Wages and Wage Scales, 1925

In an effort to bring about much needed change in the industry, the ILGWU led by President Morris Sigman, sought reform in the New York suit and cloak trade. On behalf of the workers, the union devised to restructure the industry through the requirement of union shops, sanitary conditions, unemployment insurance, regulation of the work week, and guidelines for investigating disputes. In March 1924, the ILGWU began negotiations for a new agreement with predominantly the Merchant Ladies' Garment Association (jobbers), but also the Cloak, Suit and Skirt Manufacturers' Protective Association (manufacturers) and the American Cloak and Suit Manufacturers' Association (sub-manufacturers). No agreement had been reached as of June 1924, and the union proposed to submit the issues to arbitration. With negotiations stalled, Governor Alfred E. Smith appointed a Special Advisory Commission consisting of George Gordon Battle, Bernard L. Shientag, Herbert H. Lehman, Arthur D. Wolf, and Lindsay Rogers to hold hearings and work out a basis for an agreement.



The collection contains material from the Governor's Advisory Commission during its investigation. Included are bound books containing the various and official reports that were created during and for the investigation. There are the briefs, the memorandum on behalf of the union as well as the Industrial Council, transcripts of the hearings and meetings, supplementary recommendations, and the final recommendations on May 20, 1926. Of particular interest is the extensive research done in the course of the investigation that provides a comprehensive assessment of the garment industry at that time. The reports comprise historical information, the current status of the industry, points of contention between the groups involved, the demands of reform from the union, many employment and earning statistics, wage and wage scale tables and garment output and price charts.



For supplemental information, see collection 5780/161 Cloak Joint Board Governor's Advisory Commission on the Cloak, Suit, and Skirt Industry which contains the first hearing on June 17, 1924 of the Special Commission to study the situation in the Cloak and Suit Industry and be able to offer recommendations to avert any impending strike. The hearings are in bound volumes and include June 17-19, 1924; June 20-23, 1924; June 24-July 11, 1924; July 15-August 1, 1924; August 12-October 2, 1924; and January 2-April 15, 1925.



The Hearings continue into 1925, and additionally, there is the final Report of the Investigation from March 10, 1925. There are also additional reports that were created as the result of the investigation including "Wages and Wage Scales, 1925," Final Recommendations from May 1926, the Meeting of the Special Mediation Commission in the New York Cloak and Suit Industry from March 6, 1926 (same individuals involved).



Also, additional material can be found in collection 5780/165 Governor Smith's Hearings and Arbitration Files which contains the typed transcripts from the hearings of the Special Commission appointed by Governor Smith to investigate and arbitrate the existing differences between the ILGWU and the associations of manufacturers and jobbers. Taking place at the office of the State Labor Department in New York City, the records contain hearings that date between July 15, 1924 and October 27, 1924. In the form of questions and answers between the Special Commission and the representatives of the ILGWU and manufacturers' associations, discussion focuses on the role of designers within manufacturing, conditions in the industry, the responsibility of jobbers and sub-manufacturers, and salary and wages.