Strikes and lockouts at multiple shops in Brooklyn led by the Shoeworkers’ Industrial Union No. 168.

‘Shoe Strikers Stand Firm’ by Brooklynian from Solidarity. Vol. 2 No. 9. February 11, 1910.

Brooklyn, N.Y., Feb. 5. Shoeworkers’ Industrial Union No. 168 has another victory to its credit. The strike in Dessden’s shop for more wages, is won, after four days fight. Fifty men are affected.

Shops Badly Crippled.

The strikes and lockouts in the shops of the Shoe Manufacturers’ Association continue, with the outlook favorable to the men. Wichert & Gardiner’s plant is closed down. Garsides’ and Cousin’s are badly crippled–tied up. Scabs are being turned away and induced to leave by the dozens. They are also being prevented from coming here.

Shoeworkers Protective Union of Haverhill, Mass., intercepted 50 scabs corralled by an agent of Geo. Baker & Co. and persuaded all but six to stay away from Brooklyn. Those who came on will do the firm more damage than good. There are piles of unsalable shoes made by scabs in the bosses’ shops. Lattaman’s shop is especially overburdened.

Refuse to Treat With Association.

The bosses are desperate. They are resorting to trickery and violence, and are attempting to get work done in factories out of town. Garside called for a committee of hit employes, through members of the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration. The bosses are now trying to spread the falsehood that the strikers had the Board approach them with a view to ending the strike.

The strikers and locked out men refused to treat with the bosses association, saying that as the bosses ‘refused to negotiate with their organization, they will deal, through the shop committees, with each of the manufacturers individually. Hence the “arbitration” falsehood.

Members are being shot down in cold blood, by strikebreakers, without any attempt at apprehension by the police. Guiseppe Guastalo, a picket at Cousin’s shop, was shot by one Caveleri, in the left side. He is expected to recover. Caveleri is still at large. On the other hand, trumped up charges against the pickets served only to stimulate police activity, and cause strikers to be railroaded to the lockup in great haste.

Wichert & Gardiner are trying to have shoes made for them at the shop of Louis Rosen, Hazelton, Pa. A strike threat brought Rosen to see the necessity of refraining from doing scab work.

More Money Needed.

More financial aid is needed. Shoeworkers’ Protective Union of Haverhill, Mass., continues to stand financially, as well as morally, by the I.W.W. Another check for $100 has been received from them. The United Mine Workers’ local at Hanna, Wyoming, has also sent in $50. The Brewery Workers continue their assistance, $25 being received from one of their unions recently. $10 was donated by the I.W.W. textile workers of New Bedford, Mass.; while the Political Refugee Defense League of St. Louis, Mo., sent $4.20. No strike benefits are paid; only necessity is relieved. Send in the names and addresses of unions in your city to whom appeals for funds can be sent. Do it at once.

Strike Meetings Daily.

The shops that are on strike or locked out hold meetings daily. In addition. there is a daily meeting of the strikers’ general committee. Every Saturday evening the industrial union meets to consider the strikes and lockouts, and also to attend to matters affecting members and shops involved. The result is beneficial in many ways.

A rousing mass meeting was held in Webster Hall, East 11th St., N.Y. this afternoon.

Most Effective Strike on Record.

The strikes conducted by the Industrial Shoe Workers’ Union No. 168 are the longest ever waged in this country. Every fight with the bosses heretofore has been settled in six weeks–to the detriment of the workers. The present conflict has been on for three months, with the bosses in a worse condition than at the beginning. The present strike is attracting much attention, and whether won or lost, will produce good results. The men are determined to win. And they will, with the assistance of the working class.

Send in financial support, and make victory certain.

BROOKLYNIAN.

The Industrial Union Bulletin, and the Industrial Worker were newspapers published by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) from 1907 until 1913. First printed in Joliet, Illinois, IUB incorporated The Voice of Labor, the newspaper of the American Labor Union which had joined the IWW, and another IWW affiliate, International Metal Worker.The Trautmann-DeLeon faction issued its weekly from March 1907. Soon after, De Leon would be expelled and Trautmann would continue IUB until March 1909. It was edited by A. S. Edwards. 1909, production moved to Spokane, Washington and became The Industrial Worker, “the voice of revolutionary industrial unionism.”

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/solidarity-iww/1911/v02n09-w061-feb-11-1911-Solidarity.pdf