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Labor History - 71: Clothing Workers Rebel

February 19, 1973

Labor History - 71: Clothing Workers Rebel

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Title
Labor History - 71: Clothing Workers Rebel
Creator
Wright, Fred, 1907-1984
Contributor
Lerner, James, 1911-2003 (contributor)
University of Pittsburgh (depositor)
Contributor
Lerner, James, 1911-2003
Date
February 19, 1973
Identifier
ue13.3.1.071
Description
This cartoon describes how the AFL lost membership to other unions because of its relatively docile relationship with employers (especially after the Ludlow Massacre). Caption 1: The Easter massacre of the miners at Ludlow, Colo. shocked the whole country and made the name of Rockefeller one of the foulest in the land. The striking miners turned their fury on the imported armies of thugs, now organized as a "militia." Finally federal troops were called in by the Governor. Rockefeller turned down all peace proposals including those made by President Wilson. By December, 1914 the strike was crushed. Caption 2: The millionaire had made not belonging to the union a condition of employment. But what he and others did to maintain their rule, resulted in a huge growth of the Mine Workers who added 150,000 to their rolls in a short time. The UMW's militancy was in sharp contrast to the rest of the AFL's docility. In the men's clothing industry the AFL United Garment Workers' sellout deals with employers (1911-1913) led to a rank and file rebellion. Caption 3: At the UGW's 1913 convention, the national officers moved to squelch the rebellion by barring the rank and file delegates as ineligible. The ousted delegates left and formed their own organization headed by Sidney Hillman. These rank and filers had already organized the industry's largest company, Chicago's Hart, Schaffner & Marx. By 1915 the new Amalgamated was the major union in men's clothing. The AFL union had lost 50,000 members. UE News, Volume XXXV, Issue No. 4
Type
still image
Genre
comics (documents)
comic strips
layouts (printed matter)
Subject
Strikes, Union Organization
Source
Labor History Series (Series 13.3.1), Fred Wright Publication Plates (Subgroup 13.3), Fred Wright Papers (UE.13)
Collection
Fred Wright Cartoons
Contributor
University of Pittsburgh
Rights Information
In Copyright. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
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