e , Secretary.
The American Federation of Labor will stand back of the International Ladies’
Garment Workers’ Union in the faithful performance of the foregoing protocol.
S a m u e l G o m p er s ,

President American Federation o f Labor.
H ugh F r a y n e ,

General Organizer American Federation o f Labor.
In the presence of—
Ju liu s H e n r y C o h e n .

GENERAL NATURE OF TH E PROTOCOL.

The protocol in the dress and waist industry is more or less a copy
of the protocol enacted in September, 1910, in the cloak, suit, and
skirt industry of New York City.
The objects, permanent peace and general improvement in condi­
tions and wages, are the same. The agencies are the same, with the
one exception of the wage-scale board, an institution peculiar to the
dress and waist industry because of the greater predominance of the
piecework system. The obligations imposed upon the employer—
50-hour week, standard minimum wages, preferential union shop,
sanitary supervision, etc.— are also the same.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

27

The obligations imposed upon the employees— elimination of strikes
and peaceful settlement of grievances— are essentially the same.
Even the personnel of the board of arbitration is the same as in the
cloak, suit, and skirt industry.1
Besides the wage-scale board, there are only two features in this
protocol that can not be found in the protocol of the cloak industry.
They are: (a) The provision for the establishment of the so-called
white protocol label, Section II, and (b) the provision specifying that
workers are not allowed to cease work pending the settlement of
piece prices.
However, some of the provisions embodied in the protocol of the
cloak industry, such as the one for the installation of electric power
free of charge to the workers, and that regulating charges for damaged
material and deposits, have become so firmly established in the gar­
ment trades that the protocol in the dress and waist industry does not
specify them at all.
The framers of the protocol in the dress and waist industry bene­
fited greatly by the experiences in the cloak and suit industry. One
of the unsatisfactory clauses of the protocol of the cloak industry is
the one specifying that the workers shall refrain from working on 10
legal holidays. As most of these holidays come in the month of
October, the busiest part of the season, this cessation of work causes
a great deal of interruption. The dress and waist protocol left the
subject of holidays open, to be passed upon by the board of arbitra­
tion.2
Unlike those in the protocol of the cloak, suit, and skirt industry,
the standards established by the dress and waist protocol are tenta­
tive, subject to changes by the board of grievances, wage-scale
board, or the board of arbitration after a careful investigation of
facts for the purpose of standardizing the whole industry. The pro­
tocol specifically states that:
Immediately after the signing of this protocol the wage-scale board shall, at the
expense of both parties, make a complete and exhaustive examination into the exist­
ing rates paid for labor, the earnings of the operatives, and the classification of gar­
ments in the industry, and shall report in writing every six months from the date
hereof the results of its labors. It shall be the duty of the board of grievances there­
after immediately to convene and to act upon said report, and based upon such report
said board of grievances shall establish a rate or rates for the adjustment of piece prices,
and to readjust any of the schedules tentatively agreed upon b y the schedule hereto
annexed.3
1 Three m o n th s after the signing of the dress an d w aist protocol the personnel of the b oard of arbitration
h ad been som ew h at changed.

D r . W e y l , w h o w as also on the b oard of arbitration of the cloak, su it, and

skirt in d u str y , resigned and w as replaced on the board of arbitration in the dress an d w aist in d u stry b y
M r. H e n r y Bruere.
2

T h e board of arbitration su b se q u en tly reduced the n u m b er of legal h olid ays from ten (as in the cloak

an d su it in d u str y ) to five (as in the dress an d w aist in d u str y ).
s Section V I I I .




28

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

W AGES OF PIECEW ORKERS UNDER TH E PROTOCOL.

The work in this industry is carried on under two systems, by
week and by piece, i. e., workers are paid either by week, irrespective
of the amount of work turned out, or by piece. The week workers
constitute only about one-third of the working force.
Prior to the calling of the general strike of 1913, which resulted in
the signing of the protocol, the earnings of the pieceworkers were
estimated as having been as follows: About 60 per cent of the
employees earned not more than 15 cents per hour; 20 per cent 15
cents but not more than 20 cents; and 20 per cent about 30 cents.
The number of people earning over 30 cents per hour was insignifi­
cantly small.1
The protocol established a minimum standard of 30 cents per hour.
M IN IM U M P IE C E P A Y S T A N D A R D S E S T A B L IS H E D B Y T H E P R O T O C O L O F T H E
AND

P a y per hour
before protocol.

P a y per hour
according to
protocol.

Cents.

Cents.

15
18
20
22
25
28
29
31 and 32
33 or over

DRESS

W A IS T IN D U S T R Y .

30
30
30
30
30
32
32
33
N o t to be de­
creased.

P er cent of
increase.

100
67
50
36
20
15
10
6 and 3

E stim a te d
n u m b e r of
workers of this
grou p.1

5,000
5,000
7,000
3,500
2,500
2,000
2,500
5,000

1 In ternation al L a d ie s’ G arm en t W o r k e r , F e b . 1913, p . 20.

OBLIGATIONS IM PO SED UPON THE PARTIES.

The following obligations are imposed by the protocol upon the
manufacturers:
1. To employ (or retain) union men by preference.
2. To give up right to lockout as long as protocol is in force.
3. To pay minimum wage scale to week workers employed.
4. To raise, by considerable percentage, the pay of the piece­
workers.
5. To work in each week not more than 50 hours.
6. To prevent excessive overtime; the highest number of hours
not to be more than 4 hours per week per worker.
7. To abolish subcontracting.
8. To settle piece prices in the manner defined by the protocol, a
matter involving a certain organization of the workers within the
shop.
'9. To settle grievances peacefully and to abide faithfully by the
decision of the authorities to be created under the protocol.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

29

The following are the obligations imposed upon the union:
1. To give up right to strike as long as the protocol is in force.
2. To work on unsettled garment, leaving the final adjustment of
prices to the wage-scale board.1
3. Peaceful settlement of grievances and faithful carrying out of
the decision of the judicial and legislative tribunals of the trade to be
created under the protocol.
Besides these obligations, it is mutually understood that each side
is to assist in a comprehensive investigation and standardization of
the industry. Each side also admits 2 the importance of a strong
organization in order to make the agreement effective.3 The employer
is to use his good offices in making his nonunion employees join the
union and thus make him help to carry the burden of expense of the
organization.
ADVANTAGES GAINED BY B O TH PARTIES.

Advantages gained under the protocol by the workers may be
listed as follows:
1. Recognition of the principle of collective bargaining.
2. Decrease in the number of hours of work from 54 to 50.
3. Increases in wages of workers.
4. Peaceful means for redress of all grievances, including disputes
in wages, conditions, etc.
5. Protection in cases of discrimination for union activity and
unjustifiable discharge.
6. Restrictions on overtime w~ork.
7. Abolition of home work and subcontracting.
8. Regular weekly pay day and pay in cash.
9. Double pay for overtime to week workers.
10. Creation of conditions of safety and health of the workers.
11. Protection against lockouts.
12. Equalization and standardization of the various processes of
production for the purpose of scientific determination of piece prices.
13. Introduction of one system (piecework) in the operating
department.
14. Prohibition of favoritism in distribution of w^ork.
The advantages gained by the manufacturers are as follows:
1.
Protection against strikes. (Strikes in this industry are particulariy harmful to employers, because of the seasonal character of
1 Tliis provision is an im p o rta n t one.

I t is different from a sim ilar provision of the protocol in the cloak,

su it, and skirt in d u stry , w hich allows the cessation of work on unsettled garm ents.
2 See the pream ble to the protocol.
3 M a k in g

a

Stro ng U

n io n

(extract from official organ of M anufacturers’ A ssociation ): “ A strong union

w ill be a benefit to the m anufacturers, and m em b ers of the association sh ould m ak e every effort to increase
the m e m b ersh ip in the u nion so th at its officers m a y h ave com p lete control of the w orkers an d be enabled
to discipline th e m w hen necessary.

W it h h alf the shop u nion and the other h alf n onu nion it is easy to

seen th a t this is im p ossib le an d th a t friction is b ou n d to r e su lt.”




(D ress and W a is t B u ll. N o . 1.)

be

30

BULLETIN OF THE BUBEAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

the trade; a stoppage of work for a few days may prevent the
employer from delivering goods on time, and this causes a loss of
profit of the whole season.)
2. Restriction of competition between employers by means of
equalization of the cost of labor.
3. Elimination of competition between the employer whose
standards are high and fair and the employer whose standards are
low and bad.
4. Security from lawsuits and general elimination of litigation.
5. Protection against exorbitant prices for piecework.
ADJUSTM ENT OF PIECE PRICES.

This is one of the most difficult problems in the industry. The
shops vary; the grades of work are numerous; the number of occu­
pations is rather high.1
For the purpose of making prices, the employees of each shop were
conceded the right to elect a piece-price committee. This com­
mittee, in consultation with the employer, is to agree upon prices for
the making of specific garments. If no satisfactory agreement can be
reached, the work, unlike that in the cloak industry, is to be proceeded
with, but one or more workers are to be selected immediately to make
a test in order to determine the amount of time (in solid hours) that
1 T h e follow ing is a brief enum eration of the occupations:
Chief occupations:
1. D esignin g and m ak in g original m od el.
2. P attern cuttin g and grading.
3. C uttin g of garm ents.
4. O perating or m achine sew ing.
5. Fin ish in g.
6. Cleaning.
7. E x a m in in g .
8. F in a l pressing of the garm ent.
A very specialized su bd ivision of labor is to be fou nd in each of the m ain occupations.
larly true of the operating d ep artm en t.

T h is is particu ­

H ere th e w ork approaches ex trem e specialization, an d is d iv id e d

in to the follow ing occupations, or, rather, designations:
a. Sleeve m akers— P u t sleeves together.
b . B o d y m akers— M ake the b o d y , sew shoulder seam s.
c . Closers— Sew side seam s.
d . Sleeve setters.
e. S kirt m akers— S titch skirts together.
f . B e lt m akers.
g . Joiners— P u t sk irt an d w aist together.
h . Iie m stitc h e rs.
i. Tu ckers.
j . H e m m e r s.
k . B ind ers.
1. Pipers.

m.

n.

L ace runners.
T rim m ers.

o . B u tto n h o le m akers.

p. M arkers.
q . B u tto n setters.
I n th e larger estab lish m en ts even these su bd ivision s are further s u b d iv id e d .
w orkers can b e fou nd w ork ing on one sleeve.




A t tim es four or five

CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

31

it would take a moderately skilled worker to make the garment in
question. The price is then to be based upon the approximate former
earnings per hour of the test hand, multiplied by the number of solid
hours that the making of the test consumed. If the parties can not
agree upon a particular operative to make the test, the matter is to
be referred to the wage-scale board.
However, in order to insure to the workers definite increases in
wages, a provision was embodied in Article X to the effect that,
pending the determination of standard prices by the wage-scale
board, operators shall receive the following temporary increases:
In all shops where the standard per hour is now less than 28 cents, there shall be
increase of at least 15 per cent.
In all shops where the standard per hour is less than 30 cents and more than
cents, there shall be an increase of at least 10 per cent.
In all shops where the standard per hour is now 31 or 32 cents the standard shall
advanced to 33 cents. In no shop shall the standard rate per hour be less than
cents, and where the rate is now 33 cents or more the present standard rate shall in
case be reduced.

an
28
be
30
no

The same section of the protocol further states that—
In case of any dispute or controversy in any shop as to what is the standard per hour
now paid, such dispute or controversy shall be settled b y the wage-scale board, and
its decision shall be final.

Though, generally speaking, the workers and employers have man­
aged to adjust prices under this system, there has been much discon­
tent on both sides. The employers, at times, felt that the test hand
did not put in sufficient effort to get out the garment as quickly as
possible. The workers, again, frequently maintained that some
method of “ speeding” up had been used.
Thus the establishment of objective uniform standards for the
determination of piece prices became imperative. For this reason
the protocol specifically provided for an immediate investigation for
the purpose of standardizing the various processes of the industry.
The method employed in this investigation consisted in timing
workers in the shops on different operations in the manufacture of
dresses and waists. This method was virtually the application of the
test principle, but on a much more elaborate and exact scale; instead
of timing one worker of average skill, practically all the workers em­
ployed in the shop were tested.
Under ordinary circumstances the worker is tested for a few hours
only. There is therefore always room for suspicion that either the
worker is shirking in the hope of making up for the loss of wages during
the few hours by higher piece rates, or that the test hand is being
“ speeded” up by the manufacturer to a pitch which would be impos­
sible for the average worker to maintain from day to day.




32

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

In the tests carried on by the investigation bureau of the wagescale board neither of these two things is likely to happen. The
wrorker would have to sacrifice a whole week’s earnings in order to
slow down in the test; nor could he be “ speeded77 up beyond his usual
ability and keep up that speed for an entire week. As a matter of
fact, in many instances the test lasted more than a week, sometimes
as long as three weeks.
In timing the workers the investigators of the board endeavored to
ascertain not only the time that it takes to make the entire garment,
but also the time that it takes to complete each separate process, such
as joining of shoulders, closing sides, hemming bottoms, making
centers, setting collars, tacking fronts, etc. This was done for the
purpose of finding out the exact time that it takes a moderately ex­
perienced operative to complete any single part of the garment.
Such a standardization of processes would make it possible for the
wage-scale board to set up a scale of piece rates for each specific part
of the garment, so that when the price of a new garment has to be
determined the price committee and the manufacturer would have
only to consult the schedule of rates specified by the board for the
making of specific parts of the garment in order to arrive at the fair
price to be paid for the making of the entire garment.
RULES FOR SH OP C H AIRM EN.

The following rules for the guidance of shop chairmen, formulated
in consultation with representatives of the association, have been
promulgated by the union:
(1) It is the duty of the shop chairman to urge upon all nonunion people to join the
union.
(2) The shop chairman should see to it that all the workers in the shop are in good
standing with the union, and that the dues and assessments of each worker be paid up.
(3) The shop chairman should inspect the books of the workers weekly, collect their
dues, bring the money collected to the office of the union and procure dues’ stamps
in return.
(4) It is the duty of the shop chairman to call upon all workers from the shop to
attend shop meetings at least once every two weeks. Notice of such shop meetings
must be filed with the union office at least three days in advance of the date of such
meeting. In exceptional cases a meeting may be called at any time, providing notice
of same is given to the union office.
(5) It is the duty of the shop chairman to settle all disputes and misunderstandings
between the employer and the workers. In extraordinary cases, where a conflict arises
and it is impossible for the shop chairman to bring about a settlement, the shop chair­
man shall immediately notify the union office. In no case, however, should work be
stopped.
(6) It is the shop chairman’s duty to maintain and encourage friendly and harmo­
nious relations among the workers of the shop and to avoid all personal conflicts. In
case a worker does not live up to the union “ ethics, ” it is the duty of the shop chair­
man to report same to the union and severe action will be taken against such members.
(7) How prices should be settled on piecework:




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

33

(а) The workers of each shop should elect a price committee at a shop meeting. The
duty of the price committee is to settle prices with the firm. The shop chairman shall
be the chairman of the price committee.
(б) The price committee, with the employer, shall determine the prices of all new
garments, same to be figured according to the amount of hours it takes an average
experienced worker to produce such garment.
(c) In case the price committee can not agree with the employer on a certain price
of a certain garment, then it is the duty of the price committee, in conjunction with
the firm, to elect one or two workers to make a test of the disputed garment, but at the
same time the work must continue.
(d) After the prices of piecework are agreed upon, the shop chairman is required
to bring a copy of the price list to the office of the union. He shall also bring copies
of all additional settled garments every week.
(8) It is the duty of the shop chairman to see to it that none of the workers shall
work overtime more than four hours in any one week, and no more than two hours in
any one day. Under no circumstances shall there be any overtime work done be­
tween the hours of 1 p. m. Saturday and 8 a. m. Monday. Week workers must get
double pay for overtime. No work shall be taken home.
(9) Only six days shall constitute a w eek’s work. Those who work on Saturdays
shall under no circumstance work on Sundays, and those who work on Sundays must
not work on Saturdays.
(10) It is the duty of the shop chairman to report in writing at least once in two
weeks to the union office as to the general condition of the shop, such as whether the
spirit of the protocol is being lived up to and as to the attitude prevailing between the
firm and the workers. Special report blanks for this purpose may be obtained at the
office of the union.
(11) The election of the shop chairman and the price committees shall take place
once a month at a regular shop meeting of each shop. None of the elected shop chair­
men or price committees shall resign before the expiration of their term.
(12) The shop chairman shall inform all the workers of his shop that no work shall
be performed on the following legal holidays, and that all week workers must get paid
for them :
Washington’s Birthday.......................................................................................... February 22
Decoration D ay.................................................................................................................May 30
Labor D a y .................................................................................... First Monday in September
Thanksgiving D a y ..................................................................... Last Thursday in November
Christmas D a y ........................................................................................................December 25
These rules must be strictly observed.
W H IT E PROTOCOL LABEL.

One of the new features of the dress and waist protocol, as distin­
guishing it from the protocol in the cloak and suit industry, is the
provision for the introduction, at the earliest possible moment, of the
so-called white label.
Whenever complete and regular inspection of the entire industry
is fully under way and certificates are issued to shops maintaining
adequate standards, the chain of evidence is to be carried one link
farther— the garment itself is to be certified by the board, so that the
consumer will know the condition under which the garment was made.
39573°—Bull. 145— 14------ 3




34

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

An extensive advertising campaign, conducted by both parties will,
it is expected, inevitably educate the public to a realization of its
responsibility for the maintenance of sanitary conditions. The re­
sponsibility from the producer to the consumer is thus made direct
and real, and can not be evaded. A label on each garment is to fur­
nish the purchaser with unmistakable evidence of its conformance
with the standards of living maintained by the best in the industry.
Such a label has been contemplated and specified in the protocol of
peace of the dress and waist industry, signed January 18, 1913. It
is to be known as the white protocol label. The provision is as
follows:
To make more effective the maintenance of sanitary conditions throughout the
industry, to insure equality of minimum standards throughout the industry, and to
guarantee to the public garments made in the shops certified b y the Board of Sanitary
Control, the parties agree that there shall be instituted in the industry a system of
certificating garments b y a label to be affixed to the garments. Recognizing the
difficulties of working out such a plan at this time, but believing that the plan has
been sufficiently developed and considered in the cloak industry, they believe that
a complete plan can be worked out in the dress and waist industry within a year. To
this end each party agrees to cooperate to the full extent of its power in the formula­
tion and effectuation of a system for the certification of garments adequately safe­
guarding the employers, the workers, and the consuming public.
Additional increase of 10 per cent (approximately) shall be granted in all wages
as soon as the system of certificating garments to the consumer herein referred to shall
have been in operation for one year.
LEGAL HOLIDAYS.

The question of holidays has been a constant source of disturbance
in the cloak, suit, and skirt industry. The protocol of the cloak,
suit, and skirt industry provides for cessation of work on 10 specified
holidays.
The period of busy activity in the industry is from 20 to 30 weeks,
and usually centers around the months of September-October and
February-March. During September and October occur the principal
Hebrew* holidays. In addition, one of the ten legal holidays— Colum­
bus Day— occurs in October, and two— Lincoln’s Birthday and Wash­
ington’s Birthday— in February. The effect of this coupling of holi­
days with the normal seasonal period of activity is shown in the accom­
panying calendar of October working days, submitted by the man­
ufacturers’ association to the board of arbitration at its session in
October, 1913. On this calendar the holidays are indicated by black
spaces.
Omitting Sundays and Saturday half-holidays, and deducting the
Jewish holidays, there are left only 17 working days during October,
1913, one of the busiest months of the year. Taking out Columbus
Day, another of the entire working days of this month is eliminated.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

35

The dress and waist people benefited by this apparently unde­
sirable experience of the cloak and skirt industry. Accordingly,
the protocol of the dress and waist industry in the section on “ Im­
mediate problems for arbitration” makes the following specific state­
ment:
S e c t i o n X IV . Tiie question of which legal holidays shall be observed in the
industry shall be submitted to the board of arbitration created under this protocol,
and, without prejudice to the merits of the question, Lincoln’s Birthday and Wash-

October Working Days at a Glance
1913

OCTOBER

1913

29 30 31
ington’s Birthday, 1913, shall be observed, unless the decision of the board is rendered
prior thereto.

On March 15, 1913, the board of arbitration in the dress and waist
industry submitted the following decision in the matter of legal
holidays:
RULINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD OF AR BITRATION.

In the matter of legal holidays in the dress and waist industry.
The protocol of peace entered into the 18th day January, 1913, between the Inter­
national Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and the Dress and Waist Manufacturers7
Association, declared (Sec. X IV ) that “ the question of which legal holidays shall
be observed in the industry shall be submitted to the board of arbitration created
under this protocol. ’ ’




36

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

The board of arbitration believes that as far as is practicable legal holidays should
be observed, and that an adequate period of rest and recuperation is necessary to the
welfare of the workers in all industries. On the other hand, the board recognizes
that the dress and waist industry is a seasonal industry, and that a large part of its
employees are compulsorily idle for a considerable part of the year. The board also
believes that the preponderance of the evidence tends to establish the fact that the
seasonal character of the industry depends largely upon conditions beyond the con­
trol of the local manufacturers, and therefore that an excessive number of holidays
would have the effect not of extending the season, but simply of cutting down the
number of days of work for the whole industry.
The entire question is complicated b y the circumstances that, beside the legal
holidays, certain Jewish holidays are customarily observed in the industry. The
board did not believe that it had the power under the provisions of Section X I V of the
protocol to render an authoritative decision as to any holidays other than the “ legal”
holidays specifically mentioned. It has, however, carefully considered the subject
of Jewish holidays and has embodied its conclusions in a recommendation, which,
while not binding upon either of the two parties, is urged upon them b y the board in
the interest of their common welfare.
The board rules:
(1) That the following five legal holidays shall be observed in the dress and waist
industry: Washington’s Birthday, Decoration Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day,
and Christmas.
(2) That when any of these legal holidays falls on a Sunday, all employees custo­
marily observing Sunday as a day of rest shall be entitled to observe the following
Monday as a holiday; and when any of these legal holidays falls upon a Saturday,
all employees customarily observing Saturday as a day of rest shall be entitled to
observe the following Sunday a3 a holiday.
(3) That full wages shall be paid all week workers on each of the five holidays above
specified.
(4) That it shall be within the power of the union to dispense with the observance
of any of these holidays on the condition that all employees engaged to work on such
holidays shall receive double pay for that day.
The board, without ruling on the following subjects, recommends:
(1) That the association and the union meet for the purpose of exchanging two
of the five holidays herein above mentioned for two Jewish holidays, preferably the
Jewish New Year’s and the Day of Atonement. If such exchange be made, and the
secretary of the board of arbitration be notified to that effect, then the employees
shall enjoy the same rights and privileges with respect to these two holidays that they
now enjoy with respect to the two legal holidays, which may be surrendered therefor.
(2) The board further recommends that, wherever practicable, all shops be divided
into shops which observe Sunday as a day of rest and which shall be called “ Saturday
shops” ; and shops which observe Saturday as a day of rest and which shall be called
11Sunday shops” ; and that the present practice of having in the same shop some
employees who work on the one day and others who work on the other day bo as far
and as soon as possible terminated.
The board further recommends that the union and the association meet to consider
the feasibility of making Sunday a long day and Friday a short day in the “ Saturday
shops” to the end that the weekly recurring holiday in the ‘ ‘ Saturday shops” be not
divided into two parts.
PREFERENTIAL UNION SH O P.

Paragraph X I I I of the protocol reads:
The parties hereby accept the principles and the obligations of the “ preferential
union sh op” as defined and understood in the cloak industry, and more fully de­




CONCILIATION IN DKESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

37

scribed under that heading at pages 215-217 of Bulletin No. 98 of the United States
Bureau of Labor.

Section X I V of the protocol in the cloak, suit, and skirt industry,
as given on page 215 of Bulletin 98 of the Bureau of Labor, defines
this principle as follows:
Each member of the manufacturers is to maintain a union shop, a “ union shop”
being understood to refer to a shop where union standards as to working conditions,
hours of labor, and rates of wages as herein stipulated prevail, and where, when hiring
help, union men are preferred; it being recognized that, since there are differences
in degrees of skill among those employed in the trade, employers shall have freedom
of selection as between one union man and another and shall not be confined to any
list nor bound to follow any prescribed order whatever.

Thus the protocol in the dress and waist industry establishes the
preferential union shop in the sense that when workers are hired,
members of the union must, by its very provisions, be given prefer­
ence.
The general secretary-treasurer of the International Ladies’ Gar­
ment Workers’ Union, in his prefatory note to the protocol, says:
In such a shop the nonunion worker may obtain employment, but in a protocol shop
they are laboring under a disadvantage, because while the employer may pay him
the same scale of wages and work the same number of hours, his employm ent and his
rights are limited, for he is the first to go down and the last to be taken up.

That the employer’s organization is in perfect accord with the union
on this point can be seen from a notice that appeared in the Dress
and Waist Bulletin, the organ of the manufacturers:
LAYING OFF U N D ER THE PROTOCOL.

The attention of members is called to the fact that the theory of the preferential
union shop, to which they are bound to adhere under the protocol, requires in general
that in laying off workers manufacturers shall lay off nonunion workers before laying
off union workers, skill being equal.1

The following also is from an editorial in the organ of the Manu­
facturers’ Protective Association entitled, “ Regarding the Union” :
Every reasonable effort should be made by members to induce their employees
to join the union. This is only just and fair, not only because the association is morally
obligated to do this, but also because it is a simple matter of justice for all the workers
to contribute their share in the way of dues to the union toward meeting the greatly
increased expenses involved in carrying out the protocol conditions in the shops.
There need be no coercion and there should not be, but if the matter is presented prop­
erly to the workers who have not yet affiliated themselves with the union there is
no doubt that they can be induced to join.
A strong union w^ill be a benefit to the manufacturers, and members of the association
should make every effort to increase the membership in the union so that its officers
may have complete control of the workers and be enabled to discipline them when
necessary. With half the shop union and the other half nonunion, it is easy to be seen
that this is impossible and that friction is bound to result.2
i D ress an d W a is t B u lle tin , N o . 4, p . 2.




2-D ress

an d W a is t B u lle tin , N o . 1.

38

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

Thus the preferential union shop, as worked out in the protocol
and in its actual application, involves two fundamental preferential
principles, viz, (a) Preference to members of the union when hiring
help, (b) preference to members of the union in retaining them during
the dull season.
This arrangement resembles very closely the so-called closed shop
and yet it is not at all a closed shop, for the union is an open one,
the admission fee low, and the dues relatively reasonable. There
is a fair chance for any worker to join it. Besides, the applicant
does not necessarily have to belong to the union when hired; he
or she can join it afterwards.
In the cloak, suit, and skirt industry the above-described arrange­
ment was a success; the membership of the union, as well as of the
association, grew under this arrangement. Apparently, it actually
was advantageous to be a member of the union because of the given
preference. Not so in the dress and waist industry.
Unlike that of the cloak industry, the membership of the dress
and waist union, instead of growing larger, has diminished to about
one-half. The union charged the manufacturers with bad faith in
preferring and actually offering advantage to nonunion employees.
In its charges before the board of arbitration it presented a list of
shops, quite a number of them belonging to officers and prominent
and active members of the manufacturers7 association, in which the
percentage of union help was less than 1. The association admitted
that, but cited many instances where the blame for this serious
situation could not be fixed upon the association. The tactics and
policy of the union, they said, prejudiced the worker against joining it.
C H A N G E S IN T H E M E M B E R S H IP O F T H E D R E S S A N D W A IS T M A N U F A C T U R E R S ' A S SO ­
C I A T I O N D U R I N G T H E F I R S T 11 M O N T H S O F T H E E X I S T E N C E O F T H E

D ate.

Jan. 18, 1913...........
F e b . 1 ........................
M ar. 1 ........................
A p r. 1 ........................
M ay 1.........................
June 1 ........................
July 1.........................

M em b er­
ship.

61
292
297
297
302
299
298

D ate.

A u g . 1 .......................
S ept. 1 .......................
O c t. 1 .........................
N o v . 1 .......................
D e c. 1 ........................
Jan. 1, 1914.............

PROTOCOL.

M em b er­
ship.

298
300
283
257
261
261

Immediately after the signing of the protocol the membership of
the association increased from 61 to 292, or 379 per cent. Since Feb­
ruary, 1913, with only small variations here and there, the association
has succeeded in retaining the largest part of this tremendous increase
in membership caused by the protocol. On January 1,1914, the mem-




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

89

bersliip of the association was 328 per cent higher than it was on the
day of the signing of the protocol.
The association, as such, has apparently acted in good foith regard­
ing the preferential union shop. The board of arbitration made the
following statement in a decision rendered on the subject:
The charge made by the Union, that preference in many instances has not been
given to members of the union, is admitted as a matter of fact. It is perfectly clear that
the membership of the union to-day is probably only one-half what it was six or eight
months ago. The question of whose fault that is is one on which the parties differ.
Now, it seems to us that practically both parties have been at fault, and that it will be
necessary for both parties to exert themselves greatly to carry out the plan which was
originally in their purpose.1

Immediately after this decision was delivered, a number of confer­
ences for the purpose of starting an active campaign for the carrying
out of the principle of the preferential union shop took place. As a
result of these conferences the association, on February 2, 1914, sent
out the following letter:
N e w Y o r k , February 2, 1914.

To the members o f the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association.
G e n t l e m e n : There seems to be a lack of understanding on the part of our members
as to the precise meaning of the “ Preferential union shop” provision of the protocol.
I have had written out the extracts from Bulletin No. 98, which are made a part of the
protocol of peace, and inclose them herewith. I also inclose extracts from a recent
decision of the board of arbitration in the dress and waist industry, in reference to the
matter. Please file these for ready reference.2
The protocol has come to stay. So has the association, and so has the union. We
are gradually building up institutions like the joint board of sanitary control, the wageecale board, and the board of grievances, which will ultimately solve the very difficult
problems that exist in our industry. We are to-day considering standardizing piece
prices, plans for industrial education, and the protocol white label. We are assured of
the cooperation of the National Consumers’ League, express guaranty of which was
given at their national convention, in support of our label. None of these institutions
can possibly exist without the hearty cooperation of the union and the association.
They are for the benefit of the manufacturer and the worker alike. The principle
underlying the preferential union shop is that since the workers get benefits from these
institutions, they should belong to their organization, just as the manufacturer who
gets the benefits should belong to our organization. Some of our members have failed
to appreciate that the work of cooperation between the association and the union would
fail if the union did not have the moral support and cooperation of the manufacturers,
as guaranteed by the protocol. The first place at which this moral support and coopera­
tion is established tangibly on the part of the manufacturers is in the observance of the
principle of the “ Preferential union shop.”
I must ask you to carefully consider the provisions of the protocol upon this point,
and I must ask you for your cooperation in seeing to it that these provisions are carried
out in your shop.
1 D ecision of board of arbitration.
2

Proceedings, N o v . 8 an d 9 ,1 9 1 3 , p p . 377 an d 378.

T h e inciosure contained ex tracts from B u lletin 98, B ureau of L ab or, as w ell as from th e opinions of the

board of arbitration relating to the obligations o f the m e m b ers of the association w ith reference to the pref- <
erential union shop.




40

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

The union is communicating with its members concerning the payment of dues by
the members. Of course the union can not live without its members’ contributions,
any more than our organization can live without our members’ contributions. If the
union is doing good work for the workers, they should support this good work. The
member of the union who does not pay his or her dues is like the member of our asso­
ciation who does not pay his dues. Suspension is likely to follow. Now, in the case
of the member of the union, suspension means the loss of the preference which the
protocol guarantees to the union workers. Since the employer is responsible for the
guaranteeing of this preference, the suspended member of the union loses rights
guaranteed under the protocol.
It seems only fair, before the union takes action in suspending a large number of its
members, that they should be cautioned b y the union officials and their employers
who are members of our association, that their failure to pay the union dues will result
automatically in their suspension, and will deprive them of the right of preference
guaranteed b y the protocol.
The members of the association must realize that the general manager can not enforce
for them their rights under the protocol unless he is able to show that the members of
the association, on their side, perform fully their obligations. Many of the members
of the association thoroughly understand and appreciate this fact and are loyally per­
forming their duties— only a few fail.
Please be good enough to consider carefully this letter and if you do not understand
it fully, communicate directly with me.
Very truly, yours,
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
General Manager.

The union followed up this letter of the association by a similar one,
dated February 6, as follows:
N e w Y o r k , February 6, 1914 .
ATTENTION.

To the shop chairman o f --------- :
I beg to call your attention to a very important rule which was adopted at a special
meeting of the executive board on Tuesday, February 3, 1914, and which reads as
follows:
“ In accordance with the rules and regulations of our union, if any member is in
arrears with his or her dues or assessments for more than four weeks, he or she is auto­
matically suspended from the union and ceases to get all the benefits of the union.
“ The executive board took into consideration the fact that a great number of our
members were out of work, or earned very little during the dull season, and it was
impossible for them to pay up their dues, up to the present time. They, therefore,
decided that this law shall go into effect the 28th day of February, 1914, in order to give
our members an opportunity to pay up their dues and assessments b y that date.”
Some workers are under the impression that because they work in a protocol shop
they are freed from the duty of paying their dues to the union. This contention of our
members is very erroneous, because the protocol provides definitely that all workers
who enjoy the benefits of the union and of the protocol must share its burdens. In
other words, it means that anyone who does not share the burdens of the union by
contributing toward its funds is not entitled to any benefits thereof; and any worker
who enjoys the benefits of the union and the protocol and does not contribute his or
her share of the expenses of maintaining the union is a shirker and is unworthy of any
respect or consideration. The obligation of paying dues to the union is not only a
constitutional one, but is a moral one as well.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

41

You are, therefore, requested to make this point clear to every worker employed in
your shop, that unless they pay up their dues b y the end of the given term, which is
February 28, they w ill positively be suspended from the union, and as such they
will be exempted from the protection of the union, which is guaranteed to them under
the protocol.
As the protocol provides also that preference must be given at all times to members
in good standing in the union, you must hereafter insist that this provision shall be
strictly enforced. Therefore, you are urged to make this fact distinctly known to all
the workers of your shop and give them due notice, as to what w ill occur hereafter in
case of noncompliance with the above decision of our executive board.
Y ou shall also make clear to all new workers who apply for positions that unless they
are in good standing with the union they can not continue to work, for the reason that
union members, in good standing, have to get preference. Such new workers must
either immediately join the union or give place to union members in good standing.
I am absolutely determined to see that only members of the union, in good standing,
shall get preference, first in getting positions, and then in retaining their positions.
Please report to me at once what is the attitude of the firm and the workers in your
shop, as far as union conditions and union membership are concerned, so that I can
enforce the decision of the union.
Faithfully, yours,
(Signed)
--------- •
---------- ,
General Manager.

Somewhat later, when a case of violation of this principle by the
employer and his employees occurred, the board of grievances
instructed the chief clerks of the respective sides to send out the
following communication:
To all o f the employees o f the firm o f ---------------------, Spring Street.
F r ie n d s : At the last meeting of the grievance board of the union and the asso­
ciation it was decided to make a thorough investigation of the existing conditions
in your shop, in order to ascertain whether union conditions prevail there. You
are, therefore, requested that from to-morrow on you should all have your union
books with you. The investigation will be held some day this week.
Respectfully,
(Signed)
-------=
------------- ,
Chief Cleric fo r the Union.
( S i g n e d ) ---------------------,
Chief Clerk for the Association.

The chief clerks, as pointed out elsewhere, having been the most
expert men in the situation, had in numerous instances to interpret
the provisions of the protocol in the actual adjustment of cases.
These officials have been careful and exact in these interpretations,
having been aware of the fact that decisions once made gradually
become precedents— the common law of the industry.
It is interesting, therefore, to examine the attitude and actual
practice of the men who direct and execute the policies of the respec­
tive organizations.




42

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

CASES THE SETTLEM ENT OF W HICH SHOWS THE APPLICATIO N OF THE
PRIN C IPLE OF P R E F E R E N T IA L UNION SHOPS.
I. BOARD OF g r i e v a n c e s : d e c i s i o n

of

c h ie f

clerks.

N e w Y o r k , February

4, 1914.

In the matter of union complaint Nos. 1325, 1327, 1326, 1328, 1646, 2387, and 2412.
All of the above cases are unsettled owing to the attitude of the firm toward the
deputy clerks when they called to make investigations. It is apparent from the
reports of the deputy clerks that the firm will not permit an adequate investigation
as to conditions in the shop, and that it is openly antagonistic to the organization
of its shop by the union. This is especially evident from the special reports attached
to cases Nos. 1328 and 1648. The chief clerks, therefore, agree that the firm o f --------- shall be brought before the grievance board at the earliest possible opportunity to
stand trial on the general charge of nonprotocol conditions in their shop and failure
to carry out the preferential union shop rule as specified in the protocol.
(Signed)
---------------------?
Chief Cleric for the Association.
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
Chief Clerk for the Union.
II. BOARD OF G RIE VAN C ES: DECISION OF CHIEF CLERKS.

N e w Y o r k , February

4, 1914.

In the matter of union complaint No. 2626 against--------- .
The charge in this case is nonprotocol conditions in the factory. On the evidence
submitted by the deputy clerks the charge is sustained. There is no price committee,
no shop chairman, and practically no union members among the employees of the
firm.
Since the charge was brought against the firm on June 20, 1913, there has been a
change in the ownership and management, Mr. --------- having left the firm and Mr.
--------- having taken in his brother. The present name of the firm i s ---------- an d ---------- .
In a telephone conversation on February 3 M r .--------- agreed with M r .-----------that
he would have a conference with the chief clerks as to ways and means of getting
the girls to join the union and seeing that protocol conditions are instituted in the
factory.
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
Chief Clerk for the Association.
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
Chief Clerk fo r the Union.
n i . BOARD OF G RIE VAN C ES: DECISION OF CHIEF CLERKS.

N e w Y o r k , February 3, 1914.

In the matter of union complaint No. 3105 against--------- .
On August 8, 1913, the union filed a complaint against this firm for not maintaining
protocol conditions in their shop, declaring that in February out of 200 people em­
ployed there were but 10 members of the union, and in May, out of 150 people there
were but 2 who were members of the union, the other 5 having books but not having
their dues paid up.
These facts are sustained by the deputy clerks. In themselves they go to show
that the firm has not been carrying out strictly the preferential union shop rule, for




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

43

if there were 10 union, people employed in February who were members of the uni on
there should have been at least that many retained in May if there were still 150
employed in the shop. The union people should certainly have been retained in the
employ of the firm.
While the chief clerks do not wish to unduly criticise this firm, they feel that owing
to its prominence in the association, one of the firm being a member of the board of
directors, it should make a more than ordinarily earnest effort to see that this con­
dition is remedied, and to that end they request that they cooperate with the organ­
izers of the union in no uncertain fashion immediately.
If the members of the executive committee of the association do not maintain
union shops, how can we expect the rank and file of the members to do so?
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
Chief Clerk for the Association.
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
Chief Clerk for the Union.
iv.
N o v e m b e r 21, 1913.
No. 4222.
In re nonunion help being preferred.
--------- Ass’n , -----------Fifth Ave., City.
G e n t l e m a n : We wish to file a complaint against the firm of --------- Waist Co.
------ West Twenty-first Street, city.
We have been informed that the above firm laid off their union operators and retained
the nonunion operators.
As this is a violation of Section X I I I of the protocol, we would kindly request that
you immediately take this matter up and oblige,
Kespectfully,
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
General Manager o f the Union.
DECISION OF CHIEF CLERKS.

N e w Y o r k , January 26, 1914.
In the matter of union complaint No. 4222 against--------- Waist Co.
It is the opinion of the chief clerks that the deputy clerks erred in rendering their
decision on this case. The facts are as follows:
Two union operators, being in good standing with the union, and having their dues
paid up, were discharged, and two nonunion operators were retained in the employ
of the firm. When the deputy clerks went upon the case, the firm agreed to have
the nonunion operators join the union. This was done, and the deputy clerks per­
mitted the employer to retain these two girls, who had just joined the union, and to
keep out the two former union members. In the opinion of the chief clerks there
are two ways in which this case might have been fairly settled. The decision as
rendered was not fair,
i 1. The nonunion girls should have been dismissed and the two union girls kept; or
2.
The deputy clerks might have ruled that the two nonunion girls join the union,
and the work be equally distributed among all four of them.
If decisions are not rendered upon this basis in similar cases, the result will be this,
that the faithful union girl, who has borne her share of the burdens of the protocol
will, in effect, be discriminated against in favor of the girl who shirks her share of
the burdens of the protocol until she is threatened with discharge, and then pays up,
simply to save her job.
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
Chief Clerk for the Association.
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
Chief Clerk for the Union.




44

BULLETIN OF TH E BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
V. BOARD OF GRIEVANCES: DECISION OF CHIEF CLERKS.

N e w Y o i k , January 8, 1914.
In the matter of union complaint No. 4513 against--------- Waist Co.
It is agreed by the chief clerks, upon review of the facts as disclosed by the investi­
---------- , that the waist company, is guilty of break­
gation of deputy clerk s--------- and ■
ing its promise and is guilty of a violation of the protocol in the matter of the prefer­
ential union shop rule, as contained in Article X I I I , and that the union employees,
deprived of work as a result of this conduct of the firm, have sustained certain pecuni­
ary damages. It is, accordingly, agreed that an investigation shall be made as to
the extent of this damage.
( S i g n e d ) ---------------------.
Chief Clerk for the Association.
(Signed)
------------------- ,
Chief Cleric for the Union.
VI. BOARD OF GRIEVANCES: DECISION OF CHIEF CLERKS.
N e w Y o r k , February, 3, 1914.
In the matter of union complaint No. 4580 against the ---------- Co. (In c.).
The deputy clerks, after investigating this case, have made an extended report to
the chief clerks, which conclusively shows that the factory of t h e --------- Co. (Inc.),
is practically being operated on a nonunion basis, there being almost no members of
the union employed there.
The firm gave many excuses for this condition. While the chief clerks do not wish
to unduly criticise Messrs. ---------- and ---------- , proprietors of the ---------- Co. (Inc.),
they feel that owing to their prominence in the association, both being members of
the board of directors, they should make a more than ordinarily earnest effort to see
that the condition is remedied, and to that end they request that they cooperate with
the organizers of the union in no uncertain fashion, immediately.
If the members of the executive committee of the association do not maintain union
shops, how can we cxpect the rank and file of the members to do so.
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
Chief Clerk o f the Association.
( S i g n e d ) -------------------- ,
Chief Clerk for the Union.

Three weeks later, the matter of the preferential union came to
the front again. Apparently dissatisfied with results obtained so
far in this respect, the general manager of the union addressed to
the manufacturers’ association the letter quoted below. He sug­
gested that the matter be taken immediately to the legislative body
of the protocol— the joint conference of the board of grievances.
F e b r u a r y 25, 1914.
D r e ss a n d W a ist M a n u f a c t u r in g A ss o c ia t io n ,

200 Fifth Avenue, City.
G e n t l e m e n : At the last meeting of the board of arbitration held at the Bar Asso­

ciation, New York City, on October 25, 1913, we presented proof that the provisions
of the protocol relating to the giving of preference to members of the union were
being violated by a number of manufacturers among whom there were members of
the executive board of the association.
The situation has not improved since then in the least. On the contrary, it has
become worse. The number of manufacturers who employ almost exclusively non­
union workers is growing instead of diminishing, and there are still members of your
governing committees who do not employ any members of the union.




CONCILIATION 11ST DKESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

45

It is absurd to speak of a protocol based upon the principle of the preferential union
shop while this condition prevails. As things are now, the members of the union
who work in nonassociation shops are carrying on their shoulders almost the entire
burden of maintaining the expensive machinery of the protocol.
Every possible method to remedy the evil has been tried b y the union and so far
without effect. The union is handicapped in organizing these shops by the prohibi­
tion against striking.
For 12 months we left it to the association to get its members to cooperate with us.
Twelve months is a pretty long time to show good faith. After a year’s sad experience,
we ask where is that good faith?
And it is almost a rule without any exception that wherever the provisions relating
to preference are violated, every other vital provision of the protocol is being violated.
We must either be released from the obligation not to strike against such manufac­
turers, or your association must find some other effective way of getting your mem­
bers to carry out the provisions of the protocol relating to preference.
We inclose a list of the most flagrant cases.
Please take up the matter at the very next meeting of the grievance committee.
Respectfully,
( S i g n e d ) --------------------- ,
General Manager, Dress and Waist Mahers' Union, Local 25, L. G. W. TJ.

The inclosed list of “ most flagrant cases” included the names of
29 firms, members of the association, employing a total number of
about 5,000 people, none of whom, the officers of the union claim,
belong to the union. On this list were to be found some of the
largest manufacturers of dresses and waists, employing between 300
and 400 people. The average number employed in each of these
shops is about 170, an average three times as large as the average
number employed per factory in the entire dress and waist industry.1
COLLECTIVE AGREEM EN TS IN N ONASSOCIATION SH O P S.2

Before discussing collective bargaining in nonassociation shops of
the dress and waist industry, a few words should be said about collective agreements in this industry before January 18, 1913, the date
of the signing of the protocol.
At the time of the first general strike in this industry in 1909
many employers expressed readiness to sign collective agreements
with the International Ladies7 Garment Workers7 Union; about 500
of them actually signed such contracts. However, at the expiration
of these contracts one year afterwards these employers refused to renew
them. A long series of small strikes against individual manufacturers
then took place. Some of these were won, but most of them were lost.
From that time up to January, 1913, the number of manufacturers
that had collective agreements with their employees was negligible.
When rumors of a general strike to be inaugurated in the dress
and waist industry at the order of the Toronto convention of the
1 Special R e p o rt, Joint B oard of S anitary C ontrol, M a y , 1613, p. 8.
s Shops in the dress an d w aist in du stry h aving collective agreem ents b u t n ot belonging to the Dress and
W a ist M an ufactu rers’ A ssociation are tech n ically k now n as in dependen t shops.




46

B ULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

International Ladies' Garment Workers7 Union arose, employers
once more began to express readiness to sign collective agreements
with their employees through the International Ladies7 Garment
Workers7 Union.
The International Ladies7 Garment Yforkers7 Union, in signing the
protocol of January, 1913, took upon itself the obligation to enforce
protocol standards and conditions in every shop of the industry with
which it may subsequently enter into individual agreements.1
As can readily be seen from Appendix G, a copy of a contract that
is uniformly used by the union in making contracts with individual
independent shops, the conditions, wages, hours, and general obli­
gations and duties on the part of the respective parties to the agree­
ment are essentially the same as in protocol shops.2
That actual conditions and wagos in independent shops are no
different from those in association shops, and that changes in condi­
tions in wages stipulated in the protocol Were also introduced in
independent shops is shown in a report of the officers of the Interna­
tional Ladies7 Garment Workers7 Union.3
It is estimated that the independent shops employ about 20 to 25
per cent of the total number of workers of the industry.
The general strike and the subsequent signing of the protocol
apparently assisted the union in getting control of the independent
shops. The following table, taken from the records of the independ­
ent department of Local 25, the Dress and Waist Makers7 Union,
show^s the number of nonassociation shops that the union had agree­
ments with at different periods of the first year of the existence of
the protocol:
U N IO N SH O P S W IT H IN D E P E N D E N T A G R E E M E N T S D U R IN G T H E F IR S T Y E A R OF T H E
E X IS T E N C E

OF TH E

PROTOCOL.

T o ta l gain during
period specified.
Period or date.

A fte r general str ik e ..................................................
Jan. 19-June 1 ,1 9 1 3 ..............................................
June 2-S e p t. 29 ,1 9 1 3 ................................................
Sep t. 3 0 -N o v . 2 9 ,1 9 1 3 .............................................
N o v . 3 0 -D e c . 16, 1913 4............................................
D e c . 17, 19 13-F eb. 17, 1914 5................................
T o t a l....................................................................

N um ber
at begin­
ning o f
period.

233
233
266
252
250
243

N e w ly
organ­
ized.

68
13
12
21
15
129

T o ta l loss d urin g
period specified.

Tran s­
F ailed ,
T ran s­
ferred
ferred to
bank­
from as­
associa­
r u p t, or
sociation.
tion.
dissolved.

14

21
27
14

9

1

13

9

15

75

T o ta l
n u m b er
of shops
with, inde­
pendent
agree­
m ents.

233
266
252
250
271
253

1 P rotocol, Sec. X I .
2 See M em orand u m of A greem en t, A p p e n d ix G , Sec. X X .
3 R eport of vice president, International L ad ies’ G arm ent W o rk ers’ U n io n , to ex ecutive board, Inter­
n ational L ad ies’ G arm ent W ork ers, M a y , 1913.
4 D ecem b er, 1913, m ost of these agreements ex pired; 243 were im m ed iately renew ed.
5 29 agreem ents are yet to be renewed.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OE N E W YORK.

47

Two months before the general strike of 1913, the number of shops
having collective agreements with their employees was less than 100.
In the beginning of the month of February, a few weeks after the pro­
tocol had been signed, the number of such shops increased to 233.
On February 17, 1914, 12 months afterwards, the union controlled
253 shops with a good prospect of signing up with 29 more. In all
probability, judging by the increased number of shops, the number
of members of the union in independent shops was higher in February,
1914, than immediately after the signing of the protocol. This
fact is rather remarkable, in view of the fact that the general member­
ship of Local 25, particularly with reference to association shops, had
decreased very materially during this period.1
During this whole period,the union succeeded in organizing (union­
izing) 129 new shops. Because of various causes, chiefly bankruptcy,
business failure, dissolution, etc., the union lost control of 75 shops.
Owners of nine association shops left the ranks of the association
and signed independent union agreements. Fifteen independent shopowners joined the association.
Generally speaking, from a manufacturer’s point of view, the pro­
tocol shop seems to have advantage over the shop with the so-called
union agreement of the independent variety. The independent em­
ployer, besides being obliged to c&TTy out all the obligations specified
in the protocol, has an additional burden to carry— he can employ
union men or women only.2 Furthermore, he is not protected from
strikes; a stoppage of work may occur at any moment for the mere
purpose of securing redress in a specific grievance. Thus it is rather
difficult to see the reason why nine association firms preferred to join
the ranks of the so-called independent manufacturers.3
The protocol also assisted the union in establishing better condi­
tions and wages in the so-called “ private” part of the industry.
Just before the signing of the protocol agreement, the number of such
stores or private establishments under the control of the union was
about 100. In the month of June, 1913, the number of such insti­
tutions under the control of the union reached a total of 255.4
1 P roceedin gs of B oard of A r b itr a tio n , D ress and W a is t In d u str y , N o v . 8 and 9 ,1 9 1 3 .
2 T h e sh ops under in d iv id u a l collective agreem ents, k n ow n as u nion shops as distinguished from pref­
erential u nion sh ops, are n ot closed shops in the ordinary trade union sense of the w ord.

T h e em ployer

is allow ed to secure h is help in a n y w a y he pleases; he does n ot h ave to confine h im self to lists furnished
b y the u nion offices.

N on u n ion workers m a y b e h ired, b u t the em ployer is under obligation (w hich

m a y be enforced b y a cessation of w ork) to m ak e th e m join the union im m ed iate ly.
3 It is u n d o u b ted ly tru e, h ow ever, th a t m a n y sm a ll m anufacturers are freq u en tly p revented from join ­
ing the association because of the relatively high (for their p ock ets) initiation fees an d regular m em b ersh ip
dues; these a m ou n t to ab ou t $350 the first year.
4 R ep ort of L o c a l 25, Dress an d W a is t M akers’ U n io n , In ternation al L ad ies’ G arm en t W o r k e r , V o l. I V ,
N o . 6, p . 2.




48

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

GRIEVANCES AND THEIR ADJUSTMENT.1
In the accompanying chart is shown an outline of the interrelations
of the various adjustment agencies existing in the dress and waist
industry under the protocol of January 18, 1913.
A complaint originates with one of the parties to the agreement:
(1) The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union or its sub­
sidiary, the Dress and Waist Makers’ Local 25, or (2) The Dress and
Waist Manufacturers’ Association. The individual worker or manu­
facturer presents his grievance to the complaint official of his organi­
zation, who then files a formal complaint with the manager of the
protocol division, for the union, or the manager of the labor depart­
ment of the association, for the manufacturers, as the occasion may
require.
These two officials serve in dual capacities— as managers of the
departments mentioned, and as chief clerks of the board of grievances
in charge of the adjustment of complaints. Each complaint, imme­
diately after being filed, is assigned to a pair of deputies, technically
known as deputy clerks of the board of grievances, one representing
the union, the other the association. The deputy clerks conduct
an investigation on the premises and endeavor to settle the difficulty
then and there. If an agreement is reached, the proper disposition
is reported and duly recorded. In case of the inability of the deputy
clerks to agree upon a specific disposition of the case, the chief clerks
of the board, themselves, take up the complaint and conduct a
reinvestigation. In case of inability on the part of the chief clerks
to adjust the matter, the case is referred to the board of grievances
or the wage-scale board, as the occasion may require.
The number of cases settled by the various agencies was ascer­
tained for union complaints only. It was not possible, on account of
defective records, to ascertain the distribution of association com­
plaints by agencies of adjustment. Of the 4,110 union cases handled
3,322, or 80.8 per cent, were settled by the deputy clerks; 600, or
14.6 per cent, by the chief clerks; 101, or 2.5 per cent, by the wagescale board and its temporary subcommittee, the committee on
immediate action, wiiich was in existence for 4 months; and 85, or
2.1 per cent, by the board of grievances. Two cases on which the
board of grievances failed to reach a decision will be referred to the
board of arbitration, the supreme court of the industry.
The total number of association cases was 456, or 9 per cent of
the total cases filed.2 It is estimated that over 95 per cent of the
association cases were adjusted by the deputy clerks and chief clerks.
1 T h e section of the report under this su btitle, “ Grievances and their ad ju stm e n t*” w as prepared b y
B oris E m m e tt , u nd er th e supervision of C harles I I . W in s lo w .
2 See tab le on p . 68.




1

PLANOFPERMANENTPEACEAGREEMENT
PROTOCOL OF JAN 18 !?!3

DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY
GREATER NEW YORK

39573°—Bull. 145—14. (To face page 48.)




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

49

The approximate figures shown on the chart are believed to repre­
sent with fair accuracy the percentage of total cases, both union and
association, adjusted by the various agencies.
FILING AND ADJUSTMENT OF COM PLAINTS.

In general, complaints are made either by the official representative
of the union in the shop (shop chairman or chairwoman) or by the
individual workers themselves. For purposes of illustration, it was
deemed advisable to take a typical case and trace it through the
various stages of filing, forwarding to the association, and adjustment.
On May 16, 1913, a complaint (No. 3327) was filed by a girl, to the
effect that she was wrongfully discriminated against and subsequently
discharged. The complaint clerk, on the basis of this information,
filled out the following card:
C l a s s if ic a t io

No. 3227.

L

a d ie s

I

’

W

a is t

n

N

o

D

a n d

n t e r n a t io n a l

.

26.— D
M

ress

L

a d ie s

is c r im in a t io n

a k e r s

’

G

’ U

n io n

a r m e n t

W

.

, L

25,

ocal

o r k e r s

’

U

n io n

,

New York, August 16, 1913.
a s s o c ia t io n

F

ir m

’s

N

a m e

h o u se

c o m p l a in t

.

: -------------- ----------------

--------- West Sixteenth Street.
C o m p l a i n t s : Miss F., chairlady of above firm, was discharged on above date.
On
Thursday, August 14, she was accused b y the firm of misappropriating laces,
and to-day she was discharged. Firm refused to give her any reason for her dis­
missal. (She w~as very active as a chairlady.)
N a m e o f C o m p l a i n a n t : Miss F . , ----------East One hundredth Street.
A

d d r e ss

:

A

tten d ed

b

y

------------------------------ , b u s i n e s s a g e n t .

This card, for the purpose of forwarding the complaint to the
association, was later changed into letter form, as follows:
E
L

a d ie s

’ W

a is t

a n d

D

ress

M

No. 3227.
D

ress

a n d

W

a is t

M

a n u f a c t u r in g

A

s s o c ia t io n

x e c u t iv e

O

f f ic e s

,

25,
New York, August 18, 1913.

a k e r s

’ U

n io n

, L

ocal

,

200 Fifth Avenue, City.
G e n t l e m e n : We wish to file a complaint against the firm of --------- , ------ West
Sixteenth Street, city.
Miss F., chairlady, reports that she has been discharged by the above firm.
She reports that the firm accused her of misappropriating laces on Thursday, August
14, 1913, and on Saturday, August 16, 1913, she was discharged.
This as you know is a very serious charge, and we would like you to make a thorough
investigation in this matter, and oblige,
Respectfully,
General Manager.
August 19, 1913.

Disagreement.

39573°— Bull. 145— 14------ 4




See joint and additional reports.
(Signed)
—

50

B ULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

Two deputy clerks of the board of grievances were then assigned to
investigate and adjust the case. The deputy clerks, upon investiga­
tion, could not agree upon its disposition. They therefore filed the
following joint disagreement report:
ABSTRACT OF JOINT D ISAGREEM ENT REPORT.

The employer, when asked why Miss F. was discharged, replied, “ Because she was
seen gathering some laces.” To corroborate his statement, he called upon Miss P., a
coworker of Miss F., to testify. After some hesitation, Miss P. stated that she saw
Miss F. take some lace.
Mr. M., a former shop chairman, testified to the guilt of the accused. He did not
see it himself but was told b y Miss P. that Miss F. had stolen some lace.
A cross-examination by th e^ n ion deputy clerk brought out the fact that Miss P .’s
position at work was such that she did not at all face Miss F. and hence could not very
well see what Miss F. was doing. In answer to that Miss P. said that she saw it “ by
turning her head around.”
The above-mentioned Mr. M. also testified that Miss P., the chief witness for the
prosecution, told him three weeks ago that she saw Miss F. take lace and that she
further saw Miss F. “ stick it into her stocking, in the toilet.”
Miss P. emphatically denied ever having made such a statement about Miss F.
to Mr. M.
The clerk of the board of grievances for the union maintained that the guilt of Miss
F. has not been proven. The girl should therefore be reinstated.
The clerk of the board of grievances for the association objects to reinstating on the
ground that the discharge did not take place for union activity.

The deputy clerk for the union filed a special report stating specifi­
cally the reasons why he could not agree with his colleague of the
association upon some specific disposition.
ABSTRACT OF SPECIAL REPORT OF U NIO N DEPUTY CLERK.

The charge appears to be a frame-up originated b y Mr. M., the former shop chairman,
who had a “ grudge” against Miss F., his successor in the office of shop chairman.
Mr. M /s testimony is not based upon facts that he himself witnessed. Miss P. told
him all that. However, Miss P. denies ever having made most of the statements that
Mr. M. claims she did. Miss P .’s testimony, apparently, was given under duress. It
took the manager of the factory and the foreman quite a long time to make Miss P.
testify.
Miss P., in all probability, is lying.
A note, attached to this report and dated August 23, 1913,
N

o te

.
A

u g u st

23, 1913.

At the shop meeting last night, August 21, of the ---------- Co., Miss P. confessed in
front of the entire shop that the former shop chairman induced her to state against
the chairlady that she saw her steal lace. He bothered her for weeks and wreeks.
She did not want to do it, but he told her that if she will not get the chairlady out the
chairlady will pull her to the executive board, take her book away, and pull her out
of the shop.
As a fact that she felt bad about it after we were out, she said that as soon as she
came into the shop she told one of her dearest friends she was willing to confess if we
came again there. She said she will state the same thing at the association rooms or
in court whenever necessary. Two more witnesses, S a d ie--------- and A n n ie ---------- , at




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

51

tlie shop meeting pledged themselves to appear at the offices of the association and
testify to the effect that the former shop chairman attempted to induce them to appear
as witnesses against the chairlady. Not knowing anything about the theft, they
refused to do so.

The case was then referred to the chief clerks. These officials de­
cided to reinvestigate the entire matter in order to get at the bottom
of the controversy. The reinvestigation was made in the presence of
the owner of the shop and three other persons. The following tes­
timony was obtained:
Miss P. testified that an operator, M., a former shop chairman, has been persistently
urging her to make false charges against the chairlady, taking advantage of the fact that
she was not on speaking terms with her for some time. She, Miss P., did not know
anything against the chairlady, but M. kept on saying: “ You know she is taking lace,
and why don’ t you tell on her.” Last Thursday M. approached the foreman and told
him that he knows who the girl is that saw the chairlady take the lace. When the wit­
ness returned from lunch, the foreman asked her if she knew who stole the lace. At
first the witness did not want to say anything. The foreman, however, insisted that
she knew who did the stealing. Then he said: “ Y ou know the chairlady stole the
lace and I want you to state so.” She was compelled to testify before the deputy
clerks. After the clerks left she at once realized the injustice that she did to the
accused chairlady. She told it immediately to M., but the latter said: “ D on’ t worry;
I will take all the responsibility; nothing will happen.”
Feeling very bad about the matter, the witness decided to visit the offices of the
union and confess the wrong that she committed. She did so. At the union office
she begged the assistant chief clerk not to do anything till she is given a chance to
apologize before the whole shop for the false statements that she made.
That very evening the witness made her confession in the presence of the entire
shop in meeting assembled. She stated that she falsely accused the chairlady. She
never saw her take or steal any lace, and that the only reason for her former false tes­
timony was the fact that M., the former shop chairman, “ kept on nagging her.” He
got her finally in such a state that she unw illingly testified against the girl.
Sadie--------- testified that she sits right opposite M., the former chairman of the shop.
She heard this man tell Miss P. not to worry about anything, as he is willing, he said,
to take all the responsibility for whatever may happen.
A n n ie --------- stated that M., the former shop chairman, attempted to induce her to
testify against the chairlady, notwithstanding the fact that she told him repeatedly
that she knew nothing about the matter. M. threatened her, saying: “ If you don’t get
her she will pull you out of the shop and take your book away from y ou .”
The owner of the shop corroborated the testimony of Miss P., to the effect that she at
first refused to testify. Having been told that this girl knew all about the matter, he
said, he insisted that she testify.

On the basis of all of the above-given testimony and repeated in­
vestigations, the chief clerks rendered the following decision:
DECISION OF CH IEF CLERKS.
N e w Y o r k , August 23, 1913.
In the matter of Union Complaint No. 3227 against--------- Co.
After hear'ng witnesses on both sides, and discussing the situation fully, Mr. Z. and
Mr. B. find as follows:
That Mr. S., on information which he believed to be reliable, discharged Miss F.,
chairlady, because she had taken lace from the workroom. It now turns out that the




52

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

girl P. admits and is willing to take her oath that the statement that Miss F. took lace
from the workroom is false. Without questioning Mr. S.’s sincerity, it now becomes
clear that there was no reason for Miss F .’s discharge, and with Mr. S.’ s consent we de­
cide that Miss F. shall be immediately reinstated and paid for the time lost.
We further find that Mr. M., through personal animosity instigated this baseless
charge. We therefore decide that he shall be immediately discharged.
( S i g n e d ) --------------------- ,
Assistant Chief Clerk for Association.
(Signed)
--------------------- ,
Assistant Chief Clerk for Union

Following are definitions of the terms used in designating the dis­
position of cases:
1. “ Adjusted in favor of tlie union77 cases are those in which the
grievance complained of by the union was sustained, or, those in
which complaints filed by the association were proved to be
unfounded.
2. “ Adjusted in favor of the association” cases are those in which
complaints filed by the association were sustained, or grievances filed
by the union were proved to be unfounded.
3. “ Compromised” cases are those in which the investigation
showed a dispute of some kind in which the position of neither of the
parties wTas wholly sustained.
4. “ Dropped” cases are—
(a) Those in which the firm and the employees came to sm under­
standing before the investigation, or
(b) Those in which the nature of the complaint was too trivial to
continue the investigation,
(c) Disputes which the complainant did not press for an investiga­
tion and solution, or
(d) Those which investigation showed were disputes between
employees, and in which the firm was in no way involved.
5. “ Withdrawn” cases are those in which the union or the associa­
tion did not press for an investigation of the charge made, and with­
drew same.
COMPLAINT D EPARTM EN TS OF UNION AND ASSOCIATION.

Each organization has a complaint department, in charge of a
special official, who, as it happens in Local 25, Dress and Waist
Makers’ Union, is also the clerk of the board of grievances, for the
union. This is likewise true of the association clerk in charge of the
complaint department, who is also a clerk of the board of grievances,
representing the association.
Generally speaking, cases are attended to in order of their filing.
Grave cases, however, claim priority. As a matter of custom, the




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

53

following grievances are taken up first, in the order in which they
are enumerated:
(1) Stoppages.
(2) Alleged wrongful discharges.
(3) Discriminations.
(4) Disputes in price making.
Cases in which the violation is definite and in which the establish­
ment of the fact is more or less easy, such as “ claims for wages due/’
“ violations of wage scale/’ etc., are taken up last.
When a worker (or workers) in an association shop formulates a
grievance against the employer, the elected representative— the
shop’s chairman or chairwoman— presents the grievance to the firm
or its representative in charge of the factory. In man}^ cases the dis­
pute is adjusted then and there.
If the firm fails to accede to the demands of the workers, claiming
that the specific matter does not constitute a violation of the agree­
ment, the shop chairman or the individual complainants communicate
the grievance to the office of the union. If the clerk in charge of the
complaint department of the union is satisfied that the complaint is
justified, the charge is filed with the association. The communica­
tion usually requests that the association detail one of its deputy
clerks, who, accompanied by a similar official of the union, is to visit
the premises of the firm in order to endeavor to adjust the difficulty.
DEPUTY CLERKS OF TH E INDUSTRIAL COURTS.

The board of grievances, as introduced in the cloak industry on
April 15, 1911, and copied in its entirety by the protocol in the dress
and waist industry, provides for a system of clerks and deputy clerks,
authorized mediators and representatives of the board of grievances
for the adjustment of cases.
There are two chief clerks of the board of grievances, one represent­
ing the union and the other the association.1 These clerks have under
their supervision a corps of so-called deputy clerks.2
When a complaint is filed with either of the sides the clerk of
that side designates a deputy, who, accompanied by a similar official
of the complaining side, visits the premises and together they en­
deavor to adjust the grievance. The records show that in about 81
per cent of the total number of complaints filed they succeed in
effecting a settlement.
1 T h e chief clerk of the b oard of grievances on the u n io n side is elected b y the ex ecu tive com m ittee of
Dress and W a is t W o r k e r s’ U n io n , Local 25.

T h e chief clerk of the board of grievances on th e association

side is elected b y th e executive com m ittee of the D ress and Wraist M anufacturers7 A ssociation .
2

T h e u nion d ep u ty clerks are elected b y referendum of Dress and W a is t M akers’ U n io n , L ocal 25.

m em b er of International L ad ies’ G arm en t W o r k e r s’ U n ion is eligible.
ap pointed b y the chief clerk of the association.




Any

T h e association d e p u ty clerks are

54

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

In case the deputy clerks can reach no decision they submit the
matter for the consideration of their chiefs, the clerks. Each deputy
clerk then files a special report stating the reasons why he could not
agree to a definite disposition.
CHIEF CLERKS OF TH E INDUSTRIAL COURTS.

The records show that approximately 14.5 percent of the total num­
ber of complaints filed are settled by the chief clerks. The institution
of clerks in the dress and waist industry, unlike that in the cloak
industry, plays an important part. As it happens, both of the chief
clerks are experts in the knowledge of the general conditions of the
industry and its people; they fully realize the strong and the weak points
of the protocol. The respective sides they represent have full confi­
dence in their ability and integrity. They are able mediators.
Thus it happens that most of the notable applications and inter­
pretations of the various provisions of the protocol are to be found
in cases handled and adjusted by the chief clerks. If the chief clerks
can reach no decision in a specific case, it is submitted to the board of
grievances or the wage-scale board, as the issues involved may require.
W AGE-SCALE BOARD.

Profiting by the experience of the cloak, suit, and skirt industry, the
parties to the dress and waist protocol tried to improve upon the old
protocol by creating an entirely new piece of machinery for the adjust­
ment of wage disputes, the wage-scale board.
One of the reasons for the creation of this board was that the man­
ufacturers as well as the representatives of the union realized that they
had no accurate information as to the wages prevailing throughout the
industry. For this reason it was rather difficult for them to agree
upoii uniform standards of wages, hours, etc. This point is specific­
ally stated in Article V I of the protocol:
The parties agree that the industry is very large, and the conditions complicated;
that there are many types of shops, and that the earnings of the employees in the
shops vary widely in scale; and further frankly admit that they are not now in full
possession of the facts as to present conditions in the industry. The provisions in
this agreement or protocol relating to schedules of wages or other standards of labor
are therefore tentative, and no final determination of these matters shall be made
until after a complete investigation of conditions as hereinafter provided for, and the
board of grievances shall have had opportunity to pass thereon, and, in the event of the
failure of the members of such board to agree, then until the final determination b y the
board of arbitration in the manner herein provided.

Section V II defines the powers and organization of the wage-scale
board as follows:
The parties hereby establish a wage-scale board to consist of eight members—four
to be nominated by the manufacturers and four b y the union. Such board shall




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

55

standardize the prices to be paid for piece and week work throughout the industry;
it shall preserve data and statistics with a view to establishing, as nearly practicable
as possible, a scientific basis for the fixing of piece and week work prices throughout
the industry that will insure a minimum wTage and at the same time permit reward for
increased efficiency. It shall have full power and authority to appoint clerks or
representatives, expert in the art of fixing prices, and its procedure so far as practica­
ble, shall be the same as now followed b y the board of grievances in the cloak industry.
It shall have full power and authority to settle all disputes over prices, make special
exemptions for week work where special exigencies arise, or a special scale is required.1

Having provided for the creation of a wage-scale board consisting
of an equal number of representatives of the association and the
union, the protocol imposed upon that board the duty of making a
comprehensive survey of the industry. Article V III, providing for
this investigation, reads:
Immediately after the signing of this protocol, the wage-scale board shall, at the
expense of both parties, make a complete and exhaustive examination into the existing
rates paid for labor, the earnings of the operatives, and the classification of garments
in the industry, and shall report in writing within six months from date hereof the
result of its labors. It shall be the duty of the board of grievances thereafter imme­
diately to convene, and to act upon said report, and based upon such report said
board of grievances shall establish a rate or rates per hour for the adjustment of piece
prices, and to readjust any of the schedules tentatively agreed upon in the schedule
hereto annexed.
INVESTIGATION BUREAU OF WAGE-SCALE BOARD.

One month after the signing of the protocol, this bureau was
organized. It immediately turned its attention toward a compre­
hensive investigation, the objects of which were:
1.
To standardize piece rates for the entire industry, as pro­
vided in Article V II of the protocol.
i 2. To provide a basis for final adjustment of wages for the week
workers, and
3. To give necessary information to all concerned as to earnings in
the industry.
In this study 289 association shops and 231 independent union
shops, making a total of 520 shops, employing nearly 30,000 people,
were investigated.2
The methods used and the results obtained in this investigation
are described in detail in Bulletin No. 146 of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
COMMITTEE ON IMMEDIATE ACTION.

I

On February 24, 1913, the wage-scale board passed the following
resolution:
Resolved, That a committee on immediate action, three from each side, be appointed
to act between meetings of the wage-scale board to take up all matters requiring
immediate attention.3
1 There is n o ap p e al p ro v id e d fro m th e decisions of th is board.
2

T h e M essage, Official Organ of D ress and W a is t W o r k er s, Local 25, D e c. 19, 1913.

3 M in utes, W age -S cale B oard , F e b . 24 ,1 9 1 3 , p . 2 .




56

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

On March 6 the three men, representing each side, were appointed.
The committee organized by electing one of their members chairman.1
As the committee on immediate action was created by the wagescale board, it could have no larger legal jurisdiction than its parent
body, the board. It was to act in cases involving, under Article Y II
of the protocol, questions relating to wages, prices, and hours of labor.
In actual practice, on account of its efficient handling of cases
calling for immediate attention, this committee acted in the capacity
of adjuster of each and every case that the chief clerks saw fit to present
to it, irrespective of whether or not the specific case came under the
jurisdiction of the wage-scale board or the board of grievances.
Though officially consisting of six members, many of the decisions
of this committee were made in the presence only of the chief clerks
of the union and the association, assisted by the chairman of the
committee.
The existence of this committee covered a period of from three to
four months; it was discontinued because the manufacturers’ asso­
ciation maintained that it had no legal standing.2
Subsequently, at the November meeting of the board of arbitra­
tion, representatives of the manufacturers, supported by the repre­
sentatives of the union, submitted the question of the advisability
of creating an institution similar to the committee thus discon­
tinued. The board of arbitration advised the calling of a special
joint conference in the immediate future for this purpose.
BOARD OF GRIEVANCES.

This board, consisting of 10 men, 5 representing each side, though
essentially a trade court, has, in reality, more numerous functions
In fact, its powers are legislative and executive, as well as judicial.
Briefly speaking, the functions of the board of grievances are as
follows:
1. It may resolve itself into a legislative body (joint conference)
for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations to govern the
industry.
2. It has general charge and supervises the adjustment of griev­
ances through its power to appoint clerks and deputy clerks for the
adjustment of grievances.
3. It acts as a court of higher instance in cases upon the disposition
of which the deputy or chief clerks could not agree.
1 M in utes, W age -S cale B oard , M ar. 6 ,1 9 1 3 , p . 2.
2 T lie cases referred to an d adjusted b y the w age-scale board as w ell as b y its c om m itte e on im m e d ia te
action are given on pages 86 an d 87 of this report.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

57

4.
It acts as an appellate court. Decisions made by the chief or
deputy clerks can be appealed from to the board.
As this board is based upon the principle of mediation, i. e., only
the parties themselves are represented in it, it may at times deadlock;
cases may arise in which the court may be equally divided and thus
fail to reach a decision.1
To prevent such deadlocks and also to provide for a tribunal to
pass upon disputed questions of interpretation of provisions of the pro­
tocol and upon the more general and important disputes between
the parties to it, a board of arbitration, as described elsewhere, was
created.
Originally the protocol of the cloak, suit, and skirt industry estab­
lished a so-called committee on grievances. This committee after a
very brief existence was discontinued. The matter was then sub­
mitted to the board of arbitration of the industry, which after careful
deliberation created a comprehensive board of grievances, with an
elaborate system of chief and deputy clerks and regular rules of pro­
cedure. This organization was embodied in the protocol of the
dress and waist industry.
Sections III to V of the protocol of the dress and waist industry
establishes a board of grievance as follows:
III. ADJUSTMENT OP G RIEVANCES.

Both parties recognize the necessity for providing modern and peaceful methods for
adjusting disputes and grievances that arise. The system and method for adjusting
disputes and determining controversies in the cloak industry having proved successful,
they agree that there shall be created in the dress and waist industry a board of griev­
ances to consist of 10 members, 5 chosen b y the manufacturers and 5 b y the union,
with the rules, regulations, and precedents now governing the board of grievances in
the cloak industry so far as they are practically applicable in the dress and waist
industry.
IV . CONFERENCES.

The board of grievances shall also be the continuous conference body to which shall
be brought all problems and all plans for improvement in the industry, which both
parties are to consider.
V . PERM ANENT PEACE.
T h e p a r tie s to t h is p r o t o c o l a g r e e t h a t th e r e s h a ll b e n o s tr ik e or l o c k o u t c o n c e r n in g
a n y m a t t e r s i n c o n t r o v e r s y or a n y d is a g r e e m e n t u n t i l f u l l o p p o r t u n i t y s h a ll h a v e b e e n
g i v e n fo r t h e s u b m is s i o n o f s u c h m a t t e r s to t h e b o a r d o f g r i e v a n c e s a n d to t h e b o a r d
of a r b it r a t io n c r e a t e d h e r e u n d e r .

*

*

*

As shown in Section III, the rules, regulations, and precedents
now governing the board of grievances in the cloak industry shall, as
far as they are practically applicable, be adopted in the dress and waist
industry. Throughout its entire existence the board of grievances
i T h e n u m b er of deadlock cases during th e first 11 m on th s of the existence cf the protocol has been in­
significantly sm all-—on ly 2 cases ou t of a total of 87 referred to it.




58

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

of the dress and waist industry was guided by the following rules and
plan of procedure:
R

u les

a n d

P

lan

of

P

r o cedu re

A

dopted

b y

B

th e

o ard

op

G

r ie v a n c e s

.

For brevity, the manufacturers’ associat'on is herein referred to as the “ manu­
facturers,” the local unions and joint board are referred to as the “ unions,” and where
both parties are meant they are referred to as the “ parties.”
the

bo ard

of

g r ie v a n c e s

.

I. Immediately upon the adoption of these rules and plan of procedure, the mem­
bers of the grievance committee, appointed pursuant to the protocol of peace, shall
constitute themselves into a board, and shall thereafter be known as “ The board of
grievances.”
Hereafter in these rules it will be referred to as the “ board.”
II. The board shall immediately elect two chairmen, one for each side, who shall
preside alternately, for two weeks.
TERM OF OFFICE.

III. These officers shall hold office for one year, or until their successors are elected.
OFFICE OF CLERKS.

IY . The clerks shall hold office for one year or until their successors are elected.
Each clerk shall appoint as many deputy clerks as shall be required for the expeditious
transaction of the business of the board.
Upon the written request of any member of the board of grievances a committee of
two, consisting of members of the board or of clerks or of deputy clerks, one represent­
ing each side, shall visit any shop for the purpose of ascertaining whether the provisions
of the protocol are being observed and report on the conditions of such shop to the
board.
Y . A chairman shall preside at all meetings.
QUORUM .

V I. The board shall consist of five members from each side. Three members
from each party (the manufacturers and the unions) shall constitute a quorum of the
board.
R EGULAR M EETIN GS.

V II. The board shall meet regularly at designated and appointed times and places
once a week. Meetings may be postponed by mutual consent and records of such
postponement shall be recorded on the minutes.
SPECIAL M EETIN GS.

V III. Special meetings of the board shall be called only in case of emergency, or
where prompt or immediate action is necessary, and may be called b y the chairman
of either side.
C ALENDAR.

I X . The board shall have a regular calendar at each regular meeting. The clerks
shall prepare a calendar of cases to be disposed of, and such cases shall be disposed
of in regular order, unless special rules be made b y the board.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

59

ORDER OF TRIAL.

X . Cases shall be placed upon the calendar in the order in which they are received,
i. e., in the order of the date of the filing of the complaints.
TRIALS A N D H EARIN GS.

X I. No case shall be taken up by the board until a complaint is filed in writing.
As soon as a complaint is filed the clerks or their deputies shall make every effort to
adjust the controversies. If the clerks agree their decision shall be binding on both
parties, but either party has the right to appeal to the board if dissatisfied with the
decision of the clerks. If the clerks fail to agree on a verdict, the complaint, together
with the reports of the clerks, setting forth their findings as to the facts, shall be pre­
sented at the next meeting of the board. If the reports of the clerks agree, the board
shall then dispose of the matter. If issues are raised b y the two reports, the case shall
be placed upon the calendar for trial and the issues shall be the issues thus raised by
the reports of the clerks. At the time of trial both sides shall be heard and both parties
shall offer their proofs, and the board shall receive and consider them. The board
shall refer disputed questions of fact to any subcommittee of the board, equally con­
stituted from both parties, who shall report their decisions in writing to the board.
If both parties agree the decision shall be final; but in case any question of principle
is involved in the decision, the party deeming itself aggrieved may take an appeal to
the board of grievances, which appeal shall be heard by the board of grievances, as
any other matter presented to them.
DECISIONS.

X I I . A majority vote shall be necessary to a decision. Both sides shall have an
equal number of votes. In the event of a failure to arrive at such decision, the issues
undecided shall be immediately framed and presented to the board of arbitration, as
hereinafter provided.
ORDERS A N D ENTRIES OF DECISIONS.

X I I I . A ll decisions of the board shall be reduced to writing and orders thereon
shall be entered b y the clerks.
The filing of an order with the clerks shall constitute notice to each party.
DUPLICATE RECORDS.

X IV . All records of the board shall be kept in duplicate b y the clerks, one to be
filed with the manufacturers and one to be filed with the unions.
SA NITAR Y M ATTERS.

X V . The board will not consider any grievances relating to sanitary conditions.
These should be addressed to the board of sanitary control.
W RONGFUL DISCHARGE OF EMPLOYEE OR DISCRIMINATION.

X Y I. If the grievance arises because of the wrongful discharge of an employee or
because of discrimination on the part of the employer, the finding of the board in
favor of the employee shall entitle him to back pay in full during the period of his
nonemployment pending hearing and determination of the grievance.
SHOP STRIKE, LOCKOUT, OR G EN ER AL REFUSAL TO W O R K .

X V II.
If a grievance arises because of the general stoppage of work of a shop or
department of a shop, either b y direction of the employer or because of or by the con ­
current action of the employees, upon complaint received, the clerks or their deputies




60

BULLETIN OF THE BUEEAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

shall immediately proceed to the shop or department where the trouble occurs. If the
employer is responsible for the stoppage, he shall, upon the demand of the clerks or
their deputies, immediately recall all his employees pending the adjustment b y the
board of any grievance he may have, and he shall thereupon frame and present his
grievance. If the employees are responsible for the stoppage, notice shall be imme­
diately given to them to return to work pending adjustment of the grievance b y the
board, and the chairman of the price committee shall immediately direct them to
return to work.
VIOLATION OF SECTION X V I I OF THE PEACE PROTOCOL.

X V III. A violation of the provisions of Section X V I I of these rules or of Section,
X V I I of the protocol b y either employer or employee shall constitute a grievance to
be presented to the board of grievances. If, after hearing, the board finds the defend­
ant guilty, the order of the board shall be made the basis of prompt discipline in the
association or the unions, as the case may be. Such discipline shall consist of a suit­
able fine or expulsion. The action so taken shall forthwith be reported in writing to
the board of grievances.
A ll names of candidates for membership in the association shall be submitted by
the latter to the unions before the admission of such candidates in order to afford such
unions an opportunity to acquaint the association with the records of such candi­
dates in respect to the conditions of their factories and their treatment of employees.
POSTING OF THESE NOTICES.

X I X . Copies of the three preceding paragraphs and of Section X V II of the protocol
in English and translations thereof in Italian and Yiddish shall be posted in every
shop of the manufacturers and in all the meeting rooms of the unions immediately
upon the adoption of this plan.
MATTERS FOR THE BOARD OF AR B ITR ATIO N .

X X . (a) If the board of grievances shall find, after the hearing of any case before it,
that it can not arrive at a decision in accordance with the rules herein provided, it
shall immediately request the board of arbitration to convene and hear the case.
Wherever practicable it shall reduce the issue to an agreed statement of facts or prepare
and submit for decision specified questions. So far as practicable it shall relieve the
board of arbitration of the necessity of taking testimony upon the disputed questions
of fact.
G EN ERAL AB U SES OR G RIEVAN C ES.

( b) If the board of grievances shall find any general grievance or abuse which either
party has failed, after due opportunity, to correct, or if either party fails adequately to
discipline members found guilty b y the board of grievances, such matters may be pre­
sented b y the party aggrieved to the board of arbitration for redress, either through its
counsel or through its officers, and the hearings thereon shall be public.
CONFERENCE OF BOTH PARTIES CALLED B Y THE BOARD OF G RIE VAN C ES.

X X I . Whenever, in the opinion of the board of grievances, a general situation arises
requiring adjustment b y both organizations, or revision or amendments of the protocol,
it shall call a conference of both organizations by duly authorized representatives to
consider and discuss such matters. If such conference fails to agree, the situation
shall be presented to the board of arbitration for adjustment, pursuant to the terms of
the protocol.
VIOLATIONS OF THESE RULES.

X X I I . Failure to observe any of the provisions of this plan and rules shall constitute
a grievance to be tried before the board.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

61

COMPLAINT TO THE BOARD OF AR BITRATION.

X X I I I . Failure to respond in due course to any notice given b y the clerks shall con­
stitute a grievance to be tried before this board. Repeated violations shall be the
basis of complaint to the board of arbitration.
FAILURE TO COMPLY W ITH ORDERS OF THIS BOARD .

X X I V . Failure to com ply with any decision or order of the board shall constitute a
grievance against the party to be presented to the board of arbitration.
NEGLECT OF D UTY ON THE PART OF M EM BERS OF THE BOARD .

X X V . Neglect of duty on the part of any member on the board shall be a grievance
to be presented to the board of arbitration.
DISQUALIFICATION OF M EM B ER S.

X X V I. No member of the board interested in a case shall sit in review thereof.
FAILURE TO ATTEND M EETING OR REFUSAL TO VO TE.

X X V I I . Any member of the board failing to attend a meeting of the board or refus­
ing to vote in a case heard b y him, shall furnish such explanation, or in case it shall be
deemed inadequate b y either party, the matter may be presented to the board of arbi­
tration b y the aggrieved party, either through its counsel or through its officers.
APPEALS.

X X V I I I . Either party deeming itself aggrieved may appeal to the board of arbitra­
tion from any order or decision made b y the board of grievances, upon giving notice
thereof to the clerks within 30 days after the service of a copy of such order or decision.
ORDER OF B U S IN E S S.

X X I X . Until further revised, the order of business of the board shall be as follows:
1. Report of clerks on adjusted matters.
2. New complaints.
3. Old complaints adjourned for answer.
4. Trials of issue presented. N
5. Matters for the board of arbitration.
6. Matters for conference.

A tabulation, by nature of grievance and disposition, of cases re­
ferred to and adjusted by the board of grievances will be found on
page 88 of this report.
BOARD OF ARBITRATION.

Section V of the protocol in the dress and waist industry relates
to the establishment of a board of arbitration, as follows:
The parties hereby establish a board of arbitration to consist of three members, com­
posed of one nominee for the manufacturers, one nominee for the union, and one repre­
sentative of the public, the latter to be agreed upon b y both parties to this protocol,
or in the event of their disagreement, b y the two arbitrators selected b y them.
Until otherwise determined, the gentlemen constituting the board of arbitration
in the cloak industry shall constitute the board of arbitration in this industry.




62

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

As in the case of the board of arbitration in the cloak, suit, and
skirt industry, the functions of this board are threefold.
1. To act as a court of linai appeal in all cases in which the board of
grievances or the wage-scale board can reach no decision.
2. To interpret provisions of the protocol.
3. To pass upon matters of general importance that may arise
between the parties to the agreement.
As indicated in the protocol, the personnel of the board of arbitra­
tion was to be the same as that of the board of arbitration of the
cloak industry, namely, Louis D. Brandeis, of Boston, chairman,
and Morris Hiilquit and Hamilton Holt, of New York City, members,
and Dr. Henry Moskowitz, of New York City, secretary.
Provision X IV of the protocol, entitled 11Immediate problems for
arbitration,” provides that this board immediately take up for con­
sideration the question of legal holidays in the industry— the prob­
lem that caused a great deal of dissatisfaction in the cloak industry.
The decision of the board of arbitration on this question is cited
and described in the special section on “ Legal holidays.” 1
The first meeting of the board of arbitration, for the purpose of
considering actual grievances of general importance, took place on
November 8 and 9, 1913. The board met at the request of the Dress
and Waist Manufacturers’ Association.
The association presented to the board the following charges against
the International Ladies7 Garment Workers’ Union:
T he

D ress

Charges

and

W a is t

A g a in s t

the

M anufacturers’
I n t e r n a t io n a l

A s s o c ia t io n

M akes

the

F o l l o w in g

L a d ie s ’ G a r m e n t W o r k e r s ’ U n io n :

C h a r g e I. In its relations with the association and with members of the association,
the union has failed to com ply with the letter and the spirit of the protocol.
The above charge is sustained by more specific charges, as follows:
C h a r g e II. The union has made against the association serious ^charges which the
union, when challenged, has failed to substantiate in any particular.
C h a r g e III. The u n io n h a s f a i le d t o c o m p l y w i t h r e a s o n a b le a n d r e p e a t e d r e ­

q u e s t s b y t h e a s s o c ia t io n for i n f o r m a t i o n t o w h i c h t h e a s s o c ia t io n is e n t i t l e d .
C h arge

IV.

T h e u n i o n h a s f a i le d to m e e t , or e v e n to n o t i c e , s u g g e s t io n s m a d e

b y t h e a s s o c ia t io n for t h e p r o m o t io n o f e f f ic ie n c y i n t h e j o i n t w o r k o f t h e t w o o rg a n ­
iz a t i o n s .
C h a r g e Y . The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union has sought to
repudiate its contract obligations by treating the protocol as an agreement between the
Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association and the Ladies’ Waist and Dress Makers’
Union, Local 25.
C h a r g e VI. The u n io n h a s f a i le d t o t a k e s t e p s to p r e v e n t f r e q u e n t s t o p p a g e s of
w o r k i n t h e fa c t o r ie s o f m e m b e r s o f t h e a s s o c ia t io n .
C h arge

V II.

I n a t le a s t t h r e e ca s e s a t t e m p t s to c a ll s tr ik e s i n t h e s h o p s o f m e m ­

b e r s o f t h e a s s o c ia t io n , a c c o m p a n ie d w i t h v i o l e n c e or t h r e a ts o f v i o l e n c e , h a v e b e e n
m a d e b y m e m b e r s o f t h e u n io n u n d e r c i r c u m s t a n c e s i n d i c a t i n g t h a t s u c h a t t e m p t s
h a d t h e o ffic ia l s a n c t io n o f t h e u n io n .




1 See p p . 34-36.

CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OE N E W YORK.

63

C h a r g e V III. The union lias disciplined very few, if any, of its members for
violating the provisions of the protocol.
C h a r g e IX . The union has shown a persistent disposition to prejudge disputes
between members of the union and members of the association, and has failed to show
a determination that all complaints should be decided upon their merits after full
investigation of the facts.
C h a r g e X . The union has failed to require that those deputy clerks of the board
of grievances who are appointed by the union should work with the association deputy
clerks to the end that substantial justice should be done; the union deputy clerks
have shown generally a disposition to be arbitrary and unfair and an unwillingness
to consider complaints upon their merits.1

The union, in a brief presented to the board, denied specifically
all the charges of the association; furthermore, it presented seven
countercharges, some of which were grave.
T he A n s w e r o f t h e U n i o n t o t h e C h a r g e s P r e s e n t e d b y t h e M a n u f a c t u r e r s ’
A s s o c ia t io n .

As t o C h a r g e I . T h e c h a r g e is to o i n d e f i n i t e to b e c a p a b le o f a d e f i n i t e r e p l y .
As t o C h a r g e II. No charge was ever made b y the union except in the belief that
the charge was true.
As t o C h a r g e I II. The union has furnished to the association all the information
to which the association is entitled.
As t o C h a r g e IV . N o t o n l y d i d t h e u n i o n s e n d a l is t of a s s ig n m e n t s of i t s d e p u t y
c le r k s , b u t t h e v e r y i d e a o f m a k i n g s u c h a n a s s i g n m e n t w a s s u g g e s t e d b y a r e p r e s e n t ­
a t i v e of t h e u n io n .

As t o C h a r g e V. A joint investigation showed that all the workers employed b y
t h e -------------------- Co., o f ------- Walker Street were, with the exception of three, mem­
bers of locals other than local 25. The firm should never have joined the Dress and
Waist Manufacturers’ Association.
As t o C h a r g e V I. In every case in which the stoppage of work was brought to the
attention of the union, the officers of the union did their very best to prevent the
continuance of the stoppage.
The attitude of the union is clearly stated in the letter of July 12, 1913, which
reads:
“ The union has undertaken and is ready to use its best efforts to prevent stoppages
of work. Stoppages occur even under prison discipline. Human beings can not and
should not be handled as inanimate things. It is utterly absurd to attempt to hold
the union responsible for pecuniary damages caused by a stoppage of work. ”
As t o C h a r g e V II. The union thinks it below its dignity to answer Charge V II.
A s t o C h a r g e V III. The union has used all its powers to promote obedience to the
protocol on the part of its members.
As t o C h a r g e IX . The union considers the services of the particular deputy clerk
of great value. He has a practical knowledge of the industry extending for nearly
20 years. Entirely too much bitterness has been shown b y the association in the
matter.
The charge as a whole is not founded on facts.
A s t o C h a r g e X . The charge is unfounded.
Every deputy clerk o f the union is
instructed to use his own judgment in reaching a decision.2
1 Dress and W a is t M an ufactu rers7 A ssociation v. In ternation al L a d ies’ G arm en t W o r k e r s’ U n io n , brief
of association, p p . 1-4.
2 Dress and W a is t M an ufactu rers’ A ssociation v. In ternation al L a d ie s’ G arm en t W o r k e r s’ U n io n , brief
of In ternation al L a d ie s’ G arm en t W o r k e r s’ U n io n , p p . 1 -4 .




64

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

That the agreement did not work satisfactorily for the last three
to four months was readily admitted by the representatives of the
union. However, in their opinion, the responsibility for such an
unsatisfactory state-of affairs rested wholly upon the manufacturers’
association.
The union called the attention of the board of arbitration to the
fact:
That out of a membership of 310, 270 have been shown b y an impartial and scien­
tific investigation to have been guilty of one or more violations of the protocol. A
detailed statement of these violations is in the possession of the association and will
be submitted to the board.
The violators of the protocol form an overwhelming majority of the membership
of the association, and evidently shape the policy of the association.1

The union further contended that a great deal of the trouble is due
to the fact that the bulk of the membership of the association has
had no experience in collective bargaining. A great deal of the
confusion arose because of the fact that the association failed properly to inform its members as to their real obligations under the pro­
tocol. The union then presented seven specific charges against the
association, as follows:
C h a r g e s of t h e U n io n A g a in s t t h e A s s o c ia t io n .

1. Bad faith.
2. Failure of association to discipline its members guilty of wrongdoing under the
protocol.
3. Failure of the association to answer letters.
4. Constant violations of Article X I I I (preferential union shop).
5. Illtreatment of employees.
6. Repeated violations of many of the provisions of the protocol b y members of the
association.
7. Ninety-three per cent of the shops, according to a report of the wage-scale board,
were found guilty of one or more violations of the protocol.

The testimony introduced by both sides to substantiate their
charges was very comprehensive indeed. Numerous violations,
apparently, were to be found on each side. The gravest charge
of the association was the toleration by the union officials of stop­
pages of work. On the other hand, the association, by its inability to
force its members to adhere strictly to the principle of the preferen­
tial union shop (a fact admitted b}" both sides), made it rather diffi­
cult for the union officials to control their men.
The board of arbitration, after hearing all the testimony and
examining all the witnesses for both sides, gave out an opinion the
substance of which can be summarized as follows:
1.
Charges of bad faith to the one or the other of the parties were
not substantiated. Many wrongful acts have been done, but these
1 D ress and W a is t M an ufactu rers’ A ssociation v. In tern ation al L ad ies’ G arm en t W o r k e r s’ U n io n , b rief
of union.




65

CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

can be attributed to misunderstandings rather than to intentional
bad faith.
2. Stoppages of work, of whatever kind, are in direct violation of
the fundamental principles of the protocol. The union must put
forth all its efforts to prevent the occurrence of such stoppages.
3. The charge that employers failed to comply with adjustments
made by proper authorities has been substantiated; this is a decided
breach of the protocol and can not be tolerated.
4. Sufficient evidence has been presented to substantiate the
statement that not all possible efforts have been resorted to by
the association to compel its members to carry out their obligation
with reference to the preferential union shop. Every effort must
be made by both sides toward the unionization of the association
shops.1
COST OF M A IN TA IN IN G TH E AGENCIES OF TH E PROTOCOL.

The total joint cost of keeping up all the agencies for the mainte­
nance of the protocol, as shown in the following table, was approxi­
mately $100,000 for the first year.
COST

OF

M A IN T E N A N C E

OF

PROTOCOL

IN D U S T R Y D U R IN G

AGREEM ENT

IN

F IR S T T W E L V E

U n io n .

R e m s of expense.

THE

DR ESS

AND

W A IS T

M ONTHS.

A ssociation.

U n io n and associa­
tion c om b in ed.

A m o u n t.

Per cent
of total
associa­
tion e x ­
pense.

24.5
26.1
5 .0
.7
9 .5
2 0 .9
13.3

$18,500
13,050
2,500
350
3,400
10,600

38 .2
2 7 .0
5 .2
.7
7 .0
21 .9

$30,780
26,100
5,000
700
8,136
21,070
6,660

31 .3
26.5
5 .1
.7
8 .3
21 .4
6 .8

100.0

48,400

100.0

98,446

100.0

A m o u n t.

Per cent
of total
union
expense.

Board of grievances, clerks and d e p u tie s ...
W age-scale b o a r d 1.....................................................
Joint board of san itary c o n tr o l..........................
B oard of arb itration .................................................
Clerical office force....................................................
General ex p e n se s........................................................
O rgan ization .................................................................

$12,280
13,050
2,500
350
4,736
10,470
6,660

T o t a l....................................................................

50,046

A m o u n t.

P er cent
of total
expense.

i The expenses of the wage-scale board were incurred w h o lly for the investigation of wages and stand­
ardization of the processes of the in du stry, an expense to be properly charged up to m ore th a n one year.

The largest single item of expense, 31.3 per cent, was paid out in
salaries to the clerks and deputy clerks of the board of grievances,
the agency that through mediation succeeded in adjusting over 80
per cent of the total number of cases filed.
The expenses of the wage-scale board, chiefly the cost of the inves­
tigation into wages and conditions of the industry, should properly
be charged up to more than one year.
1 Proceedings and m in utes of the board of arbitration in the dress and w aist in d u stry , N o v . 8 and 9,
1913, p p . 371-381.

39573°— Bull. 145— 14------ 5




66

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

The cost of the joint board of sanitary control, 5.1 per cent of
the total, does not include various amounts paid to the board by the
individual members of the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association
for specific services, such as special payments for fire drills, etc.
These amounted approximately to $2,000.
The board of arbitration consists of nonsalaried officials. The
expense of $700 was incurred in printing the proceedings of the
session of the board, of November 8 and 9, 1913.
Clerical expenses include services of heads of complaint depart­
ments, stenographers, typists, and clerks in general. This item
amounted to 8.3 per cent of the total joint cost.
General expenses include rent, office fixtures, light, telephone,
postage, and other expenses incurred in the maintenance of offices
for the handling of numerous complaints, sessions of the boards, etc.
The total cost of organization was incurred by the union in main­
taining a corps of officials for the purpose of organizing (unionizing)
nonunion workers in association shops. This organization cost does
not include compensation to shop chairmen, official representatives
of the union in the individual shop. The shop chairmen are com­
pensated on a percentage basis of the amount in dues that they
collect in their respective shops.
On the average, each member of the Manufacturers* Association
contributed $200 toward the expense of maintaining the institutions
that made this unknown of industrial peace possible. This amount
of money could be said to guarantee him insurance against strikes.
The dues of the members of the Dress and Waist Makers’ Union
were in no way changed through the introduction of the protocol
arrangement. As before, the dues were 15 cents per week per mem­
ber.1 For this sum each member received protection against lockout,
unfair treatment, unjustifiable discharge, and discrimination by
unequal distribution of work, and to some extent was given prefer­
ence when help was being hired or retained.
The value of strikeless peaceful shops to the employers as well as
to the employees of the dress and waist industry can hardly be
estimated in terms of money. In the preprotocol period no manu­
facturer could rest after a day of tiresome labor during the busy
season of the year. Strikes were numerous and frequent; they
usually occurred at the most strategic moment, the peak of the sea­
son, the very time that they could prove to be most harmful. Each
strike implied either unconditional surrender to the employees or a
possible loss of profits to the manufacturer for the whole season—
ruin, perhaps.
The employer was not the only one to suffer. The workers felt
obliged to whip him into submission through starving themselves
1 B esides th e regular 15 cen ts per w eek each m e m b e r of D ress and W a is t M ak ers’ L ocal 25 con tribu tes
l c e n t each w eek tow ard th e su pp ort of and su bscrip tion to th e trade jou rnals.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

67

and their families. The victory at the height of the season would
vanish as soon as the season was over. Industrial war with all its
bitter consequences usually began all over again at the beginning of
the next season.
The community at large suffered materially and morally. The
retailer was never sure of receiving the ordered garments. The
charitable institutions had to take care of some of the striking people
and their families. The average citizen was appealed to by both
parties and really did not know with which side to sympathize.
The protocol arrangement in the dress and waist industry involved,
conservatively speaking, about 30,000 people. About 4,500 griev­
ances were peacefully and satisfactorily adjusted. For the first time
in its history the industry and the people enjoyed the blessings of
industrial peace for an entire year.
While this report was being prepared misgivings were had with
reference to the continuance of the protocol agreement between the
unions and the Children’s and Misses’ Dresses Manufacturers’ Asso­
ciation. Indeed, steps were taken which, if fully developed, would
have resulted in a general strike in that industry. That such meth­
ods were finally abandoned resulted in benefit to all concerned.1
It is estimated by the officers of the Children’s and Misses’ Dresses
Manufacturers’ Association that a strike of the workers at the pres­
ent moment would cost the association, which, by the way, controls
only about one-half of the total output of this industry in the city of
New York, at least $500 per day. If the strike lasted 15 days— the
shortest period probable under the circumstances— it would entail
to the m em bers of the association a loss of a p p rox im a tely $7,500.
The union would have to spend at least that much in order to defend
its position. Leaving out of consideration entirely the sufferings of
the workers and their losses in wages, a stoppage of work for a
period of 15 days would cost the industry $15,000.
A similar occurrence in the dress and waist industry, a trade far
more seasonal, employing probably ten times as many people, would
cost the association and the union at least $150,000, an amount over
one and a half times as large as the joint cost of maintaining the
entire protocol arrangement of the industry for a period of one year.
GENERAL RESULTS OF ADJUSTM ENT OF GRIEVANCES FILED BY UNION
AND BY ASSOCIATION.

The ratio of complaints filed by the union to those filed by the
association, as shown in the following table, is about 10 to 1. This
is to be expected, in view of the fact that, while the protocol guaran­
1

T h e strike was averted throu gh an agreem ent b etw een the parties to e m p lo y , at jo in t expense, an in du s­

trial ex p e rt, w ith the pow er to cast the d ecidin g vote in th e board of grievances for th e w ork ing out of
m eans to peacefully solve th e difficulties.




BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

68

tees to the workers numerous concessions, the cardinal grant to the
employers is strikeless, orderly shops. A comparison of classifica­
tions of the nature of grievances filed by the respective sides to the
protocol, described elsewhere, will bring out this point more clearly.
NUM BER AND

PER

CENT

OF

G R IE V A N C E S

F IL E D

JAN.

18, 1913, T O

J A N . 1, 1914, B Y

C O M P L A IN A N T S .

Filed b y -

U n io n ..............................................................................................................................................................................
A sso c ia tio n ..................................................................................................................................................................
T o ta l

................................................................................................................................

i l n ad dition 46 cases were fou nd m ark ed “ v o id ,” thu s m ak in g the total 4,521.
were still p ending Jan. 1, 1914, and 3 were m ark ed “ settled b y good offices.”

N u m b er.

Per cent.

i 4,475
456

9 0 .8
9 .2

4,931

100.0

O f the 4,475 filed 362

The following table and the accompanying chart show for union
and for association cases the percentage settled in favor of the com­
plainants and the percentage compromised, dropped, and withdrawn:
C O M P A R IS O N

OF

R E L A T IV E

S IZ E S

O F P R IN C IP A L D IS P O S IT IO N

GROUPS

IN

U N IO N

A N D A S S O C IA T IO N C A SE S.

D isposition group in percentage of total.

Com plainant.

U n io n .......................................................................................................
A sso c ia tio n ............................................................................................

F avor of
union.

F a v o r of
associa­
tion.

Com pro­
m ised.

62 .2
6 .8

9 .0
29 .5

10 .6
43 .9

D ropped.

12 .5
11.4

W it h ­
draw n.

5 .6
8 .3

This is a significant table in view of the fact that while the largest
disposition group in union cases is the one designated as “ in favor
of union/’ the largest disposition group in association cases is the
“ compromised.”
The union secured 62.2 per cent of decisions “ in favor of union” ;
the corresponding disposition for the association, “ in favor-of asso­
ciation” in association cases, is only 29.5 per cent. The per cent of
compromised cases is four times as large in the association cases as it
is in the cases of the union. The main reason for this rather wide
difference in the nature of disposition of cases of the union and of
the association is to be found in the text accompanying the preceding
table. Ten out of a total of twelve grievances of the association
hardly permit, at most, any other disposition than a mere adjustment
or compromise.
With reference to the disposition groups “ dropped” and “ with­
drawn,” the difference in union and association cases is not large
enough to make it significant— i. e., the percentages of dropped and
withdrawn cases are almost the same in both.




P e r c<?r?t
Ih Z a irer o f -

6Z2

CONCILIATION

PR O PO R TIO N OF UNION AND OF ASSOCIATION GRIEVANCES DISPOSED OF IN EACH SPECIFIED W AY.

1 //7 /0 /7 [t//?/0 S 7 c t s e s j

IN

ca ses}

DEESS

C/wen cases.

CS/7/0/7 co s e s
rfs$'r7 cases*

INDUSTRY

& r o /? p e d -

WAIST

/4ss'/? ccfses.

AND

C0f7?JbroA77/S&d—

OF
NEW

W/t/?c/r&yYt7 £/r?/o/7 c a s e s
ca se s .

69




YORK.

A

70

B ULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

Nine per cent of all cases filed by the union were not sustained.
They were decided in favor of the association. Only 6.7 per cent of
the association cases were decided in favor of the union.
The following table gives the final “ scoring” of favorable decisions,
secured by the union and the association in major and minor com­
plaints that each one of these organizations had filed. The actual
tabulation of percentages of favorable decisions secured by the
union and the association, according to nature of grievances, will be
found elsewhere.1
C O M P A R IS O N

OF

FAVORABLE
A S S O C IA T IO N

D E C IS IO N S
IN

C ASES

SECURED

F IL E D

BY

AND

Cases filed b y union.

General nature of grievances.
Total
n um b er.

THE

U N IO N

THE

Cases filed b y association.

Decisions in favor
of union.
T o ta l
n u m b e r.
N u m b er.

AND

ADJUSTED.

Decisions in favor
of association.

N u m b er.

Per cent.

Per cent.

M a jo r .................................................................................
M in o r .................................................................................

2,835
1,275

1,669
888

i 58 .9
s 69 .6

248
16

75
3

2 3 0 .2
218.8

T o t a l .............................. ......................................

4 4,110

2, 557

62 .2

264

78

2 9 .5

1 See table, p . 101.
2 See table, p . 74.
3 See table, p . 104.
4 N o t in clu d ing 362 cases still p en din g, 46 m arked “ v o id ,” and 3 m arked “ settled b y good offices.”

The union secured favorable decisions in 58.9 per cent of its major
grievances and 69.6 per cent in its grievances of minor importance,
making the average percentage of favorable decisions secured on all
grievances adjusted 62.2 per cent; that is, out of every 100 complaints
.filed by the union and adjusted, 62 were sustained. The remainder,
37.8 per cent, were either dropped by mutual consent, withdrawn by
the complainant, compromised, or settled in favor of the association.
The association secured favorable decisions in 30.2 per cent of its
major grievances and 18.8 per cent of its minor, making the average
percentage of favorable decisions secured in all cases filed and adjusted
29.5 per cent; that is, out of 100 complaints filed by the association,
29.5 were sustained. The remainder, 70.5 per cent, were dropped
by mutual consent, withdrawn by the association, compromised, or
settled in favor of the union.
Thus the percentage of favorable decisions secured by the union
was over twice as large as the similar percentage in cases complained
of by the association.
The table on page 68 shows that the union is the heavier com­
plainant, the ratio of complaints filed by the union to those filed by
the association being 91 to 9. It is the union that is the constant com­
plainant against violations of the agreement. The association com-




» See p p . 73, 74, 101, an d 104.

CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

71

plains infrequently and instead of having 30 definite classifications
of grievances, as has the union, it practically has only 12, and of
these “ cessation of work,” covers over 40 per cent of the cases.
On this specific grievance the percentage of favorable decisions
secured by the association is 66.3, as compared with the average of
29.5 per cent of favorable decisions among all cases filed.
The second principal complaint of the association (and the first
one in union cases) is that of dispute in settlement of prices. The
percentage of favorable decisions secured by the association in these
cases was 1.4, as against 17.7 secured by the union.
The nature of the remainder of the complaints of the association
shows that these are not distinct violations of specified clauses of
the protocol— they are more in the nature of general complaints,
such as complaints of unsatisfactory behavior of workers and par­
ticularly of shop chairmen or chairwomen, based chiefly on the
alleged theory that these officials of the union are doing “ too much
organizing,” etc., “ firm desires a change in the system of work,” a
condition not permissible without the specific dispensation secured
from the w^age-scale board.
Naturally, the percentage of favorable decisions that can possibly
be secured in such complaints is very low.
GRIEVANCES FILED BY TH E ASSOCIATION.
CLASSIFICATION OF GRIEVANCES.

The grievances complained of by the association are classified as
follows:
Cessation of work: Complaint of refusal of the employees (of whole
shop or of specific department) to continue the performance of their
duties pending the settlement of a grievance.
Dispute in prices: Involves difference in opinion as to what the
specific price for the making of a garment should be.
Complaint against shop chairman (or chairwoman): Dissatisfaction
on the part of the employer with action or general behavior of the
representatives of the union in his shop.
Miscellaneous: Any grievance occurring so infrequently that a
special classification appears to be unnecessary.
Interference with conduct of and discipline in factory: A general
charge by the employer against unsatisfactory behavior on the part
of one or more of his employees.
Firm dissatisfied with result of test: Grievance complained of
chiefly because of alleged excessive amount of time consumed by the
worker in making a test for determining piece prices.
Incompetency of workers.
Union refuses to abide by results of test: Equivalent to “ refusal
of union to comply with adjustment” ; but refers specifically to
refusal of workers to accept results of test as made.



72

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

Refusal of test hand to make test: Sometimes, employee selected
by both sides to make test, for some reason or other Reclines to do so.
Firm wants to change system of work: Certain agreements are
made in the trade (by protocol, board of grievance, wage-scale board,
etc.) with reference to the specific system (piece or week) to be used
in certain departments. Employer sometimes reports to association
that he, for some reason or other, wants to change the system of work.
Firm wants to reduce prices: i. e., it wants to reduce, on its own
volition, prices mutually agreed upon by itself and its employees.
Refusal of union to comply with adjustments made by proper
authorities.
The following table shows the distribution of specific classes of
grievances of the association, i. e., the relative frequency with which
each is complained of:
NUM BER

AND

PER CENT

O F G R IE V A N C E S C O M P L A IN E D
BY NATURE

OF B Y THE

A S S O C IA T IO N ,

O F G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of grievance.

Cessation of w o r k ...................................................................................................................................................
D isp u te in p r i c e s ....................................................................................................................................................
C om p lain ts against shop c h a ir m a n ......................................................................................................
Interference w ith con d u ct of an d discipline in factory ....................................................................
F ir m dissatisfied w ith result of t e s t .............................................................................................................
In c o m p eten cy of w ork ers.................................................................................................................................
U n io n refuses to abide b y results of t e s t ...................................................................................................
F irm w an ts to change system of w o r k .......................................................................................................
F ir m wTants to reduce prices.............................................................................................................................
R e fu sal o f test h and to m ak e test...................................................................................................................
R efu sal of union to c o m p ly w ith a d ju stm e n ts..................................................................................
M iscellaneous.............................................................................................................................................................

N u m b er.

P er cen t
of total.

101
69
34
14
14
5
4
2
2
2
1
16

3 8 .2
2 6 .1
1 2 .9
5 .3
5 .3
1 .9
1 .5
.8
.8
.8
.4
6 .1

'^64

100.0

The protocol guarantees to the employer a shop in which no cessa­
tion of work of whatever nature is to be tolerated. Naturally, the
main grievances of the association are of such occurrences; 38.2 per
cent of the total number of cases filed by the association were com­
plaints of cessation of work, in part or in full. Most of these, how­
ever, were not regular strikes; they were merely cessations of work
lasting from one hour to one day. Only in a very few instances
were these prolonged enough to warrant being called a strike, in the
ordinary sense of the word. The union, upon receiving a complaint
of the association to the effect that the workers ceased working,
ordered the people back to work as fast as the exigencies of the
situation allowed.
The nature of the remainder of the grievances of the association
is explained in the first part of this section on “ classification of
grievances.”
It is significant that only in one instance (out of 264) was there
a complaint filed by the association to the effect that the union




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

73

refused to comply with adjustments made by proper authorities; i. e.,
disobeying the orders of the legal and mutually constituted authorities.
DISPOSITION OF CASES.

The following table shows the classification and disposition of 264
cases filed by the association: 1
N U M B E R A N D P E R C E N T O F A S S O C IA T IO N C A SE S D IS P O S E D O F IN E A C H
MANNER, BY NATURE

S P E C IF IE D

O F G R I E V A N C E .1

N a tu re of disposition.

In favor of
union .

N a tu re of grievance.

In favor of
association.

C om ­
p rom ised .2

D ro p p ed .

W it h ­
draw n.

N u m ­ P er N u m ­ P er N u m ­ P er N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per
ber. cent. ber.
cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cen t.

Cessation of w o rk .................................. .
D isp u te in p rice s....................................
C om p lain t again st shop chairm an.
M iscellaneous.............................................
Interference w ith c o n d u ct of fac­
tory .............................................................
F ir m dissatisfied w ith results of
te st..............................................................
In c om p eten cy of w o rk er..................
U n io n refuses to a b id e b y the
result of t e s t...........................................
R efu sal of test h an d to m a k e t e s t ..
F ir m w an ts to change sy stem of
w o r k ...........................................................
F ir m wTan ts to reduce p rice s...........
R efu sal of union to c o m p ly w ith
a d ju stm e n ts...........................................

s 101

*69
&34

2.0

16

7 .2
17 .6
12 .5

614

7 .1

i 14
5
4

2

1 8 .8

14 .8
76 .8
4 7 .0
4 3 .7

7 .1

57 .1

6 6 .3
1 .4

8 5 .7
4 0 .0

20.0
2 5 .0
5 0 .0

82

10.1

8.8

2 5 .0

7.1
7 .1

7.1

20.0

20.0

2 5 .0

100.0

2

T o t a l.................................................

5 0 .0
5 0 .0

12.9
4 .3
1 7 .6

50.0
100.0
8.3

1 T h e records of the association give com p lete dispositions for all cases since J u ly 1 ,1 9 1 3 , an d for som e ol
the cases p reviou s to th a t date.
2 C om p rom ised cases are those in w h ic h th e in v estig a tio n sh ow ed a d ispu te of som e k in d in w h ic h t h 9
p osition o f n either of th e parties w as w h o lly su stain ed .
s N in e o f these are m ark ed “ dropped b y n egle ct.”
* B o th of these cases are m ark ed “ dropped b y n egle ct.”
5 F ou r o f these are m ark ed “ dropped b y n egle ct.”
e T w o of these are m ark ed “ dropped b y n egle ct.”
7 T h is case is m ark ed u dropped b y n eglect.”
s O n e of these is m ark ed “ d ropped b y n egle ct.”

Of the 264 cases for which there were complete records, 43.9 per
cent were compromised, 29.5 per cent were decided in favor of associa­
tion, 11.4 per cent dropped by mutual consent, 8.3 per cent withdrawn
by the association, and 6.8 per cent not sustained; i. e., adjudicated
in favor of union. The most frequent complaints of the association
were 101 of cessation of work, 69 of dispute in price making, 34
complaints against shop chairmen, 16 miscellaneous, 14 complaints
of interference with conduct of factory, and 14 of claims that firm,
for some reason or other, was dissatisfied with results of tests for the
determination of piece prices. These are the so-called major griev­
ances of the association. They make up 93.9 per cent of the total
number filed. The six minor grievances make up only about 6.1 per
cent of the total filed.
1 T h e to ta l n u m b e r filed w as 456, b u t the records of disposition of association cases of the first five m o n th s
of the existence of the protocol are in com plete.




74

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
FAVORABLE DECISIONS SECURED IN MAJOR GRIEVANCES.

In its major grievances, the association secured the percentages of
favorable decisions shown in the following table:
M A JO R G R IE V A N C E S C O M P L A IN E D
FAVORABLE

O F B Y T H E A S S O C IA T IO N A N D

PERCENTAGE

OF

D E C IS IO N S S E C U R E D IN E A C H .

Decisions
secured
in favor
of asso­
ciation.

P er cent
of favor­
ab le deci­
sions.

101
69
34
16
14
14

67
1
3
3
1

66 .3
1 .4
8. 8
18. 8
7 .1

248

75

30 .2

T o ta l
filed.

N a tu re of grievance.

C essation of w ork (p artial or en tire ).....................................................................................
D isp u te on prices.........................................................................................................................
C om p lain t against shop ch airm an ..........................................................................
M iscellaneous......................................................................................................................................
Interference w ith cond uct an d discipline of factory...................................................
F ir m dissatisfied w ith results of t e s t ....................................................................................
T o t a l.........................................................................................................................................

This table and the accompanying chart show that in cases brought
on account of cessation of work 66.3 per cent of the decisions were
in favor of the association; in miscellaneous cases, 18.8 per cent; in
cases of complaints against shop chairman, 8.8 per cent; in cases due
to interference with conduct and discipline of factory, 7.1 per cent,
and in disputes as to settlement of prices, 1.4 per cent. No cases
due to dissatisfaction of firms with results of test were settled in
favor of the association.
On all of its major grievances the association secured an average
percentage of favorable decisions of 30.2.
FAVORABLE DECISIONS SECURED IN MINOR GRIEVANCES.

The following table shows the percentages of favorable decisions
secured by the association in its minor grievances:
M IN O R

G R IE V A N C E S

C O M P L A IN E D

FAVORABLE

OF

BY

A S S O C IA T IO N

AND

PERCENTAGE

OF

D E C IS IO N S S E C U R E D IN E A C H .

N atu re of grievance.

D ecisions
secured
in favor
of associ­
ation .

Total
filed.

In c om p eten cy of w ork er..........................................................................................................
U n io n refuses to abide b y results of t e s t ...........................................................................
R efusal of test h and to m ak e t e s t ......................................................................................
F irm w ants to change sy stem of w o r k ...............................................................................
F irm w ants to reduce p rices.....................................................................................................
R efusal of u nion to c o m p ly w ith a d ju stm e n ts.............................................................

5
4
2
2
2
1

T o ta l...........................................................................................................................................

16

P er cent
of favor­
ab le de­
cisions.

1
1

2 5 .0
5 0 .0

1

100.0

3

18.8

Of the 16 minor grievances filed by the association, only 3, or 18.8
per cent, were decided in its favor. These were the 1 case due to the
refusal of the union to comply with adjustments, 1 of the 2 cases due
to refusal of test hand to make test, and 1 of the 4 due to refusal by
the union to abide by the results of test.



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P RO PO RTIO N OF MAJOR ASSOCIATION GRIEVANCES OF SPECIFIED K IN D S AND PROPORTION
SETTLED IN FAVOR OF THE ASSOCIATION AND O TH ERW ISE DISPOSED OF.

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76

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

work either by week or by piece. To maintain a dual system is a
violation.
2. Improper system of work. When a system or method not
designated in the agreement is used.
3. Illegal change of system. Change of system of work without
the mutual consent of the parties concerned.
4. Maintenance of subcontracting. A violation of section 15 of
the protocol.
5. Discriminative outside contracting. Employers sometimes,
feeling that the price specified by the price committee of the shop
is excessive, attempt to send their work to be done in outside shops
where lower standards prevail and where cheaper prices can be
secured. This is one of the great difficulties that are to be solved.
6. Violation of legal holiday provision of the protocol.
7. Violation of hours of labor provision of the protocol.
8. Violation of wage scale. Under scale payment in cases of week
workers. Must be distinguished from the following grievance:
9. Reduction of piece prices. Paying under agreed price to piece­
workers.
10. Dispute in settlement of prices. Involves difference of opinion
as to what the specific price should be. Must be distinguished from
the following:
11. Improper settlement of prices. When prices are settled in an
illegal manner, such as making prices in the absence of the price
committee, etc.
12. Forced cessation of work. Refusal of the manufacturer to
permit continuation of work while dispute on prices is pending.
13. Lock out. A direct violation of the fundamental principle of
the protocol.
14. Illtreatment of employees.
15. Claim for wages due.
16. Noncompliance with decisions rendered by proper authorities.
17. Nondelivery of communications. Refusal of the management
to deliver to the workers messages, notices, etc., sent to them by the
authorities of the union.
18. Refusal to recognize price committee. A violation of section
10 of the protocol.
19. Irregular pay day.
20. Work done in tenement houses.
21. Unjustifiable discharge.
22. Preferring nonunion help. A violation of section 13 of the
protocol.
23. Failure to cooperate in proper organization of factory. As
stated in the preamble to the protocol, it is the moral duty of the
manufacturer to assist the union in the organization of the shop.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

77

24. Nonprotocol conditions. General charge including one or more
violations of the protocol.
25. Insanitary conditions.
26. Ill treatment of union representatives of the board of grievances
or wage-scale board.
27. Discrimination.
28. Unequal division of work.
29. Payment by check. Violation of a custom established in the
cloak industry, applicable to the dress and waist industry.
30. Miscellaneous.
RECORDING OF COMPLAINTS IN THE OFFICES OF THE UNION.

It is of utmost importance to the successful workings of the
protocol that reliable records of the disposition of cases be kept, the
chief reasons for that being: (a) A case once handled becomes a
part of the experience to be guided by in the settlement of cases in the
future, and (b) no real investigation of the actual value of the agree­
ment as well as of the results attained is possible without adequate
records. This statement is particularly true with reference to the
records of the union office, where 90 per cent of all the complaints
originate.
In this respect, the officials of the Dress and Waist Makers ’ Union
benefited greatly by the experience of the men in charge of the
administration of the protocol in the cloak industry.
It took the officials of the Dress and Waist Makers ’ Union but a
little over two weeks to perfect a skeleton of a reliable system of
records. At the time of writing this report, March, 1914, the union
is in possession of reliable and accurate records of the disposition of
all the cases that originated since January 28, 1913, all classified by
the nature of grievance, agency of adjustment, and specific disposition
made.
The first step in the movement of a complaint is the recording of
the facts, as given by the complainant, on a card, as shown in case
3227, on page 49. This card is then passed on to a clerk who changes
it into letter form for the purpose of forwarding it to the offices
of the association. The letter form of the complaint is also shown in
case 3227, on page 49. This letter is usually dictated by the chief clerk
or his assistant or his complaint clerk, and is made out in five copies.
Two of these are sent to the association, one for their files and the
other for the information of the association deputy clerk who is to
handle the case. The third copy is given to the union deputy clerk
for his information during the joint investigation. The fourth copy
is placed in the files of the offices of the union. The fifth copy is
forwarded to the counsel of the union.




78

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

After the complaint has been changed into letter form, the original
complaint card, as shown on page 49, is given to the filing clerk for
the purpose of placing it on the calendar, the form of which is shown
at the bottom of this page.
At the same time the complaint is entered on the shop record
card.1 From the shop record card the complaint is recorded on the
classification card, according to the nature of the grievance.2
After a joint investigation has been made by the deputy clerks of the
board of grievances, the original complaint, shown on page 49, with
specific disposition made written on it, is returned to the chief clerk.
If this official or his assistant, upon examination of the findings
of the deputy clerks, deems the case satisfactorily adjusted, he
orders the complaint clerk to have it properly recorded and filed.
If, however, he finds that the deputy clerks could not agree upon any
specific disposition or that the case, in his opinion, had not been
properly adjusted, the case is taken up by the chief clerk himself or
his assistant.3
In case of disagreement between the chief clerks of the respective
sides upon a disposition of the case, the matter is then submitted
to the board of grievances, the industrial court of the trade.
When a case is finally disposed of, the copy of the original com­
plaint, bearing a full description of its final disposition, is returned to
the complaint clerk to be recorded and placed on file. The specific
disposition is then entered: 1. On the calendar (see below); 2. On
the reverse side of the original complaint card (see p. 49); 3. On
the shop-record card (see reverse side, p. 79); and 4. On the classi­
fication card (see p. 80).
Following are copies of forms showing the calendar, shop-record
card, and classification card:
CALENDAR

I . C om p lain t N o .

3227..................................

OF CASES F IL E D

I I . N a m e of firm .

W a is t C o .,
16th S t.

W .

O N M O N D A Y , A U G U S T 1 8 ,191 3.

I I I . N a tu r e of com p lain t.

IV . A t­
ten ded
by—

V . R e su lt.

26. D iscrim in a tio n ..............................

z

A d ju ste d .

25. A b u s e of u n ion representa­
tives.

A

L e tter.

H

A d ju ste d .

W

D ro p p ed .

3228..................................

W . 17th S t ____

3229..................................

---------- , ------- B r o a d w a y ...........

21. N o n com p liance
sions.

3230..................................

-----------D ress C o . , ---------W .
25th St.

13. U n ju stifiab le disch arge............

w ith

deci­

1 See p . 79.
2 See p . 80.
3 C om p lain ts in v o lv in g grave and im p ortant controversies are taken up directly b y the chief clerk ; th at
is, these are n o t referred to d ep u ty clerks a t all.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.
L a d ie s ’ W a is t

and

D r e s s m a k e r s 7 U n io n

79

25, I. L. G. W. U.

L ocal

ASSOCIATION SHOP RECORD.

Name o f firm ..............................Address............................... No. o f people employed..
CLASSIFICATION OF GRIEVAN CES A N D AD JUSTM ENTS.

1. D u a l sy ste m
of w ork.

2. Illegal
chan ge of
sy ste m .

3. M a in te­
nance of su b ­
contracting
sy stem .

4. D iscrim i­
n a tiv e outside
contracting.

5. V iolation
of legal h oli­
d ay provision.

6. V io la tio n
of hours of
labor.

7. V io la tio n
of w age
scales.

03

S
o'S
®

o ®

rC} CO
>»

>»

PQ

PQ

8. D isp u te on ,
or im p rop er
settlem en t of
prices.

9. R e fu sa l to
recognize
price c o m ­
m itte e.

is

co

10. R e d u c tio n
of fixed prices.

S'S
n*H CO

11. Irregular
pay day.

>»

>»

PQ

PQ

PQ

12. W o r k done
in ten em en t
houses.

13. U n ju s ti­
fiable dis­
charge.

14. N o n u n io n
h elp being
preferred.

19. Ill-treat­
m e n t of em ­
ployees.

20. C laim for
wages due.

21. N o n c o m ­
pliance w ith
decisions.

[B a c k of c ard.]
15. F ailure to
cooperate in
proper organ­
ization of fac­
to ry .

.

^.1
>>
PQ

22. N o n d e liv ­
ery of co m ­
m u n ication s.

17. Forced
cessation of
w ork.

16

18. L o c k o u t.

3

c3

C

O ®

o®

c3
S'®
O®

;>>
pq

PQ

-Cl'S

° -2
1.1

>>
pq

pq

23. N o n p ro ­
tocol con d i­
tions.

24. In sanitary
cond itions.

25. A b u s e of
u n ion repre­
sen tatives.

26. D iscrim i­
n ation an d
27. P a y m e n t
u n eq u a l d i­
b y check .
vision of w ork.

SHOP MEETINGS RECORD.

R e m ark s.




D a te .

A tte n d e d b y —

D a te.

>*

A tte n d e d b y —

28. M iscel­
laneous.

F o llo w in g ab b reviation s to
be u sed in d esign atin g
resu lt of a d ju stm e n t:
G . 0 . — G ood offices of th e
association an d u n io n .
F . U .— F a v o r of un ion .
F . A . — F a v o r of associa­
tion.
M . C .— M u tu a l consent.
W .— W ithd ra w n.
D .— D rop p ed .

80

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

F o rm 2(5.

DISCRIMINATION.

D a te.

A ug.

18
18
18

C om ­
p lain t
N o.

3227
3231
3236

F avor
associ­
ation.

Favor
u nion .

N a m e of firm .

............W aist C o ......................................

M u tu a l
Yv ith con ­
draw n.
sent.

D rop­
p ed.

G ood
offices.

L
L
L

CASES GROUPED ACCORDING TO AGENCIES OF DISPOSITION.

The following table shows the number and per cent of union
grievances adjusted by each specified agency:
NUM BER AND

P E R C E N T O F U N IO N

G R IE V A N C E S

ADJUSTED

BY

EACH

S P E C IF IE D

AGENCY.

A gen c y.

N u m b er.

D e p u ty clerk s............................................................
C hief clerk s..................................................................
Board o f grievances................................................
C om m ittee on im m ed iate a c tio n ....................
W age-scale b o a r d .....................................................
T o t a l....................................................................

2

Per cent.

3,322
600
1 87
67
34

80. 8
14. 6
2 .1
1 .6
.8

4,110

100.0

1 On tw o of these (1833 and 3078) the board deadlocked.
2 T o this total m a st be ad ded 362 cases still p ending, 46 m ark ed “ v o id ” and 3 cases m ark ed “ settled
b y good offices.”

Out of every 100 cases filed by the union, 81 were adjusted satis­
factorily by the deputy clerks; 14-J were settled by the chief clerks,
and the industrial court of the trade— the wage-scale board and the
board of grievances— were called upon to settle the remainder, about
4| cases out of every 100.
As one of the principal functions of the industrial courts is the
supervision of the administration of justice by the chief and deputy
clerks, it is apparent that the agencies for the adjustment of griev­
ances have, considering the novelty of the arrangement, wTorked very
well indeed. Detailed analyses of the nature and classification of
the cases adjudicated by the various agencies will be found below.
The agencies of disposition of the union grievances are graphically
shown on the accompanying chart.
CASES ADJUSTED BY DEPUTY CLERKS.

The following table relates to those cases filed by the union which
were adjusted by the deputy clerks. It shows by classified griev­
ances the number and per cent of cases disposed of in each specified
manner.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

PR O PO RTIO N

OF UNION G RIEVANCES ADJUSTED
FIE D AGENCY.

B Y EACH SPECI

So.6

J bj/

Pefiejft/ c/er/fe
C/?/ef c/erjfe

______
1
I
0H H 1

Comm/tfee ar? 7/n/77ec//<??e/Qcf/'enW/P/////A

W<8ge scd/e Boarc/
3o& rcf o f Gr/ev&*?c
39573°— Bull. 145— 14------ 6




81

82

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

D IS P O S IT IO N

O F U N IO N

CASES

ADJUSTED

BY

THE

DEPUTY

CLERKS, B Y

NATURE

O F G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of disposition.

In favor of
u nion .

T otal.

N a tu re of grievance.

In favor of
association.

C om ­
p rom ised .1

D rop p ed .

W it h ­
d raw n.

N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ P er
ber. cen t. b er. cen t. ber. cen t. ber. cent. b e r . cen t.

D isp u te in se ttle m e n t o f p rices—
U n e q u a l d iv isio n o f w o r k .................
V io la tio n o f wage scale.................. ..
U n ju stifia b le disch a rg e.......................
Im p rop er se ttle m e n t o f p rice s.........
N o n u n io n h elp bein g preferred ___
D isc r im in a tio n .........................................
Ill-tr e a tm e n t o f em ployee s................
N o n co m p lia n ce w ith decision of
a u th o rities...............................................
F a ilu re to cooperate in proper or­
ganization o f fa c to ry .........................
C la im for w ages d u e ..............................
R e d u c tio n of fixed p rice s....................
N o n p ro to c o l c o n d itio n .........................
D u a l sy s te m of w o rk .............................
R e fu sa l t o recognize p rice c o m ­
m it t e e ........................................................
V io la tio n o f hours of la b o r ................
D isc r im in a tiv e o u tsid e c o n tract­
in g ...............................................................
M a in te n an ce o f su bcon tractin g ___
V io la tio n o f legal h o lid a y p r o v i­
sion .............................................................
Illeg a l charge o f sy s te m o f w o r k . . .
Im p ro p er sy s t e m o f w o r k ..................
M iscellaneous
____
N o n d e liv e r y o f c o m m u n ic a tio n ___
W o r k d one in te n e m e n t houses___
Irregular p a y d a y ....................................
F orced cessation o f w ork ....................
Illtr e a tm e n t o f representatives of
u n ion
.............................
P a y m e n t b y c h e c k ................................
L o c k o u t ........................................................
In sa n ita ry con d ition s...........................

341
340
303
248
217
216
184
162

56
222
243
125
152
145
108
104

16.4
6 5 ,3
8 0 .2
5 0 .4
7 0 .0
67 .1
58 .7
64 .2

158

143

90.5

126
123
111
110
104

91
90
78
79
81

72 .2
73 .2
70 .3
7 1 .8
7 7 .9

95
90 !

65
63

68.4
7 0 .0

88
76

40
47

50
35
35
33
31
17
10
6
5 !
5
2
1 |

3 .8
7 .9
8 .6
10 .5
4 .1
7 .4
16.8
14.8

225
9
9
18
27
10
6
5

4

2 .5

2

22
10
10
19
9

17.5
8 .1
9 .0
17.3
8 .7

1
7
8
1

i.o

17
20

17.9
2 2 .2

4

45.5
61 .8

25
19

28 .4
2 5 .0

39
7 8 .0
25
7 1 .4
22
62 .9
27
8 1 .8
31 100.0
13
76 .5
10 100.0
6 100.0

7
4
5
3

1 4 .0
11 .4
14.3
9 .1

3

17 .6

5
5

13
27
26
26
9
16
31
24

37
49
16
50
20
26
19
20

1 0 .9
14 .4
5 .3
2 0 .2
9 .2
1 2 .0
10.3
12.3

10
33
9
29
9
19
20
9

2 .9
9 .7
3 .0
11 .7
4 .1
8 .8
10 .9
5 .6

1.3

5

3 .2

4

2 .5

.8
5 .7
7 .2

8
13
8
7
11

6 .3
10 .6
7 .2
6 .4
1 0 .6

4
3
7
5
2

3 .2
2 .4
6 .3
4 .5
1 .9

4 .2

5
4

5 .3
4 .4

4
3

4 .2
3 .3

2

2 .3

17
9

19.3
11 .8

4
1

4 .5
1 .3

1
2
1

2 .9
5 .7
3 .0

1
3
6
2

2 .0
8 .6
17 .1
6 .1

3
2

6 .0
5 .7

1

5 .9

180

5 .4

6 6 .0
2 .6
3 .0
7 .3 :
12.4
4 .6
3 .3
3 .1

100.0
100.0
2 100.0

1 100.0

T o t a l.................................................. 3 ,3 2 2 j2,116

63 .7

349

10.5

338

10 .2

339

10 .2

1 C om p rom ised cases are those in w h ich the in vestigation sh ow ed a d isp u te of som e k in d in w h ic h th e
p osition of n either of th e parties w as w h o lly sustained.

The following table summarizes the number and per cent of these
cases which were disposed of in each specified manner:
GENERAL

D IS P O S IT IO N

OF

U N IO N

CASES

ADJUSTED

D isp osition .

BY

N u m ber.

DEPUTY

CLERKS.

P er cen t
of to ta l.

In favor of u n io n ....................... ..............................
In favor of association ...........................................
C o m p ro m ise d .............................................................
D r o p p e d ........................................................................
W it h d r a w n ..................................................................

2 ,1 16
349
338
339
180

63 .7
10.5
10 .2
1 0 .2
5 .4

T o t a l...................................................................

3,3 2 2

10 0.0

In 84 per cent of the total number of cases definite, clear cut deci­
sions were handed out. Three-fourths of these were in favor of the
complainant, the union. The number of compromised cases is rela­
tively low, only a little over 10 per cent.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

83

Taking into consideration the fact that these clerks are only medi­
ators, and also that they succeeded in adjusting over 80 per cent of
the total number of the cases filed, their work throws much light on
the willingness of the respective parties to cooperate in the adjust­
ment of grievances.
U N IO N

CASES

ADJUSTED

BY

D E C IS IO N S F A V O R A B L E

THE

D E P U T Y C L E R K S IN

W H IC H

TO T H E C O M P L A IN A N T W A S

N a tu re of grievance.

N o n d eliv e ry of c om m u n ic ation s.....................
Irregular p a y d a y ....................................................
F orced cessation o f w o r k ....................................
Illtr e a tm e n t o f representatives of th e
u n io n ..........................................................................
P a y m e n t b y c h e ck ..................................................
In sa n ita ry c o n d itio n s...........................................
V io la tio n of w age sc a le .........................................
N o n com p lian ce w ith decision of au th or­
itie s...............................................................................
M iscellan eou s.............................................................

N um ber
of cases
filed.

THE

PER CENT OF

F R O M 80 T O 100.

Per cen t
of favor­
able
decisions.

31
10
6

100.0
100.0
100.0

5
5
1
303

100.0
100. 0
100.0
8 0 .2

158
33

90 .5
8 1 .8

In complaints of noncompliance with decisions the percentage of
favorable decisions made by the deputy clerks was 90.5. A still
higher percentage of the decisions favorable to the complainant were
made in grievances of ill-treatment of representatives of the union,
viz, 100 per cent.
Both of these complaints involved disrespect, disobedience, and
sometimes active resistance to lawfully constituted authorities, vio­
lations, if sustained, of a very grave nature. If the protocol is to
continue its existence, the parties that signed it must obey decisions
of their own authorities.
If the shops are to be under proper control of the union, communi­
cations from the union to shop chairmen or chairwomen (union officials
on the premises) must be delivered. Very frequently, intentionally
or otherwise, such communications were either not delivered at all
or delivered too late. In such cases the union filed complaints of
nondelivery of the communications; the percentage of favorable de­
cisions made by the deputy clerks was 100.
Every classification shown in the table on page 82 (except those
in which the percentage of favorable decisions was 100 and the 2
complaints of lockout which were dropped) contains cases decided
by the deputy clerks adversely to the complainant, i. e., in favor
of the association. The percentages vary from 2.5 per cent in com­
plaints of noncompliance with decision of authorities to 28.4 per
cent in complaints of discriminative outside contracting. Other clas­
sifications in this table than those already mentioned contain the fol­
lowing percentages of cases sustained in favor of the union: Failure
to cooperate in proper organization of the factory, 72.2; improper
settlement of prices, 70; refusal to recognize price committee, 68.4;



84

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

nonunion help being preferred, 67.1; ill treatment of employees, 64.2;
discrimination, 58.7; unjustifiable discharge, 50.4.
Sixty-six per cent of complaints of disputes in settlement of prices
were compromised. This is the largest percentage item of the dis­
position group “ compromised.”
The highest percentage (100) of dropped cases was found in the
classification “ lockout,” but there were only 2 cases of this character.
Other dropped cases included 20.2 per cent of complaints of unjusti­
fiable discharge, 19.3 per cent of discriminative outside contracting,
17.1 per cent of improper system of work, 14.4 per cent of unequal
division of work, 12 per cent of nonunion help being preferred, 12.3
per cent of ill treatment of employees, 10.9 per cent of disputes in
settlement of prices, 10.6 per cent of claim for wages due and of dual
system of work, and 10.3 per cent of complaints of discrimination.
CASES ADJUSTED BY CHIEF CLERKS.

A total of 600 cases were referred to and adjusted by the chief
clerks. This total included grievances of almost all the classifica­
tions, as is shown in the following table:
D IS P O S IT IO N

OF

U N IO N

C ASES

ADJUSTED

BY

C H IE F

CLERKS, B Y

NATURE

OF

G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of disposition.

N a tu r e of grievance.

T otal.

In favor of
u nion.

In favor of
association.

C om ­
prom ised .

D rop p ed .

W it h ­
d raw n.

Num-1 Per N u m .- Per N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per
ber. ! cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent.

D isc r im in a tio n ........................................
N on com p lian ce w ith decision of
au th orities..............................................
D isp u te in settlem ent of prices—
U n ju stifiab le d isch arge.......................
V io la tio n o f w age scale........................
Illtreatm en t of em p loyee s..................
U n eq u a l d iv isio n o f w ork ..................
N o n u n io n h elp b ein g preferred___
D u a l sy ste m o f w ork ............................
N on p rotocol c on d ition s.......................
R e d u c tio n o f fixed p rice s..................
M ain tenan ce o f su bcon tractin g___
D isc rim in a tiv e outside contract­
in g ...............................................................
Failu re to cooperate in proper
organization of factory....................
Im prop er settlem en t of prices.........
V io la tio n of hours of la b o r................
C laim for wages d u e .............................
M iscellaneous............................................
V io la tio n o f legal h olid ay p ro v i­
sio n ........................................................... .
Illegal change of sy stem of w o r k ..
L o c k o u t...................................................... .
Illtre atm en t o f representatives of
th e u n io n ............................................... .
N o n d eliv e r y o f c o m m u n ic a tio n s.,
W o r k d one in ten em ent h o u se s. . .
R efu sal to recognize price co m ­
m itte e .......................................................
Irregular p a y d a y ................................. .
Forced cessation of w ork ..................
Im prop er sy ste m of w o r k ................
T o ta l...............................................




79

27

3 4 .2

62
62
57
47
33
25
24
20
19
19
18

53
9
19
23
18
13
15
15
10
12
12

85 .5
14 .5
33 .3
48 .9
54 .5
5 2 .0
62 .5
7 5 .0
52 .6
63 .2
66 .7

18

5

27 .8

16
15
14
14
12

8
4
12
10
8

50 .0
26 .7
85 .7
7 1 .4
66 .7

11
9
8

10
4
3

9 0 .9
4 4 .4
37 .5

3
3
3

3
2
2

100.0
66.7
66 .7

3
2
2
2

1 33 .3
1
5 0 .0
2 100.0

600

2 .5

3 .8

49 .4

10.1

1. 6

6 .5
9 .7
54 .4
34 .0
33 .3
28 .0
25 .0

6 .5
3 .2
7 .0

69 .4
5 .3

2.1
6.1

4 .3
3 .0

12.0
5 .0
10 .5

50 .2

3 .0

8.0
12 .5
5 .0

10.0

5 .0

36 .8

21.1

'5 *3

10 .5

5 .6

2 7 .8

11.1

44 .4

16.7

3 7 .5
4 0 .0
7 .1
2 1 .4
16.7

12 .5
13.3

13.3
7 .1

6 .7

'8 *3

7 .1
8 .3

9 .1
12 .5

11.1

11.1

12 .5

37 .5

33 .3
33 .3
66 .7
50 .0
50 .0

301

10.6

17

2 .8

62

10.3

173

’

56.6

85

CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

The 600 adjusted cases were disposed of as follows: In favor of
union, 301 cases or 50.2 per cent; dropped, 173 cases or 28.8 per cent;
compromised, 62 cases or 10.3 per cent; withdrawn, 47 cases or 7.8
per cent; in favor of association, 17 cases or 2.8 per cent.
The 10 grievances complained of most frequently constituted 71
per cent of the total number of cases settled by the chief clerks.
The classification and disposition of these can be seen from the fol­
lowing table:
U N IO N C A SE S R E F E R R E D

TO C H IE F C L E R K S F O R

M OST F R E Q U E N T L Y A N D

PER CENT

10 G R I E V A N C E S C O M P L A I N E D

IN E A C H C L A SS S E T T L E D IN F A V O R

OF

OF

THE

U N IO N .

N a tu r e of grievance.

T otal
filed.

Per cent
in favor
of u nion .

D iscrim in ation ..........................................................
N on com pliance w ith d ecision ..........................
D isp u te in settlem ent of p rices.......................
U n ju stifiab le discharge.........................................
V io la tio n o f w age scale.........................................
Ill-treatm en t of e m p lo y e e s ................................
U n eq u al d iv isio n of w o r k ...................................
N on u n ion help bein g preferred................ ..
D u a l sy stem of w o r k .............................................
N on p rotocol con d ition s........................................

79
62
62
57
47
33
25
24
20
19

34 .2
85 .5
1 4 .5
33 .3
4 8 .9
5 4 .5
52 .0
62. 5
7 5 .0
5 2 .6

T o ta l...................................................................

428

47 .2

The union secured 47.2 per cent of favorable decisions on these
most frequently occurring grievances. From the nature of disposition
of these cases the quality of the work done by the chief clerks can
be seen. The per cent of favorable decisions secured by complainant
in cases of noncompliance with decisions was 85.5 per cent. If the
authorities established by the protocol are to exercise their functions
properly, those failing to comply promptly with their adjustments
are to be reprimanded.
A totally different situation arises when complaints of dispute in
settlement of prices are filed. By the definition of this classifica­
tion1 these cases, if properly classified, involve only a difference of
opinion, an inability on the part of those that settle prices to agree
upon them. Of these cases, 69.4 per cent were compromised by the
chief clerks and only 14.5 per cent were decided in favor of the union.
Only in some of the minor grievances were 100 per cent of the cases
decided by the chief clerks in favor of the union. These were: Three
cases of illtreatment of representatives of the union and two cases of
forced cessation of work.
A still closer view of the quality of the work of the clerks will be
had from the typical original cases adjudicated by the chief clerks,
reproduced in another section of this report.
1 See definition of classification of grievances filed b y the u nion , p . 76.




86

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
CASES ADJUSTED BY COMMITTEE ON IMMEDIATE ACTION.

This committee during the four months of its existence adjusted
67 cases. The following table shows the manner in which these cases
were disposed o f:
D IS P O S IT IO N

O F U N IO N

CASES A D J U S T E D
BY

NATURE

OF

B Y C O M M IT T E E

ON

IM M E D IA T E

A C T IO N ,

G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of disposition.

N a tu r e of grievance.

T otal.

In favor of
u n ion .

In favor of
association.

C om ­
p rom ised .

D ro p p ed .

W ith ­
d raw n.

N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per
ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent.

V iolation of w age sc a le ........................
D isp u te in settlem en t of p rices—
D u a l sy ste m of w o r k ............................
U n ju stifiab le d isch arge.......................
D isc r im in a tio n .........................................
Im p rop er settlem en t of prices.........
U n e q u a l division of w o r k ..................
N o n com p lian ce w ith decision of
a u th o ritie s..............................................
V io la tio n of legal holid ay provis­
ion ...............................................................
Ill-treatm en t o f em ployees................
M iscellan eou s............................................
N on p ro tocol con d itio n s.......................
Forced cessation of w o r k ...................
N o n u n io n h elp being p referred. . .
Irregular p a y d a y ...................................
V io la tio n of hours o f la b o r ................

15
11
5
6
5
4
3

10
3
2
6
5
2
3

66 .7
27 .3
40 .0
100. 0
100. 0
50. 0
100.0

2
2
2
2

100.0
100.0
100. 0
100.0

2
2
2
2
2
1
1

Maintenance of subcontracting___

1

C laim for wages d u e ..............................
F ailure to cooperate in proper or­
ganization of factory .........................
R e d u c tio n of fixed p rice s...................

1

T o t a l..................................................

67

1
1

33 .3
72.7
6 0 .0

2

50 .0

1
1

2 100.0

1
1

5
8
3

1 100.0
1 100.0
1 100.0
1 1 00.0
1 100.0
1 100.0
1 100.0
1 100.0
44

i

65. 7

i
23

34 .3

i

As shown in this table, the principal grievances were as follows:
Violations of wage scale, 15; disputes in settlement of prices, 11; dual
system of work, 5; unjustifiable discharge, 6; discrimination, 5 ; 1
improper settlement of prices, 4.
Three appeals were taken from the decisions of this committee.
Two of these were appealed by the union; in both instances the
decision of the committee on immediate action was sustained .2
The dispositions made by the committee were as follows: In favor
of union, 44 cases, or 65.7 per cent; compromised, 23 cases, or 34.3
per cent. None of the cases adjusted by the committee were in favor
of association, dropped, or withdrawn.
The following are the grievances in which the union was given 100
per cent of favorable decisions: Unjustifiable discharge, 6 cases; dis­
1 I t is d ifficult to see h o w , from th e p o in t of view of the jurisdiction of the wage scale of w hich the c o m ­
m itte e w as a su bsid iary organization, it cou ld h an d le cases of u nju stifiable discharge an d d iscrim ination,
as these are u nd er the jurisdiction of the board of grievances.
2 Proceedings of board of arbitration, dress an d w aist in du stry, N o v . 8 and 9 ,1 9 1 3 , p p . 275 and 283.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

87

crimination, 5 cases; unequal division of work, 3 cases; violation of
legal holiday, ill-treatment of employees, nonprotocol conditions, and
miscellaneous, 2 cases each; and irregular pay day, violation of hours
of labor, failure to cooperate in proper organization of factory,
reduction of fixed prices, and nonunion help being preferred, 1 case
each.
All of the complaints filed under the following classifications have
been compromised: Noncompliance with decision, 2 cases; forced
cessation of work, 1; maintenance of subcontracting, 1; claim for
wages due, 1.
CASES ADJUSTED BY WAGE-SCALE BOARD.

De jure, all the cases adjudicated by the committee on immediate
action were settled by its parent body, the wage-scale board. How­
ever, all these cases will be eliminated from this discussion. A total
of 34 complaints, of 13 different classifications, were referred to and
adjusted by this board, as shown in the following table:
D IS P O S IT IO N

OF

U N IO N

CASES

ADJUSTED
OF

BY

W A G E -S C A L E

BOARD, BY

NATURE

G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu r e of disposition.

N a tu re of grievance.

T otal.

In favor of
union .

In favor of
association.

C om ­
prom ised.

D ro p p ed .

W ith ­
d raw n.

N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per
ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent.

8

6

7 5 .0

1

12.5

1

12.5

7
6

5
5

71 .4
83 .3

1
1

14.3
16.7

1

14.3

2
2
2
1
1
1
1

2
1
1
1
1
1
1

100.0
50. 0
5 0 .0
100. 0
100. 0
100.0
100.0

i
1

50. 0
50 .0

1
1

1 100.0

1

1 100.0

D isp u te in settlem e n t of p rices___
N o n com p lian ce w ith decision of
au th orities...............................................
V iolation o f w age s c a le ........................
V iolation o f le gal-h olid ay p r o v i­
sion ............................................................
Im prop er sy ste m o f w o r k ...................
C laim for w ages d u e ..............................
D u a l sy stem o f w o r k ............................
M aintenance of su bcon tractin g—
V iolation of h ours o f la b o r ................
Im prop er settlem e n t of prices.........
R efu sal to recognize price c o m ­
m ittee ......................................................
Red uction of fixed p rice s...................
Failure to cooperate in p roper or­
ganization of fa c to ry .........................
T o t a l..................................................

34

1 100.0

26

7 6 .5

3

8 .8

5

14.7

The 34 cases adjusted by the board were disposed of as follows: In
favor of union, 26, or 76.5 per cent; in favor of association, 3, or 8.8
per cent; compromised, 5, or 14.7 per cent. None of the cases
referred to the board were dropped or withdrawn.
In the following classifications, the union secured favorable deci­
sions of 100 per cent: Violation of legal holidays, 2 cases; dual system
of work, maintenance of subcontracting, violations of hours of labor,




88

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

improper settlement of prices, refusal to recognize price committee,
and failure to cooperate in proper organization of factory, 1 case each.
CASES ADJUSTED BY BOARD OF GRIEVANCES.

A total of 87 cases were referred to the board of grievances.
these 85 were adjusted, as shown in the following table:1

Of

D IS P O S IT IO N

BY

OF

U N IO N

CASES

ADJUSTED

NATURE

OF

BY

THE

BOARD

OF

G R IE V A N C E S ,

G R IE V A N C E .

N ature of d isposition .

N a tu r e of grievance.

Total.

In favor of
u nion.

In favor of
association.

Com pro­
m ised.

D rop p ed .

W ith d r a w n .

D ead lock .

N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per
ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cen t.

D iscrim in ation .............
N onprotocol condi­
tions ..............................
V io la tio n
o f legal
h o lid a y p r o v is io n ..
N o n com p lian ce w ith
decision of author­
ities.................................
U n ju stifiab le
d is­
charge...........................
M iscellaneous................
P a y m e n t b y c h e c k .. .
N o n u n io n help being
preferred.....................
V io la tio n of hours of
labor..............................
V io la tio n o f wage
scale...............................
Illegal change of sys­
tem of w ork...............
R e fu sa l to recognize
price c o m m it te e .. .
M ain tenan ce o f su b ­
contracting ................
D isc rim in ative ou t­
sid e con tractin g. . .
C laim for wages d u e ..
D isp u te in settle­
m e n t of prices...........
Illtre atm en t o f em ­
ployees .........................
.........
L o ck o u t .
U n eq u a l d ivision of
w o r k ..........................
T o ta l....................

21

17

8 1 .0

13

11

8 4 .6

2

15.4

13

12

9 2 .3

1

7 .7

10

10

100.0

8
3
3

7
2
3

8 7 .5
66 .7
100.0

3

1

3 3 .3

2

2

100.0

2

2 100.0

1

1

4 .8

4 .8

1

33 .3

2

9 .5

2

2 .3

12 .5
1

1

1

33 .3

3 3 .3

1 100.0

1

1 100.0

1

1 100.0

1
1

1 100.0

1

1 100.0

1
1

1 100.0

1 100.0

1 100.0

1
1 87

1

1 100.0
70

8 0 .4

2

2 .3

7

8 .1

t
3

3 .4

3

3 .4

i Cases 2747 and 2805 are still p en d in g before board of grievances.
Cases 2431, 3356, 3357, 3358, an d 3736,
th ou gh to b e found on th e calendar of board of grievances h ave w ritten on th e m th e follow ing d isposition ,
1 ‘ dropped b y n egle ct.”

The specific classifications of all of these grievances will be found in
this table. Three-fourths of the cases were of the following classifica­
tions: Discrimination, 21 cases; nonprotocol conditions, 13 cases;
violations of legal holidays, 13 cases; noncompliance with decisions,
10 cases; and unjustifiable discharge, 8 cases.
The nature of the disposition of the cases referred to the board of
grievances was as follows: In favor of union, 70 cases or 80.4 per cent;
1 In tw o cases the board o f grievances cou ld reach no decision (d ead locked ).

F or analyses o f issues

in v o lv ed in these, see special section en title d “ D ead lock cases in board of g riev an ces,” p p . 89-91.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

89

compromised, 7 or 8.1 per cent; dropped, 3 or 3.4 per cent; with­
drawn, 3 or 3.4 per cent; in favor of association, 2 or 2.3 per cent, and
no decision (deadlock), 2 or 2.3 per cent.1
Neither the records of the association nor those of the union show
any association cases which were adjusted by the board of grievances. Two union cases, however, were decided in favor of tlu
association, viz, one complaint of discrimination and one of unjusti-*
fiable discharge.
The union secured from the board of grievances the following per*
centages of favorable decisions:
PER CENT OF FA V O R A B LE
THE

BOARD

OF

D E C IS IO N S R E N D E R E D
G R IE V A N C E S , B Y

IN U N IO N C A SE S A D J U S T E D

NATURE

OF

N atu re of grievance.

D isc rim in a tiv e ou tside con tractin g .....................................
Illtreatm en t o f em ployees..........................................................
P a y m e n t b y c h e ck ......................................................................
V io la tio n o f w age scale.................................................................
V io la tio n o f hours of la b o r........................................................
N oncom pliance w ith decision.................................................
D isp u te in settlem ent o f prices...............................................
V io la tio n o f legal h o lid a y ..........................................................
U n ju stifiable discharge................................................................
N onprotocol cond itions...............................................................
Discrim in ation .................................................................................
M iscellaneous.....................................................................................
N o n un ion h elp being preferred..............................................

BY

G R IE V A N C E .

Per cent
of favor­
able deci­
sions.

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
9 2 .3
8 7 .5
8 4 .6
81 .0
66.7
33 .3

The board apparently had no tendency to compromise cases in
which the violations were definitely established. Of the total number
of cases referred to it 82.7 per cent were decided either for the union
or the association. Only 8.1 per cent of cases were compromised.
Of the cases referred to the board of grievances 6.8 per cent were
dropped or withdrawn. The three cases dropped by the board were
as follows: Claim for wages due, 1; refusal to recognize price commit­
tee, 1; and miscellaneous, 1. The general qualities of the work of
this board will be discussed elsewhere.
DEADLOCK CASES IN BOARD OF GRIEVANCES.

The records show only two deadlock cases, Nos. 1869 and 3078,
involving charges by the union of unjustifiable discharge and discrim­
ination. Neither of these has been referred to the board of arbitra­
tion. As a matter of fact, the union officials claim that the establish­
ment of fundamental principles with reference to specific problems is
more important than an individual case here and there.
Case 1869 was not referred to the board of arbitration because the
girls involved in it informed the chief clerk of the union that they
1 F iv e cases, N o s. 2431, 3356, 3357, 3358, and 3736, thou gh found on th e calendar o f th e board o f griev­
ances, are m arked “ dropped b y n eglect.”




90

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

would not return to the same place even if they were reinstated.
The other case (3078) was subsequently partly adjusted. The dis­
charged girls were reinstated; the board of grievances deadlocked
specifically in the case of the shop chairman and the other two men
discharged for alleged incompetency. Analyses of these two cases
will be found below.
Ca s e N o . 1869.

Union.
C o m p l a i n t : May 3, 1913.

C o m p la in t b y :
D a te

of

N ature

C o m p l a in t :

of

Two workers, operators, employed by above firm, report that they were dis­
charged for no apparent reason whatever.
I s s u e s I n v o l v e d : Unjustifiable discharge.
C o n t e n t io n

of

the

U n io n :

The two employees have been discharged previously because of the fact that
both before, directly, and after the strike they exhibited marked union activity.
The firm has been awaiting an excuse to discharge them since the time of the
general strike.
C o n t e n t io n

of

the

A s s o c ia t io n :

The girls broke the discipline by forcibly opening the lock of the dressing
room five or six minutes previous to the appointed time.
A b s t r a c t o f F ac t s E s t a b l is h e d :

The actual facts with reference to the forcible opening of the lock on the door
were not thoroughly established. The girls claim that the lock was such that
any kind of a “ push” could readily open it. Upon inspection the door was
found in good order and the lock was not broken. The spring was loose; the
door apparently could be opened readily. The girls claim that they asked for
the key but were refused. They then “ ju st” opened the door. The employer
stated that in his opinion the girls were doing “ too much organizing,” and that
they wanted everybody in the shop to stop on May 1.
An investigation by a special committee appointed b y the board of grievances
established the fact that the girls were active union workers before and after
the general strike of 1910.
D is p o s it io n :

The deputy clerks could reach no decision. The matter was then, through
the chief clerks, referred to the board of grievances. A special committee of
the board of grievances, being unable to agree upon a verdict, referred the case
back to the board of grievances for consideration. The board itself could reach
no decision; it deadlocked.
D a t e : May 20, 1913.
R e c o r d : Minutes of special meetings of board of grievances.
Ca s e N o . 3078.

Union.
C o m p l a i n t : August 23, 1913.

C o m p la in t b y :
D a te

of

N ature

of

C o m p l a in t :

Mr. S., the chairman of the shop, reports that the factory of the above firm
had been closed for about five weeks on account of lack of work. Recently the
factory had been reopened, but he was informed that he will not be reemployed
on the ground that the firm did not care to reemploy a man.
I ssu es

Involved:

1. Discrimination against worker for union activity.
2. Avowed declaration of the firm that it wants to replace male labor b y female.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.
C o n t e n t io n

of

the

91

U n io n :

The union denies the claim of the firm that the shop chairman in question is
incompetent. “ His work up to yesterday was satisfactory, for we had no com­
plaint.” The union maintains that there is no legal ground for the insistence of
the association that men can be replaced by women without the consent of the
union.
The union denies contention of the association that it (the union) authorized
the calling of a strike in the shop of the firm. The organization simply can not
control the workers of the shop in view of the fact that the firm, by its discharges,
caused the great provocation.
C o n t e n t io n

of

the

A s s o c ia t io n :

1. The work of the shop chairman is unsatisfactory; he is incompetent.
2. The manufacturer has a perfect right to replace men by women.
3. The manufacturer will take back all the union people as soon as there is
enough work for them.
4. The whole controversy resulted in a stoppage of work, which is a direct
violation of the protocol.
5. Firm denies discrimination against men in general. The discharged men
and women were incompetent.
A bstract of F acts

E s t a b l is h e d :

Stoppage of work took place. The firm did tell two male operators to come
back to work. The report of the union clerk who investigated the case gives
the following facts:
“ Shop chairman told me privately when he left the firm’s office that he had
many controversies with the firm in regard to prices, but he stated the contrary,
believing that it will do good for the case. Shop chairman, Mr. S., claims that
firm stated to two operators, men, that on account of Mr. S. he is going to get
rid of them too.
“ The people of the shop held a meeting on Saturday, August 10, where they
decided not to go to work. They even elected a picketing committee for Monday
morning. I instructed the shop chairman not to allow any pickets, as it would
not do us any good. I also was informed that two male operators were told to
come on Wednesday to work. I advised them to go up, but to inform Mr. Z.
immediately about it. ”
D is p o s it io n :

The deputy clerks being unable to agree upon a disposition, the case, through,
the chief clerks, was referred to the board of grievances. The board made an
investigation on the premises in the presence of the owners, forelady, shop chair­
man, and price committee of the shop.
D a t e : February 5, 1914.
R ecord:

FREQUENCY OF UNION COMPLAINTS.

The following table shows the number of firms against which each
classified number of union complaints were filed:
M EMBERS

OF TH E

M A N U F A C T U R E R S ’ A S S O C IA T IO N A G A IN S T

S IF IE D N U M B E R

O F C O M P L A IN T S W E R E

F IL E D

N u m b e r of grievances filed.

..................................................

1 -10
1 1 -2 5 ...................................................................................................
2 6 -5 0 ...................................................................................................
50 or over.........................................................................................




BY

W H IC H

THE

N um ber
of firm s.

143
135
42
7

EACH

U N IO N -

CLAS­

92

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

Seven firms had 50 or, more complaints filed against each one of
them while 42, or six times as many firms had from 26 to 50; 135 had
from 11 to 25 complaints filed against each one of them; from 1 to 10
complaints were filed by the union against 143 firms.
The following table shows the number of complaints filed by the
union, by months, and the relative number from month to month ex­
pressed in terms of the month of February, which is taken to equal
100 per cent. The object of this table is twofold: (a) To reveal
correlation between the number of complaints filed and the dull and
busy seasons of the year; (b) to find out the tendency of grievances
to increase or decrease.
With reference to (a), no correlation, apparently, has as yet ap­
peared. Unlike the cloak industry, where there is an indirect corre­
lation between the two phenomena (that is, the busier the season,
the smaller the number of complaints),1 the tendency for complaints
to increase or decrease in the dress and waist industry seems to be
entirely independent of the season of the year.
Apparently the entire scheme is as yet too new. The protocol
of the dress and waist industry is only 11 months old. Too many
circumstantial factors prevent the situation from “ normalizing”
itself. Results in the cloak industry were based upon a period of
almost three years.
The total number of complaints during the first 11 months has
been rather high. Including association cases, the total number of
complaints was 4,977, an average of about 450 complaints per month.
C O M P L A IN T S F IL E D

B Y THE

U N IO N F R O M

J A N . 18, 1913, T O J A N . 1, 1914, B Y M O N T H S .

M on th .

N um ber
of com ­
p lain ts.

Jan. 18 to F e b . 1 ........................................................................................................
F e b r u a r y ........................................................................................................................
M a rc h ...............................................................................................................................
A p r il.................................................................................................................................
M a y ...................................................................................................................................
J u n e ..................................................................................................................................
J u l y ...................................................................................................................................
A u g u st
..................................................................................................................
S e p te m b e r .....................................................................................................................
O c to b e r...........................................................................................................................
N o v e m b e r ....................................................................................................................
D e ce m b er.......................................................................................................................

115
599
623
509
525
375
287
374
372
278
227
237

T o ta l....................................................................................................................

1 4, 521

Per cent
Per cent A verage
in term s
in term s n u m b e r
of average
of n u m ­
for 3
num ber
ber in
m o n th s’
for first 3
February. period.
m o n th s.

l
100.0 [
104.0
8 5 .0 1
87 .6 [
62 .6
47 .9 )
62. 4 V
62.1
46. 4 )
37 .9 I
3 9 .6

504

100.0

470

93 .2

344

68 .3

247

4 9 .0

i 4G of these w ere su bseq u en tly an nu lled and 3 were settled b y good offices; this reduced the actual
n u m b e r of cases to 4,472.

Figured in percentages of the first full month, February, 1913,
the general tendency for union complaints has been to decrease mate­
rially from month to month.
i See B u lle tin of th e U n ite d S tates B u reau of L a b o r Statistics, N o . 144, p . 21.




93

CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

Figured in terms of the average for the first period of three months,1
the tendency is shown for complaints to decrease materially.
CASES GROUPED ACCORDING TO NATURE OF DISPOSITION.

The object of the following tabulations is to show clearly the kinds
of grievances that were disposed of by the different agencies in specific
ways, such as in favor of the union, in favor of the association, com­
promised, dropped, and withdrawn.
This is more or less important, in view of the fact that the dis­
position of a grievance indicates to a greater or less extent the precise
gravity of it; that is, whether a certain grievance is a “ crime” (a
definite violation of the agreement) or a mere adjustment called for
in the interest of peace and amicable relations of the parties to the
protocol.
According to the nature of disposition, the distribution of the cases
filed by the union was as shown in the following table:
NATURE

O F D IS P O S IT IO N O F C A SE S F IL E D

B Y T H E U N IO N , B Y T H E V A R IO U S

A D J U S T M E N T A G E N C IE S O F T H E IN D U S T R Y .

D isp osed of b y —

D ep­
u ty
clerks.

C hief
clerks.

C om ­
m ittee
on
im m e­
d iate
action.

F a v o r of u n io n ....................................................................
Fa v o r o f associatio n ............................................... ........
C om p rom ised ........................................................................
D rop p ed ................................................................................
W it h d r a w n ............................................................................
D ead lock ed b y b oard of griev an ces........................

2,116
349
338
339
180

301
17
62
173
47

23

T o t a l............................................................................

3,322

600

67

D isp osition .

44

T o ta l cases.

B oard
of
griev­
ances.

Num ­
ber.

P er
cen t o f
totafl.

26
3
5

70
2
7
3
3
2

2 ,5 57
371
435
515
230
2

6 2 .2
9 .0
1 0 .6
12.5
5 .6
0)

34

87

4,1 10

10 0.0

W agescale
board .

2

1 Less th a n o n e-ten th of 1 per cen t.
2 362 cases are still pen din g settlem e n t, 46 were found m arked “ V o i d ,” and 3 were m arked “ Settled b y
good offices,” m ak in g a total of 4,521.

According to this table, 62.2 per cent of the cases were decided in
favor of the union, 12.5 per cent were dropped by mutual consent, 10.6
per cent were compromised, 9 per cent were decided in favor of the
association, and 5.6 per cent were withdrawn by the union.
Two of the cases filed by the union and subsequently referred to the
board of grievances for adjustment have not as yet been disposed of,
as the board deadlocked 011 their disposition; 326 union cases are still
pending settlement; 3 cases were disposed of by the “ good offices”
of the association.
1

T h e num b er of com p laints for January, 1913, w as estim ated on the basis of the com p laints received

b etw een Jan. 18 and F e b . 1.
an d 31st of the m o n th .

T h e 115 com plaints were filed in January, 1913, and settled betw een the 29th

C om plaints are k n o w n to h ave been filed an d adjusted betw een th e 19th an d 29th,

b u t n o records of such w ere fou nd.




94

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

This table also shows the relative numerical part of each dispo­
sition group that was settled by each of the agencies of adjustment.
A detailed discussion of the latter is to be found elsewhere.
CASES SETTLED IN FAVOR OF THE UNION.

The following table, relating only to cases filed by the union and
settled in favor of the union, shows for each class of grievances the
number and per cent of cases adjusted by each of the various agencies
provided under the protocol:
D IS T R IB U T IO N A C C O R D IN G T O A G E N C Y A D J U S T IN G T H E M , O F U N IO N G R IE V A N C E S
S E T T L E D IN F A V O R

N a tu re of grievance.

O F T H E U N IO N , B Y N A T U R E

Total
b y all
agen­
cies.

D e p u ty
clerks.

C om m ittee
Chief clerks. on im m ed i­
ate action .

W age-scale
board.

B oard of
grievances.

N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per
ber. cen t. ber. cen t. ber. cent. b er.
cen t. ber. c en t.
1

75
238
157
162
283
159
157

56
222
125
145
243
152
108

74 .7
93 .3
7 9 .6
89 .5
85 .9
95.6
6 8 .8

9
13
19
15
23
4
27

12 .0
5 .5
12.1
9 .3
8 .1
2 .5
17.2

211

143

6 7 .8

53

2 5.1

101
101
102
125
91
99
79

91
90
79
104
78
81
63

90.1
89.1
77 .5
83 .2
85 .7
81 .8
79 .7

8
10
10
18
12
15
12

7 .9
9 .9
9 .8
14 .4
13.2
15 .2
15.2

67
46
60

65
40
47

9 7 .0
87 .0
78 .3

1
5
12

1 .5
10 Q
20.0

65
29
39
23
33
15

39
25
27
22
31
13

60 .0
86 .2
69 .2
95.7
9 3 .9
86.7

10
4
8

15.4
13.8
20.5

2
2

6 .1
13.3

8
12
8
8
3
1

5
10
6
5

62.5
83 .3
75 .0
62 .5

3
1
2

37 .5
8 .3
25 .0

3

100.0

T o t a l................................................. 2,557

2,116

302

1 1 .8

D isp u te on settlem en t of p rice s. . .
U n e q u a l d ivision of w ork ..................
U n ju stifiab le d isch arge.......................
N o n u n io n h elp being preferred —
V io la tio n of w age sc a le ........................
Im p rop er settlem e n t of prices.........
D isc rim in a tio n .........................................
N oncom p liance w ith decision of
a u th orities..............................................
Failure # to cooperate in proper
organization of factory.....................
C laim for w ages d u e ..............................
N on pro tocol c on d itio n s.......................
Ill-trea tm en t of em p lo y ees................
R e d u c tio n of fixed p rice s...................
D u a l system of w o r k ............................
V io la tio n of hours of la b o r ................
R e fu sa l to recognize price c o m ­
m it te e ......................................................
D isc rim in ative outside contracting
M ain tenan ce of su b c o n tr a c tin g ...
V iolation of legal h olid ay pro­
visions .......................................................
Illegal change of sy stem of w o r k ..
M iscellaneous.............................................
Im prop er sy stem of w o rk ..................
N o n d eliv e ry of c o m m u n ic a tio n s. .
W o r k done in ten em e n t h o u se s. . .
Ill-trea tm en t of representatives of
th e u nion .................................................
Irregular p a y d a y ...................................
F orced cessation of w ork ....................
P a y m e n t b y c h e c k ................................
L o c k o u t .......................................................
In san itary c o n d itio n s .........................

O F G R IE V A N C E S .

3
3
6
1
10
2
5

4 .0
1 .3
3 .8
.6
3 .5
1 .3
3 .2

1

1.0

2
2
1
2
1

2 .0
1 .6
1 .1
2 .0
1 .3

2

3 .1

2

5 .1

6

5
1

1 .8
.6

5

2 .4

1
1

1.0
1.0

1
1

1 .0
1 .3

1

1 .5

1

1 .7

2

3 .1

1

1

8 .0

1

1 .3

7
1
2

4 .5
.6
.7

17

10 .8

10

4 .7

11
1

10.8
.8

2

2 .5

1

2 .2

12

1 8 .5

2,

5 .1

3

3 7 .5

70

2 .7

4 .3

8 .3

1 100.0
8 2 .8

44

!. 7

26

1

Of the grievances decided in favor of the union violation of wage
scale involved the largest number of cases. There were 283 favor­
able decisions in this grievance group, and of these 243, or 85.9 per
cent, were made on the premises of the firm by the deputy clerks.
The next largest item of complaint among cases settled in favor of
the union was unequal division of work, 238 of such complaints
having been decided in favor of the complainant; 93.3 per cent of
these were adjusted on the premises by the deputy clerks. The third
largest item of complaint was noncompliance with decisions, 67.8
per cent of these having been adjusted by the deputy clerks.



CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

95

A total of 2,557 cases, 62.2 per cent of the total number of cases
filed, were found in this disposition group. By agencies of adjust­
ment, these decisions were made as follows: Deputy clerks, 82.8
per cent; chief clerks, 11.8 per cent; committee on immediate
action, 1.7 per cent; wage-scale board, 1 per cent; board of griev­
ances, 2.7 per cent.
CASES SETTLED IN FAVOR OF THE ASSOCIATION.

The number and per cent of cases adjusted by each of the various
agencies under the protocol are shown in the following table for the
various classes of grievances filed by the union and settled in favor
of the association:
D IS T R IB U T IO N A C C O R D IN G T O A G E N C Y A D J U S T IN G T H E M , O F U N IO N
S E T T L E D IN F A V O R

O F T H E A S S O C IA T IO N , B Y N A T U R E

N a tu re of grievance.

D isp u te on settlem e n t of p r ice s. . .
U n eq u a l division of w ork ...................
V io la tio n of w a?e scale....................
U n ju stifiab le d isch arge.......................
N on u n ion h elp b ein g preferred___
Im p rop er settlem e n t of prices.........
D isc rim in a tio n .........................................
N on com p lian ce w ith decision of
au th orities..............................................
Illtre atm en t of em ployees..................
Failure to cooperate w ith proper
organization of fa c to ry .....................
C laim for w ages d u e ..............................
N on p ro tocol con d itio n s.......................
R e d u c tio n o f fixed p r ice s...................
D u a l sy stem of w o r k ........................
V iolation of hours of la b o r................
R efu sal to recognize price c o m ­
m itte e ........................................................
D iscrim in ative outside contracting
M ain tenan ce of s u b c o n tr a c tin g .. .
V io la tio n o f legal h o lid a y p ro­
visions ........................................
Illegal change o f sy ste m o f w o r k ..
M iscellaneous......................................
Im prop er system of w o r k ..................
N on d elivery of com m u nications
W o r k done in ten em ent h o u se s. . .
Illtreatm en t of representatives of
th e u n i o n ......................................
Irregular p a y d a y ...............................
Forced cessation of w o r k ....................
P a y m e n t b y c h e e k ........................
L o c k o u t .....................................
Insanitary cond itions..................
T o t a l.........................................

T otal
b y all
agen­
cies.

D e p u ty
clerks.

G R IE V A N C E S

O F G R IE V A N C E S .

C om m ittee
Chief clerks. on im m ed i­
ate action.

W age -scale
board .

B oard of
grievances.

N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per
ber. cen t. ber. cen t. ber. cen t. ber. cen t. ber. cen t.

16
27
29
27
16
11
34

13
8 1 .3
27 100 0
26
89 .7
26
96 .3
16 100.0
9 8 1 .8
31
91 .2

5
25

4
24

22
10
21
10
10
21

22 100.0
10 100.0
90 .5
19
10 100.0
90 .0
9
95.2
20

17
27
20

17
25
19

100.0
92 .6
95 .0

7
4
3
5

7
4
3
5

100.0
m .o
m o
100.0

3

3

100.0

80 .0
96 .0

2

12.5

2

6 .9

2
2

18.2
5 .9

1

1
1
I
!

1

6 .3

1

3 .4

1

2 0 .0

3

.8

1

3 .7

1

2 .9

2

.5

4 .0

2

9 .5

1
1

10.0
4 .8

2
1

7 .4
5 .0

I
!
1

371

1 100.0

349

94 .1

17

4 .6

J

As all of the complaints in this tabulation were filed by the union,
this group represents a series of union cases that met with absolute
“ defeat” ; that is, were not substantiated. The position of the firm
was found to be in strict accordance with law and precedent.
The principal losses of the union, as shown in this table, were 34
cases of discrimination, 29 cases of violation of wage scale, 27 cases
of unequal division of work, 27 cases of unjustifiable discharge,



96

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

27 cases involving complaints of discriminative outside contracting, 25
cases of illtreatment of employees, and 22 cases involving complaints
of failure to cooperate with the proper organization of the factory.
The total number of union cases decided in favor of the associa­
tion was 371, or 9 per cent of the total number filed by the union.1
COMPROMISED CASES .2

Cases filed by the union and resulting in compromise are presented
in the following table according to the number and per cent adjusted
by each specified agency:
D IS T R IB U T IO N

A C C O R D IN G

TO

A G E N C Y A D J U S T IN G

C O M P R O M IS E D , B Y N A T U R E

N a tu re of grievance.

T otal
b y all

D e p u ty
clerks.

T H E M O F U N IO N

G R IE V A N C E S

O F G R IE V A N C E S .

C om m ittee
Chief clerks. on im m ed i­
ate action.

W age-scale
board.

B oard of
grievances. -

cies. N u m Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per
der. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cen t.

D isp u te on settlem en t of p r ice s. . .
U n eq u a l d ivision o f w ork ..................
V io la tio n o f w age scale.........................
U n ju stifiab le d isch arge.......................
N o n u n io n h elp b ein g preferred___
Im prop er settlem en t of prices.........
D isc r im in a tio n .........................................
N oncom pliance w ith decision of
authorities ...........................................
Illtreatm en t o f em ployees..................
Failure to cooperate in proper or­
gan ization of factory.........................
C la im for wages d u e ..............................
Nonprotocol con d itio n s.......................
R ed u ctio n of fixed p rice s...................
D u a l sy ste m o f w o r k ............................
V io la tio n o f hours o f la b o r ................
R e fu sal to recognize price c o m m it­
tee
....................................................
D iscrim in ative outside contracting
M ain tenan ce o f su bcon tractin g___
V io la tio n of legal h o lid ay provision
Illegal change o f sy ste m o f w o r k . .
M iscellaneous ......................................
Im prop er sy stem of w ork . .
N o n d eliv e ry o f com m u n ication
W o r k done in ten em ent houses
Illtreatm en t of representatives of
th e u nion .............................................
Irregular p a y d a y
..............................
Forced cessation of w ork
P a y m e n t b y c h e c k ................................
Lockout
...........................
In san itary conditions

277
13
15
21
11
30
9

225
9
9
18
10
27
6

8 1 .2
6 9 .2
6 0 .0
85 .7
9 0 .9
90 .0
66.7

43
3
1
3

15 .5
23.1
6 .7
14.3

8

2 .9

5

33 .3

1
3

3 .3
33.3

2

6 .7

6
7

2
5

33.3
7 1 .4

1
2

16.7
28 .6

2

33.3

1

16.7

1
9
2
9
6

1 100.0
7
7 7 .8

1

11.1

1

11.1

3

5 0 .0

1

16.7

1

50 .5

Total ...............................................

435

4
2
2
1
3
2
3

1

0 .4

1
8
1

88.9
16.7

1
1

4 100.0
2 100.0

11.1
16.7

33 .3
50 .0
66.7

7 .7

1

9.1

2

100.0

1
1
1

50 .0
100.0
3 3 .3

7

1 .6

j
t
1

1
1
2

1

1
1

1

1
i

33 3
5 0 .0

i

1

3 3 .3

5

1.1

1 100.0

1

1 100.0

i
338

77 .7

62

14 .3

23

5 .3

The largest single item in this disposition group is dispute in settle­
ment of prices; 64 per cent of all the union cases compromised
were of this classification. This fact illustrates very clearly the
nature of the grievance. It is not a violation of any of the provi­
sions of the agreement; it is merely a difference of opinion over
what the fair price for the making of a specific garment should be.
1 T h e n u m b e r o f cases filed b y th e association and decided in favor of th e u nion w as o n ly 6.8 per cent of
th e total tiled b y th e association.
2

C om p rom ised cases are those in w h ic h th e in v estigation sh o w ed a d isp u te of som e k in d in w h ic h th e

p osition of neither of fche parties w as w h o lly su stain ed .




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

97

It thus admits of one disposition only, namely, an adjustment or
compromise.1
A total of 435 union cases were compromised. By agencies of adjust­
ment the percentages are as follows: Deputy clerks, 77.7 per cent;
chief clerks, 14.3 per cent; committee on immediate action, 5.3 per
cent; wage-scale board, 1.1 per cent; board of grievances, 1.6 per
cent.
It is rather interesting to note that the committee on immediate
action, though having handled only 1.6 per cent of the total number
of cases filed, adjusted 5.3 per cent of this disposition group.
DROPPED CASES.

In the following table are shown for cases filed by the union and
“ dropped,” the number and per cent adjusted by each specified
agency. The cases are classified according to the nature of the
grievances.
D I S T R IB U T IO N A C C O R D IN G T O A G E N C Y A D J U S T IN G T H E M

OF

U N IO N

G R IE V A N C E S

D R O P P E D , B Y N A T U R E O F G R IE V A N C E S .

N a tu re of grievance.

D isp u te in settlem e n t of p rices—
U n eq u a l d ivision o f w o rk ..................
V iolation o f w age scale.........................
U n ju stifiable discharge........................
N o n u n io n h elp being preferred___
Im p rop er settlem e n t o f p rices.........
D isc rim in a tio n .........................................
N on com p lian ce w ith decision of
authorities...............................................
Illtreatm en t of em ployees..................
F ailure to cooperate in p roper or­
ganization of fa c to r y .........................
C laim for wages d u e ..............................
N on p rotocol c on d ition s.......................
R ed u ction o f fixed p r ic e s ...................
D u al system o f w o r k .............................
V iolation of hours o f la b o r ................
R efusal to recognize price c o m ­
m ittee ........................................................
D iscrim in ative outside contract­
in g ...............................................................
M aintenance of su bcon tractin g—
V iolation o f legal h olid ay p ro­
vision s........................................................
Illegal change of sy ste m of w o r k ..
M iscellaneous.............................................
Im prop er sy stem of w o rk ...................
N on d elivery of c o m m u n ic a tio n s ..
W o r k done in ten em ent h o u s e s .. .
Illtreatm ent o f representative of
the union .......................- ........................
Irregular p a y d a y ....................................
Forced cessation of w o r k ....................
P a y m e n t b y c h e ck .................................
L o c k o u t........................................................
Insanitary conditions............................
T o ta l..................................................

C om m ittee
W age-scale
B oard of
D e p u ty
Chief clerks. im m ed iate
board.
clerks.
grievances.
T otal
action.
b y all
agen­
cies. N u m ­
Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Ter N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per
ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cen t. ber. cent.

43
56
32
81
32
26
58

37
49
16
50
26
20
19

86 .0
8 7 .5
50 .0
6 1 .7
81 .3
7 6 .9
3 2 .8

6
7
16
31
6
6
39

14.0
12 .5
50.0
38 .3
18.8
23 .1
67 .2

9
31

5
20

55 .6
6 4 .5

4
11

4 4 .4
3 5 .5

5 7 .1
7 6 .5
5 0 .0
6 6 .7
84 .6
8 0 .0

6
3
7
4
2
1

4 2 .9
17.6
50 .0
3 3 .3
15.4
2 0 .0

32 .0
3 5 .7

14
17
14
12
13
5

,

8
13
7
8
11
4

6

5

8 3 .3

25
14

17
9

6 8 .0
6 4 .3

8
5

2
4
5
7
1
3

1
3
2
6

5 0 .0
75.0
4 0 .0
85 .7

1

33.3

1 50 .0
1 2 5 .0
4 0 .0
2
1 14.3
1 100.0
2
66 .7

I

i

i

|

i
I
1

1
!

1

5 .9

...... i.......
1
I

1

1

16.7

1

20. G

i
l
|

... 1 . 1__
.... I....
1

5

2

4 0 .0

3

60 .0

515

339

65 .8

173

3 3 .6

i

1

I

1

3

.a

i T h a t th e ab o v e given interpretation o f t h is grievance is in accordance w ith m atters as th e y are can be
seen fro m th e fact th a t th e classification of u nion grievances, as sh ow n on p . 76 contains a special class of
grievances th a t in v o lv e m ore th a n a mere difference of opinion in th e settlem ent of prices. I t is called
“ Im proper settlem ent o f prices.”
S e v e n ty per cent of these were decided in favor o f th e u nion.

39573°—Bull. 145— 14------ 7




98

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

This disposition group comprises 515 cases, 12.5 per cent of the
total number of cases filed by the union and adjusted. The prin­
cipal items of this disposition group were: Unjustifiable discharge,
81; discrimination, 58; unequal division of work, 56; dispute in
settlement of prices, 43; violation of wage scale and nonunion help
being preferred, 32 each.
By agencies of adjustment the distribution of this group was as
follows: Dropped by deputy clerks, 65.8 per cent; chief clerks, 33.6
per cent; board of grievances, 0.6 per cent. None of the cases
referred to the committee on immediate action or to the wage-scale
board were dropped.
Under ordinary circumstances, as shown on page 52, cases are
marked “ dropped” in the following instances: ( a) Where the firm
and employees came to an understanding before the arrival of the
clerks; (6) where the nature of the complaint was too trivial to
further investigate it; (c) when complainant does not press for
further investigation; and ( d) when investigation shows that com­
plaint arose because of disputes between employees in which the
firm was in no way involved.
All of these rules are readily applicable to cases in the preliminary
stages of investigation, at the time that the deputy clerks appear.
These rules, however, can hardly be said to apply to cases that reach
the attention of the chief clerks. The very fact that they were
referred to the chief clerks indicates that the grievances complained
of are not trivial or mere disputes between employers and employees.
And yet the records show that 33.6 per cent of the total number of
union cases that were dropped were disposed of by the chief clerks.
As a matter of fact there are two varieties of dropped cases, cases
“ dropped” and cases “ dropped by neglect.” Frequently it hap­
pens that the rush of complaints is so great and the number referred
to the chief clerks is so high that many of these go astray, that is,
are neglected. When the time of systematization of the records—
the “ signing up of cases,” as it is technically called— arrives, such
cases are marked “ dropped by neglect.”
The bulk of the 173 cases dropped by the chief clerks were of this
kind. Over 100 of these 173 cases were signed up “ dropped by
neglect” in one week. These cases, though as yet not disposed of,
were actually dead. The classification of the dropped cases can be
seen in column 1 of this table.
These “ dropped by neglect” cases caused great dissatisfaction
within the membership of the union. This dissatisfaction resulted
in a demand made by the union for the creation of a committee on
immediate action, to be presided over by an impartial salaried chair­
man, for the adjustment of cases that call for immediate adjudica­
tion, an institution like the one created by the board of arbitration




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

99

in the cloak industry, as described on page 73 of Bulletin of the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, No. 144.
WITHDRAWN CASES.

Union cases settled by being withdrawn are shown in the following
table according to the number and per cent adjusted by each speci­
fied agency:
D I S T R IB U T IO N A C C O R D IN G T O A G E N C Y A D J U S T IN G
W IT H D R A W N , B Y N A T U R E

N a tu re of grievance.

T otal
b y all
cies.

THEM

C om m ittee
Chief clerks. im m ed iate
action.

D e p u ty
clerks.

G R IE V A N C E S

W age-scale
b oard.

B oard of
grievances.

N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per N u m ­ P er N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per
ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cen t.

D isp u te in se ttle m e n t of prices___
U n e q u a l d ivision of w ork ..................
V io la tio n of w age s c a le ........................
U n ju stifia b le d isch arge.......................
N o n u n io n h elp b ein g preferred ___
Im p rop er se ttle m e n t o f prices.........
D isc r im in a tio n .........................................
N on c om p lian c e w it h decision of
a u th o ritie s..............................................
Ill-tr e a tm e n t o f em p lo y e e s...............
F ailure to cooperate in proper or­
ganization o f fa cto ry .........................
C laim for wages d u e ..............................
N on p ro tocol co n d itio n .........................
R e d u c tio n o f fixed p rice s...................
D u a l sy ste m of w o r k ............................
V io la tio n of h ours of la b o r ................
R e fu sal to recognize price c o m m it ­
t e e ................. ..............................................
D iscrim in a tiv e ou tsid e contract­
ing ...............................................................
M aintenance o f su bco n tra ctin g ___
V io la tio n o f legal h o lid a y p r o v i­
sions ...........................................................
Illegal change o f sy ste m of w o r k . .
M iscellan eou s............................................
N o n d eliv e r y of c o m m u n ic a t io n s ..
Im prop er sy s te m of w o r k ..................
Irregular p a y d a y ...................................
L o c k o u t........................................................

12
35
14
33
23
11
29

10
33
9
29
19
9
20

8 3 .3
94 .3
64.3
8 7 .9
8 2 .6
8 1 .8
6 9 .0

2
2
5
4
3
2
8

16 .7
5 .7
35 .7
12.1
13 .0
18 .2
27 .6

8
10

4
9

5 0 .0
90 .0

4
1

5 0 .0
10 .0

4
66.7
3
7 5.0
5 100.0
7
77 .8
2
66 .7
3 100.0

2
1

33.3
2 5 .0

2
1

2 2 .2
33 .3

3

42 .9

3
1
1
1
1

6 0 .0
100.0
1 00.0
100.0
100.0

T o t a l..................................................

47

2 0 .4

6
4
5
9
3
3

O F U N IO N

O F G R IE V A N C E S ^

4

4 100.0

7
1

4
57.1
1 100.0

3
5
1
1
1
1
1

3
2

100.0
40 .0

230

180

78 .3

1

4.3

1

3 .4

1

100.0

3

1 .3

A total of 230 cases, or 5.6 per cent of the total union cases ad­
justed, were withdrawn by the complainant. Over 98 per cent of
these withdrawals were made before the cases reached any of the
industrial courts of the trade; 1.3 per cent were withdrawn from the
board of grievances; 78.3 per cent of the total number were with­
drawn, in the very first stage of investigation, from the deputy clerks.
M AJOR

G R IE V A N C E S

F IL E D

BY

THE

U N IO N .

NATURE OF COMPLAINTS.

In the table following is shown for each of the 10 major grievances
complained of by the union the number of cases filed, and the per
cent these were of the total number of union cases.




100
M AJOR

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
G R IE V A N C E S

C O M P L A IN E D
OF
W E R E OF T O T A L

B Y THE
U N IO N
AND
U N IO N C A SE S F IL E D .

N a tu re of grievance.

D isp u te in se ttle m e n t of p rice s.......................
In eq u ita b le d istrib u tion of w o r k ...................
V io la tio n o f w age sc a le .........................................
U n ju stifia b le discharge.........................................
D isc r im in a tio n ..........................................................
N on com p liance w ith d ecisions........................
N o n u n io n help being p referred.......................
Im proper se ttle m e n t of p rice s.........................
Ill-tr e a tm e n t of em p lo y e e s ...............................
N on p ro tocol c o n d itio n s.......................................
T o t a l ..................................................................

N um ber
of cases
filed.

PER

CENT

THESE

Per cent
of total
(4,472).

446
395
394
342
321
277
272
253
215
157

1 0 .0
8 .8
8. 8
7 .6
7 .2
6 .2
6.1
5 .7
4 .8
3 .5

3,072

6 8.7

The grievance most frequently complained of by the union was
dispute in settlement of prices, 446 cases, or 10 per cent of the total
number of grievances filed, being of this kind. This was to be ex­
pected, in view of the predominance of the piecework system through­
out the dress and waist industry. The protocol specifies that no ces­
sation of work shall take place while disputes in settlement of prices
are pending. In cases of inability of the parties to agree upon prices
the matter is submitted to the wage-scale board. The decision of
the board is final. However, according to the protocol, every effort
must be made by the parties to agree upon the specific prices before
the work on garments begins.
As the industry is highly seasonal and garments have to be deliv­
ered on dates definitely specified, an interruption of work for a very
short time may cause great losses in profits to the manufacturer.
Thus, the strategic position of the workers is such that the settling of
prices before the work begins is of great advantage to them. The
employer, in such cases, is likely to give better prices.
The employer’s interest, however, for reasons apparent, requires
that the work begin immediately and that prices be settled after­
wards. The records show that in many instances there evidently
was little desire on the part of the manufacturer to settle prices. In
such cases it is the policy of the union to file immediately complaints
of dispute in the settlement of prices. The clerks of the wage-scale
board are thus brought into the situation; they are called upon to
settle the prices.
Of course, there would be no necessity for such a cumbersome
procedure to exist if there were objective standards of measurement
by which to determine exactly how much labor the making of a spe­
cific garment involves. As yet no such standardization of processes
has been made.1
1 T h e investigation bureau of the wage-scale board is at the present m o m en t a tte m p tin g to solve this
problem .




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

101

Another of the grievances complained of frequently by the union
is violation of wage scale; that is, week workers are paid less than the
minimum scale stipulated by the agreement. Of the total number
of cases filed by the union 395, or 8.8 per cent, were of this nature. So
far as adjusted, 76 per cent of these cases have been sustained in
favor of the union.
Of the union complaints 6.2 per cent were of failure on the part
of members of the association to carry out adjustments made by
proper authorities. This figure is rather interesting, in view of the
fact that the percentage of similar complaints in the association
cases is only 0.4 per cent of the total number of the cases filed.
Of the cases filed by the union, 6 . 1 per cent were of violation of
the preferential union-shop clause.
FAVORABLE DECISIONS SECURED.

The preceding table showed the per cent that the various major
grievances of the union were of the total union cases filed, according
to nature of grievance. The following table and the accompanying
chart, by showing the per cent of grievances of each specific classifi­
cation settled in favor of the union, indicate how well founded these
complaints were:
M A JO R G R IE V A N C E S C O M P L A IN E D O F B Y T H E U N IO N A N D P E R C E N T A G E O F F A V O R ­
ABLE

D E C IS IO N S

SECURED

N a tu re of grievance.

T otal
filed.

IN

EACH.

D e ci­
sions
secured
in favor
of union.

Per cent
of favor­
able
decisions.

D isp u te in settlem en t o f prices.
V iolation of w age scale.................
In eq u itab le
d istrib u tion
of
w o r k ....................................................
U n ju stifiab le d isch arge................
D isc r im in a tio n ..................................
N on com p lian ce w ith decisions.
N on u n ion help being preferred.
Im prop er settlem en t o f p r ic e s..
Ill treatm en t o f e m p lo y ee s...........
N on p ro tocol co nd itions................

423
373

75
283

17 .7
75 .9

309
319
289
239
244
237
198
1*4

238
157
157
211
162
159
125
102

64 .5
4 9 .2
5 4 .3
8 8 .3
6 6 .4
6 3 .3
63.1
7 0 .8

T o t a l...........................................

i 2,835

1,669

58 .9

1 T h is n um b er does n o t include p en din g cases.

As shown by this table and the accompanying chart nearly ninetenths of the cases arising from complaints of noncompliance with
decisions and over three-fourths of those relating to violation of
wage scale were decided in favor of the union. For only two classes
of cases were there less than 50 per cent of favorable decisions,
namely, unjustifiable discharge, 49.2 per cent, and dispute in settle­
ment of prices, 17.7 per cent.




102

BU LLETIN OF THE BUKEAU OP LABOR STATISTICS.

PRO PO RTIO N OF MAJOR U N IO N G R IE V A N C E S OF SP E C IFIE D K IN D S
A N D PRO PO RTIO N SE TTLED IN F A V O R OF T H E U N IO N A N D O T H E R ­
W IS E D ISPOSED OF.

III IWIHTIM

1

A/artprofoco/ ca/7c///?br?S ■

/W c a s e s

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3«5 %

36-9

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6 3.3

3 6 .7

Im p rop er se/f/err? e a / p r i c e s .

BBS
c<7 S<?$ S .S %

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Xne cfut/<y/>/e <^//sfr/bc/f/o/7

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4S.7

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3 S -S

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78%

ca ses.

Z-4-f

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$73 cases.

\//o/<yf/on o f w a g e <ica/e&

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Y //////7 7 \

CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

108

MINOR GRIEVANCES FILED BY UNION.

NATURE

OF COMPLAINTS.

The following table shows for each of the minor grievances com­
plained of by the union, the number of cases filed, and the per cent
such cases were of the total number of union cases. These comprise
20 different classifications, constituting 31.3 per cent of the total
number of complaints filed.
M IN O R

G R IE V A N C E S

C O M P L A IN E D
O F B Y T H E U N IO N A N D
W E R E O F T O T A L U N IO N C A SE S F IL E D .

N a tu r e of grievance.

N u m b er.

F ailu re to cooperate in proper organiza­
tion of factorv........................................................
C laim for w ages d u e................................................
R e d u c tion of fixed prices....................................
D u a l sv stem of w o r k .................................. ..........
V io la tio n of hours of la b o r .................................
D iscrim in ative outside contracting..............
M aintenance o f su b con tractin g .......................
R efu sal to recognize price c o m m itte e ..........
V iolation o f legal h o lid a y p rovision ..............
M iscellaneous.............................................................
Illegal change o f sv stem of w o rk .....................
Im prop er sv stem of w o r k ...................................
N on d elivery o f com m u nications.....................
W o r k done in ten em ent houses.......................
Ill-trea tm en t o f representatives of the
u n io n ..........................................................................
L o c k o u t.........................................................................
Forced cessation of w o r k ....................................
Irregular pa v d a y ....................................................
P a y m e n t b v c h e ck ..................................................
In sa n ita ry c o n d itio n s................ .........................
T o t a l..................................................................

PER

TH ESE

P er cent
o f total
(4,472).

155
150
143
140
121
115
107
106
83
61
55
41
37
21

3 .5
3 .4
3 .2
3 .1
2 .7
2 .6
2 .4
2 .4
1 .9
1 .4
1 .2
.9
.8
.5

15
13
13
13
10
1

.3
.3
.3
.3
.2

1,4 00

CENT

0)
3 1 .3

1 L ess th a n on e-ten th o f 1 p er cent.

This table contains some interesting items bearing upon the ques­
tion of the carrying out of some of the elementary provisions of the
protocol. Thus there were 150 complaints of claims for wages due, or
3.4 per cent of total complaints; 143 complaints of reduction of fixed
prices, or 3.2 per cent; 121 complaints of violation of hours of labor,
or 2.7 per cent; 115 complaints of discriminative outside contracting
or 2 .6 per cent;1 107 complaints of maintenance of subcontracting, or
2.4 per cent, and 106 complaints of refusal of employer to recognize
price committee, or 2.4 per cent.
Complaints which are interesting because of the relative infrequency
of their occurrence, comprising less than 1 per cent of the total num­
ber, are as follows: Nondelivery of communications, work done in
tenement houses, ill-treatment of representatives of the union, lock­
out, forced cessation of work, irregular pay day, payment by
check, etc.
i T h is com p lain t specifies one of th e ev ils th a t are to b e rem edied.

W h e n an em p loyer th in k s th at his

w ork ers w a n t ex cessive p rices, h e, in ste ad o f com p lain in g to th e w age-scale b o a r d , as sh ou ld b e th e case,
freq u en tly sen d s h is w ork to be d one in sh ops w here low w ages an d b ad san itary con d ition s p revail and
w here he can, on th a t a c co u n t, get low er prices.
are t h u s a c tu a lly le ft w ith o u t w ork .




T h e w ork ers of th e sh op , th o u g h h a v in g th e protocol,

104

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
FAVORABLE DECISIONS SECURED.

The following table shows the number and per cent of the minor
union grievances of each class which were settled in favor of the union:
M IN O R G R IE V A N C E S C O M P L A IN E D O F B Y T H E U N IO N A N D P E R C E N T A G E O F
ABLE

FAVOR­

D E C IS IO N S S E C U R E D IN E A C H .

T o ta l
filed.

N atu re of grievance.

D ecisions
secured
in favor
of union .

P er cent
of favor­
able de­
cisions.

F a ilu r e to cooperate in proper organization of fa c to r v ...........................................
C la im for w ages d u e .................................................................... *...............................................
R e d u c tio n o f fixed p rice s..........................................................................................................
D u a l sy s te m o f w o r k ....................................................................................................................
V io la tio n o f h ours o f la b o r ........................................................................................................
D isc r im in a tiv e ou tside c on tractin g......................................................................................
R e fu sa l to recognize p rice c o m m it te e ................................................................................
M ain tenan ce o f su bco n tra ctin g .............................................................................................
V io la tio n o f legal h o lid a v s ........................................................................................................
M iscellane ous......................................................................................................................................
Illeg a l change o f sv stem o f w o r k .............................................................................................
Im p ro p er sv stem o f w o r k ..........................................................................................................
N o n d eliv e ry o f co m m u n ica tio n s.............................................................................................
W o r k done in ten em en t h o u se s...............................................................................................
Irregular p a y d a y .............................................................................................................................
L o c k o u t..................................................................................................................................................
F orced cessation o f w o r k .............................................................................................................
Ill-tr e a tm e n t o f representatives of th e u n io n .................................................................
P a y m e n t b y c h e ck ........................................................................................................................
In sa n ita ry cond itions.....................................................................................................................

144
141
132
130
108
107
100
97
78
50
45
39
34
20
13
11
9
8
8
1

101
101
91
99
79
46
67
60
65
39
29
23
33
15
12
3
8
8
8
1

70 .1
71 .6
6 8 .9
7 6 .2
73 .1
4 3 .0
6 7 .0
6 1 .9
8 3 .3
78 .0
6 4 .4
5 9 .0
9 7 .1
7 5 .0
9 2 .3
27 .3
8 8 .9
100.0
100.0
100.0

T o t a l...........................................................................................................................................

i 1,275

888

6 9 .6

1 T h is n u m b e r does n ot in clu d e p en din g cases.

The percentage of favorable decisions secured by the union on its
minor grievances varies greatly; it ranges from 10 0 in complaints of
payment by check, insanitary conditions, and ill-treatment of repre­
sentatives of the union 1 to 27.3 per cent in complaints of lockout.
In complaints of nondelivery of communications of union to shop
chairmen the union secured 97.1 per cent of favorable decisions, and
of the complaints of irregular pay day 92.3 per cent were settled in
favor of the union. The smallest percentage of favorable decisions
were secured in complaints of lockout. Only 3 cases out of 11 were
substantiated. The average per cent of favorable decisions for all
the minor grievances was 69.6.
T Y P IC A L

CASES

F IL E D

BY

THE

U N IO N .

These cases were selected for the purpose of showing the way in
which specific grievances, such as discrimination, wrongful discharge,
noncompliance with decisions, etc., are redressed. They have been
selected in a “ hit-or-miss” way; that is, no “ sensational” extraor­
dinary cases were taken. They can be said to represent typical com­
plaints that have resulted in typical adjustments. As can readily
1

I t is n o t m ore th a n ju s t th a t a n y su ch com p laints sh o u ld , if su bsta n tia ted , b e decided in favor of

th e u n io n , as these representatives o f the u nion are also representatives o f the board of grievances and
w age-scale b o a rd , th e in du strial courts of the dress and w aist in d u stry .




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

105

be seen from a cursory inspection, the protocol, whatever its short­
comings may be, does afford relatively easy and peaceful redress in
cases which, under the former system of individual bargaining, would
probably not have been redressed at all or, if they were to be
redressed, would have required summary cessation of work to enforce
demands.
The cases selected, however, represent almost exclusively com­
plaints handled and adjusted by the chief clerks or the board of
grievances. The cases adjudicated by the deputy clerks are of a less
complex nature, involving only violations that are definite and
apparent.
I.
C a s e N o .: 15x .
C o m p l a in a n t :
D ate

Union.

A d j u s t e d : ---------

A gency

of

A d ju stm en t:

N ature

of

G r ie v a n c e :

Board of grievances.

Wrongful discharge. M iss --------- reports that she has been employed b y the
firm o f ----------for the past two years at the rate of $15 per week, and was discharged
for being “ very a ctiv e” at the time of the strike.
D e c is io n :

Girl reinstated by the board of grievances and paid $45 for time lost.
II.

2567, 2663, 2728, e t c .
C o m p l a i n a n t : Union.
D a t e A d j u s t e d : February 3, 1914.
A g e n c y o f A d j u s t m e n t : Chief clerks, board of grievances.
Ca se

N o s .:

N ature

of

G r ie v a n c e :

Nonprotocol conditions. Complainant charges: (a) That firm has not paid
double for overtime; (b) that firm frequently compelled the workers to work on
Saturday after 1 p. m .; (c) that firm failed to pay for holidays. Report of dep­
uty clerks substantiated the charges.
D e c is io n :

The chief clerks deem the argument of the defendant an insufficient excuse
for mentioned violations, and respectfully submit the matter in the shop o f --------a n d --------- to the grievance board for special investigation and decision.
III.

N o.: 2644.
C o m p l a i n a n t : Union.
Ca se

D ate

of

A d ju stm ent:

February 4, 1914.
Chief clerks, board of grievances.

A g e n c y of A d ju st m e n t :
N ature

of

G r ie v a n c e :

Individual bargaining. Firm requests all applicants for positions in its employ
to sign a certain card, which is, in effect, an individual agreement between the
firm and its employees.
D e c is io n :

The chief clerks agree that to compel employees to sign such a contract is a
distinct violation of the protocol. They therefore strongly advise t h e ---------Waist Co. to discontinue this practice.




106

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
IV.

N o .: 2668.
C o m p l a i n a n t : Union.
Case

D a te
A

A d j u s t e d : July 23, 1913.

g en c y

N ature

of

of

A

d ju stm en t

:

Chief clerks of

board of grievances.

th e

G r ie v a n c e :

Unjustifiable discharge. Complainant maintains that the girl was discharged
for no other reason but the fact that she was an active union worker.
D e c is io n :

The discharged girl is to receive $14 for time lost, but she is advised to look for
another position.
V.
C ase

N o .: 473.

Union.
March 7, 1913.
d j u s t m e n t : D eputy clerks

C o m p l a in a n t :
D ate

A d ju sted :

A g e n c y of A
N ature

of

of

the board

of

grievances.

G r ie v a n c e :

Unjustifiable discharge. Union maintains that girl was discharged because
she was very active on the price committee of the shop.
D e c is io n :

Contention of the union sustained. The girl is to be reinstated and reimbursed
for time lost. The firm is to pay her $32.1
VI.
C ase

N o .: 1594.

A g e n c y of

Union.
April 7, 1913.
A d j u s t m e n t : Chief clerks of the board of grievances.

N ature

G r ie v a n c e :

C o m p l a in a n t :

D ate A dju sted :

of

Unjustifiable discharge. Union maintains that firm disregarded all the de­
cisions of duly constituted authorities requesting the reinstatement of discharged
man.
D e c is io n :

Man to be reinstated immediately.

He is to be paid $68 for time lost.2
VII.

C ase

N o .: 2903.

C o m p l a in a n t :
D ate

Union.

A d j u s t e d : --------

A gency

of

A dju stm en t:

N ature

of

G r ie v a n c e :

Chief clerks of the board of grievances.

Unjustifiable discharge. Union maintains that claim of the firm that the girls
were incompetent was not true. They were discharged for being active on the
price committee of the shop.
D e c is io n :

Contention of the union is sustained with reference to one of the discharged
girls. This girl is to be reinstated, and if she is found thoroughly competent she
is to be reimbursed for the time lost during this controversy. The discharge
of the other girl is sustained on the ground of incom petency.
VIII.
C a s e N o .: 2817.

Union.
February 3, 1914.
A d j u s t m e n t : Chief c le r k s ,

C o m p l a in a n t :
D ate

A dju sted:

A gency

of

b o a rd o f g r ie v a n c e s .

1 C heck for $32 w as forw arded to th e u nion on M ar. 8, 1913.
2 C heek for m en tion ed a m o u n t w as received at th e offices of th e u nion on A p r . 12, 1913.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.
N ature

of

107

G r ie v a n c e :

Nonprotocol conditions. Complainant maintains: (a) Firm refuses to pay for
legal holiday; (b) deputy clerks report that firm is guilty of many other viola­
tions of the protocol— subcontracting, not paying proper rate for overtime, dual
system of work, refusing to permit proper investigation of the case, etc.
D e c is io n :

Taking all these facts into consideration, the chief clerks hereby agree, because
the repeated efforts of the deputy clerks in attempting to investigate the case
resulted in an inadequate settlement of it, that there shall be a rehearing of the
case before the chief clerks on Thursday, etc., at the offices of the association.
IX.
C ase

N o .:

2867.

Union.
January 30, 1914.
d j u s t m e n t : Chief clerks, board of grievances.

C o m p l a in a n t :

D ate A dju sted:
A g e n c y of A
N ature

of

C o m p l a in t :

Reducing piece price. Complainant further alleges that firm makes employees
reduce prices b y “ threatening them .” Deputy clerks upon investigation sus­
tained contention of the union. Case was then referred to the chief clerks.
D e c is io n :

An investigation is to be made b y the wage-scale board for the purpose of
determining the exact amount of money deducted by the firm from the regularly
settled prices. The association is to pay to the union the amount deducted,
about $980.1
X.
C a s e s N o s .: 3351, 3318.
C o m p l a in a n t :
D ate

Union.

A d j u s t e d : ---------

A g e n c y of A d ju st m e n t :
N ature

of

Passed through all agencies.

G r ie v a n c e :

Nonprotocol conditions. General maintenance of conditions in violation of
the protocol, especially under scale payments. Decisions were made in favor
of the union repeatedly, bu t were not carried because t h e --------- Waist Co. closed
down its factory.
D e c is io n :

The chief clerks now learn that the factory has been opened for some time.
Accordingly, they now direct the deputy clerks of the board of grievances to visit
said firm and get the names of all the employees and the wages they are now being
paid, and otherwise investigate present conditions and report to the chief
clerks.
XL
C a s e N o .: 3382.

A g e n c y of

Union.
February 3, 1914.
A d j u s t m e n t : Chief c le r k s ,

N ature

G r ie v a n c e :

C o m p l a in a n t :

D ate A dju sted :

of

boa rd

of

g r ie v a n c e s .

Dual system of work. Report of deputy clerks shows that there are in fact two
systems of work in the operating department of t h e --------- Co.
D e c is io n :

The chief clerks hereby decide that the dual system of work is a violation of
the protocol. The operating department is to be operated on a piecework sys­
tem only.
i A t th e tim e of w ritin g this report th e actu al a m o u n t w as n o t as y e t d eterm in ed .
b e a b o u t $968.




H o w e v e r , it w as to

108

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
XII.

C ase

N o .: 3618.

C o m p l a in a n t :

Union.

D a t e A d j u s t e d : October 10, 1913.
A g e n c y op A d j u st m e n t :
N ature

of

Chief clerks, board of grievances.

G r ie v a n c e :

Discrimination. Firm, after having had a long controversy with its tuckers,
laid off the whole tucking department for a week. Union maintained it was a
clear case cf discrimination against the tuckers on account of the recent con­
troversy.
D e c is io n :

Complaint of the union was sustained. Tuckers were paid the amount of money
they were deprived of through being discriminated against, $158.90.
XIII.
C a s e N o .: 3662.

A g en cy of

Union.
February 3 , 1 9 1 4 .
A d j u s t m e n t : Chief clerks, board of grievances.

N ature

G r ie v a n c e :

C o m p l a in a n t :
D ate

A dju sted:

of

Illtreatment of representatives of board of grievances. Complainant main­
tained that firm is guilty of having used abusive language to representatives of the
union on the board of grievances. This charge was substantiated in the joint
report b y the deputy clerks of the board of grievances.
D e c is io n :

The executive committee of the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association
are requested to see that suitable disciplinary action be taken in this case.
XIV.
C ase

N o .: 3727.

A g e n c y of

Union.
February 4, 1914.
A d j u s t m e n t : Chief clerks, board of grievances.

N ature

G r ie v a n c e :

C o m p l a in a n t :
D ate

A dju sted :

of

Noncompliance with decision. On July 12, 1913, the wage-scale board decided
that the tuckers in the employ of the firm o f ----------were entitled to a 5 per cent
increase in the rates that had been paid up to that time, and the association
accordingly sent a check to the union for the amount involved. The claim in this
case is, that the firm has not paid to the tuckers, since the date of that decision, the
additonal 5 per cent awarded b y the wage-scale board at that time.
D e c is io n :

In order to arrive at the exact amount due to the tuckers, the chief clerks agree
that deputy clerks of the board of grievances shall visit the factory of t h e --------Waist Co. and make a special investigation in order to ascertain the amount due.
XV.

N o.: 3821.
C o m p l a i n a n t : Union.
D a t e A d j u s t e d : February 4, 1914.
A g e n c y o f A d j u s t m e n t : Chief clerks, board of grievances.
Ca se

N ature

of

G r ie v a n c e :

Illtreatment of representative of the board of grievances.
D e c is io n :

The firm is guilty of most disrespectful conduct toward the representative of
the board of grievances. The conduct of the firm in this matter is to be referred
to the executive committee of the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association
for suitable disciplinary action.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OE N E W YORK.

109

XVI.
C ase

N o .: 3831.

A

g en cy

of

A

Union.
February 3 , 1 9 1 4 .
d j u s t m e n t : Chief clerks, board of grievances.

N

atu r e

of

G

r ie v a n c e

Co

:

m p l a in a n t

D ate A d ju sted :

:

Noncompliance with decision. Reports of deputy clerks who investigated the
case show conclusively that the charge of the union is sustained. The firm has
not carried out the decisions of the chief clerks in cases Nos. 2531 and 2532, of
October 9, 1913.
D

e c is io n

:

The firm is called upon to immediately abide b y the former decision and the
deputy clerks are instructed, in investigating the new complaint, 4764, February
2, 1914, to reinvestigate conditions in the shop.
XVII.
C ase

N o .: 3853.

D

ate

A

g en cy

of

A

Union.
: February 3, 1914.
d j u s t m e n t : Chief clerks, board of grievances.

N

atu r e

of

G

r ie v a n c e

Co

m p l a in a n t

A

:

d ju ste d

:

Illtreatment of employees, (a) The representatives of the firm, it is alleged, use
11extraordinary and abusive language’’ in talking to their employees; (6) dis­
respectful attitude on the part of the firm toward representatives of the board of
grievances; (c) firm refuses to com ply with request of general manager of associa­
tion to call at his office in order to confer with him regarding the alleged mis­
conduct.
D

e c is io n

:

The chief clerks call this situation to the attention of the executive committee
of the association, with a request that prompt disciplinary action be taken.
XVIII.
C ase

N o .: 4685.

C

o m p l a in a n t

D

ate

A

g en cy

of

A

Union.
: February 10, 1914.
d j u s t m e n t : Chief clerks, board of grievances.

N

atu r e

of

G

r ie v a n c e

A

:

d ju ste d

:

Illtreatment of employees. Forelady is using “ v ile ” language in addressing
the girls. Deputy clerks fully substantiated the charge.
D

e c is io n

:

This case was settled b y a conference between the chief clerks and the owner of
the establishment, all agreeing that it is best for the welfare of the shop that the
forelady in question shall leave her position at 12 o’clock noon, February 10,
1914.

JOINT BOARD OF SANITARY CONTROL.
The protocol in the dress and waist industry copied in toto many
of the institutions established by the protocol of peace of September,
1910, in the cloak, suit, and skirt industry of New York City. This
statement is particularly true with reference to the so-called joint
board of sanitary control.




110

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

Article 15 of the protocol of the cloak industry reads as follows:
The parties hereby establish a joint board of sanitary control, to consist of seven mem­
bers, composed of two nominees of the manufacturers, two nominees of the unions, and
three who are to represent the public, the latter to be named b y Meyer London, Esq.,
and Julius Henry Cohen, Esq., and in the event of their inability to agree, b y Louis
Marshall, Esq.
Said board is empowered to establish standards of sanitary conditions to which the
manufacturers and the unions shall be committed and the manufacturers and the
unions obligate themselves to maintain such standards to the best of their ability
and to the full extent of their power.

Article I of the protocol of the dress and waist industry reads:
I.
S a n i t a r y C o n d i t i o n s . — Both parties agree to create a joint board of sanitary
control in all jurisdictional respects similar to the joint board of sanitary control now
existing in the cloak industry, two members thereof to be chosen b y the manu­
facturers, two b y the union, and three to represent the public— the three represen­
tatives of the public now upon the board of the cloak industry. Said board is empow­
ered to establish standards of sanitary conditions to which the manufacturers’ asso­
ciation and the union shall be committed, and the manufacturers and the union obli­
gate themselves to maintain such standards to the best of their ability and to the full
extent of their power. The standards of such board, to begin with, shall be at least
as high as the standards now existing in the cloak industry.

Accordingly, the joint board of sanitary control in the dress and
waist industry was created. 1
On May 1 , 1913, the joint board of sanitary control in the dress
and waist industry addressed to the manufacturers of that industry
the following circular letter:
N e w Y o r k , May 1, 1913.
To the manufacturers in the dress and waist industry:
G e n t l e m e n : The joint board of sanitary control in the dress and waist industry
at a meeting held on April 14 adopted the sanitary standards of the cloak and suit
industry for the dress and waist trade as well.
In addition to these standards, copy of which will be found in the report on the
dress and waist industry, which is inclosed herewith, the following three new stand­
ards have been adopted for the industry:
(1) The speedy introduction, if possible within the next six months, of fire drills
in each and every shop of the industry.
(2) Better provisions for lunch and rest rooms for the women workers in the shops.
(3) Provision for the employment b y the owner of every shop of a special woman
cleaner, to remain upon the premises during the whole day and to be entirely respon­
sible for the cleaning of the shop.
The provision for the introduction of fire drills in every shop in the city is at present
a State law. The joint board of sanitary control is about to organize a division of
fire drills and will undertake to introduce a fire drill in your shop, provided you wTill
make application to the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association or to the joint
board of sanitary control direct.
Respectfully,
--------------------- , Director.
i T h e personnel of the first board in the dress and w aist in du stry w as as follow s:

R epresen tatives of the

p u b lic , D r . W m . J. Schieffelin, D r . H e n r y M osk ow itz, an d L illian D . W a ld ; representatives of th e dress
an d w aist m anufacturers’ association, Sam u el Floersheim er, J. J. G o ld m a n ; representatives of th e D ress

and W a is t M akers’ U n io n , L ocal 25, S . P olak olf and A . B aroff.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

I ll

SANITARY STANDARDS OF TH E INDUSTRY AND TH EIR EN FO RCEM EN T.

Following are the sanitary standards of the industry as stated in a
special report of the joint board of sanitary control:1
1. No shop to be allowed in a cellar.
2. No shop to be allowed in rear houses or on attic floors without special permission
of the board.
3. Shops located in buildings two stories or more in height must have one or more
fire escapes.
4. All fire escapes to be provided with ladders to the roof, or to the roof of an adjoining
house; also with full-length drop ladders properly located and adjusted.
5. In all shops which are not provided with automatic sprinklers, a sufficient number
of chemical extinguishers, or a sufficient number of fire buckets, properly located and
filled should be kept.
6. Special caretakers to be appointed in each shop for the care of the fire buckets,
and for their use in case of fire.
7. All openings and exits to fire escapes to be left unobstructed b y tables, machines,
boxes, partitions, and iron bars.
8. No doors to be locked during working hours.
9. No smoking to be permitted in the workshop.
10. Conspicuous signs to be placed throughout the shop, marking the location and
direction of exits and fire escapes.
11. Fireproof receptacles, lined with tin, and having a tin cover, to be provided, in
sufficient numbers, for rubbish.
12. Halls and stairways leading from shops to be adequately lighted b y natural or
artificial light.
13. Stairs to be provided with secure handrails and safe treads.
14. Sufficient window space to be provided for each shop, so that all parts of the
shop are well lighted during the hours from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m.
15. Where gas illumination is used, arc lights or incandescent mantles should be
used.
16. All lights to be well shaded, to be placed above operatives, and not too near
them.
17. At least 400 cubic feet of space, exclusive of bulky furniture and materials,
should be provided for every person within the shop.
18. The shop should be thoroughly aired before and after work hours, and during
the lunch hour, b y opening windows and doors.
19. No coal should be used for the direct heating of irons and whenever stoves are
used for heating shops, they should be surrounded b y metal sheet at least 5 feet high.
20. Walls and ceilings of shops and water-closet apartments should be cleaned as
often as necessary, and kept clean.
21. Floors of shops, and of water-closet apartments, to be scrubbed weekly, swept
daily, and kept free of refuse.
2g. A separate water-closet apartment shall be provided for each sex, with solid
partitions to extend from floor to ceiling, and with separate vestibules and door.
23. Water-closets to be adequately flushed and kept clean.
24. A special caretaker to be assigned b y the employer to the care of the shop and
water-closet apartments.
25. A sufficient number of water-supplied washbasins to be provided in convenient
and light locations within the shop.
26. Suitable hangers should be provided for the street clothes of the employees, and
separate dressing rooms wherever women are working.
1 S pecial rep ort, J oint B o a rd of S an itary C on trol, M a y , 1913, p p . 15 and 16,




112

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OE LABOR STATISTICS.

27. Water-closet apartments, dressing rooms, wash rooms, and lunch rooms to be
properly lighted, ventilated, and cleaned, and to be kept clean.
28. All seats to have backs.
29. All waste materials, cuttings and rubbish must be removed twice a day from the
floor of the shop and once a day from the buildings.
30. In all shops where more than 25 persons are em ployed above the ground or first
floor, a fire drill of the occupants shall be conducted at least once in every three months.
31. In all shops where more than 25 women are employed, a provision should be
made for rest and emergency rooms for their use.
32. In all shops where more than 25 women are employed, provision should be made
b y the owner of the shop for the employm ent of a special woman cleaner, to remain on
the premises for the whole day, and to be responsible for the cleaning of the shop.1

The following is the procedure that the board usually employs in
enforcing its standards:
Whenever the inspectors of the board find conditions in violation
of the standards—
( 1 ) A statement of the wrong conditions existing is sent to the shop
owner.
(2 ) Soon afterwards a second inspection is made, and if the first
notice has been ineffective, the inspector interviews the shop owner
and points out to him the defects and the remedy required.
(3) If neither the first notice nor the personal persuasion of the in­
spector accomplishes the desired end, the shop, if it belongs to the asso­
ciation, is referred to that body; if it is not an association shop, the
matter is referred to the unions for enforcement. The final resort
is the so-called sanitary strike.
The methods of enforcement are essentially the same as those in
the cloak industry, as described in Bulletin 98 of the Bureau of Labor,
pages 254 and 255, as follows:
A most interesting aspect of the workings of the protocol is that, while its originators
intended to establish everlasting peace in the industry, without lockout or strike or
other embroilments, they did, in fact, establish a unique, practical, militant striking
machine. To this militant power is due a part of the splendid achievements of the
board. From time immemorial there have been strikes for the shorter workday, for
increases in wages, and against intolerable working conditions. The strike on account
of the insanitary conditions of the shop is an entirely new weapon and is unique in that
it directs the full strength of the associated employers and employees alike against the
offending party.
The sanitary strike is the final step in a carefully regulated procedure which
begins with the inspection of a shop b y the board of sanitary control, either in the
course of its regular work or in response to a complaint from workers employed there.
If sanitary conditions do not reach the standard agreed upon, the employer is notified,
and if a second inspection shows that he has not acted upon the notice he is visited
and reasoned with. If he still continues obdurate, notice to that effect is sent to the
manufacturers’ association and to the unions. Thereafter, until he complies with
the notifications of the board of sanitary control, no member of a union will work for
1 A ll these standards, save those enum erated u nd er h eads 29-32, h a v e been accepted and recom m ended
b y th e M etropolitan L ife Insurance Co., in a bu lletin called “ T h e H ea lth of th e W o r k e r ,” p rinted and dis­
trib u ted b y th e c o m p a n y for th e use of its policyholders, p p . 22-24.

A t th e tim e of th e issuance of this

b ulletin provisions 29-32 h ad n ot as yet been accepted b y the board o f sanitary control.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

113

him and no manufacturer in the association will give out work for him to do, or handle
any garment made in his shop. Practically there are only two alternatives before
him— to comply, or to go out of business. If the condition of the shop is very bad, the
employer may be notified after the first inspection that it is unfit for occupation, and
if he refuses to vacate it the strike may be called without further parley.
In the eyes of the collective interests the sanitary strike is entirely justifiable,
inasmuch as it is in the interest of humane conditions. Both sides agree in looking
upon it as the only means of lifting the industry out of the condition to which it has
been brought b y the unscrupulous employer.

The novel institution known as the sanitary strike is essentially
the same as ‘in the cloak industry, from which it was borrowed. It
is described in detail on page 264 of Bulletin 98 on conciliation, arbi­
tration, and sanitation in the cloak, suit, and skirt industry of New
York City. It reads as follows: 1
It is of special interest to note the methods employed in “ cleaning up the indus­
try.” The usual process is for the business agent of the union to report to his superior
officer in the union the conditions of the establishments in his particular district. If
he finds an establishment which has not been visited b y the inspectors of the board
of sanitary control to be in an insanitary condition, a report is made in writing to
the district officer in charge of the union’ s affairs in that particular district. This
officer in turn notifies the board of sanitary control.
The board of sanitary control instructs one of its inspectors to visit and report on
the condition of said establishment.

The following illustrates a bona fide case:
R

eport

of

the

I

nspector

op

the

B

o ard

of

Sa

n it a r y

C

o n tr o l

.

On investigating the shop o f --------- , I beg to report the following conditions exist­
ing thereat:
(1) That the yard hopper water-closets in the first and rear yards of premises are
obstructed with excreta, are not properly flushed, the pipes frozen, and the watercloset apartments overfilled with dirt.
(2) That the yard of the second rear house is dirty with offensive refuse.
(3) That the rain leaders on second and first rear houses are obstructed with ice,
causing overflowing therefrom and dampness in building.
(4) That the stairs and floors of balconies of rear houses are insecure and unsafe.
(5) That the floor of the shop is insecure and unsafe.
(6) That the floor of shop is littered with rubbish and offensive refuse, and that
walls and ceiling of shop are dirty and offensive, and have not been whitewashed for
more than a year.
(7) That the glass panes of windows are dim and dirty.
(8) That there are no cuspidors nor receptacles for storage of waste and refuse.
(9) That the old disused brick ironing oven in the southeast corner of the shop is
broken, dilapidated, crumbling, partly full of dirt and offensive refuse, and is a source
of dust and dirt.
(10) That the cast-iron sink on premises is old, corroded, and leaky.
(11) That the wooden slats of the floors of outside stair balconies are insecure and
unsafe; there are no other means for escape from fire.
It is my opinion that this shop is not a fit place in which to work. I therefore
recommend that this shop be vacated.
1 T h e san itary strike is rarely in v o k e d , em p loyers h avin g b een ed u cated to accept th e standards set up
b y th e board of san itary control.

39573°—Bull. 145— 14------ 8




114

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

Upon receiving this report the board, after due deliberation, de­
clared the establishment insanitary and unfit for occupancy or work­
ing purposes. The unions, the manufacturers’ association, and the
contractor who occupied the premises were notified to that effect.
The contractor was also requested to vacate the premises.
The unions then ordered a “ sanitary strike” and this establishment
was subsequently vacated. The contractors engaged another shop,
which, upon inspection by the board, proved to be in excellent con­
dition.
To strengthen the work of enforcement the board adopted the
plan of granting sanitary certificates to all manufacturers who, hav­
ing fully conformed with the standards of the board, could be com­
mended for having “ safe and sanitary” establishments. This expe­
dient of adding reward for compliance to punishment for violations
in securing conformance with the standards of the board proved
successful, for many shop owners, in order to have the public com­
mendation of conditions in their shops which the certificates con­
veyed, offered to make and did make improvements which the
board insisted upon.
The following is the form of the certificate granted:
N o .---------SA N ITAR Y CERTIFICATE OF THE JOINT BOARD

OF SA N ITAR Y CONTROL IN THE DRESS

AN D W AIST IND U STRY.
[U n d er p rotocol of Jan. 18, 1913.]

This is to certify that the shop o f ----------, located a t ----------, flo o r ----------, borough
0f --------- j has been inspected and found to conform with the sanitary standards of
the board.
[ s e a l .]

------------- ------------ .

This certificate is good only for six months from date of issue and is revocable b y
the board for cause.
FIRST SANITARY SURVEY M A D E BY THE BOARD.

The first work of the board was to make a thorough preliminary
survey of the industry.
Seven hundred and seven dress and waist shops, employing 36,868
persons, were found in the first survey. A large proportion of the
workers, approximately 77 per cent, were women; it was estimated
by the inspectors that 50 per cent or more of these women were under
20 years of age, about 25 per cent between the ages of 20 and 25, and
only 25 per cent over 25 years of age. Very few elderly workers
were found.
Sixteen thousand eight hundred and twenty-two, or 59.6 per cent,
of these young women were found to be working as operators or
machine workers; 905, or 3.18 per cent, were employed as pressers.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

115

The great majority of the shops (72 per cent), employing 81.03 per
cent of the workers, were situated between Fourteenth and Thirtyninth Streets. About 97 per cent of the shops were found in loft
buildings; only about 3 per cent were located in older converted
buildings.1
The sanitary conditions of the shops, as a whole, proved to be very
satisfactory. Only 5 per cent of the shops were found to use arti­
ficial light during the day. Only 2.85 per cent had no protection
from glare. Only three shops in the entire industry were found
using foot power for the driving of the sewing machine. In all others
the machines were run by electricity. In most of the shops adequate
washing facilities and adequate toilet accommodations were found.
Only 2.7 per cent of the shops had lunch rooms and only 5 . 7 per cent
had retiring rooms for the women. In about 1 0 per cent of the shops
the floors were found in dirty condition. However, only 4 .6 per
cent of the shops had dirty water-closets.
RESULTS OF T W O SEM IANNUAL INSPECTIONS.

As a result of the preliminary survey of May, 1913, 408 dress
and waist shops were granted sanitary certificates by the joint board
of sanitary control for “ full conformance” with the standards. By
the time of the second inspection in September, 1913, 467, or 67 per
cent, of the total known number of shops of the industry had been
granted such certificates.2
The following table shows the results of the first two semiannual
inspections:
C O N D IT IO N S IN

T H E D R E SS A N D W A IS T IN D U S T R Y A N D D E F E C T S
T H E I N S P E C T O R S , M A R C H A N D S E P T E M B E R , 1913.

M arch.

N u m b er of s h o p s.................................................................................................................
N u m b e r of w ork ers............................................................................................................

R E M E D IE D

BY

N um ber
of cases
Sep tem b er. rem edied—
M a r .-S e p t.,
1913.

700
36,658

691
31,416

15
11
9
20
47
46
8
24

11
2
11
1
5
16
1
12

7
9
2
19
46
35
8

180

59

126

DEFECTS IN FIRE PROTECTION.

Shops
S hops
Shops
Shops
Shops
Shops
Shops
Shops

h avin g no fire escape..........................................................................................
h avin g no drop ladder to fire escape........................................................
w ith drop ladder sh o rt.....................................................................................
w ith drop ladder out of place.......................................................................
w ith e x it to fire escape obstru cted..........................................................
w ith no safe m eans of escape from fire escap e....................................
w ith aisles to fire escape narrow .................................................................
having no fire b u ck ets......................................................................................

1 Special R ep o rt, Joint B oard of Sanitary Control, M a y , 1913, p . 9.
T h ird A n n u a l R e p o rt, Joint B oard of Sanitary Control, D ecem ber, 1913, p p . 47-49.

2




116

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

C O N D IT IO N S IN

THE

D R ESS

AND

W A IS T

IN D U S T R Y A N D

T H E IN S P E C T O R S , M A R C H A N D

D E F E C T S R E M E D IE D

BY

S E P T E M B E R , 1913— C onclu ded.

N u m b er
of cases
S eptem ber. rem edied—
M a r .-S e p t.,
1913.

M arch.

SAN ITA R Y DEFECTS.

S hop s h avin g—
F o o t p ow er............................................................................................................
N o protection against glare from lig h ts........................................................
N o dressing facilities.................................................................................
In sufficien t w ashing facilities....................................................................
Im p rop er separation of w ater-closets....................................................
Insufficient n u m b er of w ater-closets.....................................................
D a r k w ater-closets............................................................................................
D ir ty w ater-closets......................................................................................
D ir ty w ater-closet floor.................................................................................
D ir ty w ater-closet w alls................................................................................
B roken seats of w ater-closet.......................................................................
F lu sh ou t o f order.............................................................................................
W in d o w s of shop d ir ty ..................................................................................
W a lls of shop d ir ty ...................................................................................................
Ceilings of shop d ir t y ......................................................................................
Floors of shop d ir ty .........................................................................................
N o receptacle for ru b b is h ......................................................................................

3
20
19
22
9
11
18
32
CO
11
29
17
16
7
2
71
12

2
8
10
3
6
10
4
42
18
10
12
9
12
2
1
43
9

1
17
14
22
7
7
18
25
54
9
28
15
12
7
1

T o ta l..............................................................................................................................

359

201

302

10

This table shows the progress of improvements of sanitary condi­
tions in the dress and waist industry. These figures are not as strik­
ing as those for the cloak industry for the first year. This, of course,
is due to the fact that originally the sanitary conditions of the dress
and waist shops were much better. The nature of the work too is such
that sanitary standards can readily be maintained. Between March
and September, 1913, 126 defects in fire protection and 302 defects
in sanitation were remedied by the inspectors.
The following table shows the number and per cent of shops hav­
ing sanitary certificates, and also the distribution of the shops and
the wTorkers according to classified sanitary conditions:
SH O PS H A V IN G

S A N IT A R Y C E R T IF IC A T E S , A N D
OF SHOPS A N D

C L A S S IF IE D

S A N IT A R Y C O N D IT IO N

O F W O R K E R S , S E P T E M B E R , 1913.

Shops h aving sanitary certificates.........................
E sta blish m en ts h avin g san itary c e r tific a te s..
Persons in certificated s h o p s.....................................
Shops in Class A
....................................................
Persons in shops in Class A ........................................
Shops in Class B .............................................................
Persons in shops in Class B .......................................
Shops in Class C ................................................................
Persons in shops in Class C .........................................
Shops in Class D ...............................................................
Persons in shops in Class D .......................................

N u m b er.

Per ccnt.

467
397
25,025
501
26,311
116
3,118
68
1,674
6
313

07.58
66.05
79. 66
72.50
83. 75
16. 79
9.9 3
9.8 4
5.3 3
.87
.99

Sanitary certificates were granted to 467 shops, employing 25,025
people, or about 80 per cent of the workers of the entire industry.
Five hundred and one shops, or 72.5 per cent, were free from defect
(Class A). Sixty-eight, or 9.84 per cent, had defects in fire pro tec-




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

117

tion (Class C). Only six shops were found in a decidedly bad sani­
tary condition (Class D).
The accompanying chart shows six months’ progress in the dress
and waist industry. It treats the subject under the two main heads
of “ Reduction of fire dangers” and “ Improvements in sanitation.”
During this short period the percentage of shops in which the
drop ladder to the fire escape was out of place was reduced by 9 5
per cent; shops with aisles to fire escape too narrow were reduced
by 87.5 per cent; shops with exit to fire escape obstructed, by 89
per cent; shops with no drop ladder, by 82 per cent; shops in which
fire escapes ended in fire traps, by 65 per cent; shops with no.fire
buckets, by 49 per cent; and shops with no fire escapes, by 26 per
cent. There was a total all-round improvement of approximately
67 per cent.
The following improvements hi sanitation were made: Shops with
insufficient washing facilities have been reduced by 8 6 per cent;
with dark water-closets, by 78 per cent; with dirty water-closet
floors, by 70 per cent; shops having no protection against glare of
lights, by 60 per cent; shops having no dressing facilities, by 47 per
cent; shops where water-closet flush was out of order, by 47 per cent:
and shops with dirty floors, by nearly 40 per cent.
FIRE PROTECTION.

The number of buildings in which actual violations of the require­
ments of the State law concerning fire escapes were found was com­
paratively small, as can be seen from the table on page 115. More
than 50 per cent of the workers, however, were working above the
sixth floor, beyond which a building must be independent of external
aid if it is not to be a fire trap.
In discussing the problem of danger from fire it must be kept in
mind that there are certain fire dangers which the board, no matter
how well intentioned and efficient it may be, can not abolish.
Regarding the distribution of workers in loft buildings with refer­
ence to the height above the street level, it has been found that in the
cloak and the dress and waist industries combined, 1,054, or 43.48 per
cent of the total number of shops, are located on or above the sixth
story. In these shops a total of 48,130, or 59.8 per cent of the total
number of employees of the two industries, are to be found. Out of
the total of 48,130, there are 19,122 (69.12 per cent of whom are
women) who work on dresses and waists, and 29,008 (24.36 per cent
of whom are women) who work on cloaks and suits.1
It is self-evident that no matter how fireproofed the buildings may
be, no matter how well the stairs and exits may be arranged, there is
1 T liird an nu al report, Joint B oard of Sanitary C ontrol, D e ce m b er, 1913, p . 11.




118

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

SIX MONTH’S PROGRESS
h v th e

Dress and Waist Industry
M a r c K — S ep tem b er* 1913
Reduction, of Fire Dangers
Percent

Number of Shops

1913

°f
t?1*1
Number

{sept*

15

w m

5hqps with no-drop ladder tofae-escape{^ept'

l !z

ts™

Shops with no fire-escapes

Shopswithdropbdtotofir^-escapeoutof

g™

{^p^*

Shopswifli ffar-escapcs^ndinigrm&r? haps
Shopswithexittofireescapeinshopohstrndd{
ShopsWith aislesto fire-escapenarrow

5

*
l \

“ ™ ™
f0
S S ”

Shops with'no fire buckets

Improvements in Sanita Irion
Shops having noprotectionagainstgb? fro®l$fe{

^

{ S P 61

Shopshavingnodressing facilities

{^ j'

Shops with insufficient washing-facilities

{jjrpj’

3 4.

Shops with dark water closets

{^ ;

2%

[SEPT

62

{^ -

|

Shops with dirty floors

Shops with dirty water closet floors
Shops with waterdoset flush out of order

£ 3 ^

^

jp ™ ®

B P 81

N O T E . These fiqares, though they show the condition of the industry at the two inspections,
do not, however, give an adeauate idea of the results actually accomplished by the inspectors; for,
in the Press and W ist as welt as in the Cloak and Suit industry the constant uptown movement of
the shops, and the entry o f new shops with new defects into the inspection fists, constantly nullify
and obscure many of the reforms obtained. Thus, in March 19/3 there were 15 cases o f “no fireescape’• in September II such cases were ivported. Actually, however, fire escapes were se­
cured by the inspectors in 1 cases. In almost every case the number o f defects remedied by
the inspectors has been double that which the figures above given would indicate




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

119

great danger in the very fact that so great a number of persons,
women in predominance; are working at so great a height above the
ground.
EDUCATIONAL W O R K OF TH E BOARD.

The two main pillars of the success of the board are: ( 1 ) The
sympathy and assistance of the parties to the protocol, and (2 ) the
educational work that it carries on. Naturally, the work of educa­
tion of the board is more or less comprehensive.
The employers are reached as follows:
1. By personal interviews.
2 . Through the above-mentioned sanitary certificates.
3 . Through articles in newspapers.
4. By publication and distribution of special bulletins on the
various problems at hand.
The employees are reached:
1 . By publication and distribution of special bulletins in English
as well as in many foreign languages.
2 . By frequent conferences with union leaders.
3 . By lectures at meetings of the unions and at the factories.
4. Through articles in the press.
5 . By exhibits at various places where the workers congregate.
6 . By the organization of so-called sanitary committees among the
workers in each shop in order to secure from them their assistance
in keeping the shops in good condition and reports of violation or
neglect on the part of the shop owners.
HEALTH OF TH E W O R K ER S.

In the third year of its existence the board extended its functions;
it undertook to investigate the actual conditions of the health of the
workers of the two principal industries under its jurisdiction.
In order to determine the condition of the health of the workers in
the shops, the board undertook during the year 1912 a physical
examination of certain groups of workers. This examination was
made during the months of March and April by specially engaged
competent physicians under the direction of the director of the board.
A total of 800 individuals were examined. A large number were
examined at the place of their employment, many of these being
employed in the higher classes of shops where the employer put
special facilities for the work at the disposal of the examiners. Quite
a number were examined in small shops of the East Side. Some
examinations were made at the headquarters of the unions. Careful
examinations of the workings of the heart were made in each instance.
Particular stress was laid upon the examination of persons suspected
of having tubercular troubles.




120

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

The 800 individuals examined belonged to three distinct occupations
of the two industries— operators, pressers, and finishers. The number
of young persons between the ages of 16 and 19 examined was very
small, approximating only about 13 per cent.
Only 298 persons (or 37.3 per cent) of the total number examined
were found free from any disease. The remainder, 502 (or 62.7 per
cent) were found suffering from one or more diseases.
The following table gives the results of the described physical
examination:
M O R B ID IT Y

S T A T IS T IC S

OF

THE

BOARD

800 C L O A K
OF

MAKERS

S A N IT A R Y

T o ta l.

Num ­
ber.

E X A M IN E D

Operators.

Per
cent.

BY

THE

J O IN T

C O N T R O L .!

Num ­
ber.

Prossers.

Per
cent.

Num ­
ber.

Finishers.

Per
cent.

Num ­
ber.

Per
cent.

T o ta l num b er e x a m in e d ............................

800

100.0

391

48 .9

80

10 .0

329

41.1

N o diseases.........................................................

298
502

37 .3
62 .7

262
262

3 2 .8
32 .8

20
60

2 .5
7 .5

149
180

18.6
22 .5

379
186
235

47 .4
23 .2
29 .4

170
105
116

21.3
13.1
14.5

21
3
56

2 .6
.4
7 .0

188
78
63

23 .5
9 .7
7 .9

10
253
190
214
133

1.2
31 .6
23 .8
26. 8
16.6

64
98
145
84

8 .0
12.3
18.1
10.5

25
20
26
9

3 .1
2 .5
3. 3
1.1

10
164
72
43
40

1 .2
1 .2
9 .0
5 .4
5 .0

104
190
250
158
98

13.0
2 3 .8
31 .3
19. 7
12.2

14
81
163
92
41

1 .8
10.1
2 0 .4
11.5
5 .1

6
29
30
15

.8
3 .6
3 .7
1 .9

90
103
58
36
42

11.2
12.9
7 .3
4 .5
5 .2

560
240

70 .0
30 .0

3S2
9

47 .8
1.1

80

10 .0

98
231

12 .2
2 8 .9

General, to ta l....................................................

231

28 .9

139

17.4

21

2 .6

71

8 .9

P h th isis.......................................................
R h e u m a tis m ............................................
A n a e m ia ..................... .................................

13
45
173

1 .6
5 .6
21.7

9
28
102

1.1
3 .5
12.8

6
15

.7
1 .9

4
11
56

.5
1 .4
7 .0

N erves and special diseases, to ta l.........

111

1 3 .9

68

8 .5

20

2 .5

23

2 .9

E a r .................................................................
E v e s ...............................................................
N ose.
.................................................
N erves (no t special).............................

7
51
35
18

.9
6 .4
4 .4
2 .2

6
29
23
10

.7
3 .6
2 .9
1 .3

12
6
2

1.5
.8
.2

1
10
6
6

.1
1 .2
.8
.8

C ircu latory, t o ta l............................................

69

8 .6

36

4 .5

13

1 .6

20

2 .5

2 .8
1 .6
.1

5
8

.6
1 .0

9
11

1 .1
1 .4

7 .0

21

2 .6

33

4.1

.6

2

.2

2 .1
3 .3
.9
.1

3
11
4
1

.4
1 .4 ,
.5
.1

5
19
5
4

.6
2 .4
.6
.5

NATIVITY.

R u ssia n .................................................................
I ta lia n ....................................................................
A l l others.............................................................
N U M B E R OF YEA RS IN TRADE.

U n d er 1 year......................................................
1 year to 5 y e a rs..............................................
6 years to 10 years...........................................
11 years to 20 years.........................................
21 years and o v e r ............................................
AGE GROUPS.

16
20
25
35
45

to 1 9 ..................................................................
to 2 4 ..................................................................
to 3 4 ..................................................................
to 4 4 ..................................................................
and o v e r .........................................................
SEX.

M a le ........................................................................
F e m a le ..................................................................
DISEASES.

H e a rt.............................................................
A rteries........................................................
Varicose veins

36
32
1

4 .5
4 .0
.1

22
13
1

R e sp ira to ry , to ta l...........................................

110

13.7

56

Laryn x
B ronchitis—
A c u t e ....................................................
C hron ic................................................
A s th m a ........................................................
P le u r is v .......................................................

7

.9

25
56
16
6

3.1
7 .0
2 .0
.7

5
17
26
7
1 1

1 Third A n n u a l R e p o rt, Joint B oard of Sanitary Control, D ecem b er, 1913, p p . 70-72.




CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.
M O R B ID IT Y

S T A T IS T IC S

OF

BOARD

THE

800 C L O A K

MAKERS

E X A M IN E D

BY

THE

121
J O IN T

O F S A N I T A R Y C O N T R O L — C onclu ded .

T otal.

Operators.

Pressers.

Fin ishers.

Num ­
ber.

Per
cen t.

Num ­
ber.

Per
cent.

Num ­
ber.

P er
cen t.

Num ­
b er.

D igestive, t o t a l................................................

168

2 1 .0

104

13 .0

23

2 .9

41

5 .1

P h a r y n x ......................................................
S to m a c h ......................................................
H e r n ia ...........................................................

106
45
17

13.2
5 .7
2 .1

76
20
8

9 .5
2 .5
1 .0

12
5
6

1 .5
.6
.8

18
20
3

2 .2
2 .5
.4

82

d is e a s e s —

Per
cent.

conclu ded.

10 .3

6

.8

N e p h ritis.....................................................
C y stitis.........................................................
P e lv ic ............................................................

3

.4

3

.4

79

9 .9

3

.4

76

9 .5

S kin , to ta l...........................................................

11

1 .4

7

.9

4

.5

Contagious..................................................
N o n co n ta g io u s.........................................

1
10

.1
1.3

1
6

.1
.8

4

.5

Locom otion , to ta l...........................................

29

3 .6

1

.1

28

3 .5

B o n es.............................................................
Joints—
c . S ........................................................
K

1

.1

1

.1

14
14

1 .8
1 .7

14
14

1 .8
1.7

G enito-urinary, total ................................

.......................

Miscellaneous, total
S v p h ilis...............
.....................
G on orrhea..................................................
T otal diseases....................................

2

.2

2

1
1

.1
.1

1
1

813

419

.2

.1
.1
98

296

This table shows a relatively high percentage of workers suffering
from respiratory diseases, particularly from chronic bronchitis, a con­
dition very much akin to tuberculosis. Among the 800 individuals
examined 13 (or 1.6 per cent) were found to be suffering from pulmo­
nary tuberculosis in its different phases.
It is to be remembered that all the persons examined were actually
at work. They had no idea of their actual physical condition; in
short, they were a group of persons who naturally would be ex­
pected to show a lower percentage of disease than was'found.
After completing this preliminary survey of the health of the work­
ers, the board felt that its work would not be complete without an
attempt being made to devise ways and means for remedying and
improving existing conditions. It was thought advisable to devise
some means by which no new tubercular workers might be admitted
to the shops, and all workers already afflicted with this disease at
present at work in the shops of the two industries might be taken
out and assisted, so as to prevent their return to work while the
disease was still infectious.
The board then decided to begin a vigorous educational campaign
among trade-unionists and workers generally to stimulate them to
the realization of the dangers involved in the existing situation. It
was the intention of the board to arouse them to the introduction



122

BULLETIN OE THE BUREAU OE LABOR STATISTICS.

within their own organizations of a system of a tuberculosis benefit
of some sort or other with a view of removing the tubercular workers
from the shops and sending them to sanitariums or hospitals.
At first a project was advanced to raise a large annual fund by
equally taxing the workers and the manufacturers. This was to be
a fund for some kind of a system of tubercular insurance. This proj­
ect, for many reasons, failed of realization.
During the winter of 1913 the agitation for the introduction of a
tuberculosis benefit in the unions was continued, and in March of
1913, after a referendum vote by the various sections of Prossers’
Local No. 35 (an organization with a membership of about 9,000), a
resolution was passed that that local establish a tuberculosis benefit
for its members and tax each member of the union $1 per year for
that purpose. At the same time a resolution was passed by the local
not to admit any new member without a physical examination and
to reject all candidates having symptoms of tuberculosis.
At present there is a strong agitation among the other locals of the
union to follow the example of Local 35 and to introduce a system of
tuberculosis insurance.
The work of examining the candidates for membership of Pressors’
Local No. 35 was undertaken by the joint board of sanitary control.
The following table is a brief review of the work of the board done in
this respect for Local 35, as it appears on pages 73-75 of the third
annual report of the board:
T able

I.

Medical examinations o f union ivorkers from Apr. 1 to Dec. 1, 1913.
Number of persons exam ined.........................................................................................

994 ]

Number of examinations.................................................................................................
Number of reexaminations..............................................................................................

994
117

Total number of examinations...........................................................................

1, 111

Where the ivorkcrs came from.
From Local 35, the Cloak, Skirt, and Dress Pressers ’ Union..................................
From other locals of the Cloak and Skirt Makers’ Union.........................................

949
45

Total.........................................................................................................................

994

Number o f persons suffering from tuberculosis.
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total
Total

number
number
number
number
number
number




N u m ber.

Per cent.

examined..................................................................................... 994
suffering from tuberculosis...................................................... 65
of pressers examined................................................................. 949
of pressers suffering from tuberculosis.................................. 55
of workers from other locals examined................................. 45
of those suffering from tuberculosis....................................... 10

100. 0
6. 5
100. 0
5.7
100. 0
22. 2

123

CONCILIATION IN DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF N E W YORK.

T a b le

II.

Medical examinations for Local 35.
(a)
N um ber.

Per cent.

Number of old members sent for examination.............................................. 144
Number of tuberculosis cases...........................................................................
44

100. 0
30. 5

0>)
Number
Number
Number
Number
Number
Number

of applicants for admission to the union examined..................... 805
rejected on account of tuberculosis.................................................
11
rejected on account of advanced cardiac disease.........................
1
rejected for infectious skin disease.................................................
1
held under observation......................................................................
9
of applicants admitted....................................................................... 783

100. 0
1.4
.1
.1
1.1
97. 3

T able III.
Condition and disposition o f tubercular cases.
(a)
Number.

Total number of old members sent for examination....................................
Tubercular cases among them ...........................................................................
Total number of tubercular cases examined....... ..........................................
Noninfectious cases, with quiescent processes..............................................
Infectious cases, with active processes................................................... .......

144
44
44
19
35

Percent.

100. 0
30. 5
100. 0
20. 4
79. 6

(b)
Disposition o f the 35 tubercular workers.
Sent out of town to Liberty and other places for medical and sanatorial treatment.
Under treatment in New York City.................................................................................
Sent abroad.............................................................................................................................
Left New York State to go West........................................................................................
At city sanatorium................................................................................................................
In outdoor em ploym ent.......................................................................................................
Cases pending.........................................................................................................................
Refused aid offered...............................................................................................................

18
3
3
4
1
1
2
3

(c)
Present condition o f tubercular members.
D ied.........................................................................................................................................
Not improved and not working..........................................................................................
Improved and working in other trades.............................................................................
Improved and working in the cloak and skirt industry...............................................

3
27
4
10

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE W O RK OF TH E BOARD.
T h e c h ie f s ig n ific a n c e o f t h e w o r k o f th is o r g a n iz a t i o n , it s m a in
c a u s e o f s u c c e s s , lie s a p p a r e n t ly in t h e f a c t t h a t it s w o r k is c a r r ie d
o n b y t h e in t e r e s t e d p a r t ie s , n o t b y o u t s id e r s .

N o m a tter h o w g o o d

1 Those were cases of arrested cured tubercular disease enjoying comparatively good health and able to
work. They are, however, kept under medical inspection and^eompelled to report periodically for exam i­
nation.




124

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

the work done b}^ factory inspectors and labor departments, it is as
yet impossible to eradicate the feeling of resentment on the part of
the employers against interference of outsiders with what they call
“ their own business/ 7 Again, it is difficult to convince the employer
of the benefits of factory inspection; it is harder, considering things
as they are, to implant in the factory worker wholesome respect
toward State factory inspection; and it is still more difficult to get
their active cooperation.
The joint board of sanitary control has appealed to the employer,
to his employees, and to the public. To the employer it has shown
the benefits of cooperation, the advantages of an institution that
represents him directly, and the results in sanitary reform that he
may achieve. The workers have confidence in the work of the
board because they consider it their own work, representing their
own interests, employing some of the members of their own organi­
zation, and standing for their safety in factories and shops in which
they work. The labor unions which represent the workers have
members on the board, work in close cooperation with it, and have
contributed an important part to the success of the board. Last,
but not least, the public, through its representatives, has participated
in the work of the board and contributed to the success of the work
almost as much as each of the other two parties.




PLAN

of

ORGANIZATION a n d CONTROL fo r TRAINING WORKERS a n d APPRENTICES

B y JOINT AGREEMENT
Local No. 25,

l.LG.W.U., a n d D.fcW.Mfas. A s s n .

of

G reater N e w Y ork

Proposed by T he

NATIONAL SOCIETY
—

- ...............................................-

.... i----------------— j
1
!

for t h e

PROMOTION

OF

INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION

Ex ecutive Committee

Local N o.25, LLG.W.fJ.

of

the

JOINT BOARD

D.*W. M frs. A ssn .

N a t io n a l S o c i e t y

of

EDUCATIONAL CONTROL

R epresentatives of : Union, 2; N a tl.S o gie ty , 3; M frs.A|jsn., 2

R ecommendation

Operation of Factor * - S chool

Fin a n c ia l

1

C ertification

Of Graduates
for
Certification
Instruction

Selection erf Staff

Teachers
of:
Industrial
Subjects
Related
Subjects
General
Subjects

Foreman
Special
Teachers
of
factory
and
Dept
Lecturers

Course
of Study

Industrial
Subjects

fltelated
Subjects

General
Subjects

Units of
S or 10 Weeks

Processes
Specified in
Apprenticeship
Plan

Preihand and
Me#) Drawing
Color Study
“textiles

English
Mathematics
Bookkeeping

A lso Drafting
Grading, Etc

Sftirces of
Materials

Based on
Actual Factory
Productive
Work

U s e s f Modern
A llia n c e s
Production and
Diftribution
(Costs

Dull Seasons
Nov 15-Feb 1
M a y l-J u l 15
Units Based on
7 Grades erf
Apprenticeship
Units Offered at
AnyGivenTIme
Based on
Demand &
Facilities
Each Unit
M u s t Include:
Industrial,
Related,
* General
Subjects

39573°—Bull. 145—14.




(To face page 188.)

Production

Emphasis on
Educational
Value of all
Processes

Modirn Factory
Methods

Indus. History
Indus. Geog.
Indus.Hygiene
Trade
Agreements
Collective
Bargaining
Citizenship

Regulation
Mutual
Agreement
on Rules
Governing
Operation of
factory and
Disposition
of Product

M aterials

Product

RawMaterials
Purchased
in Market

Sold at
Market
Value

or Furnished
by Members
e?f Assn on
Conditions
Specified

orAbsorbed
by Members
o f Assn on
Conditions
5peci fied

S a la r ie s
of Certain
Teachers
Detailed
by

Bd of Ed

Contributions
from
Union 3cAssn
Each %
/z of Net
Operating
Expenses

M a t e r ia ls

Furnished
ByRartiesto
Agreement

M iscellan eou s
Contributions

Follow-Up Plan
To Remove
C au ses of
Complaint
Individual
A dvancem ent
in the
In d u stry
Promotion
of Interests'

of Workers

APPENDIX B.
PROTOCOL OF PEACE IN THE KIMONO AND HOUSE-DRESS
INDUSTRY OF NEW YORK CITY.1
This protocol was signed on February 1 1 , 1913. Its framers,
judging from its contents, were ambitious. They contemplated
the establishment of elaborate institutions. They were to have
boards of sanitary control, arbitration, and grievances, as well as a
wage-scale board. The latter was to make a comprehensive inves­
tigation of the entire industry for the purpose of setting minimum
standards of wages and standardizing the processes of manufac­
ture for fixing piece prices.
The boards of sanitary control and of arbitration, though the
agreement has been in operation over a year, have not as yet been
established. The wage-scale board was organized March 24, 1913.
Up to February 1 , 1914, it had held four meetings, but, for some
reason or other, had not undertaken to achieve its main aim, namely,
to make the investigation mentioned above. No complaints of any
sort have been referred to or adjusted by this board.
COM PLAINTS ADJUSTED BY THE BOARD OF GRIEVANCES.

The board of grievances was organized March 8 , 1913, and has
held 14 regular meetings. During the first year of the existence of
this agreement 26 complaints, or 11.7 per cent, of the total number
of complaints filed were referred to this board. Twenty-five of these
were satisfactorily adjusted. One-half of the cases adjusted by the
board originated in shops belonging to contractors doing work for
members of the association. Of these 1 1 were filed by the union
and 2 by the association. The nature of the grievances in the cases
of contractors was: Nonpayment for legal holidays, 4; discrimina­
tion, 3; cessation of work, 2; delay on the part of the employer to
comply with adjustment, 1 ; interference with privileges of officials
of the union (to visit the shop), 1 .
The dispositions made by the board in the cases adjusted by it
were as follows: In favor of association, 9 cases, or 34.6 per cent;
in favor of the union, 6 , or 23 per cent; compromised, 5, or 19.2
per cent; dropped, 5, or 19.2 per cent; no decision, 1, or 3.8 per
cent. The case upon the disposition of which the board could reach
no decision involved a union complaint to the effect that a member




1 Th e te x t af this protocol w ill be found on p. 12S.

125

126

B ULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

of the manufacturers’ association did not carry out the principle of
the preferential union shop.
The following is a detailed tabulation, by nature of grievance and
disposition, of the cases adjusted by this board:
D IS P O S IT IO N

OF

CASES

11, 1913, T O

ADJUSTED

FEBRUARY

BY

THE

11, 1914, B Y

BOARD

OF

NATURE

G R IE V A N C E S ,
OF

FEBRUARY

G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of disposition.

T otal.

N a tu re of grievance.

Favor
of
u n ion .

D iscrim in ation ...................................................................................
N o n p a y m e n t for legal h o lid a y s................................................
C laim s for w ages due .................................................................
N o n un ion help preferred.............................................................
Interference w ith cond uct of fa c to r y 1..................................
Cessation of w o r k 1...........................................................................
Sending w ork to nonunion contractor................................
D e la y in co m p ly in g w ith a d ju stm e n t.................................
Illtreatm en t of e m p lo y ee s...........................................................
V iolations of overtim e p r o v is io n s .........................................
Interference w ith privileges of u nion officials.................
U n ju stifiab le discharge.................................................................
Failure to p a y ten tative increases.........................................
C utters under scale..........................................................................

4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

i
l

T o ta l...........................................................................................
Per cent of t o t a l .................................................................

26
100

6
23

Favor
of
associ­
ation.

C om ­
pro­
m ised.

2
1
1

D ro p p ed .

N o de­
cision.

1
2

1
1

1

1
2

1

5
19.2

1
3 .8

2

1

1

1
1
l
1
l
1
9
34 .6

5
19.2

1 F iled b y the association.

COMPLAINTS ADJUSTED BY THE CLERKS.

The agreement specifically states that the union obligates itself to
eliminate shop strikes in: (a) Establishments owned and operated
by members of the association, and (b) establishments operated by
contractors that do work for members of the association. The union
is privileged to sign agreements with individual contractors, but on
terms not essentially different from those specified in the protocol.1
With reference to disputes arising between the union and con­
tractors working for members of the association, the provision of the
protocol (Sec. X III) is as follows:
Should any dispute arise between the union and a contractor doing work for a
member or members of the association, there shall be no stoppage of work being per­
formed for such member or members of the association, but such matters in dispute,
if the same can not be adjusted between the union and the contractor, shall be imme­
diately referred to the board of grievances of the association, and their determination
shall be rendered within live days from the date of the filing of such dispute with
the association, and such determination shall be final.

Of the total number of cases adjusted by the clerks 37 per cent
originated in shops belonging to contractors. Of the 31 nonpayment
for holidays complaints adjusted by the clerks, 26 per cent were
against such contractors, these employers, according to statements




i See copy of m em oran du m of agreem ent, p . 131.

APP. B.---- KIM ONO AND HOUSE-DRESS PROTOCOL, N EW YORK.

127

of union officials; having made it the uniform practice to discontinue
the work in their shops during weeks in which the specified holidays
occurred in order to avoid paying their employees for such holidays.
One complaint out of every three was for alleged violation of the
preferential union shop clause of the agreement; that is, members
of the union, it was claimed, were not being given the promised
preferences. Of 71 cases of this kind 1 2 , or 17 per cent, were decided
for the union. The bulk of such cases, over 70 per cent, were com­
promised, the manufacturer “ promising to cooperate with the
union” in organizing his help. Of these violations 85 per cent were
chargeable to members of the association, while only 15 per cent
were chargeable to their contractors.
The nature of grievances, as well as the specific disposition made
by the clerks, are shown in the following table:
D IS P O S IT IO N

OF

CASES A D JU STE D

BY

THE

BY NATURE

C L E R K S , F E B . 11, 1913, T O

F E B . 11, 1914

O F G R IE V A N C E .

N atu re of disposition .
N a tu r e of grievance.

T o ta l.

In favor In favor C om ­
of
pro­
of asso­
u nion. ciation. m ised.

Preferring nonu nion h e lp ............................................................
N o n p a y m e n t for h o lid a y s ...........................................................
D iscrim in a tio n ...................................................................................
U njustifiable disch arge.................................................................
C laim s for w ages d u e ................ .....................................................
D ela y in c o m p ly in g w ith a d ju stm e n ts...............................
Illtreatm en t of e m p lo y ee s..........................................................
V iolations o f hours o f la b o r ........................................................
N o n p a y m en t o f ten tative in creases......................................
Cessation of w o r k 1........
......................................................
R eduction of settled p rices.........................................................
Disputes in settlem ent o f pnices...........................................
V iolation s of ove rtim e p ro v isio n s..........................................
Interference w ith privileges o f u nion officials.................
M iscellaneous......................................................................................
Interference w ith cond uct of fa c to r y 1.................
C utters under sc a le .........................................................................

71
31
29
9
8
8
6
5
5
5
3
3
3
3
3
2
2

12
8
2
2
3
6

T o t a l...........................................................................................
Per cent of to ta l...................................................................

196
100

40
20 .4

1
3
2

51
1
8
3
3
1

1
2

3
1

1
1
2

1
3
1
1

D rop p ed .

W it h ­
draw n.

3
20
15
2
1
1
4
1
2
1
2
1

1
2
1

1
12
6 .1

73
3 7 .2

56
28 .5

15
7 .6

1 These were filed, b y the association.

The failure to enforce the preferential principle is, it is thought,
responsible, to some extent, for the general lack of success of this
agreement in accomplishing most of the purposes of its framers.
A large part of this apparent weakness must be attributed to the fact
that considerably less than one-half of those engaged in this industry,
manufacturers as well as workers, are under this arrangement. Gen­
eral conditions, as well as the cost of labor, have not as yet been equal­
ized as it was expected. In nonassociation shops, it is asserted,
wages and general conditions are below those stipulated in the pro­
tocol. This allegation is partly substantiated by the fact that the
membership of the manufacturers’ association actually decreased




128

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

during the last few months. Members withdrawing from the associa­
tion maintain that, in view of the low standards prevailing in the
shops of their competitors outside of the association, they can not
afford to retain membership and pay the scales of wages stipulated in
the protocol.1
The text of the protocol in the kimono and house-dress industry
of New York City follows:
TEXT OF TH E PROTOCOL.
P

o f P e a c e , entered into this eleventh day of February, 1913, between
the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, the Wrapper, Kimono & HouseDress Makers’ Union, Local No. 41, and the Amalgamated Ladies’ Garment Cutters7
Union, Local No. 10 (all hereinafter called the union), and the New York Associa­
tion of House-Dress and Kimono Manufacturers (hereinafter called the association).

rotocol

Both parties to this protocol arc desirous of raising conditions in the industry and
obtaining the equalization of standards of labor throughout the industry b y peaceful
and honorable methods. They recognize the value, to accomplish this end, of an
organization representing the workers, in the industry, and of an organization repre­
senting the employers. They recognize also the value of an understanding or agree­
ment between them with adequate machinery and institutions to enforce and carry
out the principles of the understanding.
i.

s a n it a r y

c o n d it io n s .

Both parties agree to create a joint board of sanitary control in all jurisdictional
respects similar to the joint board of sanitary control now existing in the cloak and
waist and dress industries, members of such board to be hereafter determined. The
parties to this protocol obligate themselves to establish standards of sanitary condi­
tions and to maintain such standards to the best of their ability.
II. ADJUSTMENT OF G RIEVANCES.

Both parties recognize the necessity for providing modern and peaceful methods for
adjusting disputes and grievances. They agree to create a board of grievances to con­
sist of six members, three chosen b y the manufacturers and three b y the union, with
rules, regulations, and precedents now governing the board of grievances in the cloak
industry, so far as they are practicably applicable in the house-dress and kimono
industry.
III. PERMANENT PEACE.

The parties to this protocol agree that there shall be no strike or lockout concerning
any matters in controversy or dispute, but such matters in controversy shall immedi­
ately be referred to the board of grievances for determination, and in the event of the
failure of the board of grievances to agree, then to the board of arbitration. The
determination of either of said boards shall be binding upon both parties to this
protocol.
V . BOARD OF ARBITRATION.

The parties hereby establish a board of arbitration to consist of three members,
composed of one nominee for the manufacturers, one nominee for the union, and one
representative of the public, the latter to be agreed upon b y both parties to this pro­
tocol or3 in the event of their disagreement, b y the two arbitrators selected b y them.




1 98 per cent of th e w orkers in th is in d u str y are fem ales.

APP. B.---- KIMONO AND HOUSE-DBESS PROTOCOL, N E W
V.

YOKE.

129

W AGES.

The parties agree that on account of the complicated conditions in the industry
the many types of shops, the wide difference in the present earnings of the employees,
it is advisable to postpone the creation of standards of wages until an opportunity of
investigation is afforded both parties to this agreement. The parties agree that until
such time as the wage-scale board shall fix standards of wages, that all operatives em­
ployed b y the week who received less than twelve dollars per week, at the time of the
declaration of the present strike, shall receive a tentative increase of ten (10) per cent:
Provided, however, That such increase shall in no event be less per week than fifty
cents per person nor more than one dollar, and that the increased wages shall not
exceed twelve dollars; that all operatives employed by the piece shall receive a
tentative increase of ten (10) per cent above the prices prevailing at the time of the
declaration of the present strike: Provided, however, That such increase shall in no
event be less per week than fifty cents per person. In order to insure the same ten­
tative increase for pieceworkers upon new styles, there shall be a piece-price committee
selected b y the employees in each shop, and piece prices on new styles shall be settled
by the employer and the chairman of the piece-price committee; should they be
unable to agree, the work shall proceed without stoppage and the determination of the
price to be paid for the work shall be referred to the wage-scale board and its decision
shall be final; when the prices are fixed they shall relate back to the time of the
beginning of the work; that all cutters who received less than eighteen dollars per
week at the time of the declaration of the present strike shall receive a tentative
increase of ten (10) per cent, provided such increase shall not be less per week than
one dollar per person; that all cutters who received between eighteen dollars and
twenty-five dollars at said time shall receive a tentative increase of five (5) per cent,
provided such increased wages shall not exceed twenty-five dollars. It is agreed that
up to January 1, 1914, or the sooner determination b y the wage-scale board, no assist­
ant cutters shall be employed, in addition to the number of assistant cutters employed
at the time of the declaration of the present strike, at a salary of less than twelve dollars
per week. If any employee received an increase in wages after December 1, 1912,
such increase shall be included in the tentative increase hereinbefore specified.
Should the wage-scale board fail to agree upon the standards, the tentative increases
hereinbefore specified shall prevail until the standards are finally determined.
VI. W AGE-SCALE BOARD.

The parties hereby establish a wage-scale board to consist of six members, three to
be nominated b y the manufacturers and three b y the union. Such board shall
standardize the prices to be paid for piece and week work throughout the industry;
it shall preserve data and statistics with a view to establishing as nearly practicable
as possible a scientific basis for fixing of piece and week work prices throughout the
industry that will insure a minimum wage, and at the same time permit reward for
increased efficiency. It shall have full power and authority to appoint clerks or
representatives, and its procedure so far as practicable shall be the same as now
followed b y the board of grievances in the cloak industry. It shall have full power
and authority to settle all disputes over prices, make special exemptions where
special exigencies arise, or a special scale is required.
Immediately after the signing of this protocol the wage-scale board shall make a
complete and exhaustive examination into the existing rates paid for labor, the
earnings of the operatives, and the classification of garments in the industry, and shall
report in writing within three months from the date hereof the result of its labors.
It shall be the duty of said wage-scale board to immediately thereafter act upon such
report and establish a standard of wages for week and piece workers.
39573°— Bull. 145— 14------ 9




130

BU LLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LAB OH STATISTICS.

If the wage-scale board can not agree upon the standards, the matter shall be referred
to the board of grievances; and if the board of grievances can not agree, the matter shall
be referred to the board of arbitration.
V II. IND IVID UAL CONTRACTS B E TW E E N UNIO N AN D EMPLOYER.

The union recognizes the moral obligation of every employer in the industry to
belong to the manufacturers’ association, and to contribute to the expense of the
institutions created b y the tw~o parties for the uplift of the industry. It acknowledged
the value of such an association in the maintenance of standards throughout the
industry. Accordingly, all employers desiring to settle with the union in the pending
strike shall be referred first to the association, and requested to apply for membership.
If for any reason the association rejects their application, the grounds for such rejection
shall be stated to the board of grievances. If any employer in the industry shall fail
to join the association, and shall enter into an individual contract with the union,
such contract shall in no respect be more favorable to the employer than the provisions
of this protocol. The union agrees to lay before the board of grievances every original
contract entered into between it and each and every individual employer, together
with a true statement of the nature and amount of any security taken for the faithful
performance of such contract.
V III. EQUALIZATION OF STANDARDS.

Whether or not specifically referred to in any of the provisions of this protocol, the
parties agree that it is essential that competition in the industry, so far as labor is
concerned, shall be placed upon a plane of equality (making due allowance for differ­
ence in skill), and both parties to the full extent of their power shall establish such
equality.
I X . THE PREFERENTIAL U NION SHOP.

The parties hereby accept the principles and the obligations of the “ preferential
union s h o p /’ as defined and understood in the cloak industry, and more fully described
under that heading at pages 215-217 of Bulletin No. 98 of the United States Bureau of
Labor.
The parties agree that on account of the peculiar conditions in this industry that
the following shall prevail:
A. Within a radius of twenty-five miles of the city of New York, standard union
conditions shall prevail inside the factories of the members of the association, as well
as their outside contractors; and if a member of this association shall send work to a
shop within said radius where standard union conditions do not prevail, then upon
request of the union, such member or members of the association shall refrain from
sending work to such shop or shops until standard union conditions shall prevail.
B. Outside of the said radius, the members of the association may send work to
any shop or shops regardless of whether standard union conditions prevail or not, but
if at any time a strike is declared in such locality b y the union and at least one-half
of the employees of such shop or shops respond to said strike, then the member of this
association sending work to such shop or shops shall on demand from the said union
refrain from sending further work to such shop or shops until standard union conditions
prevail.
X . LEGAL HOLIDAYS.

Week workers shall receive payment for the following legal holidays and shall not
be required to work:
Operatives: Washington’ s Birthday, Labor Day, and New Year’ s.
Cutters: New Year’s Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Decoration
Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Thanksgiving
Day, and Christmas Day.




APP, B.— KIM ONO AND HOUSE-DRESS PROTOCOL, N E W YORK.

131

X I . HOURS OF LABOR.

The weekly hours of labor shall consist of fifty hours in six working days, to wit,
nine hours on all days except the sixth day, which shall consist of five hours only.
Work shall not commence before 8 a. m., dinner between 12 and 1 p. m. If at any
time the union shall agree to a working week consisting of more than fifty hours, then
the working hours under this protocol shall be not less than the working hours stipu­
lated under such agreement.
X II. OVERTIM E.

Overtime shall be paid to week workers at the rate of one and one-half times.
overtime work shall be performed on Saturday or Sunday after 1 p. m.

No

X III. CONTRACTORS.

No agreement made between the union and a contractor shall be more favorable to
the contractor than the terms of this protocol. Every agreement made between the
union and a contractor doing business for a member or members of the association
shall be upon the same terms as contained in this protocol, except as to the preferential
union shop.
Should any dispute arise between the union and a contractor doing work for a mem­
ber or members of the association, there shall be no stoppage of work being performed
for such member or members of the association, but such matters in dispute, if the
same can not be adjusted between the union and the contractor, shall be immediately
referred to the board of grievances of the association, and their determination shall be
rendered within five days from the date of the filing of such dispute with the associa­
tion, and such determination shall be final.
All employees of contractors doing work only for a member or members of the
association shall be returned to work immediately provided such contractor or con­
tractors shall sign an agreement similar to the terms of this protocol, excepting the
preferential union shop.
X I V . MISCELLANEOUS.

No reduction shall be made from any employee’s wages for the expense of power or
machine used b y the workers. The refraining from work on the 1st day of May, 1913,
shall not be a violation of this protocol.
In witness whereof the parties have caused this instrument to be signed b y their
duly authorized officers the day and year first above written.
In presence of:
N ew

By

Y o rk

A s s o c ia tio n

op H o u s e -D r e s s & K im o n o M a n u f a c t u r e r s ,

President.
Secretary.

Is a a c G in s b e r g ,
M
I

o r r is

F

e in e

,

n t e r n a t io n a l

B y S.
Jo

P

o lo ko ff

hn

D

y c h e

,
,

L

a d ie s

’ G

a r m e n t

W

o r k e r s

’ U

n io n

,

First Vice President.
Secretary.

TEXT OF AG REEM EN T W IT H INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTORS.

The following is a copy of the agreement uniformly used by the
Wrapper, Kimono, and Dress Makers’ Union in signing contracts with
individual contractors doing work for members of the manufacturers’
association.
M e m o r a n d u m o f A g r e e m e n t entered into t h is --------- day o f -----------1913, between
•--------- manufacturer —--------contractor of wrappers, kimonos, and house dresses doing
business a t --------- New York, and the Wrapper, Kimono, and House-Dress Makers’
Union Local No. 41 of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.




132

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

1. The weekly hours of labor shall consist of fifty (50) hours in six working days, to
wit, nine hours on all days except the sixth day, which shall consist of five hours only.
Work shall not commence before 8 a. in., dinner shall be between 12 a. m. and 1 p. m.
2. That during the continuance of this agreement the rates and scales of wages and
prices shall be paid to the employees in accordance with the annexed price list. A
list of all piece prices shall be made and hung up in a conspicuous place in the shop.
All pieceworkers shall be furnished with small notebooks wherein the lot number of
work delivered and prices attached shall be entered.
3. Overtime shall be paid to week workers at the rate of double time.
4. No reduction shall be made from any em ployee’ s wages for the expense of power
or machine used by the workers. Week workers shall receive payment for the fol­
lowing legal holidays and not be required to work: Labor Day, Lincoln’s Birthday,
and New Year’ s.
5. No one part of work shall be made b y two systems, meaning week and piece work.
6. The manufacturer agrees to employ only union members who are in good stand­
ing with the Wrappers, Kimonos, and House-Dress Makers’ Union Local No. 41.
7. In case any trouble arises in a shop which can not be properly adjusted between
the firm and shop chairman, no stoppage of work shall be made until such trouble is
settled between the firm and a union representative. A representative of the union
shall have the right to visit the shop to impart information to the employees and to
ascertain whether the agreement is carried out.
8. No discrimination shall be made against members of the union for union activity.
9. It is further agreed that the employer w ill maintain proper sanitary and safe
conditions in said place of employment. Same sanitary conditions shall be main­
tained in the outside as well as inside shops. It is agreed that no work shall be given
out to be made in private dwellings or tenements.
10. The firm may if they so see fit, employ outside contractors, provided, however,
that the contractors shall be registered with the union and employ members of the
union in the manner as heretofore mentioned. Prices of work shall be same as in
inside shops and in other ways follow out the provisions of this agreement. It is
further stipulated and agreed that the firm agrees to pay the wages of any and all of the
employees of its contractors, should any employee of its contractors fail to receive
wages in full.
11. It is further agreed that work shall be distributed equally between the inside
employees and those working for the outside contractors.
12. It is agreed that no manufacturer or contractor, etc., w ill at any time during
the continuance of this agreement enter into individual agreements with any of its
employees nor shall any cash or any other form of security be accepted by them.
13. It is further agreed that the wages shall be paid in cash on a specific day every
week, the said clause to apply to piece or week workers, inside or outside shops.
14. The refraining from work on the first day of May shall not be a violation of this
contract.
15. Children under 16 shall not be employed in the making of garments.
16. The parties hereto agree to com ply with all the conditions and obligations
assumed which shall be binding upon them for a period of one year from the date
hereof.
17. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals.




■

[l .

s

.]

[i.

s

.]

(For the firm.)
■

(For the union.)

APPENDIX C.
o p P e a c e , entered into this 8th day of March, 1913, between the Inter­
national Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, the Misses’ and Children’ s Dress Makers’
Union, Local No. 50, and the Amalgamated Ladies’ Garment Cutters’ Union,
Local No. 10 (all hereinafter called the union), and the Children’ s Dress Manu­
facturers’ Association (hereinafter called the association).
Both parties to this protocol are desirous of raising conditions in the industry, and
obtaining the equalization of standards of labor throughout the industry b y peaceful
and honorable methods. They recognize the value, to accomplish this end, of an
organization representing the workers in the industry, and of an organization repre­
senting the employers. They recognize also the value of an understanding or agree­
ment between them with adequate machinery and institutions to enforce and carry
out the principles of the understanding.

P rotocol

I. SANITAR Y CONDITIONS.

Both parties agree to create a joint board of sanitary control, members of such
board to be hereafter determined. The parties to this protocol obligate themselves
to establish standards of sanitary conditions and to maintain such standards to the
best of their ability.
II. ADJUSTMENT OF GRIEVAN CES.

Both parties recognize the necessity for providing modern and peaceful methods
for adjusting disputes and grievances. They agree to create a board of grievances
to consist of eight members, four chosen b y the manufacturers and four b y the union,
with rules, regulations, and precedents now governing the board of grievances in the
cloak industry, so far as they are practicably applicable in the misses’ , children’s,
and infants’ dress industry.
III. PERMANENT PEACE.

The parties to this protocol agree that there shall be no strike or lockout concern­
ing any matters in controversy or dispute, but such matters in controversy shall
immediately be referred to the board of grievances for determination, and, in the event
of the failure of the board of grievances to agree, then to the board of arbitration.
The determination of either of said boards shall be binding upon both parties to this
protocol.
IV . BOARD OF ARBITRATION.

The parties hereby establish a board of arbitration to consist of three members,
composed of one nominee for the association, one nominee for the union, and one
representative of the public, the latter to be agreed upon b y both parties to this
protocol, or in the event of their disagreement, b y the two arbitrators selected b y them.
V . HOURS OF LABOR.

The weekly hours of labor shall consist of fifty hours in six working days, to wit,
nine hours on all days except the sixth, which shall consist of five hours only. Work
shall not commence before 8 a. m., dinner between 12 and 1 p. m. If at any time
the union shall agree with any other industry manufacturing ladies’ , misses’ , chil­




133

134

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OP LABOR STATISTICS.

dren’s, or infants’ garments, to a working week in the city of New York consisting
of more than fifty hours, then the working hours under this protocol shall be no less
than the working hours stipulated under such agreement.
V I. W A G E S .

The parties agree that on account of the complicated conditions in the industry, the
many types of shops, the wide difference in the present earnings of the employees,
it is advisable to postpone the creation of standards of wages until an opportunity
of investigation is afforded both parties to this agreement. The parties agree that until
such time as the wage-scale board shall fix standards of wages, that all operatives
employed b y the week who now receive ten ($10) dollars or less per week shall receive
a tentative increase of fifty (50) cents upon the resumption of work and fifty (50)
cents on the 1st day of July, 1913. That all operatives employed b y the piece shall
receive a tentative increase proportionate in each shop to the time lost b y the reduc­
tion of the working week to fifty hours, but each pieceworker shall receive an increase
of at least five (5) per cent. In order to insure the same tentative increase for piece­
workers upon new styles, there shall be a piece-price committee selected b y the
employees in each shop, and piece prices on new styles shall be settled by the employer
and the chairman of the piece-price committee; should they be unable to agree,
the work shall proceed without stoppage and the determination of the price to be
paid for work shall be referred to the wage-scale board, and its decision shall be final;
when the prices are fixed they shall relate back to the time of the beginning of the
work. That all cutters who receive less'than twelve ($12) dollars per week shall
receive a tentative increase of fifty (50) cents upon the resumption of work and fifty
(50) cents on the 1st day of July, 1913, and all cutters who now earn between twelve
($12) dollars and eighteen ($18) dollars per week shall receive a tentative increase
of one ($1) dollar upon the resumption of work. It is agreed that up to January 1,
1914, or the sooner determination b y the wage-scale board, no new apprentice shall
be employed in the cutting department in the cutting of garments at less than nine
($9) dollars per week.
If any employee received an increase in wages since December 25,1912, such increase
shall be included in and considered a part of the tentative increases hereinbefore
specified, the intent being that only such employees whose wages have not been
increased since December 25, 1912, shall receive the tentative increases aforesaid.
Should the wage-scale board fail to agree upon the standards the tentative increases
hereinbefore specified shall prevail until the standards are finally determined.
V II. W AG E-SCALE BOARD .

The parties hereby establish a wage-scale board to consist of eight members, four
to be nominated by the manufacturers and four b y the union. Such board shall
standardize the prices to be paid for piece and week work throughout the industry; it
shall preserve data and statistics with a view to establishing as nearly practicably as
possible a scientific basis for fixing of piece and week work prices throughout the
industry that will insure a minimum wage, and at the same time permit reward for
increased efficiency. It shall have full power and authority to appoint clerks or
representatives, and its procedure so far as practicable shall be the same as now fol­
lowed by the board of grievances in the cloak industry. It shall have full power
and authority to settle all disputes over prices, make special exemptions where special
exigencies arise, or a special scale is required. In case of any dispute over piece prices,
the wage-scale board shall send its representatives to adjust such dispute within
three days after complaint is filed, and if the representatives of the wage-scale board
can not agree, the same shall be heard and determined b y the wage-scale board within
five days thereafter.




APP.

C.---- MISSES

AND

CHILDREN*S

DRESSES PROTOCOL,

N.

Y.

135

Immediately after the signing of this protocol the wage-scale board shall make
a complete and exhaustive examination into the existing rates paid for labor, the
earnings of the operatives, and the classification of garments in the industry, and
shall report in writing within six months from the date hereof the result of its labors.
It shall be the duty of said wxage-scale board to immediately thereafter act upon
such report and establish a standard of wages for week and piece workers.
If the wage-scale board can not agree upon the standards, the matter shall be referred
to the board of grievances, and if the board of grievances can not agree, the matter
shall be referred to the board of arbitration.
The wage-scale board shall establish a rule that if more than twenty-five (25) per
cent of the business of any member of the association consists in the manufacture
of misses’ dresses, such member of the association shall employ at least one fullfledged cutter at no less than twenty-five ($25) dollars per week.
V II I.

E Q U A L IZ A T IO N

OF S T A N D A R D S .

Whether or not specifically referred to in any of the provisions of this protocol,
the parties agree that it is essential that competition in the industry, so far as labor
is concerned, shall be placed upon a plane of equality (making due allowance for
difference in skill), and both parties to the full extent of their power shall establish
such equality.
IX .

IN D IV I D U A L C O N T R A C TS B E T W E E N

U N IO N

AND

EM PLOYER.

The union recognizes the moral obligation of every employer in the industry to
belong to the manufacturers’ association, and to contribute to the expense of the
institutions created by the two parties for the uplift of the industry. It acknowledges
the value of such an association in the maintenance of standards throughout the
industry. Accordingly, allemployers desiring.to settle with the union in the pending
strike shall be referred first to the association, and requested to apply for membership.
If for any reason the association rejects their application, the grounds for such rejection
shall be stated to the board of grievances. If any employer in the industry shall fail
to join the association, and shall enter into an individual contract with the union,
such contract shall in no respect be more favorable to the employer than the provisions
of this protocol. The union agrees to lay before the board of grievances every original
contract entered into between it and each and every individual employer, together
with a true statement of the nature and amount of any security taken for the faithful
performance of such contract.
X.

T H E P R E F E R E N T IA L U N IO N

SHOP.

The parties hereby accept the principles and the obligations of the “ preferential
union shop,” as defined and understood in the cloak industry, and more fully de­
scribed under the heading at pages 215-217 of Bulletin No. 98 of the United States
Bureau of Labor.
X I.

C O N T R A C T O R S.

The manufacturer may employ outside contractors, provided, however, that the
manufacturer shall disclose to Local No. 50 the names and/addresses of such contractors,
if their factories are within Greater New York. The manufacturer stipulates that he
will not send any work to contractors within Greater New York who do not maintain
in their factories the same conditions as are herein provided for. It is agreed that no
work shall be sent to any factory within a radius of twenty-five miles from New York
City where there is a strike called by the union, unless the factory has maintained
the same conditions as are herein provided for.




136

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

No agreement made between the union and a contractor shall be more favorable to
the contractor than the terms of this protocol. Every agreement made between the
union and a contractor employed by a member of the association shall be upon the
same terms as contained in this protocol, except as to the preferential union shop.
Should any dispute arise between the union and a contractor doing work for a
member of the association, there shall be no stoppage of work being performed for
such member of the association, but such matters in dispute, if the same can not be
adjusted between the union and the contractor, shall immediately be referred to
the board of grievances of the association, and their determination shall be rendered
within five days from the date of the filing of such dispute with the association, and
such determination shall be final.
All employees of a contractor doing work for a member of the association shall be
returned to work immediately, provided such contractor shall sign an agreement
similar to the terms of this protocol, excepting the preferential union shop.
X II. LEGAL HOLIDAYS.

The association shall grant such holidays to operatives and cutters as shall be
determined by the board of arbitration created under the protocol entered into be­
tween the union and the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association, dated the 18th
day of January, 1913, provided, however, that in no event shall said holidays exceed
three for operatives and ten for cutters.
X III. SUBCONTRACTORS.

A ll inside subcontracting shall be abolished.
X IV . M ISCELLANEOUS.

No work shall be given out to be made in tenements. No reduction shall be made
from any em ployee’s wages for the expense of power or machines used by the workers.
The refraining from work on the 1st day of May shall not be a violation of this protocol.
In witness whereof, the parties have caused this instrument to be signed by their
duly authorized officers the day and year first above written.
In presence of:
H

a r r y

M .

M

a r k s

T

.
C

h e

By A. M.
T

By

I

h e

L. L
Sa

h il d r e n

Cerf,

D

r ess

n t e r n a t io n a l

e f k o w it z

u l

’s

E

M

a n u f a c tu r e r s

’ A

s s o c ia t io n

.

President.

l s t e in

L

a d ie s

’

G

a r m en t

W

o r k e r s

’

U

n io n

.

Vice President.

,
,

(For Local 50 and Local 10, I. L. G. W. U.)
LEGAL HOLIDAYS.

Week workers shall receive payment for the following legal holidays and shall not
be required to work:
Operatives: New Year’s Day, Washington’s Birthday, and Labor Day.
Cutters: New Year’s Day, Washington’s Birthday, Decoration Day, Labor Day, and
Thanksgiving Day.




APPENDIX D,
COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT OF 1913 IN THE WHITE-GOODS
(LADIES’ UNDERWEAR) INDUSTRY OF NEW YORK CITY.1
CLASSIFICATION AND D ISPOSITION OF GRIEVANCES.

A total of 492 complaints were filed by the union during the first
year of the existence of this agreement. None were filed by the manu­
facturers’ association.
Of the complaints filed 87 per cent were adjusted by the clerks;
the remaining 13 per cent were referred to the board of grievances.
No cases were adjusted through arbitration.
The records o f dispositions made for the last six months are incom ­
plete. It is a known fact that the cases have been satisfactorily
adjusted, but the records do not give specific designations of the
dispositions made. The dispositions of 239 cases were ascertained.
Most of these were filed and adjusted during the months of February
to July, 1913. The following table shows the disposition of these
cases according to classified grievances :
A D J U S T M E N T O F G R I E V A N C E S A C C O R D I N G T O C O L L E C T I V E A G R E E M E N T O F 1913 I N
T H E W H IT E -G O O D S I N D U S T R Y
BY NATURE

OF N E W

YORK

C IT Y , F E B R U A R Y

T O A U G U S T , 1913,

O F G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of disposition.

N a tu r e of grievance.

Total
cases
re­
cord­
ed.

F avor of
u n ion .

F a v o r of
association.

C om pro­
m ised.

D ro p p ed .

W it h ­
draw n.

N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per
ber. cen t. ber. cent. ber. cen t. ber. cen t. ber.
cent.

D iscrim in ation (for u nion a c tiv ­
it y ) ...............................................................
V iolation of hours of la b o r ................
R e d u c tio n of stip u lated p r ic e s ____
D iscrim in ation in d istrib u tion of
w o r k ...........................................................
R efusal to p a y stipulated increases.
P ayin g learners u nder agreed
scale............................................................
D isp u te in settlem ent of p rices___
C om p lain ts outside of provisions
of agreem ent..........................................
M iscellaneous.............................................
V iolation of legal-holiday p rovi­
sion .............................................................
Charges for electric p o w er ..................
R efu sal to p a y d ou b le for over­
t im e .............................................................
V iolation of w ee k ly w age scale____
R efu sal to cooperate in strength­
ening of u n io n .......................................
P a y m e n t of wages b y c h e c k ............
V iolation of m in im u m scale for
piecew orkers..........................................
U n san itary sh o p s ....................................
Clatm for wages d u e ..............................
W ork done in ten em ent h o u se s. . .
Irregular p a y d a y ....................................
D u a l sy stem of w ork ............... .............
T o t a l..................................................

74
22
20

5
4
4

6 .8
18 .2
2 0 .0

17
16

55
10
10

74 .3
45 .5
50 .0

8
6
2

1 0 .8
2 7 .3
1 0 .0

8
7

47.1
43 .8

1
9

5 .9
5 6 .3

1
1

5 .0

6
2
3

8 .1
9 .1
15 .0

5 .9

7

41 .2

1
3

7 .1
2 5 .0

2

2 0 .0

14
12

6
3

42 .9
2 5 .0

5
4

35 .7
33 .3

2
2

1 4 .3
1 6 .7

12
10

6
1

5 0 .0
1 0 .0

6
5

5 0 .0
50 .0

1

10 .0

9
6

7
1

77 .8
1 6 .7

2
1

2 2 .2
1 6 .7

2

3 3 .3

2

3 3 .3

5
4

2

4 0 .0

1
2

2 0 .0
5 0 .0

1
2

2 0 .0
5 0 .0

1

2 0 .0

4
3

3

7 5 .0

1
2 5 .0
3 100.0

3
2
2
2
1
1

2
1

6 6 .7
50 .0

1

3 3 .3

1

50 .0

28

1 1 .7

239

2 100.0
1
5 0 .0
1 100.0

1

5 0 .0

41

1 7 .2

1

1 0 .0

1 100.0
43

1 8 .0

124

5 1 .9

3

1 .3

1 T h e ratio of m ales to fem ales in this in du stry is ap p rox im ately 5 to 95. M en ex clu siv ely are em p loyed
at cu ttin g. M ost of the w om en are em p loyed at occupations requiring no skill nor m u ch experience. Im m i­
grant girls enter this in du stry as a preparatory step in join ing th e forces of th e dress an d w aist in du stry
where the skill is som ew hat higher an d wages better.




137

138

B ULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

The grievance complained of most frequently is discrimination for
union activity. Only 6.8 per cent of these complaints were decided
in favor of the complainant, the union. This relatively small per­
centage of favorable decisions can be accounted for by the fact that
the agreement, unlike most of the agreements in the needle trades of
New York City, does not in any way specify that the rights of the
employers with reference to the hiring and discharging of workers
are in any way modified. Section 7 of the agreement merely declares
that the manufacturers’ association believes “ that those who enjoy
the benefits of the union shall share in its burdens * * * that to
this end a strong organization of the employers and a strong union
are necessary, each working to strengthen the other.” 1
The agreement does not specify precisely how this moral obligation
of the employers is to be fulfilled. As can readily be seen from an ex­
amination of complaints of discrimination for union activity ( 7 4 per
cent of which were decided adversely to the complainant), the asso­
ciation insisted upon its right of discharge irrespective of motive.
In this position the association, apparently, was upheld by the adjust­
ment agencies.
The union also filed 17 complaints of discrimination through unequal
distribution of work. None of these were adjudicated in favor of the
union.
The complaints of violations of legal-holiday provisions, chiefly
failure on the part of the employer to pay for specified legal holidays,
met with a relatively high percentage of favorable adjustments,
7 out of 9, or 77.8 per cent. In two complaints of claims for wages
due and one of irregular pay day the union secured a percentage of
favorable decisions of 1 0 0 .
The 239 recorded cases were disposed of as follows: In favor of
association, 124 cases, or 51.9 per cent; in favor of union, 43, or 18
per cent; compromised, 41, or 17.2 per cent; withdrawn, 28, or 11.7
per cent; dropped, 3, or 1.3 per cent.
In the 1 0 grievances complained of most frequently— 206 com­
plaints, or 8 6.2 per cent of the total analyzed— the complainant, the
union, secured an average percentage of favorable decisions of 17.5.
TEXT OF COLLECTIVE AGREEM ENT.
M

o p A g r e e m e n t entered into this 17th day of February, 1913, between
Cotton Garment Manufacturers of New York (In c.), party of the first part, and
the Underwear and White Goods Workers’ Union, Local No. 62, of the Interna­
tional Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, and the International Ladies’ Garment
Workers’ Union, parties of the second part, witnesseth:

em o ran d u m

1.
The party of the first part stipulates that every member of the said party of the
first part who is in the muslin-underwear and white-goods business will com ply with
the terms of this contract.
i

T h e u n ion filed d urin g the first six m o n th s four c o m p la in ts of refusal of firm to cooperate in th e

strengthening of the u n ion .




Three of these were decided ad versely to com p lain a n t.

APPENDIX D.---- W H IT E

GOODS PROTOCOL, N E W

YORK.

139

2. The weekly hours of labor shall consist of fifty (50) hours in six working days,
to wit, nine hours on all days except the sixth day, which shall consist of five hours
only. Work shall not commence before 8 a. m. Dinner shall be between 12 m.
and 1 p. m.
3. All piece prices shall be settled between the firm and a committee of not lesa
than three nor more than five from the shop representing the employees and rep­
resenting, as far as possible, different kinds of work; but for the present and until
the wage board, hereinafter created, reports and fixes a standard price for an hour
of employment, this shop committee shall not act, except in settling prices on gar­
ments upon which the prices have not been fixed, but that all piece and week work
shall proceed upon the basis of increases, as hereinafter provided. A list of all piece
prices shall be made and hung up in a conspicuous place in the shop. A ll piece­
workers shall be furnished with small notebooks, wherein the lot number of work
delivered and prices attached shall be entered.
I 4. Overtime shall be paid to week workers at the rate of double time.
I 5. No reduction shall be made from any employees’ wages for the expense of power
or machine used by the workers. Week workers shall receive 'payment for the fol­
lowing legal holidays and not be required to work Labor Day, Washington’s Birth, day, and New Years.
• 6. No one part of work shall be made by two systems—meaning piece or week
work— on the same kind of machines; but the employer may have 10 per cent of
his entire operating force, in addition to those already engaged in doing that part
of work— employed by the piece or week—as he sees fit.
? 7. The Cotton Garment Manufacturers of New York (Inc.) in entering upon thia
agreement with the Underwear and White Goods Workers’ Union, Local No. 62, of
the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, and with the International
Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, believe that those who enjoy the benefits of the
union shall share in its burdens. Both parties agree that in order to maintain fair
competition in the industry the conditions of work shall be equalized and the cost
of labor standardized; * * * that to this end a strong organization of the employ­
ers, and a strong union are necessary, each working to strengthen the other. The
union pledges itself that, in order to carry out in good faith the spirit of the agree­
ment, any contract with shops or firms not members of the association will specify
conditions at least equal to the terms of this agreement.
8. No workers in the employ of the manufacturer shall when employed by the
week receive a wage of less than five ($5) dollars for a full week’s work.
9. All workers employed by the manufacturer by the week shall receive an increase
in wage of one ($1) dollar per week.
10. All workers employed by the manufacturer and heretofore paid by the piece
shall receive an increase equal to ten (10) per cent of the amount earned. This
increase shall continue only until the wage board shall report a basis of prices for
each kind of work, and then the increase of ten (10) per cent shall cease and prices
shall be adjusted upon the basis of twenty (20) cents for an hour of an average expe­
rienced worker. The classification shall be determined by a wage board, to consist
of four representatives of each of the parties hereto, which board shall report not
later than April 1, 1913. Said board shall continue throughout the period of this
contract, and make a study of prices with a view to creating standards and uniformity
in the industry.
11. Each of the parties hereto shall forthwith appoint four representatives, and
the eight persons so appointed shall constitute a board for the hearing and deter­
mination of all claims arising hereunder between the manufacturer and his employ­
ees or between the parties hereto. The determination of this board on all matters
shall be conclusive upon the parties hereto. In the event there is equal division




140

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

of opinion between the members of the board the matter in dispute shall, from time
to time, be submitted for determination to three persons, one of whom shall be chosen
by each of the parties hereto, and which two shall choose an umpire, and the deter­
mination of two of the three arbitrators shall be binding upon the parties hereto.
12. It is further agreed that the employer will maintain proper sanitary and safe
conditions in his place of employment. Same sanitary conditions shall be maintained
in outside as well as inside shops within Greater New York. It is agreed that no work
shall be given out to be made in tenements; the manufacturers shall have six
months’ time to comply with this provision.
13. The manufacturer may employ outside contractors: Provided, however, That
the manufacturer shall disclose to Local No. 62 the names and addresses of such
contractors if their factories are within Greater New York. The manufacturer stip­
ulates that he will not send any work to contractors within Greater New York who
do not maintain in their factories the same conditions as are herein provided for.
It is agreed that no work shall be sent to any factory within a radius of twenty-five
miles from New York City where there is a strike called by the parties of the second
part unless the factory has maintained the same conditions as are herein provided for.
14. It is further agreed that the wages shall be paid in cash on a specific day every
week, the said clause to apply to piece or week workers, inside or outside shops. It
is agreed that the strikers shall be returned to work and given their former places.
15. The refraining from work on the first day of May shall not be a violation of
this contract.
16. Children under sixteen shall not be employed in the making of garments.
17. It is further agreed that there shall bo no stoppage of work or strike or lock­
out pending the determination of any complaints or grievances hereunder throughout
the entire period of this contract.
18. It is further agreed that six months prior to the expiration of this contract a
conference shall be had between the parties hereto for the purpose of considering any
necessary changes.
19. The parties hereto agree to comply with all the conditions and obligations
assumed, which shall be binding upon them for a period of two years from the date
hereof.
In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals the day and year
first above written.
C

U

By R
I

By

G

otton

By A. S.

I

n d e r w e a r
of

th e

ose

S

I

n

a n u fac tu r er s

W

a n d

D

N

Y

e w

ork

(In

c

.) ,
[l .

G

h it e

n t e r n a t io n a l

,

c h n e id e r m a n

A.

of

President.

,

L

n t e r n a t io n a l

Jo h

M

a r m e n t

se r so n

y c h e

,

oods

L

W

a d ie s

o r k e r s

’ G

’ U

ar m en t

n io n

W

, L

ocal

o r k er s

’ U

’ G

ar m e n t

W

o r k e r s

’ U

n io n

.]

[l .

s

.]

[l .

s

.]

.

n io n

President, Local 62.

a d ie s

s

N o 62

,

General Secretary-Treasurer.

It is agreed that all of the provisions hereof shall apply to members of Local No. 10,
cutters, save that the cutters shall have ten legal holidays and that the compensa­
tion of cutters earning between $6 and $12 shall be increased $1, and those earning
above $12 shall receive an increase of $2, up to $24; those earning $24 shall receive
$25. It is further agreed that no new person shall be employed in the cutting depart­
ment in the cutting of garments during the period of this contract at less than $9 per
week.




C

otton

A. S.

I

Jo

F.

hn

G

ar m e n t

M

a n u fac tu r e r s

President.
P i e r c e ( f o r Local

se r so n

of

N

e w

Y

o r k

,

N o . 10,

Cutters’ Union).

.

APPENDIX E.
CONCILIATION, ARBITRATION, AND SANITATION IN THE
CLOAK, SUIT, AND SKIRT INDUSTRY OF BOSTON, MASS.
For more than two weeks during the month of March, 1913, con­
ferences were held by manufacturers in Boston to discuss methods of
settling the strike of their employees for increases in wages, a shorter
workday, and better sanitary conditions. While this strike was in
progress a committee appointed by the manufacturers’ association
visited New York City to investigate and report on the general work­
ings of the protocol of peace of September 2 , 1910, in the cloak indus­
try of that city.
This committee was so impressed with the workings of the New
York agreement that it decided to report the advisability of trying
out such an agreement in the cloak industry of Boston. Acting upon
the report of this committee the Boston manufacturers signed the
treaty of peace herein described, which went into effect on March 8 ,
1913.
The Boston agreement was modeled, almost in its entirety, after
the New York protocol, though, as a matter of fact, one of the prin­
cipal features of the New York protocol, the joint board of sanitary
control, has not as yet been established in Boston.
During the first year of the operation of this agreement the suc­
cessful working of its machinery, particularly with reference to the
adjustment of arising grievances, contributed greatly to the formation
of better relations between the employers and employees in the in­
dustry.
ADJUSTMENT OF GRIEVANCES.

A total of 241 complaints were made during the first year of the
existence of this arrangement. Of these 238 were filed by the union
and 3 by the Manufacturers’ Association.
The following numbers were filed each month:
N U M B E R , O F C O M P L A IN T S F IL E D

M on th .

1913.
M a r c h ............................
A p r il...............................
M a y .................................
J u n e ......................... ..
J u ly .................................
A u g u s t ...........................
S e p te m b e r .
O cto ber.........................




M A R C H , 1913, T O F E B R U A R Y , 1914, B Y M O N T H S .

N u m b er.

6
36
44
28
28
7
12
10

M on th .

N u m b er.

1913.
N o v e m b e r .................
Decem ber

7
13

1914.
J a n u a r y .....................
F e b r u a r y ...................

19
31

T o ta l

241

141

142

B ULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

Of these complaints 234 were satisfactorily adjusted, 94.1 per cent
of these adjustments being made by the clerks while the remainder,
5.9 per cent or 14 cases, were referred to and adjusted by the board
of grievances of the industry.
C ASE S A D JU ST E D BY T H E C L E R K S.

Among the complaints adjusted by the clerks the grievances
complained of most frequently were: Preferring non-union help,
72 cases; unequal division of work, 42; alleged wrongful discharge, 28;
dispute in price making, 27; underscale payment, 17; and discrimina­
tion against individuals, 1 1 . These six classifications constituted
a total of 197 cases or 89.5 per cent of the total number adjusted by the
clerks. The remaining 10.5 per cent embraced 1 2 separate classifica­
tions in each of which there were between one and five complaints.
The following table shows the disposition of cases of each class
adjusted by the clerks:
D IS P O S IT IO N

OF C ASES A D J U S T E D B Y T H E
NATURE

C L E R K S , M A R , 8, 1913 T O M A R . 8, 1914, B Y

O F G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of d isposition.

N a tu r e of grievance.

T o ta l.

F a v o r of
u nion.

F a v o r of
association.

C om p ro­
m ised.

D rop p ed .

W it h ­
draw n.

N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per
ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent.

Preferring nonu nion h e lp ..................
U n e q u a l d ivision of w o rk ..................
A lle g e d w rongfu l d isch arge..............
D isp u te in price m a k in g .....................
U n d erscale p a y m e n t .............................
D iscrim in ation against in d iv id ­
uals ..............................................................
Pressers w orking b y p iec e................
C o m p ellin g w ork on unsettled
garm ents 1................................................
C han ging system from w eek to
piece ...........................................................
Cessation of w o r k 2.................................
S a m p le m ak ers w ork on s t o c k ____
E m p lo y e r d oing h is ow n pressin g.
“ Corporation system ” (m e n w ork
in s e t s ) ......................................................
S am p les m ad e b y p iec e .......................
R ed uction o f piece prices .
D iscrim in ation in favor of outside
shop
E m p lo y e r doing his ow n c u ttin g ..
..............
C laim for wages d u e . .

72
42
28
27
17

65
17
4

90 .3
40. 5
14 .3

6

11
5

2
3

1

5 0 .0

1

5 0 .0

2
1
1
1
1
1

T o t a l.................................................. 3 220

4
6
7
2
8

5 .6
14. 3
25. 0
7. 4
47.1

3
3
7

4. 2
7.1
25 .0

3

27 .3

4

36 .4

1

9 .1

1

33 .3

1

33 .3

1

50 .0

32

14 .5

15

6 .8

35 .3

14. 3
25. 0
22 .2
11 .8

10
3
19
1

18 .2
CO.O

1
2

9 .1
4 0 .0

1

33 .3

3
2
2
2
2

8
7
4
9

6
7
6
2

23.
10.
70.
5.

2 100.0
1 i 5 0 .0
2 1100.0

2 100.0
1 100.0
1 100.0
I
1 100.0
1 1 00.0
1 1C0.0
103

4 6 .8

33

i
I

15 .0

37

16 .8

1 A ccording to agreem ent m en m a y refuse to w ork before price is settled.
2 F iled b y the association.
3 Seven cases are p en din g; 14 referred to board of governors, m ak in g total of 241.

The most frequent single complaint was that of preferring nonunion
help, 72 cases, or about one-third of the total number of complaints
adjusted by the clerks. The percentage of decisions favorable to
the complainant in this classification was rather high, 90.3 per cent of




APP.

E.---- CONCILIATION

IN

CLOAK

IN DU STRY, BOSTON,

MASS.

143

these complaints haying been decided in favor of the union.1 The
relatively high percentage of favorable decisions in these complaints
should be noted with special reference to the fact that in the dress
and waist industry of the same city, under a similar agreement, of
14 such complaints none were decided in favor of the complainant.
In complaints of alleged wrongful discharge and of discrimination
against individuals the percentages of decisions in favor of the com­
plainant were 14.3 and 18.2, respectively, the lowest “ scores” made
by the union in any of its more or less important grievances.
Some of the grievances complained of by the union would tend to
show the existence in the city of Boston of manufacturing of cloaks
and suits on a very small scale. Two complaints were filed of the
employer doing his own pressing, and one of the employer doing his
own cutting. In view of the fact that less than 40 firms are engaged
in the manufacturing of cloaks and suits in the city of Boston, such
complaints show a scale of manufacturing almost entirely unknown
in New York City.
The 220 cases adjusted by the clerks were disposed of in the fol­
lowing manner: In favor of union, 46.8 per cent; compromised,
16.8 per cent; in favor of association, 15 per cent; dropped, 14.5
per cent; withdrawn, 6 .8 per cent.
CASES ADJUSTED BY THE BOARD OF GRIEVANCES.

Of the 14 cases adjusted by the board 4 were complaints of alleged
wrongful discharge, 3 of underscale payment, 3 of nonprotocol con­
ditions, and 2 of violation of hours of labor. Only 1 of the 14 cases
adjusted by the board was filed by the association; this was a com­
plaint of interference with conduct of factory and was decided in favor
of the complainant. The following table shows the disposition of
cases adjusted by the board:
D IS P O S IT IO N

OF C ASES A D J U S T E D

BY

THE

BOARD

M A R . 8, 1914, B Y N A T U R E

O F G R I E V A N C E S M A R . 8, 1913, T O

O F G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of disposition.
N a tu re of grievance.

T otal.
Favor of
u nion.

A lle ged w rongful discharge..................................
U nderscale p a y m e n t ................................................
N on p ro tocol c o n d itio n s..........................................
V iolation of hours o f la b o r ...................................
U n eq u a l d istribu tion of w o r k ............................
Interference w ith cond uct of factory 2 ..........

4
3
3
2
1
1

2
3

T o t a l....................................................................
Percentage........................................................

14
100.0

6
42.9

F avor of
associa-

C om pro­
m ised.

1

D rop p ed .

W it h ­
draw n.

1
2
2

1
1
1
2
14.3

1
7.1

5
3 5 .7

1 W h e n officials of the u nion find a nonunion worker em ployed in a shop belonging to a m em b er of the
association, th e p a rty to th e protocol, th e union u su a lly files a co m p la in t o f preferring n onunion help.
Com plaints of this k ind are also filed w hen m em bers of the union th a t w ork in association shops refuse to
p a y their dues. A decision for the union in such cases virtually m eans th at the em ployer requests the
worker to join the union or to becom e a m em b er in good standing.
2 F iled b y the association.




144

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

By general disposition groups, the cases referred to the board were
adjusted as follows: In favor of union, 42.9 per cent; dropped, 35.7
per cent; in favor of association, 14.3 per cent; compromised, 7.1 per
cent. None of the cases referred to this board were withdrawn.
TEXT OF TH E PROTOCOL.
P

o p A g r e e m e n t entered into this 8th day of March, 1913, between The
Boston Ladies’ Garment Manufacturers’ Association (hereinafter called the u manu­
facturers” ) and The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (representing
The Cloak and Skirt Makers’ Union, Local No. 56; Pressers’ Union, Local No. 12,
and Cutters’ Union, Local No. 73; hereinafter called the “ unions” ).

rotocol

Whereas differences have arisen between the manufacturers and their employees
who are members of the unions with regard to various matters, and it is now desired
by the parties hereto to arrive at an understanding with regard to the future relations
between the manufacturers and their employees, it is therefore stipulated as follows:
First. There shall be no time contracts with individual shop employees, except
foremen, designers, and pattern graders. No deposit shall be exacted from any
employee, and any deposit now held snail be returned.
Second. No employee shall be discharged for his or her activity in the union. A
member of the union illegally discharged shall be refunded for loss of time. The
manufacturers w ill discipline any member thereof proven guilty of unfair discrim­
ination among his employees. Both the manufacturers and the unions agree that
they will discipline any of their members who are guilty of a violation of the pro­
visions of this agreement.
Third. The manufacturers will establish a regular weekly pay day, and they will
pay for labor in cash, ana each pieceworker will be paid on the regular pay day for
all work delivered as soon as his work is inspected and approved, which shall be
within a reasonable time.
Fourth. All subcontracting within shops shall be abolished. No teamwork or
so-called “ corporation system” shall be allowed. Each member must work directly
for and be paid by the employer.
Fifth. The following schedule of the standard minimum weekly scale of wages
shall be observed:
Per w eek.

Cutters..................................................................................................................................
Trimmers.............................................................................................................................
Coat pressers........................................................................................................................
Coat underpressers.............................................................................................................
Skirt pressers.......................................................................................................................
Skirt underpressers............................................................................................................
Sample coat makers..........................................................................................................
Sample skirt makers..........................................................................................................

$24
18
24
19
22
17
24
22

Cutters and pressers shall work on time basis only. No week worker shall be dis­
charged before the end of the week during which he is employed, excepting only
during the first six working days of his employment.
All operators and finishers of cloaks and skirts shall be paid at the piece rate only.
During the dull season, when there is not sufficient work to employ all workers full
time, all work in the factory shall be equally distributed among all hands in the
various branches of the above locals, respectively, as far as practical.
Sixth. As to piecework, the price to be paid shall be as agreed upon by the com­
mittee of the employees in each shop and their employers.




APP.

E.---- CONCILIATION

IN

CLOAK

INDUSTRY,

BOSTON,

MASS.

145

The chairman of said price committee shall act as representative of the employees
in their dealing with the employer. No employee working by the piece shall be
expected to work on any garment nntil the price for such work shall have been agreed
upon.
Seventh. The weekly hours of labor shall consist of fifty (50) in six (6) working
days during the nine (9) months commencing September 1 in each year. Nine (9)
hours on all days except Saturday, which shall consist of five (5) hours only. During
the remaining three (3) months, namely, June, July, and August, weekly hours
shall consist of forty-nine (49) in six (6) working days, to wit, nine (9) hours on all
days except Saturday, and four (4) hours on that day.
Eighth. No overtime work shall be permitted on Saturday.
Ninth. For overtime work all week workers shall receive one and one-half (1J)
the usual pay during the present season and be paid on not less than that basis there­
after.
Tenth. The union representative of a duly elected committee, accompanied by a
representative appointed by the manufacturers’ association, shall be allowed to visit
shops at all reasonable times to ascertain whether union conditions are observed.
Eleventh. Each member of the manufacturers is to maintain a union shop— “ union
shop” being understood to refer to a shop where union standards as to working con­
ditions, hours of labor, and rates of wages as herein stipulated prevail, and where,
when hiring help, union men are preferred, it being recognized that since there are
differences in degrees of skill among those employed in the trade, employers shall
have freedom of selection as between one union man and another and shall not be
confined to any list nor bound to follow any prescribed order whatever.
Twelfth. The manufacturers declare their belief in the union and that all who
desire its benefit should share in its burdens.
Thirteenth. The parties hereto establish a joint board of sanitary control, to con­
sist of three members composed of one nominee of the manufacturers, one nominee
of the unions, and one nominee who w ill represent the public. Said board is em­
powered to establish standards of sanitary conditions to which the manufacturers
and the unions shall be committed, and the manufacturers and unions obligate them­
selves to maintain such standards to the best of their ability and to the full extent
of their power.
Fourteenth. The parties hereto establish a board of arbitration, to consist of three
members, composed of one nominee of the manufacturers, one nominee of the unions,
and one representative of the public, this last representative to be selected by the
manufacturers and the unions jointly.
Fifteenth. To such board shall be submitted any differences hereafter arising
between the parties hereto or between any of the members of the manufacturers and
any of the members of the unions, and a decision of such board of arbitration shall be
accepted as final and conclusive between the parties to such controversy.
Sixteenth. In the event of any dispute arising between the manufacturers and
the unions, or between any members of the manufacturers and any members of the
unions, the parties to this protocol agree that there shall be no strike or lockout con­
cerning such matters in controversy until full opportunity shall have been given for
the submission of such matters to said board of arbitration, and, in the event of a deter­
mination of said controversy by said board of arbitration, only in the event of a fail­
ure to accede to the determination of said board.
Seventeenth. The parties hereby establish a committee on grievances, consisting
of six members, composed as follows: Three (3) to be named by the manufacturers
and three (3) by the unions. To said committee shall be submitted all grievances
arising in connection with the relations between the manufacturers and their em39573°— Bull. 145— 14------ 10




146

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

ployees. The decisions of such committee or majority thereof shall be final. If
there is a tie vote in said committee, the question at issue may be appealed to the
board of arbitration.
Eighteenth. In the event of any vacancy in the aforesaid boards or in the afore­
said committees by reason of death, resignation, or disability of any of the members
thereof, such vacancy in respect to any appointee by the manufacturers and unions,
respectively, shall be filled by the body originally designating the person with respect
to whom such vacancy shall occur. In the event that such vacancy shall occur among
the representatives of the public on such boards, such vacancy shall be filled in the
same manner as the original appointment.
Ninteenth. Upon application in writing by either the manufacturers or the unions,
future conferences may be called to discuss any matters which may be declared
necessary for the benefit of the parties hereto.
B

By

L

oston

Ju
L.

A .

A

a d ie s

’ G

ar m e n t

M

a n u f a c tu r e r s

’ A

s s o c ia t io n

President.
b r a m s o n , Vice President.

P

l iu s

r ic e

,

Countersigned by executive committee:




M

R

u d y

II.

G

D

a v id

G

eor ge

I

By

M

C

br ah am
br ah am

opelof

l ic k m a n

o s c o w it z

K
M

,

Chairman.

.

n t e r n a t io n a l

A
A

B.

a x w e l l

Joseph

L

.

.

a d ie s

it c h e l l

,

’ G

a r m e n t

President.
Vice President.

o se n b er g

,

W

o r k e r s

’ U

n io n

.

.

APPENDIX Fo
CONCILIATION, ARBITRATION, AND SANITATION IN THE
DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY OF BOSTON, MASS.
ADJUSTMENT OF GRIEVANCES.

The circumstances under which this agreement was signed are
described by the president of the manufacturers7 association in a
prefatory note to the text of the protocol, as follows:
The principles of the protocol hereinafter set forth were adopted after discussion of
over two weeks. When the strike in the dress and waist industry was called, the
manufacturers’ association was formed for the purpose of resisting what the body
thought was unjust demands, unreasonable increase of wages, and the reformation of
conditions which did not exist. The fact that the strike was going on under very
great excitement in the city tended to strengthen their opinion that the strike was
called for the usual purpose charged to unions, namely, for their selfish benefit,
regardless of the interest of their employers.

Two weeks afterwards, through efforts of some of the publicspirited citizens of Boston, a conference of the opposing parties
took place. Representatives of the manufacturers7 association and
of the International Ladies7 Garment Workers7 Union finally adopted
this agreement, thus reversing the policy of the dress and waist man­
ufacturers of Boston since the industry originated.
The relatively successful experiences of similar agreements in
allied needle trades of New York City and Boston were responsible,
to a great extent, for the comparative readiness of the manufacturers7
association to change their time-honored policies of individual bar­
gaining.
The agreement was signed on March 15, 1913. Up to February 1 ,
1914, a total of 124 complaints were filed. Of these, 117 were made
by the unions and 7 by the manufacturers7 association. Of the
total number filed, 116 were satisfactorily adjusted; 8 are still
pending adjustment. By agencies, the adjustments were made as
follows: Clerks, 82 per cent; board of grievances, 18 per cent.
CASE S A D JU ST E D BY T H E C LE R K S.

Of the total number of cases adjusted by the clerks, 6.3 per cent
were filed by members of the manufacturers7 association. Half of
these were complaints of cessation of work— all adjudicated in favor
of the complainant. The table following shows the disposition of
the 96 cases adjusted by the clerks.




147

148

BULLETIN OF TITE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

D I S P O S I T I O N O F C A S E S A D J U S T E D B Y T H E C L E R K S ,. M A R . 15, 1913, T O
NATURE

F E B . 1, 1914, B Y

OF G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of disposition.

N atu re of grievance.

F a v o r of
u nion .

Total.

F avor of
association.

C om ­
prom ised.

D rop p ed .

W ith d r a w n .

N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per N u m ­ P er N u m ­ Per N u m ­ Per
ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent. ber. cent.

A lleged w rongful d isch arge..............
U n eq u a l division of w ork ..................
Preferring n onu nion h e lp ..................
N on p ro tocol cond ition s.......................
M iscellaneous.............................................
Failure to p a y stipu lated increases.
Irregular rate for o v e rtim e ................
Cessation of w o r k 1.................................
D isp u te in m ak in g of prices 1..........
V iolation of hours of la b o r ................
Pressers em p loyed b y piece..............
Failure to p rovide list of settled
garm e n ts..................................................
U nderscale p a y m e n t.............................
C hanging system of w o r k ..................
C om pelling w ork on u nsettled
garm e n ts..................................................
“ Corporation sy s t e m 7’ (m e n w*ork
in s e t s )......................................................
P a y in g b y check ..................................
Charging for n eed les..............................
L a c k of system of accounting of
finished w ork ........................................

20
18
14
11
5
5
4
3
3
2
2

T o t a l ...............................................

2 96

3
2

1 5 .0
11.1

2

18 .2

3
2

60.' o"
5 0 .0

1
1

5 0 .0
5 0 .0

2
1
1

1

50 .0

1

1 100.0

1
1
1

1 100.0
1 100.0
1 100.0

1

1
1

9 .1
2 0 .0

3

100.0

20 .8

3 0 .0
55. 6
78 .6
2 7 .3

2

6 6 .7

6
2

30 .0
11.1

1
1
1
1

9 .1
20 .0
2 0 .0
25 .0

5
4
3
4
3
1
1

25 .0
2 2 .2
21.4
36 .4
6 0 .0
2 0 .0
2 5 .0

1
1
1

3 3 .3
5 0 .0
5 0 .0

1
1
1

50 .0
100.0
100.0

27

28.1

i
i

1 100.0
20

6
10
11
3

1
5

5 .2

!
32

33.3

12

12 .5

1 F iled b y the association.
2 Four cases were p ending settlem ent, m a k in g total of 100.

The grievances complained of most frequently, constituting over
65 per cent of the total filed, were: Alleged wrongful discharge,
unequal division of work, preferring nonunion help, and nonprotocol
conditions, the respective percentage of favorable decisions secured
by the union in each of these grievances having been 15, 11.1, 0,
and 18.2.
The 96 adjustments made by the clerks were as follows: Compro­
mised, 33.3 percent; withdrawn, 28.1 percent; in favor of union, 20.8
per cent; dropped, 12.5 per cent; in favor of association, 5.2 per cent.
These adjustments afford interesting comparisons with the per­
centages of favorable decisions secured by the union in the same
classes of grievances in an allied trade, conducted under a similar
arrangement— the cloak industry of Boston.
C O M P A R A T IV E P E R C E N T A G E S O F F A V O R A B L E D E C IS IO N S S E C U R E D B Y T H E U N IO N S
IN G R IE V A N C E S

OF

THE

SAM E

S U IT , A N D S K IR T A N D IN T H E




CLASSES

ADJUSTED

D R E SS A N D W A IS T

BY

CLERKS

P ercentage of favor­
able decisions.
N a tu re of grievance.

IN

THE

IN D U S T R IE S , B O S T O N .

Cloak
indus­
try .

Alleged w rongful discharge................................
14.3
U n eq u a l division of w o r k ...................................
40 .5
Preferring n onunion h e lp ...................................
90 .3

Dress and
w aist in­
dustry.
15.0
11.1

CLOAK,

APP. F.---- CONCILIATION IN DRESS INDUSTRY BOSTON, MASS.

149

This table shows that while the status of the right of the employers
to discharge their help is almost the same in both industries, com­
plaints of unequal distribution of work and of preferring nonunion
help are being adjusted in a totally different manner. This seems to
be particularly true with reference to the adjudication of complaints
of violations of the preferential clause of the agreement. The clerks
in the cloak industry gave 90 per cent of favorable decisions in such
complaints, while in the dress and waist industry no favorable deci­
sions were given.
CASES ADJUSTED BY THE BOARD OF GRIEVANCES.

Of the 24 cases referred to this board, three are still pending settle­
ment. The highest number of cases in a single classification— seven,
or one-third of the total adjusted— were complaints of alleged wrong­
ful discharge, only one of these having been sustained in favor of the
complaining party. Of the three complaints of failure to pay stipu­
lated increases referred to the board, two were sustained. In general,
the 21 cases adjusted were disposed of in the following way: Com­
promised, 9 or 42.8 per cent; in favor of union, 6 or 28.6 per cent;
withdrawn, 4 or 19 per cent; in favor of association, 1 or 4.8 per cent;
dropped, 1 or 4.8 per cent.
D IS P O S IT IO N

OF

CASES

ADJUSTED

BY

THE

BOARD

T O F E B . 1, 1914, B Y N A T U R E

OF

G R I E V A N C E S , M A R . 15, 1913,

O F G R IE V A N C E .

N a tu re of disposition.
T o ta l.

N a tu r e of grievance.

F a v o r of
u nion .

£ lleged w rongfu l discharge..................................
F ailu re to p a y stip u lated increases................
Preferring n on u n ion h e lp .....................................
V io la tio n of h ours o f la b o r ...................................
Irregular rate for o v e rtim e ...................................
D u a l sv stem o f w o r k ...............................................
T h reatening e m p lo v ee s..........................................
D isp u te in price m a k in g .......................................
In com peten cy o f v /o rk er.......................................
U nderscale p a v m e n t ................................................
E m p lo y e es refuse to w ork on settled gar­
m ents 1..........................................................................

7
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

T o t a l....................................................................
P ercentage......................................................................

2 21
100.0

F a v o r of
associa­
tion.

1
2
1
1
1

Com pro­
m ised.

W it h ­
d raw n.

D rop p ed .

4

1
1

1

2

I

1
1
1

1
1

1

1

1
6
2 8 .6

1
4 .8

9
4 2 .8

1

I
1
4 .8

4
19.0

1 Filed b y the association.
? T hree cases were p en din g, m aking the total of cases referred to this board 24.

TEXT OF THE PROTOCOL.

entered into this 15th day of March, 1913, between the Boston
Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Association (hereinafter called the “ manufacturers ” )
and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, representing the Cloak and
Skirt Makers’ Union, Local No. 56, Pressers’ Union, Local No. 12, Cutters’ Union,
Local No. 73, and Waist and Dress Makers’ Union, Local No. 49 (hereinafter called
the “ unions” ).
Whereas differences have arisen between the manufacturers and their employees
who are members of the unions with regard to various matters, and it is now desired
P ro to co l A g ree m en t




150

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

b y the parties hereto to arrive at an understanding with regard to the future relations
between the manufacturers and their employees, it is therefore stipulated as follows:
First. There shall be no time contracts with individual shop employees, except
foremen, designers, and pattern graders. No deposit shall be exacted from any em­
ployee, and any deposit now held shall be returned.
Second. No employee shall be discharged for his or her activity in the union. A
member of the union illegally discharged shall be refunded for loss of time. The
manufacturers w ill discipline any member thereof proven guilty of unfair discrimina­
tion among his employees. Both the manufacturers and the unions agree that they
will discipline any of their members who are guilty of a violation of the provisions
of this agreement.
Third. The manufacturers will establish a regular weekly pay day, Saturday or
Monday to be the pay day, and they will pay for labor in cash, and each pieceworker
will be paid on the regular pay day for all work delivered as soon as his work is inspected
and approved, which shall be within a reasonable time.
Fourth. All subcontracting within shops shall be abolished. No teamwork or
so-called “ corporation system ” shall be allowed. Each member must work directly
for and be paid b y the employer.
Fifth. The following schedule of the standard minimum weekly scale of wages shall
be observed:
Per w eek .

Cutters............................................... - .............................................................. .................... $24
Pressers.................................................................................................................................... 20
Underpressers......................................................................................................................... 16
No employee shall receive less than $6 per week as a minimum wage.
During the dull season, when there is not sufficient work to employ all workers full
time, all work in the factory shall be equally distributed among all hands in the various
branches of the above locals respectively as far as practical.
Sixth. As to piecework, the price to be paid shall be as agreed upon b y the com­
mittee of the employees in each shop and their employers.
The chairman of said price committee shall act as representative of the employees
in their dealing with the employer. No employee working b y the piece shall be
expected to work on any garment until the price for such work shall have been agreed
upon.
A list of piece prices shall be posted in a conspicuous place in every shop of the
association.
A ll workers (pieceworkers) shall be furnished with small notebooks, wherein shall
be recorded all work made and delivered and prices attached thereto.
Seventh. The weekly hours of labor shall consist of fifty (50) in six (6) working
days during the nine (9) months commencing September 1 in each year. Nine (9)
hours on all days except Saturday, which shall consist of five (5) hours only. During
the remaining three (3) months, namely, June, July, and August, weekly hours shall
consist of forty-nine (49) in six (6) work days; to wit, nine (9) hours on all days except
Saturday, and four (4) hours on that day.
Eighth. Overtime work shall be limited to not more than four hours per week, with
the exception of cutters and pressers, who shall be limited to not more than six hours
per week. No overtime work shall be permitted on Saturday.
Ninth. For overtime work all week workers shall receive one and one-half (1J) the
usual pay.
Tenth. No one part of work shall be made b y two systems, meaning week and
piece work.
Eleventh. The union representative of a duly elected committee, accompanied b y
a representative appointed by the manufacturers* association, shall be allowed to
visit shops at all reasonable times to ascertain whether union conditions are observed.




APP. P.— CONCILIATION IN DRESS INDUSTRY BOSTON, MASS.

151

Twelfth. Each member of the manufacturers is to maintain a union shop; “ union
shop ” being understood to refer to a shop where union standards as to working con­
ditions, hours of labor, and rates of wages as herein stipulated prevail, and where, when
hiring help, union men are preferred, it being recognized that since there are differ­
ences in degrees of skill among those employed in the trade, employers shall have
freedom of selection as between one union man and another, and shall not be confined
to any list nor bound to follow any prescribed order whatever.
Thirteenth. The manufacturers declare their belief in the union, and that all who
desire its benefit should share in its burdens.
Fourteenth. The parties hereto establish a joint board of sanitary control, to consist
of three members composed of one nominee of the manufacturers, one nominee of the
unions, and one nominee who will represent the public. Said board is empowered
to establish standards of sanitary conditions to which the manufacturers and the unions
shall be committed, and the manufacturers and the unions obligate themselves to
maintain such standards to the best of their ability and to the full extent of their power.
Fifteenth. The parties hereto establish a board of arbitration, to consist of three
members, composed of one nominee of the manufacturers, one nominee of the unions,
and one representative of the public, this last representative to be selected b y the
manufacturers and the unions jointly.
Sixteenth. To such board shall be submitted any differences hereafter arising
between the parties hereto or between any of the members of the manufacturers and
any of the members of the unions, and a decision of such board of arbitration shall be
accepted as final and conclusive between the parties to such controversy.
Seventeenth. In the event of any dispute arising between the manufacturers and
the unions, or between any members of the manufacturers and any members of the
unions, the parties to this protocol agree that there shall be no strike or lockout con­
cerning such matters in controversy until full opportunity shall have been given for
the submission of such matters to said board of arbitration, and, in the event of a
determination of said controversy b y said board of arbitration, only in the event of a
failure to accede to the determination of said board.
Eighteenth. The parties hereby establish a committee on grievances, consisting of
six members, composed as follows: Three (3) to be named b y the manufacturers and
three (3) b y the unions. To said committee shall be submitted all grievances arising
in connection with the relations between the manufacturers and their employees.
The decisions of such committee or majority thereof shall be final. If there is a tie
vote in said committee, the question at issue may be appealed to the board of arbitra­
tion.
Nineteenth. In the event of any vacancy in the aforesaid boards or in the aforesaid
committees b y reason of death, resignation, or disability of any of the members thereof,
such vacancy in respect to any appointee b y the manufacturers and unions respec­
tively shall be filled b y the body originally designating the person with respect to
whom such vacancy shall occur. In the event that such vacancy shall occur among
the representatives of the public on such boards, such vacancy shall be filled in the
same manner as the original appointment.
Twentieth. Upon application in writing b y either the manufacturers or the unions,
future conferences may be called to discuss any matters which may be declared
necessary for the benefit of the parties hereto.
In witness whereof the parties hereunto affix their signatures, being duly authorized
thereunto.
I

n t e r n a t io n a l

B y A braham
B o sto n
B y H erm an




L

a d ie s

R osen berg,

L a d ie s ’ D r e s s
F e ffe r ,

’ G

a r m e n t

W

o r k e r s

’ U

n io n

,

President.
&

W a is t

President.

M a n u fa c tu r e r s ’ A s s o c ia tio n ,

APPENDIX G.
o f A g r e e m e n t made by and b e tw e e n ---------------------, composing the
firm o f -------------------- , in the Borough of Manhattan, city of New York, party of the
first part, hereinafter called the firm, and the Amalgamated Ladies’ Garment Cut­
ters’ Association, Local No. 10, and the Ladies’ Waist and Dress Makers’ Union,
Local No. 25, both affiliated with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’
Union, party of the second part, hereinafter called the union.

M em oran d u m

Whereas, the union is composed of competent mechanics and the firm is desirous
to employ the members of the union to perform all the work in the firm’ s place of
business, it is
Now, in consideration of the sum of one dollar each to the other in hand paid before
the signing of this agreement, and in consideration of the mutual promises herein
made, agreed as follows:
I. The firm hereby agrees to and with the union to employ members of the union
to perform the cutting, operating, pressing, finishing, draping, cleaning, examining,
and buttonhole making required in the making of dresses and waists manufactured
b y the firm during the period commencing this day and terminating--------- . And the
union hereby agrees to furnish and does furnish, at the signing of this agreement, out
of its membership, mechanics competent to perform the work above mentioned.
II. The firm hereby agrees to employ members in good standing with the union,
irrespective of sex.
III. That the wages of cutters shall be twenty-five ($25) dollars a week, and that
all cutters are to be employed b y the week, from week to week, and to be paid a full
week’ s wrages for any fraction of the wTeek worked b y them, unless the said cutters will
have absented themselves from the shop voluntarily and without fault of the firm.
There shall be not more than one apprentice for each five cutters employed, but in
case there shall be less than five (5) cutters, one apprentice may be employed. A t
least one cutter shall be employed in each shop.
IV . Wage3 shall be paid in cash to pieceworkers not later than Tuesday for wrork
done up to previous Saturday, and to week workers on Saturday. Piece and w^eek
workers to be paid in accordance with schedule A annexed hereto. All week workers
to be paid for a day’ s wages or any fraction of a day that they may be required to work
b y the firm. This provision shall not apply to cutters.
V. A working week shall consist of fifty (50) hours. The following shall be the reg­
ular hours of labor: During the first five days of the week from 8 a. m. to 12 noon;
from 1 p. m. to 6 p. m. Saturdays from 8 a. m. to 1 p. m.
V I. Overtime: No more than four hours in any one week, nor two hours in any one
d a y . Cutters, not more than 2\ hours in any one day. No overtime between Saturday
1 p. m. to Monday 8 a. m. Week workers to be paid at the rate of double pay, but at
no time shall any of the employees of the firm work overtime unless all of the members
of the union employed by the firm in a particular department work full time.
V II. That no contracting or subcontracting shall be permitted by the firm inside
of the factory.
V III. No work shall be sent out to any contractor without permission of the union.
Such contractors must maintain union shops and employ members of the union, and
the firm further agrees that the members of the union employed b y the contractor shall
be paid for the work done b y them in accordance with the price list hereto attached
(schedule A ) . The firm further agrees to pay any and all wages of any and all of the
152




APP. G.---- INDEPENDENT AGREEMENT IN DRESS INDUSTRY, N . Y .

153

employees of its contractors should any of its contractors fail to pay the wages earned
by the employees of the contractors.
IX . The firm is to furnish to all employees, free of charge, sewing machines driven
by electric power, and ail parts of machines. Such machines to be in charge of a
competent machinist, and all requisites for work, such as needles, cotton, silk, straps,
etc.
X . The firm agrees to employ all of its employees by piece, except cutters, sample
makers, pressers, cleaners, drapers, examiners, and finishers shall be employed by the
week only.
X I . No employee shall be required to work on any of the ten legal holidays. All
legal holidays to be paid for. Refraining from work on the first of May shall not be
considered a breach of this contract.
X I I . That the firm agrees to distribute equally between the members of the union
in its employ, as far as practicable, any and all work required by it in the making
of waists and dresses.
X I I I . The union shall have the privilege to have a shop chairman selected b y per­
sons employed in the factory, who shall act as their representative in dealing with the
firm. A duly authorized officer or representative of the union shall have free access
to the factory for the purpose of investigating the conditions of the shop as regards
sanitation, fire prevention and general safety, and shall also have the right to commu­
nicate with the employees to ascertain information regarding the existing conditions.
X IV . There shall be in each shop a piece-price committee, selected b y the work­
ers, whose duty it shall be to so adjust and settle with the employers all prices on piece­
work. Employees are not to be required to work on any garments before such an
adjustment has been effected. In settling prices, the price per garment shall be based
upon the estimated number of solid hours it w ill take an experienced worker of aver­
age tfpeed to make a garment without interruption, multiplied by the standard price
per hour. For this purpose a worker shall be selected b y the price committee with
the consent of the firm, who shall make the test for the purpose of determining the
number of solid hours it will take to make the garment in question. The standard
rate of hours shall be approxim ately--------- per hour.
X V . That no work shall be given to employees to be done at home.
X V I. The firm is not to enter into individual agreements with any of its said
employees nor should any security be accepted from them or required.
X V II. Neither the firm nor any of its contractors shall require any of its employees
(nor shall any employee be permitted) to do work on orders placed b y firms or contrac­
tors whose employees are on strike in the city of New York or elsewhere.
X V I I I . That no member of the union shall be discharged b y the firm without good
and sufficient cause.
X I X . The firm hereby agrees to keep their factory in proper sanitary condition.
The standards to be such as the joint board of sanitary control established under the
protocol of peace now existing between the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’
Union and the Waist and Dress Manufacturers’ Association may determine.
X X . The firm agrees to com ply with any decision of the board of arbitration estab­
lished under the protocol of peace entered into by the union and the Waist and Dress
Manufacturers’ Association.
X X I . The firm further agrees to give access to and open their books and accounts
of the pay and earnings of their employees to the representative of the union for the
purpose of ascertaining if the scales stipulated in this agreement are lived up to and
complied with.
X X I I . It is agreed that whereas the damages which the union is likely to sustain,
by reason of the violation of the terms of this contract b y the employers, are incapable
of exact ascertainment, tbat in the event of a violation of the terms of this contract
by the employers, the employers shall pay to the union the sum of $--------- as liqui­
dated damages.




154

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOB STATISTICS.

As security for the faithful performance of the terms of this agreement and as security
for the payment of the said sum of money provided to be paid as liquidated damages,
the firm shall deposit with the union a promissory note for the sum of $--------- .
The note is to become the property of the union upon the occurring of a violation
of the agreement b y the employer.
That this contract is to remain in full force and effect for a period commencing
t h e ------ day of ---------- and ending t h e ------- day o f ------- — .
In witness whereof the firm has authorized one of its members to sign and seal this
contract, and the union has authorized one of its officers, to wit, ----------------------to
sign its name and seal this contract with its corporate seal this------ day o f ---------- , 191— .
Signed and sealed in the presence of—

----------------------- [L . s.]
A m a lg a m a te d
and T h e

L a d ie s ’ G a rm e n t

L a d ie s ’ W a is t

and

D ress

u tt e r s

L ocal

M a k e r s ’ U n io n , L o c a l

S c h e d u le
C

N o . 10,
N o . 25.
I. L. G. W. U.
B y -------------------- [l . s .]

C u t t e r s ’ U n io n ,

A.

:

Full-fledged cutters shall receive not less than $25 per week.
Apprentices shall be divided into three grades—
Grade A — Apprentices of less than one year’ s standing.
Grade B—Apprentices of more than one and less than two years’ standing.
Grade C— Apprentices of more than two and less than three years’ standing.
Apprentices shall receive—
Grade A—$6 per week.
Grade B— $12 per week.
Grade C— $18 per week.
On or about the 15th day of June and November in each year, Local No. 10 shall
hold an examination for the purpose of admitting apprentices of grade C to the class
of full-fledged cutters.
After January 1, 1914, the following rule shall be adopted:
In each shop there shall be not more than one apprentice for each five cutters em­
ployed, but in case there shall be less than five cutters employed, one apprentice
may b e employed.
Drapers not less than $----------per week.
Examiners not less than $--------- per week.
Sample hands not less than $--------- per week.
Ironers not less than $--------- per week.
Pressers not less than $------ —■per week.
Cleaners not less than $--------- per week.
Finishers not less than $--------- per week.
Lace runners, 20 cents per 100 yards, two stitchings; 25 cents per 100 yards for more
than two stitchings.
Tuckers, short tucks, lingerie, lawn, cotton voiles, plain cotton goods, 16 cents per
100 yards for solid tucking; six short tucks for a cent; silk goods, 22 cents per 100
yards. Silk goods, 5 short tucks for 1 cent. Silk and net goods, 22 cents per 100
yards for solid tucking; four short tucks for 1 cent. Chiffon material, four short
tucks for 1 cent. Solid tucking, 30 cents per 100 yards. Up to five-needle
machine, 25 cents per 100 yards. Over five-needle machine, 35 cents per 100
yards.
Buttonhole m akers,--------- cents per 100.
Button sewers, —■—■
—• cents per 100; union-special machine, plain goods, 10 c<^nts
per dozen.
Closers and hemmers, foot hemming machines, 10 cents per dozen; union-special
machines, 8 cents per dozen; hemming silk, 15 cents per dozen.




APPENDIX H.
COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS IN THE MEN’S CLOTHING TRADES.
Tar ties to tho agreement...........................

Union-Mad o Garment Man­
ufacturers' Association of
America and United Gar­
ment Workers of America.

Ilart, Schaffner A Marx Co.
and tho Joint Hoard of
Garment W orkers ( U nitod
G a r m e n t Workers of
America).

EosC Sido Retail Clothing
Manufacturers' Associa­
tion mid United Garment
Workers of America.

Boys' Clothing Manufactur­
ers of Greater New York
and U n ite d G a r m e n t
Workers of America.1

Metropolitan M e r c h a n t
Tailors' Association and
United Garment Workers
of America.

Now York Clothing Trades
Association, Tailors to tho
Trade Association, Amer­
ican Clothing Manufactur­
ers’ A s s o c i a t io n , and
United Garment Workers
of America.

Boys* Wash Suit Manufac­
turers’ Association and
United Garment Workers
of America.

Rochester Clothiers’ Ex­
change and United Gar­
ment Workers of Amer­
ica.*

Wholcssalo Clothing Manufocturers* Association and
United Garment Worker*
of America.

Textile Union Finishers’
Association and Cloth E x­
aminers’ and Spongers’
Union.

Associated Fur Manufactur­
ers, Mutual Protective Fur
Manufacturers'
Associa­
tion, and Furriers’ Union
of New York and vicinity
and Furriers’ Union of
Greater New York.*

City and date................................................

Dec. 4, 1908; renewed Dec.
1G, 1909, Dec. 5, 1912.“

Chicago, III., Mar. 13,1911,
Apr. 1,1912, Mar. 29,1913.*

New York City, Feb. 14,
1913.

New York City, Feb. 24,
1913.

New York City. Feb. 2G,
1913.

New York City, Feb. 28,
1913.

Now York City, Mar. 5,1913,

Rochester, N . Y ., Mar. 19,
1913.

Boston, Mass., Apr. 17,1913.. New York City, Dec. 10,
1913.

New York City, Sept. 6,1912.

Articles manufactured............................. .

Overalls, shirts, and pants.. Men’s clothing.........................

Men's clothing.

Boys' clothing..

Men's clothing.

Men’s clothing............ .

Cloth examining and spong­
ing.
Ing.

Men's and women's fur gar­
ments.

Agreement expires Apr. 3
1910.

Period for which agreement was signed

Agreement expires Doc. 11,
1013. (Rcnowcd.)

Number of peoplo Involved..............

30,000........................................... 9,000,

Agencies for adjusting grlovancca:
Modiation......................................

Men's clothing..

Men’s clothii

Boys’ wash suits....................

lyefcr...........................................■ Indefinite

2 years.,

Indefinite..

Indefinite.

2 years........................... .

2, 000..

8, 000 . ,

3,000..

10, 000. ,

4,000............................................ 10,000,

3,500..............................

y e a rs,

Mediating committee to ad­
just hours of work, wages,
aud prices.

Mar. 13,1911: Agreement to
consider grievances. Apr.
1, 1912: Establishment of
trade board—5 members
from each sido, with an
imparl ial chairman; crea­
tion of deputy clerks.

Contmitteo on mediation
(agreed to subsequent to
the signing of agreement).

Not specified..

Board of Mediation,consist­
ing of 3 representatives of
the union and 3 represent­
atives of tho association.

No provisic

No provision.................

Employers to deal with
committees of employees.

All differences to bo adjust­
ed between thu represent­
atives of the union and
Individual manufacturers.

Board of Grievances consist­
ing of G iiicmltcrs. 3 mem­
bers representing!he asso­
ciation and 3 members
representing tho union.

No provision.

Hoard of Arbitration of 3
members.

Boqrd of Arbitration, con­
sisting of 2 representatives
of tho union and 2 repre­
sentatives of tho associa­
tion; one referee with final
vote in cases of disagree­
ment.

Not specified .

Board of Arbitration, con­
sisting of tho Gmembers of
tho Board of Mediation
and one disinterested ref­
eree.

Board of Arbitration of 3
members.

Committee of 3 members to
adjust all differences.

New York Stato Board of
Mediation aud Arbitra­
tion to act as arbitrators.

Committee of 3 memberssat*
isfaclory to both parties to
act as arbitrators.®

Board of Arbitration of 7 ] Board of Arbitration of 3 dis­
members, consisting of tho
interested parties,
members of the Board of
Grievances and an impar­
tial chairman.

Sanitation...........................

No provision.

General sanitary conditions;
proper ventilation; rest
room for female workers.

No provision..

No provision.,

No provision..

Employers obligated to
maintain sanitary condi­
tions in their shops.

No provision..

Best standards of sanitary
conditions to bo main­
tained.

No provision..............

Joint Board of Sanitary Con­
trol. T

Recognition of the union.,

Union shop..

Mar. 29, 1913: Preferential
union shop; reasonable
)rclercnce in hiring and
aying off help.

Union shop..

Union shop..,

Union shop8.,

No specific recognition.,

Preferential union shop.

Employers to deal with committees of employees.

Union shop..

Union shop.

Preferential union shop.

Minimum standards of wages:
Week workers—

/Cutters. $20 per week; ap­
prentice cutters, 1st year,
$G to 310; 2d year, $13.50;
3d year, S1G.50; examin­
ers, not less than $8 per
week. All t e m p o r a r y
work on time basis to bo
paid for at tho rate of tho
p loco w orke rs* averago
wage, taking two consecu­
tive full weeks* wages for
such average and paying
the average plus 10 per
cent.

March 13, 1911: Minimum
wage, $5 per week; male
employees above 17 years,
not less than SO per week;
male employees above 18
years, noc less thin $8 per
week; minimum wago for
cutters, $8 per week; in­
crease of 10 per cent to tail­
ors; increase of 10 nerccnt
to workers 1n th o trimm in g
department; m in im u m
wage of $8 per week for
workers In the trimming
department; m in im u m
wage of $15 per week In
tho woolen department
and $18 per week on basis
of examination of 36 pieces
per day, instead of 40, as
previously.
March 29,
1913: Machine operators,
$5 per week tho first 3
months and S3 per week
one week thereafter; sergers, sleeve operators, and
ad makers, $f> per week
xe first 3 months and $7
per week ono week there­
after; women in needle
section, 35 per week tho
first 3 months and £0 per
week one week thereafter.®

Minimum increase of SI to
$t per week to coat mak­
ers; aclual Increase from
S to $5 per week, mak­
ing Ihc prevailing scale of
wages as follows:

Shorter hours to bo c o n ­
strued as i n c r c a s o in
wages; Increases after 1
year subject to decision of
the Board of Arbitration.

Minimum Increase of $1 per
week (the prevailing in­
crease is from $1 to $ 1);
cutters’ wages subject to
individual agreements.10

Minimum Incrcaso of $1 per
week to workers on sailor
suits (tho prevailing incrcaso is from SI to $4);
cutters’ and trim m e rs'
wages subject to I n d i ­
vidual agreements.1*

The prevailing rates for cut­
ters are $22; pressers, $17
to $21; shapers, 520 and
up; finishers, not many
being employed on a
weekly basis, $G to $10;
pocket operators, $22.

Minimum increase of $1 per
week, making tho prevail­
ing scalo of wages as fol­
lows:

Arbitration.

f

Regular time .

S

Tailors.
Shlipcr...........................
Shoulder baster............
Bottom boater..............
Com c?r tucker................
Edge baster....................
Canvas baster................
Ariiihole baster............
Slei’vo maker................
Collar maker..................
Bui Ion sewer................
Bwilder (m ale)..........
Bukhelor (female)........
Hand button sewer . . .

Operators

Cutters’ and t r i m m e r s '
wages subject to individu­
al agreements b e tw e e n
firm and its employees;
minimum increase of SI
per week to c h ild re n ’ s
coat makers. (The pre­
vailing incrcaso averaging
$3 per week agreed to sub­
$24
sequent to tho signing of
20
agreement.)1®
10
1*3
1G
10
14
12
1G
9
1G
7
18

Shaper.............................
Shoulder baster............
Bottom baster..............
Comer tucker................
Edgo baster....................
Canvas baster................
Armhole baster............
Slecvo maker................
Collar maker..................
Button sewer................
Bushelcr (m ale)..........
Busheler (female)........
Uand button sewer.. .

Operators.

.

Pocket sewer..................
First assistant pocket
sewer.
Second assistant pockot sewer.
Sleeve sower..................
Coat sewer......................
Closer..............................
Lining m aker..............
Coal- stitcher..................
Sleeve maker................
Lapel maker..................
Collar maker..................

Pocket sewer..................
First assistant pocket
sewer.
Second assistant pock­
et sewer.
Sleeve sewer..................
Coat sewer......................
Closer...............................
Lining maker................
Coot stitcher..................
Sleeve maker................
Lapel maker..................
Collar maker..................

$22
17
12
22
22
18
lf>
15
12
15
15

I*refiners.
Bushel presser..............
Presser...........................
Edge presser.................
1st underprcsser..........
2d undcrprcsser............

Press era.
Bushel pressor..............
Pn^ser...........................
E ^ e presser..................
lstjundcrprcsser..........
2dunderpresser............

$22
1G
14
14
12

Overtime.

Time and one-half to week
workers; rate and onehalf to pieceworkers.

Time and one-half; double
time for work on C legal
holidays.

$22
21
2G
19

Timo and one-half................ .

IstG months.................
$22
17
1th year.........................

$12
14
17
20
23

12
Spongers t per week.
22
22
IS
15
15
12
15
15

Wapcs determined by me­
diating cominftleo In Jan­
uary and July of each year.
Prevailing rates for furriers:

Cutters, Grade A.
All those that cut fine and
expensive furs, M ich as sa­
ble, mink, ermine, seal,
skunk, etc., January to
July, $20 to $25; Julv to
January, 530 to $35.

Cutters, Crade II.
Cuts Hudson seal (muskrat
dyed), caracul, perMan,
etc., January to July, $13
to SIS; July to January, $10
to $25.

Cutters, Grade C,
Cuts rabbits, dogs, goats,
marmot, etc., Januarv to
July, SS to $13; July to
January $J0 to $15.

$1S
20

Operators.
January to July, $8 to $12;
July to January, $12 to $1S.

Takers off, per tceck.
$10
12

Ratio of apprentices: One
appren tice t o every 5 Jour­
$22
neymen union members
employed; not more than
16
2 1o each firm.
14
14
12

Waiters.
January to July, $8 to $12;
July to January, $12 to $18.

Finishers.
January to July, $7 to $10;
July to January, $9 to $14.

Cutters.
Trim m ers.....................
Markers .
Machine cutters............
Lining cutlers..........

Cutter*.
Trimmers........................
M akers..........................
Miithine cutters..........
Lining cutters..............

Tailors.

Examiners................... $27
Spongers, press opera­
tors, winding ma­
chine operators........
22
Employees doing tak­
ing off, damping,
hanging up, book
$24
folding, hand rolling,
doubling u p ..............
17
20
10 Helpers...........................
9
13
1j Extra help engaged by day.
10
11 Examiners................... $5.00
12 Spongers..................... 4.00
lfi Takers oil u ................. 3. L0
<J
lfi
Apprentices.
7
Examiners, per ucek.
IS

Mediating committee of 11
mem bers, 5 represent at 1ves
from each sido and 1 Im­
partial member.

No provision .

Regular rate in busy sea.son;
time and ono-half In dull

No provision.

3 hours per week overtime
from November 1 to May
31, at regular rate.

Time and ono-half.

$32

21
J9

No provif

Double time for overtime^
except that 3 consecutive
hours of over timo work
constitute one-half day’s
work and are paid for ac­
c o r d i n g l y ; all Sunday
work at double time; sinlo pay for work on holiays in add it ion to regular
pay.

Timo and one-half.

§

According to union prico
lust.»

March 13, 1911: Increase of
10 per cent to tailors.
March 29, 1913: Rate and
one-half for overtime.

Increase of 20 per cent to
vest makers; increase of
10 per cent to pants mak­
ers.

Increase of 10 per cent to
knee pants makers.

Increase of 15 per cent on all
piecework.

Increase for piecework to
correspond with increase
for week workers.

Increase of 10 per cent on all
piecework.

Pieceworkers to be compen­
sated for the timo lost by
the operation of the 52'hour week.

Increase to pieceworkers to
correspond with that to
week workers.

Noprovision (no piecework)

No provision (no piecework).

4S hours per week............

52 hours per week; 48 hours
per wcok for cutters."

Codt makers, 50 hours per
week; cutters, 4S hours
tier week; bushelmcn, 53
hours per week. (Hours
fOr bnshclmcn subject to
revision by the Board of
Arbitration.)

Children’s coat makers, 51
hours por wcok; cutters,
50 hours per week; further
reductions in hours to bo
subject to agreements betw o o n each Individual
firm and Its employees.
In accordance with tho
foregoing agreement, tho
following changes becamo
effective throughout tho
tradeon Jan. 1,1914: Chil­
dren's coat makers, 50
hours per week; cutters,
48 hours per week.

Tailors, £0 hours per week;
cutlers, 50 hours per week;
bushclmcn, 5G hours per
week. 13

Decision of tho Board of
Arbitration: Tailors, 53
hours per week, and ;VJ
hours per week beginning
Jan. 1. 1914; cutters, .r>0
hours per week, and 48
hours; per week beginning
Jan. i, 1914.

Wash-suit workers, 51 hours
p er week; cutters and
trimmers. 50 hours per
week. Tho hours for cut­
ters were reduced to 48 by
mutual consent on Jan. 1,
1914.

52 hours per week...................

50 hours pf’.r week..

49£ hours i

49 hours per week.

No provision.,

N o overtime on Sundays
and legal holidays.

No provision.

No provision.,

Not &peciflcd.,

No provision...........................

No provision.....................

Not specified.

No provision..

N o provision.,

rending decision of Board
of Arbitration.

Legal holidays.

Double timo or doublo rate
for work on Sundays and
holidays.

C legal holidays: Christmas
Day, Now Year's Day,
Decoration Pay, Fourth
o f Jn 13', L a b o r Day,
Thanksgiving Day.

Doublo timo to bo paid for
work on legal holidays.

No provision....................

No work on legal holidays;
pay for legal holidays.»

No provision...........................

No legal holidays observed.

5 legal holidays: New Year’s
D a y , Decoration Day,
Fourth of July, Labor
Day, Christmas Day.

No provision.

6 legal holidays: New Year's
D a y , D ecoration Day,
F o u r t h of July, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving Day,
Christmas Day; no work
on Labor Day under any
circumstances.

10 legal holidays to bo paid
for.

Regular pay day In cash.

No provision.,

Y e s................................

Yea............................................

Not specified .

Not specified.

Not spccificd.

Yes; agreed to subsequent
to the signing of agree­
ment.

Yes.,

Not specified .

Not spccificd...........................

Yes.

Contractors.

No provision..

N o .................................

Conditions in contractors’
shops to be Identical with
those in manufacturers'
shops.

Conditions in contractors'
shops to bo identical with
thoso in manufacturers'
shops.

No provision.,

Conditions in contractors'
shops to bo identical with
thoso in manufacturers*
shops.

Conditions In contractors1
shops to bo identical with
thoso in manufacturers'
shops.

No.,

Conditions in contractors’
shops to be Identical with
those in manufacturers’
shops.

No provision..

C onditions In fontmctors’
shops to be identical with
th o s o in manufacturers'
shops.

Abolished.,

Abolished.

Abolishod.,

Abolished; agreed to subse­
quent to tho signing of
agreement.

Abolished; agreed to subse­
quent to tho signing of
agreement.

Abolished................................ .

No provision; partly abol­
ished by mutual consent.

No.,

Abolished.................................

No provision.

Subcontract;!

Pending decision of Board of
Arbitration.

N o.,

Abolished; agreed to subse­
quent to tho signing of
agreement.

No provision.............................

N o provision.,

No provision.,

No provision*.

N o....................

No provision.

Prohibited.

Abolished.

No provision.............

Homo work.,

N o.,

No; abolished by mutual
consent subsequent to tho
signing of agreement.

No; abolished by mutual
consent subsequent to tho
signing of agreement.

Not specified.

No charges for power, sup­
plies, ctc.

N o..

Not specified............................. No provision.

Not specified.

Not spccificd.

Extra charges for power, c tc .

Macliino power to bo used
only.

Machine power to bo used
only.

No provision.............................

Machine power to bo used
only.

Not specified.

Machine power to bo used
only; agreed to subse­
quent to tho signing of
agreement.

Y es.

Not specified.......................

Introduction oflabor-savlng
machinery not to affect
oxisting scale of wnges
and prices.

Not specified

Use of machine power.

No..

No.

N o....................

N o ........................................

Y e s ..................

No provision.

N o .....................................

N o ..................

Y e s ..................

N o....................................

Use of union label.........................................

No provision.,

No provision.

Distribution and standardization of
work.

Not specified.

No provision..................

No provision.

Piecework .

ITours of labor:
Regular tim e .

Overtlmo. ..

Amendments.

Equitablo division of work
In dull seasons; standardi­
zation of garments, proc­
esses and priccs.

No provision..

Equitablo distribution of
work agreed to subse­
quent to tho signing of
agreement.

No provision.

No provision.....................

Mar. 29,1913: System of pro­
motion in tho trimming
department, providing for
an incrcaso each year or
$1 per week for a period of
7 years.

* Proposition inado by tho manufacturers, agreed to by tho unions, and guaranteed by tho New York
State Hoard of Mediation and Arbitration.
,
. n,rr(Viment
* Now York State Board of Mediation and Arbitration acting as guarantor onu,rcci
* Dr. J. W . Magnes, of New York City, is the guarantor of this
located In 91 cities
* Tho Union-Mado Garment Manufacturers' Association embraces factories and firms iuuuicu m ai cities
of 27 States and Canada.
6 Thrcougrooinonts.
FRASER

Digitized for
http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/
30573*— Bull. 145-14. (To faeo pago 154.)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

No provision..................

No provision.

agreement

union

6 This provision has never been carried out, all differences being adjusted between
representa­
tives and individual manufacturers.
1 Mar. 27,1914: Not yet established.
6 No strikes or lockouts during the period of tho agreement.
® Hoard of Arbitration authorized to regulate wages and hours in accordance with permanent changes
throughout the trade,
to Reduction of priccs previously obtained in dull seasons abolishod.

day

Ivhcn 1"hops nTo’opcn for'work oil'icpiUiolM ays, bnsholmen°aro to work in conjunction with otlicr
e m p lo y s , th e? not S i n g on such d a k io bo sufficient cause for deduction in pay.

APPENDIX I.
A STUDY OF THE DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY FOR THE
PURPOSE OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.1
B Y

CLEO

M U ETLAN D ,

W IT H

THE

C O L L A B O R A T IO N

OF

C.

A .

PRO SSER.

INTRODUCTION.

This study of the occupations of the dress and waist industry and
the accompanying plan for a part-time vocational school for workers
employed in the industry are the outgrowth of a growing conviction,
on the part of those actively engaged in the promotion of industrial
education in New York City, that the body of the workers in the
garment trades of the city are, under present conditions at least,
to be reached and trained through the use of part-time schools.
Part-time vocational instruction is believed to be a desirable and
feasible method of developing the trade ability of workers, but thus
far it has been very difficult to obtain data that can be used for
working out courses of training, especially for girls and women.
This study seeks to contribute data of this character.
With some realization of the difficulties surrounding part-time
instruction and a desire to bring into effect the law providing for such
instruction, which promises greater educational opportunities for
women in industry, a number of public-spirited men and women
urged study of the industries for the purpose of analyzing their edu­
cational possibilities and the opportunities they offer the workers.
Experimentation and demonstration of new educational theories
have in many instances been developed under private auspices in the
city of New York, and when developed to the extent of being proved
the demonstration class or school has been taken into the publicschool system. Following this plan it was proposed that experirnenta1 For the inform ation used in th is report special th an ks are d u e to M r. Sol P olak of, p resid en t, an d M iss
H a r v e y , of L o c a l N o . 25 of the D ress an d W a is t In d u str y ; M r. S am u el F loersheim er, p resid en t, an d M r.
W a lte r B a rth o lo m ew , secretary, of the M anufacturers’ A ssociation of the D ress an d W a is t In d u str y ; M r.
J ulius H e n r y Cohen, counselor for th e D ress an d W a is t M an ufactu rers’ A ssociation ; the ex ecu tive com ­
m itte e , the c om m itte e on w o m e n ’ s w ork , an d its su b com m ittee of the N a tio n a l S ociety for the P rom otion
of In d u strial E d u c a tio n , an d the m anufacturers an d w orkers w ho were in terv iew ed ; an d to M r. Charles
H . W in s lo w , of the U n ite d S tates B u reau of L ab or S ta tistics, for a d vice an d assistance in m ak in g this
stu d y .
F or the statistical in form ation from w hich tables regarding the distribution of w orkers, w ages, e tc ., were
m a d e , special th an k s are d ue M r. N . I . S ton e, of the w age-scale board of the dress an d w aist in d u str y , w ho
m a d e an official report recen tly regarding the wages of w orkers in the in d u stry.




155

15G

BULLETIN OF THE BUKEAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

tion under private control be used to initiate the part-time work
suggested in this study.
The com m ittee on wom en’s work of the National Society for the
Prom otion of Industrial Education decided as part of their year’s
work to make whatever contribution possible in that time toward
the study of industries and chose for their first problem the dress and
waist industry of New Y ork City, an industry employing nearly
30,000 workers, of whom 84 per cent are women and girls. A subcom m ittee was appointed to undertake the immediate tasks incurred
in the work.1
The general plan is as follows:
1. To study the industry as to the kind of vvTork the women workers are engaged in,
what opportunities there are within the trade for self-development and earning power,
and the possibilities for learning the trade while employed in the industry.
2. To evolve a scheme of training that would satisfy the workers’ demand for self­
development and trade craftsmanship and the industry’s demand for trained workers.
3. To present a plan for establishing a part-time school that w ill command the sup­
port of the workers, the manufacturers engaged in the industry, and the public.

The results of the study of the industry as to types of employment
and opportunities for the women workers and their chances for
advancement are shown in the present report.
The study of the occupations in the industry and the opportunities
they offer was made by visits to a number of factories, interviews
with foremen and forewomen, workers, and employers, and by per­
sonal observation of the women at their work.
The educational possibilities of the trade are dealt with in a section
which analyzes the requirements of the various occupations, and the
results of the analysis are embodied in a plan for a part-time factory
school for the training of workers engaged in the industry.
The plan for getting the support of the workers in a school designed
to meet their own specific needs and the support of the manufacturers
engaged in the industry, with representatives of the public as a third
party in a proposed board of control for the school, is contained in the
tentative agreement drawn up by the secretary of the National Society
for the Promotion of Industrial Education. This tentative agree­
ment is the result of many conferences with representatives of the
workers employed in the industry and the manufacturers, who, after
much consideration, gave it as their opinion that a school for the train­
ing of workers could be satisfactorily maintained and managed by a
method of agreement similar to the terms of their protocol. This
agreement was drawn up and, together with the study of the trade
1 T h e co m m itte e w as com posed of M iss V irg in ia P otte r, chairm an , M iss Florence M . M arsh all, M rs.
M a r y Sch en ck W o o lm a n , M iss Isab e l E ly L o r d , M rs. H e n r y O llesh eim er, P rof. C. R . R ich a rd s, an d M r.
C . A . Prosser.

T h e su b c o m m ittee w as com posed of M rs. H e n r y O llesh eim er, ch airm an , M iss Florence M .

M arsh all, M rs. L . V a n R ensselaer, M rs. R o b e r t M e a d , an d M rs. C has. G . Israels. •




APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

157

and the proposed plan for training the workers, was presented to the
official representatives of Local No. 25 of the International Ladies’
Garment Workers’ Union and the Manufacturers’ Association of the
Dress and Waist Industry, and is now pending final decision as to
its adoption.
DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF OCCUPATIONS.
G EN ER AL D IV ISIO N S O F O C C U P AT IO N S.

The dress and waist industry like many other industries of the
present day is made up of a combination of allied trades, dependent
in a sense upon each other because of their mutual contribution to a
common product, and a number of auxiliary occupations which play
an important part in production but are not, strictly speaking, an
integral part of any one of the trades.
The logical way of classifying the various lines of work within an
industry would seem to be by the trades which make up the industry,
as dressmaking, waist making, cutting, etc. This method, however,
does not lend itself well to this study because a number of occupa­
tions such as cleaning, finishing, closing and hemming, and the like
would be difficult to classify under one trade and at the same time
give them the significance necessary in a study of this kind. The
following classification by types of occupations has therefore been
used: Nonoperating, garment operating, and special machine oper­
ating.
CHIEF O C C U P AT IO N S IN T H E IN D U ST R Y .

The occupations within each of these divisions in an ascending scale
of importance are as follows: The nonoperating occupations are
cleaning, finishing, examining, pressing, assorting, joining, drap­
ing, designing, and cutting. The garment operating occupations
(in some grades of the trade many in number, in others few) are
body making, center making, closing and hemming, or binding and
felling, sleeve making, sleeve setting, collar making, collar setting,
trimming, lace running, and skirt making. The chief and most con­
stant of the special machine operating occupations are tucking, hem­
stitching, buttonhole making, and button sewing; other special ma­
chine work occasionally used in the dress and waist industry, such as
embroidery, Bonnaz embroidery, braiding and faggoting, etc., appears
from time to time as fashion dictates, but too infrequently to justify
workers specializing on these as they do on the four just mentioned.




158

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

P R O P O R T IO N

AND

D IS T R IB U T IO N

OF

MEN

AND

WOMEN

IN

THE

V A R IO U S

O C C U P A T IO N S .

The distribution of the men and women workers in the industry is
shown by the following table of a 1913 trade census of the industry:
NUM BER

AND

PER

CENT

OF

FEM ALES

AND

M ALES

IN

S P E C IF IE D

O C C U P A T IO N S

[F r o m B u lle tin of th e U n ite d States B u re au of L a b o r S tatistics, N o . 146.]

N u m ber.

Per cent.

O ccupation .
F em ale.

M ale.

T otal.

F e m a le .

M ale.

N ON OPERATIN G.

2,086
5,363
842
582
147
196
1,315

2,086
5,363
852
1,119
151
207
1,321
1,701
184
37

100
100
99
52
97
95
m

183
21

10
537
4
11
6
1,701
1
16

99
57

1
48
3
5
i
100
1
43

10,735

2 ,2 86

13,021

82

18

104
300
86
228
5,061
559
350
103
612

30
44
53
171
764
21
90
10
22

134
344
139
399
5,825
580
440
113
634

78
87
62
57
87
96
80
91
97

22
13
38
43
13
4
20
9
3

7,403

1,205

8,6 0 8

86

14

66
136
170
627

79
19
10
248

145
155
180
875

45
88
94
72

55
12
6
28

T o t a l............................................................................................

999

356

1,355

74

26

Unclassified 1 .....................................................................................

5,591

864

6,455

87

13

24, 728

4,711

29,439

84

16

C lea n in g ..................................................................................................
F in ish in g.................................................................................................
E x a m in in g ............................................................................................
A sso rtin g .................................................................................................
J o in in g .....................................................................................................
D r a p in g ...................................................................................................
C u ttin g . .
......................................................................
E m b r o id e r in g .....................................................................................
Sloping and m a r k in g ......................................................................
T o t a l............................................................................................
GARMENT OPERATING.

Closing and h e m m in g ................................... .................................
Sleeve m a k i n g ...................................................................................
Sleeve s e t t in g .....................................................................................
Skirt operating.....................................................................................
W aist o p eratin g......................................................................... ........
S am p le op eratin g...............................................................................
D r e s s m a k in g ......................................................................................
Lace ru n n in g ........................................................................................
T r i m m i n g .............................................................................................
Total

..

.

.............................................................

SPECIAL MACHINE OPERATING.

B u tto n h o le m ak in g
...............................................................
B u tto n sew ing .
......................................................................
H e m s tit c h in g __
..
........................................................
T u c k in g ..................................................................................................

G rand t o t a l .............................................................................1
!

1 Includes som e garm ent and som e special m achine operations.

This table shows that the dress and waist industry is essentially a
woman’s industry, 84 per cent of the total number of workers in the
industry being women and 16 per cent men. It is significant also,
as shown later, that more than one-third (36 per cent) of the men in
the industry are employed in the one occupation of cutting.
Forty-four per cent of all the workers in the industry are employed
in the nonoperating occupations; of these 82 per cent are women and
18 per cent men. Twenty-nine per cent of all workers are employed
as garment operators; of these 86 percent are women and 14 per cent
men. Five per cent of all workers are employed in special machine
operations; of these 74 per cent are women and 26 per cent are men.
Twenty-two per cent of all workers are not classified; of these 87 per
cent are women and 13 per cent are men.



159

APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

The following table shows the number and per cent of each sex
among workers who make the entire garment:
NUM BER

AND

PER

CENT

OF

M ALES AND
FEM ALES
E N T IR E G A R M E N T .

AMONG

WORKERS

N u m ber.

M A K IN G

Per cent.

W ork ers em p loyed in m ak in g entire garm ent.
F em ale.

Male.

T otal.

F em ale.

M ale.

S kirt op erators. .
.
.
...........................................
W a is t op erators.................................................................................
S am p le operators
.................................................................
D r e ssm a k e r s.........................................................................................

228
5,061
5"»9
350

171
764
21
90

399
5,825
580
440

57
87
96
80

43
13
4
20

T o t a l............................................................................................

6,1 98

1,0 46

7,244

86

14

Of all women in the industry 25 per cent make the entire garment,
and likewise of all operators 25 per cent make the entire garment.
The percentage employed in each occupation among men and
among women is indicated in the following table:
O C C U P A T IO N A L D IS T R IB U T IO N

OF M ALE A N D

OF FE M A LE

EM PLOYEES.

O ccupation.

Per cent
of total
m ales.

NONOPERATING.

C lean in g..............................
F in is h in g ...........................
E x a m in in g ........................
P ressin g ..............................
A s s o r tin g ............................
J o in in g .................................
D r a p in g ...............................
C u ttin g .............. 1...............
Sloping an d m arking .
E m b roid erin g ( h a n d ).
GARMENT OPERATING.

Closing and h em m in g
Sleeve m a k i n g .............
Sleeve s e t t i n g ...............
Skirt op erating.............
W a is t o p e r a tin g .........
Sam p le o p e r a tin g ___
D r e s s m a k in g ................
L a c e ru n n in g.................
T r i m m i n g .......................
SPECIAL MACHINE OPERATING.

B u tto n h o le m a k in g .
B u tto n sew in g ............
H e m s titc h in g ..............
T u c k in g ..........................
Unclassified.
T o ta l.

1 Less than one-tenth of 1 per cent.

G A R M E N T O PE R A TIN G O CC U P ATIO N S DEFINED,,

The garment operating occupations are those occupations that have
to do directly with putting the garment together. These operations
may be few in number or many, depending on the style of garment




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BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

in vogue, subdivided into many or few operations according to the
type of organization of the shop. Since the arrival of the kimono
sleeves, few seams in the body of the waist, and little trimming, the
number of subdivisions has been greatly lessened. There are, as
may be readily seen, no arbitrary divisions, but a shifting to suit
each season’s demands.
Body making: Body making is putting together the parts that
make the body of the waist. In some establishments where minute
division of labor is favored this work may be merely the sewing of the
shoulder seams; in other shops it includes also some of the trimming
and hemming of the centers.
Center malcing: Center making is hemming or facing the center
backs or fronts for the opening of the waist and is sometimes included
with the body making.
Closing and hemming: Closing and hemming is sewing the under­
arm seams, which are usually French seams made by means of a
feller foot, and hemming the bottom of the waist. The bottom of the
waist is sometimes bound with a bias binding, which is sewed to the
cloth by means of an attachment to carry the binding and one row of
stitching, both operations being done at one time. When this
method of finishing the bottom of the waist is used, the operation is
called binding, and closing is called felling, hence we have the term
“ binding and felling.”
Collar making: Collar making is making collars of two plies of
cloth stitched together and turned or one ply of cloth hemmed.
Revers, tabs, and similar small parts that are sometimes put on the
garment as trimming are frequently included under collar making.
Collar setting: Collar setting belongs largely to the tailored shirt­
waist branch of the industry. The work includes placing the collar
in the proper position, stitching the seam, and binding down the raw
edges, usually with a bias piece of cloth.
Sleeve malting: Sleeve making is putting the sleeves together and
finishing the bottom with a hem or a cuff or a frill. The skill in
sleeve making lies in getting the parts together in such a way as to
insure its hanging well, the success of which is determined to a great
extent by the way the cloth is handled in stitching the seams.
Sleeve setting: Sleeve setting is placing the sleeve in the garment,
distributing the gathers properly, and stitching and finishing the
seam. In many establishments setting the sleeve, stitching the
seam, and binding the armseye is done in one operation by means
of the binding attachment, and in cheap lines of work sleeves
frequently are set by means of the union special machine, which in
one operation stitches the seam and covers it with a special stitch
called crochet stitch. This work done by either method demands




APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

161

considerable skill and judgment as well as knowledge of the way the
garment should look when completed.
Skirt making: Skirt making in the making of ready-to-wear
dresses (which should not be confused with skirt making in the cloak
and suit industry where tailor-made skirts are made) is the sewing
together of the parts of the skirt in a plain or felled seam and
may include also the making of the hem on the bottom of the skirt.
Although this is straight-ahead work and offers almost no deviations,
it requires considerable manipulative skill, for a skirt to hang well
must have the seams sewed straight and without puckering or
stretching. Hemming the curved bottom of a skirt, when well done,
also requires skill.
Joining: Joining is putting the waist and skirt together, with or
without a belt, and sewing on the girdle. In chiffon, silk, or other
soft dresses, this work is done by hand, the skirt and waist being
attached to an inner belt to insure strength and fit.
Lace running: Lace running is sewing lace or insertion, or both,
to strips of cloth to be used for garments. This work, which may
be done before or after the garment is cut, while it requires a great
deal of manipulative skill, demands almost no constructive ability,
so has less to recommend it from this standpoint than any of the
other occupations that belong to the making of the garment.
SPECIAL M A C H IN E O P E R A T IN G O CC U P AT IO N S D E F IN E D .

Special machines are so called because for the most part these
machines are made for special operations, as hemstitching, em­
broidering, buttonholing, etc., and are not to be used for any other
purpose. There are some exceptions to this rule, as, for instance,
the arm tucker, wdiich is merely an attachment that may be removed
from the regular sewing machine to which it is attached, thus leaving
the machine free for other work when not being used for tucking. In
large establishments, however, where much tucking is done, the
machine used for tucking is not used for other purposes. There are
of course other types of tucking machines which differ from the one
described above in complexity of mechanism and character of work
they provide for.
Binding: Binding is another example of a special process that is
done on a regular sewing machine by means of a special attachment.
The sewing on of bias binding is done by means of a special presser
foot, which is built to exact width for the binding and set to the
needle bar of the machine. In like manner felling is done by a
special hemmer foot built to standard measures, as one-eighth inch,
one-fourth inch, etc., according to the depth of seams desired.
39573°— Bull. 145— 14------ 11




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BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

These are a few of the special operations that do not require a
machine specially built for one process.
Button sewing: Button sewing, like buttonhole making, is largely a
mechanical process but demands less responsibility on the part of the
worker than buttonhole making because there is much less danger
of injuring the fabric to which buttons are sewed. The worker
places a button in a slot in the specially designed presser foot of the
machine, slips under the presser foot the cloth to which the button
is to be sewed; always with the button in the right location, and starts
the machine which, like the buttonhole machine, is set for a definite
number of stitches and stops automatically when those stitches have
been made.
Buttonhole making: The chief requirement of the buttonhole worker
is placing the buttonhole accurately on the garment. Except for
detecting and avoiding bad work, which is essential in operating all
special machines, though more serious with the buttonhole machine
than with any other machines except the hemstitching machine, little
responsibility is demanded of the worker. In making buttonholes
by machine the worker places the cloth in the right position for the
buttonhole, starts the machine, which is set for the number of stitches
required for the buttonhole of the length desired, and takes the finished
work from beneath the presser foot, repeating these three operations
over and over, except as before noted, when the thread breaks or the
machine does not operate properly. As it is exceedingly difficult to
change a buttonhole after it has been cut by the knife the worker
must be careful to avoid mistakes.
Hemstitching: Hemstitching is a special operation which is done
on a machine built for the purpose. The mechanism is rather com­
plex; two plungers set in horizontal line pierce the hole in the cloth,
one plunger making the hole and the second following into the same
hole to clear the space for the two needles, which bind each side of
the hole with several stitches. The fact that several stitches are
placed in one hole makes it a rather slow operation as compared with
plain stitching. For hemstitching, the cloth must be held firm under
the needles and great care must be exercised in keeping to the line,
for hemstitching can not be ripped out and done over successfully
as there is no sure way of covering the original line of holes made
by the plungers.
Tucking: Tucking is of two sorts— strip tucking, done in long
strips of materials which are afterwards cut into lengths for various
purposes, and short tucking done on parts of the garment after the
garment is cut ready for making. Both types of tucking require
considerable manipulative skill, more or less according to kind of
material used— material with a little dressing taking less skill than
the soft chiffons, nets, and silks.




APPENDIX I .---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN' THE INDUSTRY.

163

Tucking is done with the aid of an attachment that both measures
and marks the tuck, leaving the worker free to use all her skill in
guiding the cloth over the attachment called the “ arm” and under
the needle, feeding in just enough cloth to insure tucks of uniform
width and spacing.
N O N O P E R A T IN G O C C U P A T IO N S D E F IN E D .

Nonoperating occupations are so called because the work is done
by hand with the aid of hand tools, such as scissors, thimble, etc.,
and not by machine. These occupations defined are as follows:
Cleaning: Young girls just out of school enter the industry usually
as cleaners. The work of the cleaner is trimming off loose threads,
cutting away cloth from beneath the insertion or medallions when
these are used, and, this season, which has been characterized as the
season of fluffy ruffles, there has been the trimming of surplus mate­
rial from the edge of hemstitched frills and rough edges from beneath
hemstitched seams. Cleaning may also include cleansing, but this
work is usually given to an experienced workwoman, so in reality is
not a recognized part of the cleaner’s work.
Finishing: Finishers, like cleaners, are frequently recruited from
the ranks of girls just out of school, though it is not unusual to see
older women at this work, either because they can not or because
they do not wish to become machine operators. This work, which
is fairly constant but variable in type, is at best only semiskilled. It
consists of sewing on hooks and eyes, snappers, or buttons, sewing
on the trimmings that can not be put on by machine, such as bows,
girdles, trimming buttons, tassels, buckles, etc., also the finishing of
the ends of belts, collars, etc., that may be done more satisfactorily
by hand than by machine. Where the work involves all these tasks,
there are usually found some older women among the finishers; where
the work is merely the sewing on of hooks and eyes and buttons it is
done by young girls.
Examining: The examiner is rarely the very young girl, but an
older girl or woman, whose judgment with regard to the making of
waists and dresses is good. Garments are examined for flaws in
stitching and for faulty construction and are verified as to the exact­
ness of the two halves of the garment. Defects are marked and
given to the finisher for correction, if slight, or sent to the operator
for correction when such correction involves much work or the
defects are of a type for which the operator should be held respon­
sible. This work is done in two ways, the method being deter­
mined by the character and value of the product. Examining in
the cheaper lines of the trade is done by looking over the work as
described above; in the higher grades where chiffons, lacesTand other




164

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

soft, tliin materials are used, the garment is put on a form and, in
addition to looking for flaws in stitching, etc., the examiner looks
also for stretched or puckered seams, as these two faults are most
frequent in handling soft, filmy fabrics.
Pressing: Pressing in the dress and waist industry, except possibly
when woolen materials are used, is really light ironing and so occu­
pies a much less important place in this industry than in the cloak
and suit industry, which depends so much on heavy, skillful pressing
to make its product satisfactory. The only heavy ironing required
in the dress and waist industry is on tailored waists, and since these
are rather out of fashion this kind of ironing is of minor importance
at the present time. Because of the character of the pressing, which
Inquires light and deft work rather than heavy work, the pressing in
this industry is done by women, usually middle-aged women, and
men whose judgment can be relied upon.
Draping: Draping is almost entirely confined to the branches of the
trade where chiffons, soft laces and nets, and soft, fine silks are used,
because these materials to give the best results in the finished garments
must be adjusted with care. Draping is done by putting the garment
on a form, the lines of the front, under arm, and back of the garment
set in proper relation to the waist line, and the parts pinned ready for
the finisher or the operator. For convenience a draper and operator
frequently work together wTith good results. Draping in some shops
is combined with examining, thus eliminating one operation, which
arrangement not only saves time but does away with one handling of
the garment. In making up soft, thin fabrics it is important that
the goods be handled lightly and carefully and as little as possible,
for defects in workmanship, wrinkles, etc., can not be overcome by
pressing as they can in garments made of heavy woolen, cotton, or
linen fabrics.
Assorting: Assorting is done by girls, though not the youngest girls
in the industry, who do not necessarily know anything about the
making of a garment. Their work consists of assorting from the
great piles of cut pieces taken from the cutting table all the various
pieces belonging to one garment according to a chart or guide pre­
pared for the purpose, tying the pieces into bundles, and marking
the bundles with the lot number ready for the stitchers. This method
of sending work to the operators is used in shops where much of the
work on the garments is done by one worker, and may be done at the
cutting table or in a separate department, as is most convenient for
the management of the shop.
Designing: Designing is the one phase of the garment industry
that calls for individual ability and originality. To be a successful
designer a woman must be quick to see the trend of fashions, clever in
adapting new ideas, and skilled in combining materials and colors.




APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

165

The designer seldom does the sewing necessary for the making of
the garment, but has a sample operator, a draper, and sometimes
finishers as well, to carry out the work which she plans. Designing
is distinctly an art, and to succeed there must be talent for good line
in garments combined with practical application of fashions, and the
gift of combining colors artistically. Although the draper or the
operator may not become a designer, because of the lack of these
qualities, the underworker who does become a designer takes to
the work a knowledge of the construction of a garment that is a
valuable asset in her work.
Cutting: Cutting is done exclusively by men. For this work there
is a greater amount of technical knowledge required than for any
other branch of the trade. The work of cutting has four divisions,
viz, pattern making, pattern grading, cloth marking, and cloth
cutting. The first two of these occupations require a substantial
knowledge of drafting which has a distinct scientific foundation.
Cloth marking and cloth cutting are largely a matter of skillful
placing of patterns and quickness and accuracy in the use of the
knife or shears, and do not necessarily demand a working knowledge
of pattern making and grading.
In some shops four classes of workers, as named in the previous
paragraph, are used; but in small establishments, where the amount
of product does not warrant so large a staff, the pattern maker
frequently does his own grading and the marker does the cutting.
As in all other branches of the operating industry, the work in
the cutting department is done in large quantities, layer upon layer
of cloth called “ lays” or “ spreads” being placed together, and as
many as 96 layers being cut at one time. Large quantity cutting
insures uniformity, for great care is taken to prevent the slipping
or “ crawling,” as it is sometimes called, of the layers of cloth as
the knife passes around the pattern, and it also saves the time
of the cutter, for one tracing around the pattern marks a great
many garments and one cutting prepares a great deal of work for
the operators.
Relation of the designers’ and cutters’ work: The designer makes up
a model which is approved for the market and is then turned over
to the cutter, who makes the pattern so as to preserve the line and
proportion of the garment. It is possible, however, to cut a pattern
seemingly like the model and yet destroy the very points that give the
model distinction. When the first pattern is satisfactory, it is then
ready for grading into the various stock sizes, which range usually
from 34 to 44. The patterns once made are used as long as there
continues to be a demand for that particular garment.




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BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

H O W GIRLS ENTER THE INDUSTRY AND LINE OF PR O M O TIO N .
R E L A T IO N S H IP O F S U B D IV IS IO N S .

There is in reality an occupation of low rank in each of the three
subdivisions of the industry— viz, nonoperating, special machine
operating, and garment operating— any one of which offers a means
for new workers to enter the trade. The nonoperating occupations
of cleaning, finishing, and assorting are, however, preeminently the
place of entrance to the trade for young girls just out of school.
It is possible for older girls— girls of 17 to 19— to begin as opera­
tors. Their chances for so doing are best in shops where the labor
on a garment is very much subdivided and in busy seasons when the
demand for workers exceeds the supply. There is no doubt whatever
that this work requires*greater judgment and initiative and physical
poise than cleaning or finishing, so it is practically impossible for
the youngest girls in the industry to begin as operators.
Girls entering the industry who undertake the operating work at the
beginning of their service frequently have had some training, which,
though not directly for the dress and waist industry, seems to make
them somewhat adaptable for the industry. This training may have
been secured through home sewing, as girls of 14 to 18 frequently
make dresses for themselves; it may have been secured through
contact with custom dressmaking as errand girls or helpers; or it
may have been secured in some other branch of the operating
industry though little of the experience, except the use of the machine,
is of advantage in a new line of work. It is impossible to get any
authentic data on these points, but interviews with workers and
manufacturers indicate that these factors are somewhat recognizedo
It may be said that older girls may begin in the trade in one of the
special machine operations, especially if mechanically inclined, but
as in garment operating there is no evidence of this being generally
done.
LIN E OF P R O M O T IO N .

Young girls just out of school, who enter the industry without
preparation, are taken in as cleaners or finishers, usually as cleaners.
As cleaning requires no training, little general intelligence, and
no initiative, it represents the bottom of the ladder of occupations
in the industry. Although little is demanded of the worker but care
and attention to work, cleaning gives to the observant girl a kind
of experience in handling work that carries over into finishing, which
is the next step higher.
Finishing requires, in addition to care and attention to work, some
knowledge of hand sewing, and here again the observant girl can,
in sewing on hooks and eyes, fastening ends, etc., accumulate con­




APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

167

siderable knowledge of the way a garment should look when com­
pleted. As in cleaning, the sense of touch and care in handling work
contribute to the training of the worker.
The next position in the scale, and the one to which the finisher can
go with comparative ease, is examining. The examiner, like all other
workers in the trade, must handle her work carefully so as to avoid
useless motions and, more important still, so as to avoid soiling or
wrinkling the work. In addition to these points, she must exercise
uniform care in looking for flaws in stitching, such as stitching off
the line, dropped stitches, and catching in the seam or hem extra
cloth that should not be there. She must also see puckered or
stretched seams and be accurate in measuring the two halves of a
garment. Not only must the examiner find the flaws, but she must
be able to ascertain in which department mistakes were made, and,
frequently, she suggests how mistakes may be remedied.
When a worker has mastered the art of examining, she has two
avenues in the industry open to her, viz, draping and operating,
either of which means a radical change in work. For the girl who
does not like the machine work, draping makes the strongest appeal.
Whether draping or operating is chosen, her experience as a cleaner,
a finisher, and an examiner has not only given her some knowledge of
the careful handling of work, which throughout the trade is a very
large element of success, but this experience is of immediate use in
other types of work in the trade. This is especially true when she
becomes a draper. The new and important demand in draping is
the adjustment of the lines of the garment to the figure and the ability
to d etect errors in the join in g of the parts, such as stretching, puck er­
ing, and seams sewed too deep or unevenly. Draping and examin­
ing are frequently combined, when, of course, the worker performs all
the work of the draper and the examiner.
The draper may become a designer in a comparatively short time,
if definitely and specifically talented and possessed of a knowledge of
the way garments are put together; the operator may also become a
designer, if talented, though by the very nature of her work her
arrival at this goal will be longer deferred than the draper’s, but
success in all probability will be more stable. Designing, however,
is so largely a question of talent that it can not be considered the goal
for any but the unusual worker. It is, of course, by virtue of the
skill required, the limited number eligible to this field of work, and
the high salaries paid, the pinnacle for the women workers in the
trade.
Operating, on the other hand, offers several substantial alterna­
tives which any good operator may reasonably expect to reach, and
for this reason, though the progress is less rapid, garment work is very




168

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOE STATISTICS.

desirable. The girl with the ambition to become a designer may fall
a little short of the mark, but with a good knowledge of garment work
may become a sample maker, an occupation requiring a high grade
of ability and considerable versatility and giving steady employment
and good though not high wages.
When the worker upon%leaving finishing or examining chooses
operating she has again two alternatives; she may become a garment
operator or she may become a special machine operator. Here
again lies a difficult decision for the young girl, for the special machine
work offers ready and good returns, whereas the garment work is not
only more difficult in the long run to learn than the special work, but
returns are lower and come in more slowly; on the other hand these
returns fluctuate less within the season and from season to season, for
no matter what the fashions may dictate the demand is for dresses,
waists, skirts, and trimmings that are more or less constant as to
general construction. The special machine work is usually an end
in itself and rarely leads the worker to any degree of craftsmanship
in her trade, whereas garment work, especially where it is possible
to learn several parts of the work, leads out into other important
avenues or, higher still, to avenues of waist or skirt making or sample
making, which requires the greatest skill and offers good returns, or,
if the worker is talented, to the highest goal of all, designing. Special
machine work is desirable for the girl who prefers and succeeds best
in mechanical work; but for the girl with constructive ability, gar­
ment making, first in making part of a garment and eventually in
making the entire garment, is by far the greater earning asset.
When beginning any form of sewing on power machines, the worker
must first learn to control the power; that is, to start the machine, to
stop the machine, and to command a slow or rapid rate of stitching,
as desired. She must also learn to stop the machine quickly, as
several stitches out of the way frequently make a great difference in
the quality of her work. These factors she usually learns on a plain
sewing machine first with bits of cloth and later with actual work on
garments.
The first garment work is usually plain seaming of short lengths,
such as stitching on cuffs, putting on gores, or running straight hems
for the center back. Gradually more difficult work is given, as sewing
of seams of waists, or the longer seams of the skirt, then the making
of sleeves; later, if evidence of skill is shown, sleeve setting and simi­
lar difficult work is given. This procedure is incidental rather than
the rule, however, for the tendency of the trade is to train its workers
for specific jobs only as the need for workers for specific jobs arises.
To know how to do all these tasks with a degree of skill, is to become
a waist maker; or to sew long seams skillfully and make a curved hem
well, is to become a skirt maker.




APPENDIX I .---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

169

With every part of waist making well in hand a girl may have a
place as waist maker. In those establishments where much sub­
division of the w^ork is the acceptcd method, the skilled operator
with a knowledge of several types of work may become a sample
maker; in establishments where as little subdivision as possible is
the method of work, an operator may be a waist or skirt maker;
and when proficient on stock w^ork, she may become a sample maker.
As already stated, the special machine work is especially adapted
to girls having greater mechanical ability than constructive ability.
The lack of constructive ability, except where work is closely sub­
divided and little or no responsibility left to the worker, is readily
detected by the girl herself or by the forewoman. These girls may
naturally take to the more mechanical work, or they may be guided
into this work by forewomen, who, through experience in dealing
with workers, have learned to fit them into their right niches. It
is difficult to ascertain in what branch of the industry such special
machine work as tucking and hemstitching is learned, though it is
probably learned in those trades where muslins, lawns, and batistes
are used, the worker going into the branches of the trade where the
higher-priced work on chiffons, nets, etc., is used, as more workers
are demanded.
Cutting— A man's trade.— Cutting, the occupation of highest rank
in the industry, stands preeminently in a class by itself. This is
due to two factors: First, considerable technical knowledge, gained
only through long and specific training, and a kind of skill that goes
with technical knowledge are necessary for even average success;
second, no phase of any of the other occupations in the industry
makes material contribution, either in the way of experience or
partial training, to the knowledge required of the cutter.
Pressing— Its relation to the trade as a whole.— Pressing, although it
requires a more mature worker than other nonoperating occupations,
such as cleaning and finishing, is not regarded as a high-grade occu­
pation, and is rarely, if ever, recruited from the ranks of younger
workers. Women and sometimes men of middle age do this work
and are less likely to change into the operating occupations, so this
occupation, though not to be compared with cutting, either as to
skill or wage possibility, also stands apart from the other occupa­
tions of the industry.
Designing— Its relations to other occupations.— Designing, too, may
be said to stand in a class by itself. Unlike cutting, to which expe­
rience in other occupations in the trade makes almost no contri­
bution, and pressing, which is too limited a field to attract workers
who wish to be “ mechanics’ ’ (a term used in the sense of journey­
men), successful designing is largely dependent on artistic talent of
a rather definite nature. But, although only the most successful




170

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

and gifted underworkcrs may expect to become designers, it is true
that experience in garment making and in the handling of a great
variety of garments and materials does contribute very directly to
one phase of the training of a designer. Other knowledge, such as
the uses of color, the combinations of materials, and the “ cut” of
a garment, may be contributed to by art study and by contact with
and study of the trend of fashions.
Elimination o f certain occupations in this study.— Since this study is
intended primarily for the education of girls and women in the
dress and waist industry, cutting is eliminated, because it is essen­
tially a man’s trade. Pressing is eliminated, because it, too, is not
closely related to what is termed the trade. Hereafter, in this dis­
cussion, these two occupations will not be considered.
W A G E S , LENGTH OF W O R K IN G YEAR, AND D E M A N D FOR W O R K E R S.

In studying an industry with a view to training its workers either
before or after they have entered the industry, there are four impor­
tant issues to consider: (1) Yearly or seasonal demand of the in­
dustry for workers and the extent to which it is supplied; (2) social,
sanitary, and working conditions in the industry and the desirability
of the work it offers; (3) what the occupations of the industry de­
mands of its workers and to what extent the industry through the
character of its organization provides opportunity for training “ on
the job” and promotion from one job to another; and (4) the yearly
wage possibilities of the occupations in the industry.
As to the demand for workers in the dress and waist industry, there
are no statistics to show definitely the number of new workers needed
from year to year to fill the places made vacant by marriage or change
of employment of the women workers, but the recent investigation
of the trade made by the board of sanitary control1 estimates that
only about one-fourth of the workers are 25 years of age and over,
indicating that there is a constant and heavy falling off of workers
each year, thus creating a demand for new workers. This demand
is roughly estimated by the manufacturers’ association of the dress
and waist industry as calling for approximately 5,000 new workers
each year, and the demand is for experienced workers, which are at
the present time recruited indirectly and unsatisfactorily from the
ranks of lower types of the garment industry. In a sense these
recruits are “ green77 workers and are treated as such until they have
learned the “ tricks7’ of the new work, for very little experience
gained through contact with other garment trades carries over into
the specialized work of the dress and waist industry. Occasionally
a clever woman “ bluffs7’ her way into the trade and finally succeeds.
She is the exception, however, and not the rule.

i Special Report of the Joint Board of Sanitary Control of the Dress and Waist Industry, 1913, p. 7.



APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

171

Social conditions in the dress and waist industry are not unfavora­
ble and need not be unfavorable except through the neglect or care­
lessness on the part of the management, which is the rare exception.
Much has been done to organize this industry on an efficient basis,
and in most instances the organization of the shop is good and the
social conditions correspondingly so.
Sanitary conditions in the industry have been greatly improved
by the standards set up by the joint board of sanitary control in 1913
which provided for adequate lighting, cleanliness, location of wTork
rooms, toilet accommodations, and the like.1 The character of work
in this industry is agreeable. The product is clean, relatively free
from dust, and attractive in color, design, and materials used, all of
which makes the work desirable. Except for the noise and vibration
of machines, though conditions in this respect are improved by the
new type of steel and concrete building and better modern machines,
there is little in the industry that is not attractive to the worker.
The one really serious unfavorable condition or custom re­
maining in the industry is the overspeeding about which so much
protest has been made in past years. It is difficult to determine
whether this evil is growing less or greater, but the tendency to the
development of a spirit of craftsmanship among the workers, grad­
ual decrease of the piecework system, and the making of the greater
part of the entire garment by one worker, all contribute more or less
toward the breaking up of a system obnoxious and degenerating for
the worker and demoralizing and degrading for the industry itself.
There is also the demand of the industry on the working and
thinking powers of its employees. What does the industry demand
of its workers ? Does its organization pay attention to its product
and leave the worker to spend a lifetime in one job or change to
another as best she can, or does the character of the work lend itself
to an arrangement which produces well and at the same time gives
the worker a chance to do more than one task, and perhaps eventu­
ally go through all the tasks necessary for making the finished prod­
uct? The old way of learning a trade through an apprenticeship
which led the worker through a series of practical experiences result­
ing in all-round training has never been a feature of the dress and
waist trade, which is a development of the last decade. As a matter
of fact its history has been the reverse; a recognized apprenticeship
has never existed, though a tendency toward all-round training is
desired by many workers in the trade and is secured, if possible, but
at the present time by piratical methods only. An analysis of the,
educational possibilities of the trade is made in a later chapter of this
study.

,

1Special Report of the Joint Board of Sanitary Control of the Dress and Waist Industry, 1913, p. 15.




172

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

The yearly wage possibilities for the women and girls who enter an
industry are of greatest importance whether the motive be for im­
mediate returns to meet pressing economic need or a response to
talent and inclination. If economic need must be met, the amount
of the earnings is perhaps crucial; if talent and inclination furnish
the motive, the ascending scale of money return for work indicates
the desirability of jobs higher up and the measure of craftsmanship
the trade involves. There is considerable evidence that a strong
desire for real craftsmanship exists among the workers in the dress
and w~aist industry which, if carefully fostered among the workers
themselves, will greatly safeguard them from overspecialization and
exploitation.
When wages tend to be low for the type and quality of work pro­
duced it is necessary to know also whether or not the low rate is due
to the inefficiency often attributed to women workers and insufficient
knowledge of the industry— both of which put a heavy burden on the
industry— and the extent to which training for the job may be ex­
pected to increase efficiency and earning capacity.
Unfortunately, only incidental evidence on this point is available,
but the number of new workers to be broken into the industry each
year and the lack of standardization of work indicates that the re­
ports given by employers to the effect that their losses through
inefficiency and carelessness on the part of the great mass of their
workers is heavy and avoidable leads to the belief that the surest
way to raise wages is to increase the efficiency of the workers through
training for the job.
There is a growing tendency toward standardization of wages
which, it is hoped, will bring about standardization of occupations,
so that workers may look forward to promotion with reasonable
assurance of success when the standard demanded by an occupation
has been attained.
The following tables of wages show the weekly rates of workers
during the last year. It has been impossible to secure any reliable
data regarding the number of weeks of employment for women in
the industry except for those employed practically all the year.1
Duplication of names, lack of permanent records, and inability of
workers to furnish accurate information have been given as the
reason for the lack of conclusive report on this point.
i

M r. N . I . Stone of the W a g e Scale B oard of the Dress and W a is t In d u stry has estim ated th e average

n u m b e r of w eeks of e m p lo y m e n t for the year as 39 w eeks, w hich is the nearest approach to an accurate
state m en t th a t can b e m a d e at this tim e.




173

APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

N U M B E R OF W E E K W O R K E R S A N D O F P IE C E W O R K E R S IN T H E D R E S S A N D W A IS T
IN D U S T R Y O F N E W Y O R K C IT Y R E C E IV IN G E A C H C L A S S IF IE D A M O U N T P E R W E E K ,
B Y O C C U P A T IO N A N D S E X
W e e k workers.
Less than
$6 per
w eek.

O ccupation.

Piecew orkers.
Less than
$6 per
w eek.

$10 and
over per
w eek.

$6 to S9.99
per w eek.

$6 to $9.99
per w eek.

$10 and
over per
w eek.

W age n ot
deter­
m in able.

W om ­
W om ­
W om ­
W om ­
W om ­
W om ­
W om ­
Men.
Men.
M en.
Men.
Men.
M en.
Men.
en.
en.
en.
en.
en.
en.
en.

NONOPEEATING.

A ssorters....................
Cleaners
C utters...........................
D rap ers.........................
E m b roid erers............
E x a m in e r s ..................
F in ish e rs.....................
Ironers and pressers.
Joiners...........................
M arkers and slopers

12

72
1,217

749

20

1, 474
59
51
219
2,399
108
52
13

1,195
34
555
695
270
114

6

15

22 4,190

2,972

1,813

17

19
67

26
29

26

9
3
3
233
79

32
30
24
19
14
118
79
64
1,206
608

36
48
114
51
513
35
43
46
251
293
978
1,679

5

1

16
155
9

T o ta l......................

37

6

32

314

861
13

616
9

16

637
137

T o ta l.

8

362

G rand t o ta l____ 1,311

21

2,314

43 6,504

30

16

641

218

12
12
21
254
16
15

102
237
226

14

21

1

4

165

6

21

103

2

12

42
37
35
441
457

73
233
219
2,018
2,538

382
557

96 5,597

1,362

14

43

112 6,4 56

1,523

232

100

9
13
185
230

4,142

731

476

41

1,0

340 7,114

2,544

1,117

49

1,994

131

161

6

OPERATING.

B uttonh ole m ak ers.
B u tto n sew ers...........
Closers and h e m m e r s ...........................
D ressm ak ers..............
H em stitch ers.............
L ace runners..............
Sam ple m ak ers.........
Skirt operators.........
Sleeve setters.............
Sleeve m ak ers...........
T r im m e r s.....................
Tu ck ers.........................
W a is t operators____
U n classified ................

10

121

N U M B E R A N D P E R C E N T O F W O M E N A N D O F M E N IN T H E D R E S S A N D W A IS T IN D U S ­
T R Y O F N E W Y O R K C IT Y R E C E IV IN G E A C H C L A S S IF IE D A M O U N T P E R W E E K .
W om en.

M en.

Classified am ou nt per w eek.
N u m b er.

Per cent.

N u m ber.

U n d er $6.....................................................................................................................
$6 to $9 .9 9 .........................................................................................................
$10 and ove r...........................................................................................................
W a g e not d e te r m in a b le ......................................................................................

2,428
8,498
13,570
232

10
34
55
1

92
452
4,, 067
100

2
10
86
2

T o ta l....................................................................................................

24,728

100

4,711

100

Per cent.

N U M B E R A N D P E R C E N T O F W E E K W O R K E R S A N D O F !P I E C E W O R K E R S A M O N G
W O M E N A N D A M O N G M E N E A R N I N G $6 A N D O V E R A N D $10 A N D O V E R P E R W E E K
IN T H E D R E S S A N D W A IS T IN D U S T R Y O F N E W Y O R K C IT Y .
N u m b e r.
W o m e n earning $6 and over per w eek:
W e e k w orkers.............................................
Piecew orkers................................................
W o m e n earning $10 and over per w eek:
W e e k w orkers.............................................
Pieceworkers................................................
M en earning $6 and over per w eek:
W e e k w orkers.............................................
Piecew orkers...............................................
M en earning $10 an d over per w eek:
W e e k w orkers.............................................
Piecew orkers...............................................




Per cent.

13,618
8,450

62
38

7,114
6, 456

52
48

2,884
1,635

64
36

2,544
1,523

63
37

174

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

OUTLINE OF EDUCATIONAL CONTENT OF DRESS AND WAIST INDUSTRY.

In making a study of an industry for educational purposes it is
necessary to get at the factors that form what may be called the
educational content, i. e., those things that are required to be
known and that can be taught either by theory or by carefully
arranged practice lessons or by a combination of both theory and
practice. In this study these factors have been classed under four
heads, viz: General knowledge, trade knowledge, technical knowledge,
and manipulative skill. These terms are used in this study as follows :
1. General knowledge is used here to mean a usable knowledge of
spoken and written English, a workable knowledge of arithmetic,
writing, and hygiene, and general intelligence that may be the result
of home training, school training, or business training, gained through
contact with business people, or a combination of all these factors,
together with judgment and reasoning ability.
2. Trade knowledge is knowledge frequently termed “ tricks of the
trade” and “ short cuts” gained through long practical experience,
and handed on from worker to worker as accepted methods of work,
but seldom the result of accurate technical knowledge.
3. Technical knowledge is organized knowledge based on underly­
ing scientific principles.
4. Manipulative skill, frequently called “ knack,” is the efficient
use of the body as a whole and in part, so as to get successful, accu­
rate, and quick results. These are mainly motions of the hands, the
feet, or the body as a whole, which make for an effective habit of
work. Touch, as in handling light delicate fabrics or heavy firm
fabrics, also forms an important part of manipulative skill.
The specific demands upon the general knowledge of the rank and
file of garment workers as shown by the following outline is very
limited, and, if the demand for specific arithmetic and English were
the only demand upon the general education of the workers, the
situation would be deplorable, but, as a matter of fact, the industry
makes heavy demands upon the general intelligence of its workers,
less in occupations requiring little ability and skill and a great deal
upon the workers who do the more difficult and responsible work of
making the entire garment, or the samples, or the designing of the
season’s models. To put it arbitrarily the actual demand upon
general knowledge as shown in the outline represents about 20 per
cent efficiency whereas the trade demands a 90 per cent standard.—
the outline represents a demand for mental development and accom­
plishment equal to about fourth-grade accomplishment whereas the
trade as a whole demands the grammar graduate standard. This
does not mean that the industry is demanding an eighth grade certifi­




APPENDIX I .---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

175

cate of graduation, but it does mean that it demands a grade of
intelligence equal to or higher than that acquired by completion of
the present grammar-school course.
The actual demands upon arithmetic, English, writing, and spelling
should in any scheme for training the worker form the basis for
related instruction, and as much supplementary additional work
given as the pupils can be induced to take and time permits.
These basic features of the courses should be given with as careful
presentation and as thorough drill as is considered necessary for the
efficient typewriter, for quick and accurate use of the few arithmet­
ical processes required are as valuable stock in trade for the operator
as skillful manipulation of the keys of a typewriter is to the girl in
the office.
G EN ER AL K N O W L E D G E .

The minimum of general knowledge required of workers in the
trade is as follows:
1. Arithmetic:
a. Simple counting to 200 or 300.
b. Simple addition in order to account for amount of work
done.
c. Simple multiplication.
d. Fractional parts of the dollar, of the dozen, of the inch, and
of the yard.
2. Writing:
a. Clear handwriting and making of figures.
3. Hygiene. Sufficient knowledge of the care of the body to enable
workers to attain physical efficiency. This includes:
a. Posture.
b. Breathing.
c. Cleanliness.
d. Food.
e. Fresh air.
f. Dress.
g. Special hygiene for women.
4. English:
a. Writing of simple English.
b. Reading of simple English.
5. Elementary art. Color sense sufficient to match colors in threads.
6. General intelligence, which enables the worker to understand direc­
tions and to make necessary adjustments for change of style in
garments.




176

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
TRADE

KNOW LEDGE.

The trade knowledge required of workers in the trade is as follows:
1. Gare of the machine, as—
a. Oiling.
b. Cleaning of lint, dust, etc., from the working parts of the
machine, etc.
c. Setting of needle.
2. Regulation of tensions for different kinds and weights of fabrics:
a. Sewing together two plies of the same weight and texture.
b. Sewing together two plies of different weight and texture.
3. Equalization of the rate of the upper and lower layers of cloth as
they pass under the presser foot for—
a. Long or short seams.
b. Straight or shaped seams.
4. Making right and left sleeves.
5. Setting right sleeve into right armseye, and left sleeve into left
armseye.
6. Proper distribution of gathers for—
a. Ruffles.
b. Sleeves.
7. Relation of bias to straight in machine stitching.
8. Trimmings. Sewing on—
a. Lace and insertion.
b. Frills.
c. Piping.
d. Cording, braiding, etc.
e. Medallions.
9. Sewing on hooks and eyes, buttons and snappers.
10. Finish on bottom of skirt:
a. Hem.
b. Plaits at top edge to dispose of fullness.
c. Facing— bias, straight, fitted.
T E C H N IC A L

KNOW LEDGE.

The technical knowledge required of the worker in the trade is as
follows:
1. Sleeve seam sewn so as to avoid twisting of the front seam of
sleeve.
2. Relation of underarm seam of waist and front seams of sleeve:
a. Coat sleeve.
b. Leg-of-mutton.
c. Shirt sleeve.
d. Low shoulder sleeve.




APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

177

3. Relation of the length of the shoulder seam and the shape of the
top of the sleeve:
a. Short shoulder seam, high full curve of top of sleeve.
b. Long shoulder seam, low scant curve of top of sleeve.
4. Effect of position of shoulder seam on the slope of that seam.
5. Relation of the position of the shoulder seam to the shape of the
neck line—
a. On front of waist.
b. On back of waist.
6. Relation of the underarm seam to waist line or belt.
7. Direction of the “ grain” of the cloth for—
a. Back.
b. Front.
c. Sleeve.
d. Parts of skirt.
8. Relation of parts to parts of a—
a. Gored skirt.
b. Draped skirt.
9. Plackets— kinds and their relation to the garment.
10. Relation of lines of skirt to waist or belt line.
MANIPULATIVE SKILL.

The manipulative skill required of workers in the trade involves
the following factors:
1. Control of the machine.
2. Coordination of right and left hands.
3. Position of body at work.
4. Habit or methods of work used in stitching that give best results
with least physical effort, as, for example, in such operations
as-—
a. Straight seam— two straight edges.
b. Straight seam— one straight, one bias or shaped edge.
c. Two shaped edges, as underarm seam.
d. Curved hem— sewing on collar.
e. Setting sleeve, i. e., a curved seam that can not be laid flat
under presser foot.
f . Short seams, long seams.
5. Economy of time and motions in beginning each new task and
piling up finished work.
6. Touch, as in—
a. Handling fabrics of different weights and textures.
b. Recognizing the “ grain” of the material.
39573°— Bull. 145— 14------ 12




178

BU LLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

PRO PO SED SCHEME FOR A FACTORY SCHOOL.
O R G A N IZ A T IO N .

General organization: For effective trade and business instruction,
which is the aim of the factory school, it must be organized like an
up-to-date factory. It must therefore have a well-equipped factory
workroom for the trade work and an office for carrying on the busi­
ness of the school, equipped and managed by approved business prin­
ciples. To complete the organization in such a school there are needed
also classrooms, because the character of the equipment of a garment
factory and the great amount of space over which the machines and
the workers must of necessity be distributed makes class instruction
in the workroom very impracticable, in fact almost impossible.
Then, too, work of the type and amount always in course of construc­
tion found in a garment factory can not be put aside for class instruc­
tion without risk of soiling or unnecessary wrinkling. Separate class­
rooms for class instruction will in the end facilitate instruction, and
be cheaper than attempting to use one space for too many purposes.
Organization of the school factory: In equipment, arrangement of
equipment, regulations for giving out, collecting, and accounting for
work, and general management of the workroom, the school factory
should be patterned after the best up-to-date factory organization,
and as this outline has in mind doing work directly for factories which
furnish cutwork for the operators, compromise on this point is neither
necessary nor desirable. On the contrary, as the work is to be done
on up-to-date product, which is to be turned out in good time and
in good order as well, the more closely the school factory complies
with accepted factory methods in every respect the more satisfactory
will be the results as to training of the pupils, for part of the training
is gained through contact with an efficiently managed establishment.
Classrooms, organization and equipment: As stated above, the work­
room, with its machines, is not a feasible place for class instruction,
so it is necessary to have special rooms for classes to meet in for their
lessons. These rooms should be equipped with plain tables and
chairs like a workroom, and not with set benches and desks like a
schoolroom, and, furthermore, the classrooms should be in as close
proximity to the factory workroom as feasible, so as to make them
appear a real part of the factory school. Lessons also should be
closely related to trade work, so as to make the pupils feel that the
class instruction is a vital and necessary part of the trade.
Office: Like the school factory, the school office should also conform
to accepted business organization. A regular accounting system
should be installed to take care of every phase of the work on
approved business principles. All materials received, work sent out,




APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

179

money expended— every phase of expenditure or income— should be
classified, accounted for properly, and reported upon at stated times.
In addition to the business duties of the office, there should be kept
also in the office systematic classified records of the girls in attendance
at the school. These records should be filed for reference and so kept
as to furnish accurate data for certificating pupils as they leave the
school. In addition to the school records of pupils there should also
be kept work records made up from data furnished by the workers
and the employers for whom they work. As recertification is a part
of the main plan of organization, these latter records are, of course,
most necessary, and the collecting of material for them, classifying,
and filing them should be done in the main office of the school with
as much precision and system as is given to the keeping of other
accounts.
Relation o f departments to each other: For efficient work each de­
partment should have its own definite organization, but all depart­
ments should be interrelated so as to unite all parts into one large
organization. The school factory should check up its work with the
office, which hands over to the workroom the garments to be made,
and account for the same systematically, and in turn check up fin­
ished work with the office when finished work is turned in for ship­
ment. These records furnish excellent practical material for class
instruction, and garments and materials from the factory furnish
illustrative material for class work of various kinds. Each depart­
ment should of course have a head worker who is responsible for the
work of her department, and there should be a general director, re­
sponsible for the entire management, to whom department heads
report.
ADMINISTRATION.

In the main a school is like a business establishment and a business
establishment is like a school, in that each must have its central
organization with a head responsible for the policies and practices
of the entire organization. The business establishment demands an
administrator versed in the customs and practices of the business
world; the school demands of its administrator knowledge of approved
educational methods and practices; the factory school requires an ad­
ministrator who has a combination of both business experience and
training in educational methods.
The director: The director of the factory school should therefore
be a woman of education and business experience as well. She should
have in her charge all of the departments of the school, and, with the
cooperation of the board of control, decide on the general policies
of the school. Her duties in toto should include all that pertains
to the educational and the business administration of the school.




180

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

Management of the workroom: Tlie workroom should bo in charge
of a forewoman who under the supervision of the director is immedi­
ately responsible for the management of the workroom. All trade
teachers should be in her charge, and the apportioning of work to
the different classes, examining finished work, and checking up with
the office should also be included in her duties. The forewoman
should be a woman of experience as a worker and a forewoman, for
her duties in a factory school coincide largety with the duties of the
factory forewoman.
Trade teachers: Instruction in operating and garment making
should be given by women skilled and experienced in the trade who
should have ability to interest and manage girls, for their duties
involve not only instruction but the turning out of work in good
condition and in good time as well. A minimum of 2 to 5 years’
experience in the type of work to be taught and the equivalent of a
grammar school education should constitute the qualifications for trade
teaching. There should be one trade teacher for a maximum of 12
pupils.
Class instruction: Class instruction should be given by teachers
having a knowledge of how to teach, a knowledge of the requirements
of the trade, and ability to manage and interest girls in the classroom.
Class instructors should be willing to study the trade day by day, to
watch the change of work in the workroom, and keep class instruc­
tion apace with the product that is being turned out. Related
arithmetic, English, and reading, to be acceptable to busy girls who
are looking forward to greater trade efficiency, must be made a vital
part of the trade work and this can be accomplished only by constant
attention and application to those phases of the trade where these
subjects come into use. For class instruction one teacher can satis­
factorily instruct groups of 25 if comfortably provided for.
Art instruction: Art instruction should be presented by a person
versed in trade art and the application of art principles. Elementary
art principles, so far as the class is ready for them, can be taught
in the classroom, using for illustrative purposes garments and material
from the workroom. This instruction should be supplemented by
practical talks as to the styles, the kinds of materials used, etc.,
given by practical designers with practical demon'strations. Art
classes, like other study classes, may number 25 or more.
Health instruction: Health, like art, in the trade should be taught
by the expert. Simple exercises, practical talks on posture, clean­
liness, fresh air, etc., should be supplemented by short talks by
health experts. A skilled nurse can give practical illustrations of
caring for the girl who has fainted, as well as of how to adjust
simple bandages. A physician can give convincing talks on the




APPENDIX I .---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

181

Value of correct posture or fresh air in the workroom and sleeping
room. A course of 24 lessons with 6 practical lectures should ac­
complish a great deal. Health instruction may be given in large or
small groups according to the types to be dealt with and the need
of different groups for special instruction. General lectures should
be given to the entire group, as lecturers can not well be asked to re­
peat. Suiting the talk to many types may well be left to the wisdom
of the speaker.
Office staff: The office should have adequate service to care for all
business and secretarial work. A minimum staff of one expert book­
keeper to keep accurate accounts of all incoming and outgoing
business and records of pupils, and an assistant for secretarial and
other office work is necessary for a school of 150 girls. The amount
of business and the size of the school should of course determine any
increase in the office staff.
C OU RSE OF ST U D Y FO R C LEA N ER S, FIN ISH E R S, A N D E X A M IN E R S .

This course offers a fivefold program, as follows:
1. A course in operating and garment construction that aims to
develop trade knowledge, technical knowledge, and manipulative
skill.
2. Classroom instruction that aims to develop general intelligence
as well as to contribute to technical knowledge. This instruction
includes written and oral English, writing letters, applications for
work, records of work, etc.; arithmetic, and such simple textile
study as the trade demands of the worker, directly and indirectly.
3. A course in civics and business ethics that aims to develop
intelligence with regard to factory laws, city ordinances that affect
the worker, and fundamental business relations.
4. Elementary art work that aims to develop an accurate sense of
color where matching of colors is a part of the work, and a knowledge
of good line and proportion.
5. Health instruction that aims to develop a sense of responsibility
in such matters as posture, cleanliness, fresh air, personal hygiene,
and wholesome recreation.
T i m e a ll o t m e n t fo r c la s s w o r k .

This program is planned for four-hour sessions, viz, 8 a. m. to 12 m.
and 1.15 p. m. to 5.15 p. m. for each group of girls, and this time is
allotted to the five parts of the program in proportion to the impor­
tance of the subject and the minimum length of recitation each sub­
ject requires for effective results.
Since trade training is the main object of the course and efficient
trade training must provide as amply as possible for the develop­
ment of trade knowledge, technical knowledge, and manipulative




182

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

skill, all of tliem qualities that demand repeated practice, trade in­
struction is given the largest time apportionment in the schedule.
Class instruction is given the next place in time allotment, though
the idea is not that this instruction shall be isolated from the work­
room, but that it shall be made to overlap as much as possible without
interrupting the actual trade work.
Art instruction in a tentative program is difficult to evaluate in
terms of class periods, for the amount and kind of instruction to be of
value must be determined by the demand of the trade and the capa­
bility of the class. It is given third place here with girls of average
ability in mind.
Civics and business ethics and health are given the least time for
actual class work, because these subjects to be made the vital part
of a business woman’s life should be made to function in every part
of her experience in the workroom. This course therefore plans that
these subjects shall have constant application in the workroom in
addition to classroom instruction and practical lectures by expert
authorities on health problems, on problems of civic and business
life, etc.
In terms of hours the time allotment for instruction and class work
according to the ideals set for this work is as follows:
H ou rs per w eek.

Trade work........................................................................................................ - ...................

17

Classroom instruction..........................................................................................................................

3

A rt.............................................................................................................................................
Civics and business ethics...................................................................................................
H ealth......................................................................................................................................

2
1
1

SCHEDULE

M onday.

Class w ork ,
h our.
T rade w ork ,
hours.

1
3

OF

CLASSES.

T u esd ay.

W e d n e sd a y .

T h u rsd a y .

A rt
w ork ,
1
hour.
Trade w ork , 3
hours.

Class w ork , 1
hour.
H e a lth , 1 h o u r .
Trade w ork , 2
h ours.

A rt
w ork ,
1
hour.
Trade w ork , 3
hours.

C o u rse in

O p e r a tin g a n d

G a r m e n t M a k in g

F rid a y .

Class w ork ,
hour.
Trad e w ork ,
hours.

(17 h o u rs p e r

S atu rday.

1

Trade w ork,
hours.

4

3

w eek ).

I. Use and care of the machine:
1. Starting and stopping the machine.
2. Control of the machine—b y means of short and long length practice stitch­
ing.
3. Threading machine.
4. Winding bobbin and threading shuttle.
5. Setting the needle.
6. Adjustment of tensions.
7. Oiling and dusting machine. Cleaning off lint, etc.




APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

183

II. Practical work in garment making. (This work always to be done on up-to-date
marketable garments.)
1. Section work for preliminary training in getting used to machines and
handling work—
A. Making of small parts—
a. Cuffs and collars.
b. Re vers.
c. Belts, or any other parts that may be made separately.
B. Seaming—
a. Underarm.
b. Shoulder seams.
c. Setting in kimono sleeves that rise to the neck line or low shoul­
der kimono sleeves.
d. Sleeve seams.
e. Skirt seams.
C. Hemming—
a. Straight, as center backs or fronts.
b. Curved, as bottom of waist or skirt. D. Gathering.
E. Trimming.
2. Making the entire waist or skirt, applying principles gained through above
section work.
3. Class instruction in the technique of garment making that involves the
points listed under “ Technical knowledge” (p. 176) required of the
worker.
I I I . Special machine work:
1. Buttonholing.
2. Hemstitching.
3. Tucking.
Classroom Instruction.

[Instruction (3 hours per week). Short intensive recitations followed up in workroom
application, whenever and wherever classroom work comes naturally into use in
the workroom. It is, of course, understood that application of English, etc., must
be closely allied with trade work.]
I. English:
1. Written—
a. Business letters.
b. Applications for positions.
c. Record of week’s work.
d. Social correspondence.
e. Simple compositions, when advisable.
f. Limited amount of dictation and reproduction— to develop concen­
tration and ability to take and follow directions.
2. Oral—
a. Giving directions carefully worded.
b. Repeating directions.
c. Simple accounts of work done or vacation trips.
(N ote .— This work to be formalized as little as possible.)
3. Reading—
Of a kind and quantity suited to the personnel and ability of the class.
II. Arithmetic:
1. Drill in fundamentals as applied to work and to the keeping of records.
2. Drill in use of fractions required for workroom practice.
3. Problems involving use of money, as in buying and selling.
4. Use of the income.




184

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

I I I . Practical lessons on kinds and qualities of cloth (J hour per week):

1. Simple practical lessons in the study of different kinds of cloth— cotton,
linen, silk, and wool, and mixtures.
2. Practical lessons on adulterations and “ fillers.”
3. Ways to recognize and use the “ grain” of the cloth.
4. Practice in the sense of touch in handling cloth.
Course in Civics and Business Ethics (1 hour per week).

Civics and business ethics are so much a part of right living and
right school work that these subjects to be effectively taught must
come into play constantly in the classroom and in the workshop.
For this reason little time is set aside for actual class instruction with
the idea that the line teacher will make the subject a part of every­
day experience.
I. Factory laws:
1. Talks and lectures by members of public building department; b y others
intimately connected with public work.
2. Sanitation.
3. Lights.
4. Care of halls, etc.
5. Building regulations—fire regulations.
I I . Business ethics:
1. Dealing between workers and employers.
2. Ethics of price setting, etc.
I I I . Business organization.
Art Course,

Art instruction for girls who are not being prepared directly for
designing should be of a very practical sort. Talks by successful
designers with practical demonstrations as to the construction of gar­
ments and discussion of color combinations should form an important
part of the work. The designer may also discuss the general con­
struction of a garment to good effect.
Instruction as to what constitutes a well-shaped garment gives
opportunity for introducing the technique of garment making and
study of line and proportion into the art work.
Simple practical lessons in color and color combinations should also
receive careful attention.
As previously stated, the kind and amount of art instruction
depends so largely on the type and capability of pupils that it is
difficult to outline a course with any degree of accuracy before know­
ing something of the personnel of the class.
Health instruction (two hours per week).

Practical talks on health by teacher in charge.
Lectures by authorities on subject of general interest such as—
Posture.
Hygiene.
First aid.
Fresh air.
Sanitation.



APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

185

These lectures given at intervals convenient for the speaker should
be supplemented by such gymnastic work and dancing as may seem
best for the pupils. The rooms set aside for class work can be used
for this purpose.
TENTATIVE RULES AND PLANS OF PROCEDURE FOR TH E JOINT BOARD
OF CONTROL FOR TH E TRAININ G OF W O R K ER S IN TH E DRESS AND
W AIST INDUSTRY. 1

The Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Protective Association of New York City,
Local No. 25 of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union of New York
City, and the executive committee of the National Society for the Promotion of
Industrial Education hereby mutually agree and concur in the organization of a
joint board of control for the certification and training of workers in the dress and
waist industry of Greater New York, to be governed by the following
RULES

AND

PLANS

OF

PROCEDURE.

1. Membership o f the joint board o f control.-—Immediately upon the adoption of
these rules and plans of procedure, the parties to this agreement shall create a joint
board of control to be made up as follows:
First. Two persons nominated by the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Protective
Association.
Second. Two persons nominated b y Local Union No. 25.
Third. Three persons representing the public and nominated by the executive
committee of the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education.
These persons shall organize themselves into a board, and shall thereafter be known
as the joint board of control for industrial education in the dress and waist industry.
Hereafter in these rules they shall be referred to as the board. This board shall be
the board of control for any and all schemes or plans for industrial training or appren­
ticeships carried on jointly by the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Protective Asso­
ciation and Local Union No. 25.2
2. Term o f service o f members o f the board o f control.— The members of the board
nominated b y the parties of this agreement shall serve as follows:
One representative from the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Protective Association
and one from Local Union No. 25, for a term of one year each; one representative from
the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Protective Association and one from Local Union
No. 25 for a term of two years; thereafter one representative from each of these two
organizations shall be appointed each year for a term of two years, and the term of
organizations shall be two years, or until their successors shall be appointed.
The members of the board nominated by the National Society for the Promotion of
Industrial Education shall serve as follows:
One member for a term of one year; one member for a term of two years, and one
member fora term of three years; thereafter one member shall be appointed each
year for a term of three years by the executive committee, and the term of office of
members so appointed shall be three years or until their successors are appointed.
3. Duties and poivers o f the board.—The board shall be charged with the duty and
responsibility of carrying out this agreement and shall be authorized to incur such
expenditures of all kinds as may be necessary in order to do so. It shall make an
annual report of its acts in the administration of this agreement to the Dress and Waist
Manufacturers’ Protective Association, to Local Union No. 25, and to the executive




1 Prepared b y C. A . Prosser.
2 E x c e p t the p roposed schem e for c u tte rs’ ap prentices.

186

BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

committee of the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education; shall
make a study of wavs and means to extend the plan herein proposed for the training of
all workers in the dress and waist industry, and shall make recommendations concern­
ing the same to the parties to this agreement.
4. The organization and maintenance o f a factory school.— As soon as practicable after
the organization, the board shall proceed to establish a factory school for the training
of workers, subject to the following conditions:
(а) This school shall at the start deal only with girls over 14 years of age who are
already employed as cleaners and finishers in the dress and waist industry.
(б) The school shall be located close to the center of the dress and waist industry.
(c) The school shall be operated every day except Sunday during the entire year in
terms of three months each, only such holidays being observed as legal holidays and
other holidays which are recognized in the dress and waist industry.
(d) The school shall be operated as an educational enterprise by the board, and the
shops of the school shall be operated on a commercial basis. The materials for the
shop work and practice shall be supplied by the manufacturers under some plan worked
out by the board and the output consumed by the manufacturers contributing material,
at such rates of cost as may be determined by the board, or, when deemed advisable or
necessary, material shall be purchased by the school and the output consumed by the
manufacturers at rates of cost to be determined by the board.
It is understood that the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Protective Association
shall assume responsibility, whenever required by the board, of furnishing material by
and through its membership and of consuming the product when finished.
5. Support.— The expenses of operating the school herein described and of carrying
out the terms of this agreement shall be borne jointly and equally by the Dress and
Waist Manufacturers’ Protective Association and Local Union No. 25 of the Inter­
national Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. The board shall, on the basis of the budget
assumed of such expense, secure from time to time such funds from the Dress and
Waist Manufacturers7 Protective Association and Local Union No. 25 as may be
necessary. It shall be the duty of the treasurer of the board to receive all funds,
including receipts from the sale of products, and to disburse all funds only on vouchers
properly countersigned by the treasurer of the board.
6. The supplying o f pupils for the schools shall be regulated by some such arrange­
ment as follows:
(а) That each manufacturer in the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Protective Asso­
ciation shall be expected to furnish every three m onths--------- girls who are cleaners
and finishers from his plant for attendance upon the school.
(б) That each girl, for a period of three months, shall attend the school one-half day
out of each of the following days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thurs­
day, Friday, and Saturday.
(c) Where girls attend the morning session of the school they shall be present from
8 a. m. to 12 noon. Where they attend the afternoon session they shall be present
from 1.15 to 5.15.
7. While in attendance upon the school these pupils shall be paid by their respective
employers a wage of $6 per week.
8. The board shall have general jurisdiction over all pupils from the time of entrance to
the school until the attainment of full status and wage, herein described, for which
they are seeking preparation or promotion in the position. In like manner should the
school be enlarged to include workers from other occupations in the dress and waist
industry, the same jurisdiction should be exercised in their cases.
9. A scheme o f certification.— At the close of the period of training in the school the
board shall, upon the recommendation of the principal, issue to ail satisfactory pupils
a certificate for admission to that part of the industry for which their training has made
them eligible.




APPENDIX I.---- INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN THE INDUSTRY.

187

The holders of such certificates shall be given preference over all others in selecting
persons for employment, promotion, advancement, or retention b y the members of
the Dress and Waist Manufacturers’ Protective Association. (See certificate attached.)
Where girls who are cleaners and finishers are certified b y the school, the rate of
wage for the positions for which they are eligible shall be as follows:
P er w eek.

For
For
For
For

the
the
the
the

first month............................................................................................................ $9. 00
second m onth............ ......................................................................................... 10. 00
third month.......................................................................................................... 11. 00
fourth month........................................................................................................ 12. 00

It is to be understood that the above wages are subject to such changes and readjust­
ments as are made necessary b y corresponding changes in the industry.
10.
The decisions of the board shall be final with respect to all matters having to
do with the organization and maintenance of the school herein described. All other
decisions of the board, such as those relating to the enforcement of the provision of
this agreement with regard to such matters as certification, eligibility, promotion, and
wage, shall be subject to review and adjustment in the same manner as other agree­
ments are adjusted through the regular channels of the trade; or, in other words, a
complaint of this nature shall be subject to the same provisions as a complaint of any
other nature in the trade. In like manner all violations of the provisions of this agree­
ment b y the Dress and W'aist Manufacturers’ Protective Association or Local Union
No. 25 shall be subject to review and adjustment.
SAMPLE OF PROPOSED FORM OF CE RTIFIC ATE.
Apprentice certificate.
B

o ard

of

C

N o .---------*

ontrol for

I

n d u s t r ia l
of

G

E

d u c a t io n f o r t h e

r e a te r

N

[Office 0000 W e s t 0th Street.

e w

Y

o r k

D

r ess a n d

W

a is t

I

n d u str y

.

T e l. G ram ercy 0000.]

M r .------ ---------------,
A ddress-------------------- , is entitled to work as a ---------- while employed b y --------- ■.
A dd ress--------- -----------.
Issued ■
— -----------------.
---------------------, Clerk.
N

o t e .—

T he holder of this certificate

s required to report w eekly to the office of th e b oard of c ontrol.

The certificate should be printed on stock, approximately 3 b y 5 inches, using a
different color for different grades of certificates. Provide a copy of the rules and
regulations in small booklet form for insertion in certificate book for the pocket of the
holder. Print on reverse side of card:
The attention of the apprentice is directed to the circular of instructions containing
extracts from the rules, etc.

Plans proposed by the National Society for the Promotion of In­
dustrial Education for the organization and control of agencies for
training workers and apprentices in the dress and waist industry
of New York City are shown in graphic form in the three diagrams
which follow. The first of these diagrams presents an analysis of
a proposed trade agreement based on the protocol of January 18,
1913, but including, in addition to the board of sanitary control and
the board of arbitration, a joint board of educational control. The
second diagram shows the proposed organization of this joint board
of educational control and an analysis of its functions. The third
diagram shows the proposed financial organization of a factory school
under the joint board.



188

LO C A L NO. 25

D ress & W a is t M a k e r *

BULLETIN

DRESS A N D W A I S T

LOCAL NO. 10 C u t t e r s

M A N U F A C T U R E R S ’ ASSOCIATION

I n t e r n a t i o n a l L a d ie s * G a r m e n t W o r k e r s ’ U n i o n

OF
THE

|

U n io n s

JO IN T BOARD

P u b lic

of

JJ

A ssn

J

S,A N IT A R Y CO N TRO L

U n io n s

| N a t io n a l S o c ie t y

JO IN T BO ARD

of

| B o a r d op C d |

EDUCATIONAL CONTRO L

BUREAU

A ssn

BOARD OF A ARBITRATION

OF
LABOR

S a cratary

B oard op

A s s t M edical E x a m in e r

j Inspe c to rs J
| Clerks

|

School Organization

G r ie v a n c e s

| C lerks

|

jD eputy C le r k s

[

STATISTICS,




ANALYSIS OP TRADE AGREEMENT

APPENDIX A.
COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS IN LADIES’ GARMENT TRADES IN NEW YORK CITY AND BOSTON.
Parties to the agreement............ . . . .

Joint board
of Cloak
Makers’ Union, Interna­
tional Ladies' Garment
Workers’ Union, and
Cloak, Suit, and Skirt
Manufacturers’ Protec­
tive Association.

International Ladies' Gar­
ment Workers’ Union
and Dress and WTaist
Manufacturers' Associa­
tion.

International Ladies' Gar­
ment Workers' Union
and New York Associa­
tion of House Dress and
Kim ono Manufacturers.

International Ladies’ Gar­
ment Workers' Union
and Cotton Garment
Manufacturers of New
York City (Inc.).

International Ladies' Gar­
m ent Workers' Union
and
The Children's
Dress
Manufacturers’
Association.

International Ladies’ Gar­
ment Workers' Union
and Boston Ladies' Gar­
in e n t Manufacturers’
Association.

International Ladies’ Gar­
m ent Workers' Union
and Boston Dress and
W aist
Manufacturers’
Association.

New York City, Sept. 2,
1910.

N ew York City, Jan. 18,
1913.

New York City, Feb. 11,
1913.

New York City, Feb. 17,
1913.

N'ew Y ork City, Mar. 8,
1913.

Boston, Mar. 8,1913............

Boston, Mar. 15,1913.

Cloaks, suits, and skirts...

Dresses and waists..............

Wrappers, kimonos, and
house dresses.

W hite goods—ladies' un­
derwear.

Misses' and
dresses.

children's

Cloaks, suits, and skirts.. .

Dresses and waists.

Serge, worsted, cheviots,
pongee, linen, voile, taf­
feta, whipcord, broad­
cloth,
tweed,
rough
woolens,
homespuns,
silk, satin, crepe, velvet,
velours.

Lawn, cr§pe, voile, flan­
nel,
pongee, taffeta,
satin, meteors, moire,
chiffon, batiste, ging­
ham, silk, serge, velvets,
fine cloths.

Serge, cashmere, cotton
crepe, silk crepe, per­
cale, gingham, lawn,
flannelette, f o u l a r d s ,
blanket cloth, calico,
ratine, eponge, piqud.

Cotton, cambric, nain­
sook, silk, chiffon, crepe
de chine, cr&pe cloth.

Cotton cr6pe, silk crSpe,
percale, gingham, lawn,
flannelette, f o u l a r d ,
calico, blanket cloth,
ratine, eponge, piqu6.

Serge, worsted, cheviots,
pongee, linen, voile, taf­
feta. whipcord, broad­
cloth, tweed,
rough
woolens,
homespuns,
silk, satin, cr&pe, velvet,
velours.

Lawn, cr&pe, voile, flannel,
pongee, taffeta, satin,
meteors, moire, chiffon,
batiste, gingham, silk,
serge, velvets, fine cloths.

2 years......................................

Indefinite................................

Indefinite................................

Indefinite.

36,000.........

3,500..........................................

10,000........................................

7,500..........................................

5,000..........................................

3,0@0.

N o ..............................................
Y e s ............................................
Y e s ............................................
Y e s ............................................

N o ..............................................
Y e s ............................................
Y e s ............................................

Y e s ............................................
Y e s ............................................

N o ..............................................
Y e s ............................................
N o ..............................................
Y e s ............................................

No.
Yes.
No.
Yes.

The industry:

„ ....

Period for which agreement was signed.
Estimate of number of people involved. 50,000

....................

Agencies for adjusting grievances:
Mediation—
Yes
Y e s.
No

Y e s ............................................
Y e s .......... ................................
Y e s ............................................
Y e s ............................................

N o . (See a m e n d m e n t
below.)
Yes

N o 1 ..................................

N o..........................................

N o ..............................................

N o ..............................................

N o ............................................

No.

Y e s .*

....................................

Y e s ............................................

Provision for creation of
such board at moments
needed.

Y e s ................ ...........................

Y e s ............................................

Yes

Supervision over safety, sanitation,
and hygiene: Joint Board of Sani­
tary Control.

Jbint Board of Sanitary
Control, consisting of
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of
union, association, and
public.

Joint Board of Sanitary
Control, consisting of
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of
union, association, and
public.

Joint Board of Sanitary
Control, consisting of
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of
union, association, and
public.

No board of sanitary con­
trol; manufacturers ob­
l i g a t e d to maintain
proper sanitary and
safe conditions of em­
ployment.

Joint Board of Sanitary
Control, consisting of
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of
union, association, and
public.

Joint Board of Sanitary
Control, consisting of
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of
union, association, and
public.

Joint Board of Sanitary
Control, consisting of
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of
union, association, and
public.

Extent of recognition of the union..........

Preferential union shop:
Members of union to
be preferred— (a) W hen
help is hired; (6) when
help is laid off.

Preferential union shop:
Members of union to
be preferred— (a) W hen
help is hired; (b) when
help is laid off.

Preferential union shop:
Members of union to
be preferred— (a) W hen
help is hired; (ft) when
help is laid off.

Partial recognition of the
union.2

Preferential union shop:
Members of union to
be preferred— (a) When
help is hired; (6) when
help is laid off.

Preferential union shop:
Members of union to
be preferred— (a) W hen
help is hired; (5) when
help is laid off.

Preferential union shop:
M e m b e r s of union to
be preferred— (a) W hen
help is hired; (6) when
help is laid off.

Cutters.........................

Increase of 10 per cent to
cutters earning $18 or
less per week; increase
of 5 per cent to cutters
earning between $18 and
$25 per week; increase
of 10 per cent to opera­
tives earning less than
$12 per week.

No employee to get less

Increase of 50 cents per
week at once and 50

Arbitration—
Committee on Immediate A c­
tion.

%

Minimum standards of wages;
/'Machine cutters........
Regular cutters„
Canvas cutters...........
Skirt cutters..............
Jacket pressers..........
Underpressers..........
Skirt pressers............
Skirt UTidpxprp.ssp.rs,
Part preesers..............
Reefer pressers..........
Reefer underpressers
Sample m akers.........
Sample skirt makers
Skirt basters..............
Skirt finishers..........

$25

C utters.......................... $24
Pressers..........................
20
Underpressers.............
16
No employee to be paid
less than $6 per week.

525
25
12
21
21
18
19
15
13
18
14
22
22
14
10

Joiners..........................
12
Examiners..................
10
Sample h a n d s ..........
14
Ironers (m ale)...........
15
Ironers (female).
12
Pressers......................
20
Dressmaker-finishers*
8
Rates for rest of occupa­
tions of industry pend­
i n g investigation of
Wage Scale Board.

D o u b le ......................

D o u b le ....................................

Time and one-half............... D o u b le ....................................

No provision..........................

Time and one-half..............

Time and one-half.

Piecework................................................

N o provision..........................

30 cents per hour..................

Increase of 10 per cent to
pieceworkers.

Increase of 10 per cent
p e n d i n g decision of
Wage
Scale Board;
Wage Scale Board to fix
price upon minimum
of 20 cents per hour.

Increase of at least 5 per
cent.

Not specified..........................

N ot specified.

Methods of adjusting piece prices..........

(1) Price committee elect­
ed b y workers of shop
in conference with em­
ployer; (2) Price experts
of Board of Grievances.

(1) Price committee elect­
ed by workers of shop
in conference with em­
ployer; (2) W age Scale
Board.

(1) Price committee elect­
ed by workers of shop
in conference with em­
ployer; (2) W age Scale
Board.

(1) Price committee elect­
ed by workers of shop
in conference with em­
ployer; (2) W age Scale
Board.

(1) Price committee elect­
ed by workers of shop
in conference with em­
ployer; (2) W age Scale
Board.

Price committee elected
b y workers of shop in
conference w i t h em­
ployer.

Price committee elected by
workers of shop in con­
ference with employer.

50 hours per week.................

50 hours per week................

50 hours

50

hours per week; no
work before 8 a. m.

50 hours per week; in Jtine,

50 hours per week; in June,

O vertim e....................................

Hours of labor:
Regular t im e ..........................................

per week; no
work before 8 a. m.

than $5 per week; cut­
ters earning between $6
and $12 to get an in­
crease of $1 per week;
c u t t e r s earning be­
tween $12 and $24 to get
increase of $2 per week;
cutters earning $24 per
week to get increase of
$1 per week; no cutter
to work below $9 per
-week; all week workers
to get increase of $1 per
week.

hours per week; no
work before 8 a. m .

cents on July 1,1913, for
those earning $10 per
week or less; increase of
$1 per week for cutters
earning $12 to $18 per
week; no cutter to work
below $9 per week; in­
crease of 50 cents per
week at once and 50
cents on July 1,1913, for
cutters earning less than
$12 per week.

50

Coat pressers...............
Coat underpressers..

24
19

Skirt underpressers.
Sample coat makers.
Sample skirt makers

17
24
22

July, and August, 49
hours per week.

July, and August,
hours per week.

Overtim e..................................................

N o overtime N ov. 15 to
Jan. 15 and June 1 to
July 31, except in work
on samples; no overtime
on Saturday to those
who work on this day;
no overtime before 8 a. m .
or after 8.30 p. m .; not
more than 2J hours on
any day.

N ot more than 4 hours per
week; not more than 2
hours in any one day;
cutters not more than
2^ hours in any one day.

No overtime on Saturday
and Sunday after 1 p. m.

No provision..............

No provision..........................

No overtime on Saturday.

Legal holidays................................................

10 legal holidays to be paid

5 legal holidays to be paid
* for to week workers.

Operators, 3 legal h o 1 i days; cutters, 10 legal
holidays to be paid for.

3 legal holidays; cutters,
10 legal holidays to be
paid for.

3 legal holidays for opera­
tors; 5 legal holidays for
cutters to be paid for.

N o provision........................... No provision.

N o provision..........................

Y e s ..........................................

No provision..........................

No provision.....................

N o pro vision..........................

N o provision..........................

N o provision.

See amendment 2.............

Jan. 18,1914: $1 per week
to ironers; $2 per week
to pressers; 10 per cent
to pieceworkers after es­
tablishment of W hite
Label.

Pending investigation of
Wage Scale Board.

N ot specified.

Additional increases
N ot specified..........................
N ot specified..........................

N ot specified.

Systems of apprenticeship and indus­
trial education.

P lan ned..................................

P lanned..................................

No provision..........................

No provision.....................

N o provision..........................

No provision.......... ...............

No provision.
N ot specified.

for to week workers.
W hite protocol label....................................
....................................

...

N ot more than 4 hours per
week; not more than 6
hours per week for cut­
ters and pressers.

Home work......................................................

Prohibited...........................

Prohibited........................

Not specified..........................

Prohibited......................

Not specified..........................

N ot specified..........................

W ork in tenement houses..........................

Prohibited...............................

Prohibited..............................

Not specified..........................

Prohibited............................ .

Prohibited..............................

N ot specified..........................

N ot specified.

Subcontracting..............................................

Prohibited..............................

Prohibited........................

Not specified..........................

N o provision..........

Prohibited..............................

Prohibited..............................

Prohibited.

Y e s ......................................

Not specified..........................

Y e s ....................................

Not specified..........................

Y e s ............................................

F ree of charge to workers.

Free of charge to workers.

Free of charge to workers.

Free of charge to workers .

Free of charge to workers. Not specified..........................

Regular pay day in cash............................
Electric power................................................

Amendments: Date and nature............... Amendment 1. — Apr. 15,
1911: Creation of Board
of Grievances, with elab­
orate set of procedure.
Amendment 2.— O c t .
18, 1913: Increase in
wages of pressers— $2.50
per week to upperpressers, $1.50 per week to un­
der pressers. A m e n d ­
ment 3 .— Jan. 24, 1914:
Creation of Committee
on Immediate Action,
presided over by an im­
partial chairman.
1 Such a temporary organization existed during a period of 3 to 4 months (April to July, 1913).
39573°— Bull. 145— 14.




(To face page 124.)

49

Yes.
N ot specified.
(1) M inim um wage for ap­
prentices: First month,
$5 per week; s e c o n d
month, $5.50 per week;
third month, $6 per week.
(The above applies to fe­
male workers.)
(2) In­
crease of 10 per cent on
all piecework.

2 Section 7 of agreement relating to this subject is very vague and indefinite! implies recognition but does not guarantee.

APPENDIX I . -----INDUSTRIAL 'EDUCATION IN THE IN DU STRY.




FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION
TACTORY SCHOOL i n t h e DRESS

and

W A IS T IND USTRY

G RE ATER N E W Y O R K

189

INDEX.

A d ju stm e n t of grievances. (See G rievances, ad ju stm en t of.)
P age.
A d ju stm e n t of piece prices under the protocol......................................................................................................................... 30-32
A d m in istra tio n , p lan of, proposed for factory school in the in d u s tr y .................................................................. 179-181
A d van tages gained b y b o th parties to the dress and w aist protocol, N e w Y o r k C ity .................................... 2 9 ,3 0
A greem en t, collective, of 1913 in the w hite-goods (ladies’ underw ear) in du stry of N e w Y o r k C i t y . . 137-140
A gree m en t, m e m o ra n d u m of, betw een In ternation al L ad ies’ G arm en t M akers’ U n io n an d N on asso­
ciation oi M anufacturers of Dresses and W a is t s ............................................................................................................ 152-154
A greem en t, trade, proposed in the dress and w aist in du stry of N e w Y o r k C ity , analysis of, p rovid in g
for the inclusion of a join t board of educational control.................................................................................................
188
A greem en ts:
124
Collective, in ladies’ garm ent trades of N e w Y o r k C ity and B o sto n , analysis o f.....................................
C ollective, in m e n ’s clothing trades, analysis o f...................................................... 1...................................................
154
C ollective, in nonassociation sh o p s....................................................................................................................................... 45-47
In the w o m e n ’ s wear in du stry, principles in volved i n .............................................................................................
8
In d ep en dent, u nion shops w ith , during first year of protocol in'dress and w aist in du stry of N e w
Y o r k C ity ......................................................................................................................................................................'................... 46-47
(See also P rotocol.)
A p p e a ls:
P ro m decisions of clerks and d ep u ty clerks, provisions as t o ................................................................................57,59
F ro m decisions of board of grievances, provisions as t o ............................................................................................61 ,6 2
A rb itra tio n , board of, in dress and w aist in du stry of N e w Y o r k C it y .................................................................. .. 61-65
A rb itra tio n , conciliation, an d sanitation in th e cloak, su it, an d skirt in du stry of B o sto n , M a ss____141-146
A r b itration , conciliation, and sanitation in th e dress and w aist in du stry of B osto n , M a ss................... 147-151
A ssociation of D ress & W a is t M anufacturers of N e w Y o r k C ity :
Cases filed b y , and b y u nion s, com parison of, "by m e th od of d isposition ....................................................... 68-71
Cases filed b y , disposition of, b y nature of grievance...............................................................................♦ .............
73
Cases settled in favor of, percentage of to ta l.................................................................................................................... 74-78
Changes in m em b ersh ip of, during first 11 m on th s of p rotocol............................................................................ 38,39
C om plain ts filed b y , n u m b e r and agencies b y w hich a d ju ste d ...........................................................................
48
C om plaints filed b y , n u m b e r an d per cent of to ta l............................................................................................... 1 0 ,4 8 ,6 8
C ontributions of m em b ers of, average, tow ard th e expenses of m ain tainin g th e p rotocol..................
66
E xp en ses of, to ta l, u nd er the protocol agreem ent........................................................................................................6 5 ,6 6
Grievances filed b y , classification o f .....................................................................................................................................71-73
Grievances filed by_, n u m b e r and per cent of............................................................................................................ 1 0 ,4 8 ,6 8
L a c k of success of, m com pelling its m em b ers to carry ou t provisions of protocol...................................
9 ,1 0
S hop record of, form o f ................................................................................................................................................................
79
A sso rtin g , d efin ition of, occu p ation o f .......................................................................................................................................
164

B.
B argainin g, collective:
In cloak , su it, an d skirt in d u str y , effect of protocol on ............................................................................................
7
In dress an d w a ist in d u str y , d evelop m en t o f .................................................................................................................13-22
B asis of agreem ents in th e w o m e n ’s wear in d u s tr y ............................................................................................................
8
B in d in g , defin ition of occupation o f ......................................................................................................................................... 161,162
B oard of arbitration in dress and w aist in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C it y ........................................................................ 61-65
B oard of control, jo in t, for the training of w orkers in the dress and w aist in d u str y , ten tative rules
and p lans o f procedure for.......................................................................................................................................................... 185-187
B oard of ed u cation al control, jo in t, analysis of trade agreem ent proposed in th e dress and w aist in du s­
try of N e w Y o r k C ity , p rovidin g for........................................................................................................................................
188
B oard of grievances:
A d ju s tm e n t of grievances b y , under cloak , su it, and skirt protocol of B o sto n , M a ss......................... 143,144
A d ju s tm e n t of grievances b y , under dress and w aist protocol of B o sto n , M a s s .......................................
149
A d ju s tm e n t of grievances b y , under dress and w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C i t y ..................... 4 8 ,8 0 ,8 8 ,8 9
A d ju s tm e n t of grievances b y , under k im o n o and house-dress agreem ent of N e w Y o r k C it y ___ 125,126
E xp en ses of, under dress an d w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C i t y ........................................................................
65
F u n ctio n s an d procedure o f ...................................................................................................................................................... 56-61
N u m b e r an d per cent o f union grievances adjusted b y ...................................................................................... 8 0 ,88,8 9
B o d y m a k in g , definition of occupation of..................................................................................................................................
160
B u tto n sew ing, definition of occupation o f ..............................................................................................................................
162
B u tto n h o le m a k in g , definition of occupation of.....................................................................................................................
162

C.
Calendar cases filed b y unions, form o f .......................................................................................................................................
78
Calendar show ing w orking d ays in O ctober.............................................................................................................................
35
C ases, priority of, as regards settlem en t...................................................................................................................................... 52,53
Cases. ( See Grievances.)
C enter m ak in g, definition of occupation of...............................................................................................................................
160
C hief clerks:
C om p lain ts of union as to unsatisfactory w ork o f ....................................................................................................... 10,11
N u m b e r and per cent of union grievances adjusted b y ..................................................................................... 80 ,84 ,8 5
W o r k and functions o f .................................................................................................................................................................
54
Chief clerks. ( See also Clerks.)
Classification: card, form of, for recording com p laints.........................................................................................................
80
Classification of grievances filed b y the association............................................................................................................. 71,72
Classification of grievances filed b y the u nion......................................................................................................................... 75-77




191

192

INDEX.

Cleaners, finishers, and exam iners, course of stu d y for, in proposed factory school.................................... 181-185
Cleaning, definition of occupation of.............................................................................................................................................
163
Clerical office force, expenses of, under the p rotocol............................................................................................................65,66
Clerks, a d ju stm e n t of grievances b y , under:
C loak, su it, and skirt protocol of B o sto n , M ass......................................................................................................... 142,143
Dress and w aist protocol of B o sto n , M ass.................................................................................................................... 147-149
Dress and w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C ity ................................................................................................ 4 8 ,8 0 -8 5 ,9 3 -9 9
K im o n o and house-dress agreem ent of N e w Y o r k C ity ....................................................................................... 126,127
C loak m akers, m o rb id ity statistics of 800, ex am ined b y the Joint B oard of Sanitary C ontrol............120,121
C loak , su it, and skirt agreem ent of M arcn 8 ,1 9 1 3 , B osto n , M ass., analysis o f ....................................................
124
C loak , su it, and skirt agreem ent of S ep tem ber 2 ,1 9 1 0 , N e w Y o r k C ity , an alysis o f ......................................
124
C loak , su it, an d skirt in d u stry of B o sto n , M ass., conciliation, arbitration, and sanitation in ............. 141-146
Closing an d h e m m in g , definition of occupation of................................................................................................................
160
C lothin g trades, m e n ’s, an alysis o f collective agreem ents i n ..........................................................................................
154
C ollective agreem ents. (See A gree m en ts; P roto col.)
C ollective bargaining. ( S ee B argainin g, colle ctive.)
C ollar m a k in g , defin ition o f occu p ation o f .................................................................................................................................
160
C ollar settin g, defin ition o f occu p ation o f ...................................................................................................................................
160
C o m m ittee o n im m ed ia te action , a d ju stm e n t o f grievances b y ............................................................... 4 8 ,5 6 ,8 0 ,8 6 ,8 7
C o m p lain t d epartm en ts o f u nion and associatio n ................................................................................................................. 52,53
C o m p la in ts. ( See G rievances.)
C om prom ised cases:
A m o n g association cases, n u m b e r and per cent o f, b y nature of grievance..................................................
73
A m o n g u nion and association cases, per cent o f............................................................................................................ 68,69
A m o n g u nion cases, n u m b er an d per cent o f............................................................................................................ 93 ,96 ,9 7
D efinition o f .........................................................................................................................................................................................
52
C onciliation, arbitration, an d sanitation in th e cloak , su it, and skirt in du stry o f B o sto n , M a s s ____ 141-146
C onciliation, arbitration , an d san itation in th e dress an d w aist in d u stry of B o sto n , M a ss.................... 147-151
C onciliation in th e k im on o an d house dress in d u stry o f N e w Y o r k C it y .......................................................... 125-132
C onciliation in the w hite goods (ladies’ u nderw ear) in du stry o f N e w Y o r k C ity ........................................ 137-140
C ond itions in dress an d w aist in d u stry an d defects rem edied b y sanitary inspectors, M arch an d S ep ­
te m b e r, 1913......................................................................................................................................................................................... 115-117
C onferees’ rep ort an d rec o m m en d a tio n s..................................................................................................................................... 17-22
C onjugal con d ition o f workers in th e dress and w aist in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C i t y .........................................
13
C ost o f m ain ta inin g the agencies o f the p r o to c o l.................................................................................................................... 65-67
Course o f s tu d y for cleaners, finishers, an d exam iners in proposed factory sc h o o l...................................... 181-185
C u ttin g , defin ition o f occu p ation o f...............................................................................................................................................
165

D.
D e a d lo ck , cases resulting i n ............................................................................................................................................ 1 0 ,4 8 ,8 0 ,8 9 -9 1
D efinitions o f term s used in describing th e d isposition of cases...................................................................................
52
D e m a n d for w orkers, w ages, and len gth o f w ork ing y e a r .......................................................................................... 170-173
D e p u t y clerks:
N u m b e r an d per cen t o f un ion grievances adjusted b y ............................................................................................ 80-84
W o r k and fun ction s o f ..................................................................................................................................................................
53
D e p u t y clerks. (See also C lerks.)
D esigners an d cu tters, relation o f w ork o f..................................................................................................................................
165
D e sign in g, d efinition o f occu p ation o f ..................................................................................................................................... 164,165
D isagreem ent cases, n u m b e r o f .................................................................................................................................... 1 0 ,4 8 ,8 0 ,8 9 -9 1
D isp o sitio n o f cases ad justed u n d er:
C loak , su it, an d sk irt p rotocol o f B o sto n , M a ss......................................................................................................... 142-144
D ress and w aist p rotocol o f B o sto n , M a ss.................................................................................................................... 147-149
D ress an d w aist p rotocol o f N e w Y o r k C it y ....................................................................................... 68 -7 1 ,7 3 -7 5 ,8 0 -1 0 9
K im o n o an d house dress agreem ent in N e w Y o r k C i t y ...................................................................................... 126,127
D r a p in g , defin ition o f occu p ation o f .............................................................................................................................................
164
D re ss an d w aist in d u str y :
B o s to n , M a ss., an alysis o f agreem ent o f M ar. 1 5 ,191 3, i n ........................................................................................
124
H istorical state m en t regard in g................................................................................................................................................ 11,12
In d u stria l ed u cation in , s tu d y o f ....................................................................................................................................... 155-189
M an ufactu rers’ A ssociation an d In tern ation al L a d ie s’ G arm en t M ak ers’ U n io n in , negotiations
b e tw e e n .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 14-16
N e w Y o r k C ity , an alysis o f agreem ent o f Jan. 1 8 ,191 3, in ......................................................................................
124
N e w Y o r k C ity , estab lish m en ts, em ployees, an d o u tp u t of, in 1913................................................................
12
189
N e w Y o r k C ity , financial organization o f proposed factory school i n .............................................................
N e w Y o r k C ity , proposed p la n o f organization an d con trol for training o f workers and appren­
tices in ............................................... .................................................................................................................................................
188
D rop p ed cases:
A m o n g association cases, n u m b e r and per cent of, b y nature of grievance..................................................
73
A m o n g u nion and a?sociation cases, per cent of............................................................................................................ 68,69
A m o n g union cases, n u m b e r an d per cent o f ........................................................................................................... 9 3 ,9 7 ,9 9
D efinition o f ........................................................................................................................................................................................
52
D u es of m em bers of the dress an d w aist m ak ers’ union under protocol.................................................................
66

E.
E d ucation , industrial, stu d y of the dress and w aist in du stry for the purpose o f........................................ 155-189
E d u cation al content of dress an d w aist in du stry, outline o f ..................................................................................... 174-177
E d ucation al w ork of the Joint B oard of Sanitary C ontrol...............................................................................................
119
E ffects, beneficial, of the p rotocol...................................................................................................................................................66,67
E m p lo y ees, n u m b e r of, affected b y various protocols in m e n ’ s [clothing trades'................................................
154
E m p lo y e es, n u m b er of, affected b y various protocols in the w o m e n ’ s wear in d u s tr y .............................7 ,8 ,1 2 4
E m p lo y e es, ou tp u t, an d establish m en ts of dress an d w aist in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C ity in 1913............
12
E n forcem en t of sanitary standards of th e in d u str y ........................................................................................................ 111-114
______ __ J?
j-ii ~
__ „ „ J 1 ! ______t--------------------1
7 rt
E ntrance of girls in to th e in d u stry an d line o f p r o m o tio n .......................................................................................... 166-170
E sta b lish m e n ts an d w age earners in w o m e n ’ s clothing in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C ity , n u m b e r o f ............
11
E sta b lish m e n ts, em ployees, an d o u tp u t of dress an d w aist in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C ity in 1913............
12
E x a m in ers, cleaners, an d finishers, course of stu d y for, in proposed factory sch ool.................................. 181-185
E x a m in in g , definition of occupation o f ................................................................................................................................... 163,164
E x p en ses, general, under the p rotocol..........................................................................................................................................65,66




INDEX.

193
Page.

F acto ry school proposed in the dress and w aist in du stry of N e w Y o r k C ity, financial organization o f.
189
F acto ry school, proposed schem e for......................................................................................................................................... 178-185
F avorab le decisions secured am on g:
A ssociation cases........................................................................................................................................................................ 6 8 -7 1 ,7 3
U n ion cases............................................................................................................................................................... 68 -7 0 ,1 0 1 ,1 0 2 ,1 0 4
F em ale workers, percentage of, w h o operate m achines an d w h o are ironers or pressers................................
13
Filin g and ad justm ent of c o m p la in ts............................................................................................................................................ 49-52
Financial organization of proposed factory school in the dress and w aist in du stry of N e w Y o r k C i t y ..
189
Finishers, cleaners, an d exam iners, course of stu d y for, in proposed factory school.................................... 181-185
F inishers, m o r b id ity statistics of, exam ined b y th e Joint B oard of Sanitary C ontrol.............................. 120,121
F in ishin g, definition of occupation of...........................................................................................................................................
163
Fire dangers, chart show ing reduction of, from M arch to Septem ber, 1913...........................................................
118
Fire p rotection........................................................................................................................................................................................ 117-119
F requ en cy of union co m p la in ts........................................................................................................................................................ 91-93

G.
G arm en t operating occupations, definition o f..................................................................................................................... 159-162
G rievances:
Classification an d disposition of, u nd er collective agreem ent of 1913 in the w hite goods (ladies’
u nd erw ear) in du stry of N e w Y o r k C ity ................................................................................................................... 137,138
F iled b y association......................................................................................................... „ ............................................................ 71-74
F iled b y association an d settled in favor of union, n u m b e r an d p er cen t of, b y n ature of griev an ce.
73
F ile d b y association, classification o f ................................................................................................................................... 71,72
F ile d b y u n io n ................................................................................................................................................................................. 75-109
F ile d b y u nion an d b y association, general results of ad ju stm e n t o f ....................................................................67-71
F ilin g an d a d ju stm e n t of, procedure in ............................................... ....................................................................... 10,49-52
N a tu re of, filed b y association, an d their disposition................................................................................................. 71-75
N a tu re of, filed b y union , an d their disposition.......................................................................................................... 75-109
Peaceful settlem en t of, effect of protocol in cloak, suit, an d skirt industry o n .........................................
7
P riority of, as regards se ttle m e n t........................................................................................................................................... 52,53
G rievances, a d ju stm e n t of:
B y b oard of grievances u n d er dress an d w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C ity ..................................................
48
B y clerks u n d er dress an d w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C it y ............................................................ 4 8 ,8 0 -8 5 ,9 3 -9 9
B y w age scale b oard an d c o m m itte e on im m ed iate action ....................................................................................
48
M e th o d of procedure in ............................................................................................................................................. 1 0 ,4 9 -6 5 ,7 7 -8 0
Th rou gh m ediation , p ercen tage o f.........................................................................................................................................
10
U n d e r c loak , su it, a n d sk irt protocol of B osto n , M a ss.......................................................................................... 141-144
U n d e r dress an d w aist protocol of B osto n , M a s s ..................................................................................................... 147-149
U n d e r dress an d w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C it y ...................................................................................................48-109
U n d e r k im on o an d house-dress p rotocol of N e w Y o r k C i t y ............................................................................. 125-128
U n d e r w h ite goods (ladies’ u n d erw ear) protocol of N e w Y o r k C it y ........................................................... 137,138
G rievances, board of. (See B oard of grievances.)

H.
H e a lth of th e workers u n d er th e join t board of sanitary control............................................................................ 119-123
H em stitc h in g , definition of occu p ation of..................................................................................................................................
162
H o lid a y s, le g a l.......................................................................................................................................................................... 34 -36,12 4,154
H ou rs of labor u n d er protocol in—
L a d ies’ garm ent trades of N e w Y o r k C ity an d B o s to n ...................................................... ............................ ..
124
M e n ’s cloth in g tra d es.....................................................................................................................................................................
154
H y g ie n e , sanitation, an d safety, general provisions for, u n d er collective agreem ents in lad ies' garm ent
trades of N e w Y o r k C ity an d B osto n , su m m a r y o f.........................................................................................................
124

I.
In d ep en d e n t agreem en t in dress an d w aist in du stry, form of.................................................................................. 152-154
In d ep en dent agreem ent w ith in divid u al contractors in k im on o an d house-dress in du stry, N e w Y o r k
C ity, te x t o f...................................................................................................................................................., ................................... 131,132
In d ep en d en t a greem ents, n u m b e r of u nion shops w ith , during first year of protocol....................................46,47
Industrial education, s tu d y of th e dress an d w aist in du stry for the purpose o f ............................................ 155-189
In spections, results of tw o sem iann ual, m a d e b y jo in t board of sanitary control......................................... 115-117
International L ad ies’ G arm en t M ak ers’ U n io n a n d Dress & W a is t M anufacturers’ A ssociation, nego­
tiations b e tw e e n .................................................................................................................................................................................... 14-16
Investigation bureau of w age scale b o a r d ..................................................................................................................................
55
Ironers or pressers, per cen t of, am on g fem ale w orkers......................................................................................................
13

J.
Joining, definition of occupation o f ........................................................................................................-......................................
161
Joint board of control for th e training of w orkers in the dress and w aist in d u stry, ten tative rules and
plans of procedure fo r .................................................................................................................................................................... 185-187
Joint board of educational control, analysis of trade agreem ent proposed in th e dress and w aist in­
d u stry of N e w Y o r k C ity p rovidin g for..................................................................................................................................
188
Joint board o f san itary control:
A ccou n t o f first su rv e y m ad e b y ........................................................................................................................................ 114,115
E d ucation al w ork o f .......................................................................................................................................................................
119
E xp en ses o f, u nd er th e p ro to c o l................................................................................................. ............................................ 65,66
F ire p rotection u n d e r ..................................................................................................................... .......................................... 118,119
F unctions and w ork o f ............................................................................................................................................................. 109-124
H ea lth o f workers u n d e r .......................................................................................................................................................... 119-123
In sp ection s u nder, results o f ......................................................................... ....................................................................... 115-117
Significance of w ork o f .............................................................................................................................................................. 123,124
Standards, san itary, of the in du stry and their enforcem ent u n d e r .......................................... ................. 111-114

39573°— Bull. 145— 14------ 13




194

INDEX.
P age.

K im o n o and house-dress in du stry of N e w Y o r k C ity, protocol of peace i n ..................................................... 125-132
K n ow ledge, general, required of w orkers in the in d u s tr y ................................................................................................
175

L.
L a b e l, w h ite p ro to c o l.................................................................................................................................................................... 33 ,34,1 24
L ace running, definition of occupation o f ..................................................................................................................................
161
Legal h o lid a y s........................................................................................................................................................................... 34-3 6,12 4,15 4

M.
M achine-operating occupations in th e dress and w aist in d u str y .................................................... 13,158,159,161-163
M ajor and m inor cases filed b y u n ion an d b y association and settled in favor of each, num b er and per
cent o f ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................
70
M ajor grievances filed b y association and per cen t of favorable decisions secured, b y nature of griev­
a n ce ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 74,75
M ajor grievances filed b y u n io n ..................................................................................................................................................... 99-102
M ales, per cen t of, in the dress and w aist in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C it y ....................................................................
12
M anufacturers, advantages gained b y , under the p rotocol.............................................................................................. 29,30
M anufacturers’ association. (See A ssociation of Dress & W a is t Manufacturers of N e w Y o r k C ity .)
M anufacturers, obligations im posed b y the protocol u p o n .............................................................................................
28
M ediation, percentage of com p laints adjusted throu gh .....................................................................................................
10
M edical exam ination s o f u nion w orkers, results o f .......................................................................................................... 122,123
M em bership of Dress & W a is t M anufacturers’ A ssociation , changes in , during first 11 m on th s of
protocol....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38,39
M e n ’ s clothing trades, analysis of collective agreem ents i n ............................................................................................
154
M inor grievances filed b y association an d per cent of favorable decisions secured, b y nature of griev­
ance ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................
74
M inor grievances filed b y u n io n .......................................................................................... ....................................................... 102-104
Misses and children’s dresses agreem ent of March 8, 1913, N e w Y o r k C ity , analysis o f ................................
124
M orb id ity statistics of 800 cloak m akers exam ined b y the jo in t board of sanitary control..................... 120,121
N.
N a tio n a lity of w om en workers in the dress and w aist in d u s tr y ..................................................................................
12
N ature of grievances. (See G rievances.)
Nonassociation shops, collective agreements i n ...............................................................................................................: . . 45-47
N onoperating occupations in the dress and w aist in du stry ............................................................................... 158,163-165

O.
O bligations im posed u pon parties to the p rotocol................................................................................................................ 28,29
O ccupations in dress and w aist in du stry, descriptive analysis of........................................................................... 157-165
O ccupations, proportion an d d istribution of m en and w om e n in .......................................................................... 158,159
Operators, m o rb id ity statistics of, ex am ined b y the join t board of sanitary control.................................. 120,121
Organization, expenses of, under the protocol........................................................................................................................ 65,66
O u tp u t, annual, of w o m en ’ s clothing in du stry of N e w Y o r k C ity .............................................................................. 11,12

P.
Piece prices, ad justm ent o f............................................................................................................................................... 3 0 -3 2,12 4,154
Pieceworkers, wages of, under the p ro to co l........................................................................................................................... 28,173
P la n of organization an d control proposed for training workers and apprentices inthe dress and w aist
industry of N e w Y o r k C ity ............................................................................................................................................................
188
P la n of p erm anent peace agreem ent, protocol of January 18, 1913........................................................... .................
48
Preferential u nion s h o p .................................................................................................................................................................... 9,3 6 -4 5
Pressers, m o rb id ity statistics of, e x am in e d b y th e jo in t board of sanitary c o n tr o l..................................... 120,121
Pressing, definition of occupation o f .............................................................................................................................................
134
Procedure:
F ollow ed b y join t board of sanitary control in enforcing its stand ard s..................................................... 112-114
In the settlem ent of cases under protocol of dress and w aist in du stry of N e w Y o r k C ity . 1 0 ,4 9 -6 5 ,7 7 -8 0
Plans of, and ten tative rules for the join t board of control for the training of workers in the dress
and w aist in du stry................................................................................................................................................................. 185-187
Progress in th e dress an d w aist in du stry from M arch to S ep tem b er, 1913, chart sh o w in g ..........................
118
P rom otion , line of, to girls entering the in d u s tr y ............................................................................................................ 166-170
P roposed schem e for factory sch ool........................................................................................................................................... 178-185
P rotection against fire under jo in t board of san itary co n tro l.................................................................................... 117-119
P rotocol in dress an d w aist in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C ity :
A d ju stm e n t of piece prices u n d er........................................................................................................................................... 30-32
A d v a n ta g es gained b y b o th parties t o ................................................................................................................................ 29,30
B eneficial effects of.......................................................................................................................................................................... 66,67
C om parison of shops u n d er, w ith shops h avin g in depend en t agreem ents....................................................
47
Cost of m aintaining the agencies o f....................................................................................................................................... 65-67
General nature o f ............................................................................................................................................................................. 26,27
General results o f .............................................................................................................................................................................
9-11
O bligations im posed u p o n the parties to ........................................................................................................................... 28,29
T e x t o f .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22-26
W ages of piecew orkers u nd er............................................................................................................................................. .... 28,173
P rotocol in k im on o an d house-dress in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C ity .......................................................................... 125-132
Protocol in m isses’ an d child ren ’s dresses in du stry, N e w Y o r k C ity , te x t of................................................. 133-136
Protocol in w h ite goods (lad ies’ underw ear) in du stry of N ew Y o r k C i t y ........................................................ 137-140
Protocols in w o m e n ’ s w ear in du stry adopted in 1913, and principles in v o lv ed ........................................ ..
7 ,8

R.
R ecogn ition of u n io n , ex te n t of, u nder protocols in—
L ad ies’ garm ent trades of N e w Y o r k C ity an d B o sto n ............................................................................................
124
M e n ’ s clothing tra d e s....................................................................................................................................................................
154
R e c o m m e n d a tio n s an d report of conferees representing In ternation al G arm en t W o rk ers’ U n io n and
D ress & W a is t M an ufactu rers’ A sso c ia tio n .......................................................................................................................... 17-22




INDEX.

195

Recording of com p lain ts in the office of the u n ion u nd er dress an d w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C i t y . 77-80
R u le s and p lan of procedure ad op ted b y the board of grievances u nd er dress an d w aist protocol of
N e w Y o r k C i t y ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 58-61
R u le s and p lan of procedure, ten ta tiv e, for the jo in t board of control for the training of w orkers in the
dress an d w aist in d u s tr y ............................................................................................................................................................. 185-187
R u les for shop chairm en under dress an d w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C i t y ....................................................... 32,33

S.
S an itation , chart show ing im p rovem en ts in , in dress an d w aist in du stry of N e w Y o r k C ity , M arch to
S ep tem b er, 1913..................................................................................... ................................................................................................
118
S a n itation , conciliation, an d arbitration in the cloak, su it, an d skirt in du stry of B o sto n , M a s s ................ 141-146
S an itation , con ciliation, an d arbitration in the dress an d w aist in du stry of B osto n , M a ss.................... 147-151
S an itation , general p rovisions for, under collective agreem ents in m e n ’ s clothing trades, su m m a r y o f.
154
S a n itation , sa fety , an d h ygien e, general p rovisions for, u nd er collective agreem ents in lad ies’ garm ent
trades of N e w Y o r k C ity an d B osto n , su m m a r y o f.........................................................................................................
124
Sanitary certificates, shops h avin g, and sanitary conditions of shops and of workers, S ep tem ber, 1913. 116,117
Sanitary control, jo in t board of. (See Joint board of sanitary control.)
Sanitary inspectors, defects rem edied b y , betw een M arch and S eptem ber, 1913......................................... 115-117
S anitary stand ard s of the in du stry an d their en forcem ent........................................................................................ 111-114
Sanitary su rv e y , first, m ad e b y the join t board of sanitary control...................................................................... 114,115
Scales of w ages under protocols in—
L ad ies’ g arm en t trades of N e w Y o r k C ity and B o sto n ............................................................................................
124
M e n ’s clothing tra d e s....................................................................................................................................................................
154
Seasonal character of the dress an d w aist in du stry of N e w Y o r k C ity ....................................................................
12
S ettlem en t of grievances. ( See Grievances, ad ju stm en t of.)
S ex , distribu tion of occupations b y ........................................................................................................................................... 158,159
S hop chairm en, rules fo r ....................................................................................................................................................................... 32,33
S hop record, association, form o f ....................................................................................................................................................
79
Shops having sanitary certificates and certified condition of shops and of workers, S ep tem b er, 1913. 116,117
Sickness, statistics of, for 800 cloak m akers ex am in ed b y the jo in t board of sanitary c o n tro l.............. 120,121
S kill required of workers in the in d u s tr y .......................................................................................... v. .....................................
177
S kirt m a k in g , d efin ition of occupation o f ..................................................................................................................................
161
Sleeve m a k in g , defin ition of occupation o f................................................................................................................................
160
Sleeve setting, defin ition of occupation of............................................................................................................................. 160,161
Standards, san itary, of th e in du stry and their en forcem ent...................................................................................... 111-114
Strike, authorization of general, in dress and w aist in d u str y ........................................................................................ 13,14

T.
Technical k now ledge required of workers in the in d u str y .......................................................................................... 176,177
T e x t of independent agreem ent in k im on o and house-dress in d u stry . N e w Y o r k C ity .............................. 131,132
T e x t of protocol or agreem ent in—
Cloak, su it, an d sk irt in du stry of B osto n , M a ss....................................................................................................... 144-146
Dress an d w a ist in d u stry of B o sto n , M a ss................................................................................................................... 149-151
Dress an d w aist in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C it y .................................................................................................................. 22-26
K im o n o an d house-dress in d u stry, N e w Y o r k C it y .............................................................................................. 128-131
Misses an d children’ s dresses in du stry of N e w Y o r k C i t y ................................................................................. 133-136
W h ite goods (lad ies’ underw ear) in du stry of N e w Y o r k C it y ........................................................................ 138-140
Trade agreem ent proposed in the dress and w aist in du stry of N e w Y o r k C ity, analysis of, providing
for the inclusion of a Joint board of educational control................................................................................................
188
Trade know ledge required of workers in the in d u stry .....................................................................■...............................
176
Training of workers and apprentices in the dress and w aist industry of N e w Y o r k C ity , proposed
plan of organization and control fo r .........................................................................................................................................
188
Training of w orkers in th e dress an d w aist in d u stry, ten tative rules and plans of procedure for the
join t board of control fo r ............................................................................................................................................................. 185-187
T u ck in g, definition of occupation o f ......................................................................................................................................... 162,163
T yp ical cases filed b y u n ion .......................................................................................................................................................... 104-109
U.
U n ion :
Dress and w aist m akers, dues of m em bers of, under p rotocol.............................................................................
66
Recognition of, under protocols in ladies’ garm ent trades of N e w Y o r k C ity and B o sto n , ex tent of.
124
Recognition of, under protocols in m e n ’s clothing trades, ex ten t o f ................................................................
154
U n ion and association grievances, com parison o f, b y m eth od of disposition ...................................................... 68-71
U n ion , International L a d ies’ G arm en t W o rk ers:
Cases filed b y , according to agencies of disposition..................................................................................................... 80-91
Cases filed b y , according to nature of d isposition ............................................................................6 8 ,6 9 ,8 0 -9 1 ,9 3 -1 0 4
Cases filed b y , w hich w ere com p ro m ised ........................................................................................ 6 8 ,6 9 ,8 2 -8 8 ,9 3 ,9 6 ,9 7
Cases filed b y , w hich were d ropp ed .................................................................................................... 6 8 ,6 9 ,8 2 -8 8 ,9 3 ,9 7 -9 9
Cases filed b y , w hich were settled in favor of association...................................................... 6 8 ,6 9 ,8 2 -8 8 ,9 3 ,9 5 ,9 6
Cases filed b y , w hich were settled in favor of union ........................................................................ 6 8 ,6 9 ,8 2 -8 8 ,9 3 -9 5
Cases filed b y , w hich w ere w ith d ra w n .................................................................................................... 6 8 ,6 9 ,8 2 -8 8 ,9 3 ,9 9
Com plaints b y , frequency o f .................................................................................................................................................... 91-93
C om plaints filed b y , n u m b e r an d ad justm ent o f............................................................................ 10 ,48,6 7 -7 1 ,7 5 -1 0 9
E xpenses of, under th e protocol agreem ent....................................................................................................................
65
Grievances filed b y , num b er an d ad ju stm en t o f ............................................................................. 10 ,4 8 ,6 7 -7 1 ,7 5 -1 0 9
Major grievances filed b y .......................................................................................................................................................... 99-102
Minor grievances filed b y ....................................................................................................................................................... 102-104
Obligations im posed b y th e protocol u p o n ......................................................................................................................
29
T ypical cases filed b y ............................................................................................................................................................... 104-109
U n ion shops w ith independent agreements during first year of protocol............................................................... 46,47
U n ion workers, percentage of, in association shops..............................................................................................................
9




196

INDEX.

W a g e earners and estab lish m en ts in w o m e n ’ s clothing in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C ity , n um ber o f...........
11
W a g e scale board, ad ju stm e n t of grievances b y ................................................................................... 4 8 ,5 4 -5 6 ,6 5 ,8 0 ,8 7 ,8 8
W a g e s:
L e n gth of w ork ing year, an d d em an d for w orkers in dress and w aist in d u s tr y ................................... 170-173
M in im u m standards of, under protocols in lad ies’ garm ent trades of N e w Y o r k C ity an d B o sto n .
124
M in im u m standards of, under protocols in m e n ’ s cloth in g tra d es....................................................................
154
O f piecew orkers under dress an d w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C i t y ............................................................... 28,173
O f w eek w orkers under dress an d w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C it y ...............................................................
173
W e e k workers and piecew orkers receiving each classified am o u n t per w eek, b y occupation an d s e x .
173
W h it e goods (lad ies’ underw ear) agreem ent of F ebru ary 17, 1913, N e w Y o r k C ity , analysis o f ..............
124
W h it e protocol la b e l...................................................................................................................................................................... 3 3 ,34,1 24
W ith d r a w n cases:
A m o n g association cases, n u m b er and per cent of, b y nature of grievance.................................................
73
A m o n g union an d association cases, per cent o f.........1 ................................................................................................ 68,69
A m o n g u nion cases, n u m b er an d per cent o f.................................................................................................................. 93,99
D efin ition o f .................................................................... ....................................................................................................................
52
W o m e n ’ s clothing in d u stry of N e w Y o r k C ity , n u m b er of establish m en ts an d w age earners in , and
to ta l an nu al o u tp u t o f ........................................................................................................................................................................
11
W o m e n w orkers in th e dress an d w aist in d u stry , n ation ality o f................................................................................
12
W ork ers, ad vantages gained b y , under th e dress an d w aist protocol of N e w Y o r k C i t y .............................
29
W o r k in g year, length of, w ages, an d d em an d for w ork ers.......................................................................................... 170-173
13
W o r k sh o p s, location an d ty p e o f .............................................................................................................................. ......................