Shoeworkers’ Industrial Union No. 168 lead strikes and lockouts at multiple shops in Brooklyn, with largely an Italian an immigrant workforce, against the bosses and the in spite of the A.F.L.’s National Boot and Shoe Workers’ Union of America in a sometimes violent struggle that lasted many months.

‘Looks Like Victory in Brooklyn Shoe Strike’ by Brooklynian from Solidarity. Vol. 2 No. 9. February 11, 1911.

(Special to Solidarity.) Brooklyn, N.Y., Feb. 12. The Shoe Workers’ Industrial Union. No. 168 is on the eve of victory or defeat. The past week has been both a strenuous and critical one for it, with the manufacturers’ association desperately fighting by means of trickery, bribery and violence to save itself. The coming week is likely to witness a still more savage onslaught on its part.

Bosses Bribe a Few Workers.

At the beginning of the week just past, the Manufacturers’ Association succeeded in bribing some of the workers at Garsides’ to lead a stampede back to work. The men there fell to the trick; they returned to work, with the result that they are now suffering a cut of 25c a pair on certain classes of work; and a further restriction of shop liberties. Dissatisfaction is rife among them, and they may come out again. The stampede was, however, limited to Garsides’ only. This shop is out of the strike zone proper, being located on the west side of Manhattan, some six or eight miles distant. It is composed of raw recruits in labor organization, lacking self-reliance and force, and was the weakest spot in the fight, requiring the constant surveillance and support of the organization to keep it in line.

The bosses tried the same game of bribery, with additions, on Cousin’s men in this borough. Thirty-six policemen surrounded the meeting hall of these members, while an effort was being made on the inside at getting the men to end at committee to see Cousin, in order to settle the strike. But intimidation, as well as bribery, failed; not only once, but twice, as the same proposition again came up, it was voted down at a succeeding meeting. It is believed that other and more desperate attempts are under way to secure better results for the bosses.

Must Agree Not to “Abolish Wage System.”

At Dodds’ the men have turned down the following “agreement:”

“In consideration of receiving employment from Joseph M. Dodd, I assert that during the time of said employment I will obey and condescend to the rules of the factory. Moreover, I will not affiliate myself with any other organization or association that is in favor of anarchy, or in support of adverse principles to the just principles of the organization of labor or trade unions, that champions the doctrines of taking the earth and the machinery of production and the abolition of the wage system.

“It is understood that this is one of the conditions under which I am employed, and, moreover, I renounce all sympathies and connections with said and such organized associations. Moreover, at the earliest possibility after the reorganization, the company will submit the proposition that will refer to all the conditions of the workers that will prevail in the factory, same to be submitted to a board of arbitration for their very mutual advantage.”

The “agreement” was translated into Italian; the above is a translation from the latter. The same “agreement” was imposed on the men at Garsides.

Center of the Fight.

At Wichert & Gardiner’s the fight continues with unabated zeal and enthusiasm.

Here over 70 pickets have been arrested, and only one convicted. Four hundred scabs have been turned away. These strikers are veterans. They suffered defeat under the Boot and Shoe Workers Union six years ago; and they know from bitter experience what followed. They are, therefore, determined to wage the struggle to the end. As Wichert & Gardiner’s is the key to the situation, a victory there will be felt elsewhere.

A.F. of L. Tries to Stop Aid.

Of course the A.F. of L. machine continues to line up with the bosses. The Brooklyn Central Labor Union has sent out the following communication to all their affiliated bodies:

“Greetings A group of people, calling themselves Industrial Workers of the World, have for some time past been organizing in the shoe industry in this city, and having succeeded in securing a number of members, they proceeded to call strikes in several shops, among them the firm of Wichert & Gardiner, and as usual in such cases, after being on strike for a few weeks, they are now appealing to the trades union movement for funds to carry on the fight.

“The Industrial Workers of the World have absolutely no connection with the American Federation of Labor, and one of their principle objects is to disrupt the entire trade union movement.

“The National Boot and Shoe Workers’ Union of America has maintained an organization in this city for many years; which local body has signed an agreement with the firm of Wichert & Gardiner for three years, stipulating a wage scale, which the firm has lived up to, and the men who struck in that shop seceded from their national union, and no longer have any connection with the trade union movement.

“We are surprised to learn that several unions have donated money to this body, and we feel that the trade union movement in this city does not fully understand the situation, and it is for that reason that the Central Labor Union has directed that a letter be sent to its affiliated unions on the subject.

“You will appreciate the fact that when you donate funds to carry on a war of ex termination against any organization attached to the A.F. of L. you are practically inviting trouble in your own trade of a like nature, for if the Industrial Workers of the World succeed in their present object they will naturally have ambitions to attack another trade, which may be your own, and no doubt they will again appeal to the trade union movement for funds to carry on a fight against your own or some other trade union.

“The Central Labor Union has indorsed the stand the Boot and Shoe Workers have taken in the shop of Wichert & Gardiner, and recommends to its affiliated unions not to donate funds to the Industrial Workers of the World, and we further recommend that in the future no affiliated union donate any money to any organization, unless they have the indorsement of and present credentials having the seal of the Central Labor Union on it.

“Fraternally yours, MAURICE DE YOUNG, President. OTTO NICOLLS, Corresponding Secretary.”

What Tobin’s “Union” Stands For.

“The Superintendent and Foreman,” a shoe trade journal, devoted to the bosses’ interests, in a recent issue republishes the statement of the Tobin Boot, and Shoe Workers’ Journal on the trouble in Wichert & Gardiner’s. This statement is an assurance that the aim of the Tobin union is to keep workers in line for the bosses.

Brotherhood of Machinists to the Rescue.

Another and different tale is told in the following letter from the Brotherhood of Machinists, which has been helping the strikers right along:

“Strikers’ General Committee, Shoe. Workers, I.W.W.:

“Fellow workers: The members of the Brotherhood of Machinists have watched the heroic battle which you are fighting against the shoe manufacturers and their labor lieutenants. Your appeals for financial assistance have been answered liberally by our members and local lodges and our general executive board has instructed me to extend you our sympathy and sincere hopes for success.

“Yours fraternally, ROBERT M. LACKEY, Secretary.”

The Brotherhood is going to have a big lecture and ball at the Murray Hill Lyceum, E. 34th St. and Third avenue, New York, on Washington’s Birthday. Bill Haywood will speak on “Industrialism; the Coming Victory of Labor,” I.W.W. members and sympathizers should attend. “One good turn deserves another.”

More Money Needed.

Contributions continue coming in. More are needed. In the present crisis, they come in handy. In fact, with a little more money in hand, the bosses’ bribes would not succeed. The funds received hardly alleviate the distress accompanying the struggle; besides much of them go to the expenses attending the arrests of pickets, etc. Send in more money, and send it in at once. This is urgent.

The Shoe Workers’ Industrial Union held a well attended meeting last night. Steps were taken to push the fight. The coming week will either bring victory or defeat.

The former is what the union is determined to get.

Help it to this end. BROOKLYNIAN.

LATER REPORT

The New York Call of Feb, 14 reports the situation as follows:

“The backbone of the shoe manufacturers’ defense was broken yesterday when Cohen & Frank, 685 Stone Avenue, Brookville, granted all the demands of the strikers, and fifty men returned to work yesterday afternoon…

“This firm had settled with the strikers once before, but when the men returned to work they found their wages cut, and they walked out again. Being pressed with orders, and being unable to get scabs, the firm changed their arrogant stand, and granted the demands of the workers.

“The strikers are confident that all the other firms will now follow and grant their demands. The season has already started, and the employers are hard pressed by their customers to fill the orders, and scabs are not to be had. Agents of the shoe bosses have been at work over Saturday and Sunday trying to get strikers to return to work, but they failed to break the ranks of the men.

“Seven men employed by J. & T. Cousin, Grand and DeKalb avenues, broke away, but only three of them remained in the shop. The seven returned to work, the strikers say, at the instigation of one Vincenzo Slave, an ex-Italian Carbaniero, who is under contract with Cousin. The strikers say that the seven tried to get the other men to return to work, and failing, they went back guarded by cops. Twenty cops were guarding the Cousin shop yesterday morning as the firm, expected to get at least fifty men back to work.

Touchy Yankee Scabs.

“One of the seven was induced by his wife to go out of the shop and stay out until the bosses granted the demands of all the men on strike. Three more were “done up” by the American scabs who are in the shop and who did not want to have any “guineas” working alongside of them, and they, too, had to leave the shop.

“Luigi Minicucci, a striker, was arrested while on picket duty near the Cousin shop last night and charged with beating up a scab five weeks ago. Minicucci was bailed out by a strike sympathizer and he will be arraigned in the Gates Avenue Court today. Vincenzo La Gréggo, another striker, was arrested near the Wichert & Gardiner shop and charged with assaulting a scab. La Greggo was arraigned in the Gates Avenue Court and held in $1,000 bail for examination. While waiting to be bailed out the attorney for the firm, with cops, testified that the scab is in the hospital dying and La Greggo was held without bail for trial today.”

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/v02n10-w062-feb-18-1911-Solidarity.pdf