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Bread Upon the Waters Bly Hall, with Talks by the Organizers and by Speakers from Out- Side

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Bread Upon the Waters Bly Hall, with Talks by the Organizers and by Speakers from Out- Side ternoon. Skeleton crews of watchers were assigned for duty throughout the night. Pickets served in relays, staying on the lines two hours or so at a time, and then coming to headquar- ters to attend shop meetings, for coffee and food, and recre- ation. Each afternoon there was a large meeting in the assem- Bread upon the Waters bly hall, with talks by the organizers and by speakers from out- side. Norman Thomas, standard-bearer of the Socialist Party, then touring California, was one of the visitors. Rose Pesotta In that second week Senator Robert F. Wagner, chairman of the National Labor Board in Washington, wired MacCulloch urging arbitration. The manufacturers’ association assented, on condition that we stop picketing. We answered that the strikers were ready to submit the issues to “an impartial com- mittee of citizens,” but opposed any cessation of picketing so long as the employers kept their shops open. “We will stop pick- eting when you close your factories,” was our reply. Booth, the employers’ spokesman, asserted that “in all strikes picketing was halted during arbitration proceedings.” It was an old ruse. Labor history is full of examples of broken faith by employers and of union defeat when strikers have been persuaded to stop picketing at this stage of an industrial con- flict. The momentum we had gained, the solid morale ofthe strikers, must be protected. Dr. Roy L. Smith, pastor of the First Methodist Church, in- spected the strike area, visiting picket lines and headquarters. He reported his observations to a committee of representative clergymen. They passed a resolution calling upon members of their congregations to observe the picket lines at certain hours when clashes were most likely to occur. Singing on the picket lines attracted and held crowds of shop- pers. The time-tried union songs were best — Hold the Fort, the Soup Song, and the rest. But the favorite of the strikers was Sol- idarity Forever, set to the ringing tones of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Their voices swelled and lifted, filling the brick 1945 canyon of the garment center. 64 I explained we did not need money; what we needed most was moral support from the people of Los Angeles. “What, then,” he wanted to know, “can I do to be most help- ful?” “It would help a lot,” I said, “if you would arrange a public mass meeting, and invite both the employers and our union to state their cases.” He got busy at once, and such a meeting, well-advertised and largely attended, was held October 20 in the First Unitar- ian Church. The speakers included two of the strikers, whohad poignant stories to tell of what they had been up against in the factories; the Rev. A. A. Heist, Methodist minister who had helped settle the great Colorado coal strike in 1927; theRev. Allan Hunter, pastor of the Mount Hollywood Congregational Church; Chester Williams, chairman of the Southern Califor- nia Youth Congress; and David Ziskind, prominent Los Angeles lawyer. Jerry Voorhis presided. Charles Katz, attorney for the manufacturers, presented their side of the story, Bill Busick and I, that of the union. There could be no question in the minds of unbiased persons present that we had the better of the argument. Afterward, Mr. Katz was frank enough to say to me: “IfI were on your side, I’d speak as convincingly as you.” Later he became one of our attorneys. Several similar meetings followed, gaining wide support for our cause. Voorhis continued to give us practical and whole-hearted co- operation. Ever since, he has proudly carried a paid-up union card in one of our Los Angeles locals. I learned later that, not satisfied with a Yale degree, he had worked as a cowboy, a freight handler, and as an automobile mechanic. In 1936 he was elected to Congress, where he is one of an outspoken minority with a liberal point of view. Systematically our pickets were reinforced each day by large numbers of others in the early morning, noontime, and late af- 63 on the sidewalk. Scores of cloakmakers augmented the strik- ing dressmakers’ ranks, but the great majority of the marching pickets were girls and women. Captain William (Red) Hynes, his assistant, Detective Lieu- tenant George Pfeiffer, other members of the “Red Squad,” and Contents a large detachment of uniformed policemen, were powerless against that mass of unionists. The police had decreed that our pickets must walk two abreast, but they couldn’t enforce this Acknowledgement 7 rule. They had forbidden the pickets to call “Scab! “ Butwhen private cars owned or hired by the employers appeared, bring- Foreward 9 ing in strike-breakers, no one could prevent the pickets from Chapter 1. Flight to the West 13 yelling that epithet in lusty chorus. Pent-up emotions were loosed. The hired thugs were on the job. There were fightsin Chapter 2. California Here We Come! 32 the center of the milling crowd, and shouts and screams. Though the injunction applied to all members of the ILGWU, Chapter 3. Mexican Girls Stand Their Ground 49 the police arrested only five strikers — all women — and then charged them not with violating the court order, but with dis- Chapter 4. The Employers Try an Injunction 60 orderly conduct. The employers saw the point of the demonstration: Wehad Chapter 5. Our Union on the March 70 the strength of militant members. They realized that any fur- Chapter 6. Subterranean Sweatshops in Chinatown 83 ther use of the injunction would win increasing public sym- pathy for the strikers. It was the only injunction during that Chapter 7. Far Cry from ‘Forty-Nine 99 strike. Shortly after the walkout, a pleasant visitor had come toour Chapter 8. Police Guns Bring General Strike to ’Frisco 107 headquarters — a slim, fair-haired young man, dressed so sim- ply that he might have been one of our own members. He in- Chapter 9. Some History is Recorded in Chicago 114 troduced himself as Jerry Voorhis. I had heard of him and knew something about his liberal activities. Son of a well-known Chapter 10. I Go to Puerto Rico 127 California family, he conducted a self-help school for under- Chapter 11. Island Paradise and Mass Tragedy 140 privileged boys on his estate at San Dimas, in the foothills of the Sierras. Chapter 12. Yet the Puerto Ricans Multiply 151 Taking me aside, he said he had long been especially inter- ested in labor problems. From his pocket he took two paid-up Chapter 13. Last Outpost of Civilization 162 life insurance policies with a cash value of more than $5,000, and offered them as a contribution to our strike. Chapter 14. Early Champions of the Common Man 169 62 3 Chapter 15. Employers Double as Vigilantes 180 “No,” one of the boys answered promptly. “When will she be in?” Chapter 16. Out on a Limb in Seattle 191 “I don’t know.” He inquired also for Israel Feinberg, Harry Scott, and Paul Chapter 17. Travail in Atlantic City 203 Berg They didn’t know when any of those gentlemen would come in. Chapter 18. Milwaukee and Buffalo are Different 216 “They don’t tell us everything. Come back in the morning.” “No,” he said. “I’ll wait around for a while.” Chapter 19. Vulnerable Akron: The First Great Sit-Down229 He sat down. After some 45 minutes of cooling his heels, he placed four folded papers on the railing. Chapter 20. ‘Outside Agitators’ Strive for Peace 244 “If any of these people come in tonight,” he admonished us, Chapter 21. Pageant of Victory 256 “be sure to tell them about this. It’s important. There’s a jail sentence waiting if they don’t obey this order.” Chapter 22. Auto Workers Line Up For Battle 266 When we were certain the process server had left, we read the injunction. Issued on behalf of the Paramount Dress Com- Chapter 23. General Motors Capitulates 281 pany, among other things it prohibited the four of us and all other members of the ILGWU from “intimidating or harassing” Chapter 24. French-Canadian Girls Get Tough 295 any of the employees of that corporation. The Paramount shop was one of several factories in the building at 719 South Los An- Chapter 25. We Win Against Odds in Montreal 296 geles Street, in front of which the clashes had been promoted by the “guards” on Monday. Chapter 26. Union Fights Union in Cleveland 307 Obviously this action was an attempt to demoralize us and end the picketing. The manufacturers were using the Chapter 27. The Mohawk Valley Formula Pads 322 Paramount firm as a cat’s-paw. I knew that picketing must go on at No. 719, injunction or Chapter 28. European Holiday: War Shadows Deepen 338 no injunction. Our lines must be kept intact. We would have to work fast. Without taking time to consult our lawyers or Vice- Chapter 29. Graveyard: Boston is Boston 352 President Feinberg, my superior, I decided that we would stage Chapter 30. Return Engagement in Los Angeles 369 a demonstration at the Paramount building next morning that the employers would not forget. Chapter 31. Back in the American Federation of Labor 384 We sped to the homes of key members, instructing them to line up every possible picket in front of “719” at 6:30 next morn- Chapter 32. Dust-Bowlers Make Good Unionists 402 ing. By the time the Paramount Dress Company opened its doors Chapter 33. End of an Era 416 on Wednesday, over a thousand of our people were massed 4 61 Chapter 34.
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