ILGWU. Montreal Joint Council minutes, 1936-1963
Collection Number: 5780/030
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
ILGWU. Montreal Joint Council minutes, 1936-1963
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5780/030
Abstract:
The collection contains meeting minutes of the Board of Directors and the Grievance
and Appeals Committees of the Cloakmakers Union, meeting minutes of the Joint Committee
of the Ladies Dress Manufacturing Industry for the Province of Quebec, meeting minutes
of the Joint Committee for the cutting departments of the Dress Manufacturing Industry
for the Province of Quebec, and meeting minutes of the Montreal Joint Board's Educational
Committee.
Creator:
Montreal Joint Council
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
Quanitities:
1 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English
Founded in 1900 by local union delegates representing about 2,000 members in cities
in the northeastern United States, the ILGWU grew in geographical scope, membership
size, political influence to become one of the most powerful forces in American organized
labor by mid-century. Representing workers in the women's garment industry, the ILGWU
worked to improve working and living conditions of its members through collective
bargaining agreements, training programs, health care facilities, cooperative housing,
educational opportunities, and other efforts. In 1995, the ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated
Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial
and Textile Employees (UNITE).
With the inclusion of the word "international" in its name, the ILGWU envisioned that
Canada would become part of the union since its inception in 1900. While the official
founding of a Toronto Union was in 1909, it was not until 1910 and 1911 when locals
became formally established, Cloak Local 14 and Pressers Local 92 in Toronto, and
Cloak Cutters Local 19 and Coat Pressers Local 61 in Montreal. The Toronto Cloakmakers'
Union was instituted in 1910 and the Toronto Joint Board and Montreal Joint Council
were founded in 1911. But, it took until the 1930s for the irregular and infrequent
organizing attempts to increase, and for real permanence for the ILGWU in Canada.
In Toronto in 1921, the manufacturers' association reintroduced piece work under
the threat of a lockout. After a disastrous strike, a small group of members and locals
remained faithful to the union, but were under considerable strain. ILGWU vice-president
Saul Seidman was appointed in 1922 to handle the situation in Canada and increase
organizing activity in Toronto and Montreal. The Toronto Joint Board put in place
committees and chairmen in every shop to help efforts. Meanwhile, in Montreal, the
cloak manufacturers proved difficult to negotiate with and hindered organizing in
their shops. To combat the worsening situation in Canada, in 1924, Julius Hochman
was appointed general organizer to build up the locals in Montreal and Toronto. Hochman
held meetings and educated the workers. In the winter of 1925, the cloakmakers in
Montreal and Toronto walked out of the shops. Manufacturers started signing agreements
with the union and the workers remained on strike until all shops had satisfactorily
signed up. And while conditions were far from ideal, the campaign created a more stable
organization and union for the cloakmakers in Canada.
Toward the end of the decade, after the strikes and hardships, union standards were
established in the industry and membership increased. Communist members in Montreal,
including the majority of the Joint Board, caused internal strife forcing the closure
of the Joint Board by 1927. While almost completely unionized, the industry in Toronto
experienced difficulties as well. Yet, the Toronto Joint Board, led by Abraham Kirzner,
fared far better than Montreal. Communist members in Toronto wreaked havoc in the
Joint Board and locals, and it took a general strike in January 1930, to renew the
loyal members and organizing efforts of the union. The signed agreement called for
union recognition in all shops, a 42 hour/5 day week, and minimum scales. A year later,
in 1931, the manufacturers plotted to dissolve their association rendering the collective
agreement with the union null and void and forcing the Toronto Joint Board to deal
with individual shops. During this time, the dressmakers in Toronto began to organize
and there was a strike in the dress shops in February 1931. The employers banded together
and fought back. As the police arrested girls on the picket line, the union had to
negotiate with individual firms. Managers of the Joint Board included Bernard Shane
and Abraham Kirzner. Meanwhile, the union in Montreal was decimated until the end
of 1929 when loyal cloakmakers began rebuilding their organization. A strike in the
spring of 1930 ended quickly bringing gains of a 44 hour week, standard wage scales,
union recognition and a collective agreement.
In 1932, Charles Kreindler was assigned to manage the Toronto Joint Board. With the
union firmly established in the local market, the union now fought to protect workers'
rights. Bernard Shane, a manager of Local 1, conducted strikes in Toronto in 1929-1931
and was later sent to Canada in 1934 to organize the Toronto cloakmakers. Soon after
his arrival, he organized a strike for cutters and within five days had won a contract.
With the threat of an industry wide strike, employers signed a collective agreement
for all crafts in the cloak industry. A strike in January 1934 generated more gains
for the now fully organized cloak market. The Toronto Joint Board celebrated its 25th
anniversary in 1936 under the management of Samuel Kraisman. Attempts at bringing
the Toronto dressmakers into the union finally succeeded when 800 workers joined Local
72. H. D. Langer replaced Kraisman as manager of the Toronto Joint Board in 1937.
At the end of the decade, the Toronto Joint Board obtained the first collective agreement
for the dress industry when it signed 50 shops representing 1,000 members.
The Depression unfortunately caused years of poor seasons, low employment and minimal
earnings for the cloakmakers of Montreal. Bernard Shane was sent to Montreal at the
beginning of 1934 to increase organizing efforts. Shane mounted an effective organizing
drive within the cutters and a strike led to wage increases. The union chartered Local
205 in 1934 for dress cutters as it attempted to organize the nearly 8,000 dress workers
in Montreal, the majority of which were French speaking women. An agreement was soon
signed with the Montreal Dress Manufacturers' Guild. ILGWU vice-president Rose Pesotta
arrived in 1936 to help organize the dress operators in Montreal, named "midinettes,"
after the practice of the women garment workers emerging from the factories at noon
for a brief respite of air and sun. In January 1937, Montreal Dressmakers Local 262
was chartered for the French speaking workers (Local 112 was the French local for
the cloak industry). The Joint Council established an education department for the
new local, produced special publications in French, and the campaign committee distributed
literature and conducted publicity. A successful two week strike of 5,000 dressmakers
in April 1937 led to an increase in wages, reduction in hours, and union recognition.
In 1936, members of the Montreal Joint Council Cutters Local 19 and Pressers Local
61 celebrated their 25th anniversary, and the union in Montreal found itself for the
first time in fifteen years on a sound financial footing.
A second general strike involving thousands of Montreal dressmakers also occurred
in 1940 which paralyzed the dress industry in Quebec and increased wages. Kraisman
became assistant manager of the Montreal Joint Council, but retired in 1939, and was
replaced by Isidore Stenzor. In 1937, the Montreal Joint Council began organizing
the embroidery workers in the dress market, and later in the year, the union called
a strike in the trade and an agreement was signed improving working conditions for
Embroidery Workers' Local 315.
The dress and cloak industry in Montreal began enjoying prosperity during the 1940s.
Montreal consisted of 8 locals (2 dress, 5 cloak, and 1 embroidery) headed by Bernard
Shane. The Montreal Joint Board was composed of Dressmakers' Local 262 and Dress Cutters
Local 205, whereas the cloakmakers functioned through the Joint Council (Locals 19,
43, 61, 112, and 342). During the 1940s, the industries expanded and contracts were
renewed. There were 7 locals in Toronto (5 in the cloakmakers' union and 2 in dress
and sportswear). The Toronto Cloak Joint Board consisted of the 5 cloak locals, while
Local 199 Sportswear Workers was also under the supervision of the Cloak Joint Board.
A number of recent retirements had left a shortage of workers in the industry. Hyman
Langer, who had been manager of the Board retired and Samuel Kraisman returned to
take his place, being re-elected in 1947. The Joint Council of the Dressmakers' Union
in Toronto was comprised of Locals 72 and 192 managed by Joseph Mack.
The Canada market soon expanded to include Winnipeg and Vancouver. In 1952, the Montreal
Dressmakers' union celebrated its 15th anniversary. Claude Jodoin was manager of the
Dressmakers' Union in the 1950s. He was also president of the Trades and Labor Council
of Montreal and vice-president (and later president) of the Trades and Labor Congress
of Canada. The 1950s also saw an expansion of benefits including retirement, vacation,
and health. Canada's first Union Health Center was dedicated in March 1955 in the
new headquarters of the Montreal ILGWU. In 1956 Sam Kraisman managed the Toronto Cloak
Joint Board, Joe Mack was manager of the Toronto Dressmakers, and Bernard Shane was
general organizer of Canada. A growing number of non-union shops began appearing in
smaller communities such as Saskatchewan and Alberta. In response, a large coast to
coast organizing drive across Canada began in 1955, with Samuel Herbst (manager of
Winnipeg Joint Board) as coordinator to bring the thousands of new workers into the
union.
By 1959, the cross-Canada campaign had organized more than 3,500 new members and
almost completely unionized the cloak industry in Canada. The 1960s saw a steadily
growing Canadian apparel industry and the spreading use of the union label. 1960 marked
the 50th anniversary for Toronto Cloakmakers' Union and 1962 the 25th anniversary
of Montreal Dressmakers' Union. A new ILGWU Center in Montreal opened in 1964 in the
middle of the garment area and also housed the ILGWU health center and welfare funds
offices. At the end of the decade, Bernard Shane was director of ILGWU Canada and
general manager for Montreal, the Montreal Dressmakers were managed by Maurice Manel
and the Montreal Cloak Board was led by Sam Liberman; Sam Kraisman managed the Toronto
Cloak Joint Board and Joseph Macks the Toronto Dress. Over the years, agreements for
shorter work weeks and cost of living raises were achieved. In September 1970, Kraisman
retired and the Dress and Cloak Boards of Toronto were merged into one unit under
Joseph Macks who had been managing the Dress Joint Board for over 30 years. Bernard
Shane retired in 1971, marking more than six decades with the ILGWU, nearly 40 of
those working in Canada. Si Bresner took over as manager of the ILGWU in Montreal,
becoming director of Canada and general manager of Montreal, with Maurice Manel manager
of the Montreal Dress and Sam Liberman manager of the Montreal Cloak Board. Joseph
Macks died in 1973, and William Villano became manager of the Toronto Cloak and Dress
Joint Board.
In 1976, 100 delegates across Canada voted to officially establish the Canadian Region
of the ILGWU, formalizing previously existing Canadian autonomy. ILGWU vice-president
Si Bresner was elected as the Canadian director. In 1977 Stephen Perkal became manager
of the Montreal Cloak Board and Luigi Infantino manager of the Quebec Province. Canadian
garment workers took part in mass demonstrations to fight against the increase of
foreign imports in Canada in 1977. In 1980, the Dress and Cloak Joint Boards of Montreal
were merged into a new Montreal Joint Board with Robert Fontaine becoming the new
general manager in the wake of Bresner's announced retirement in 1981.
After an investigation by the Quebec Federation of Labor in the fall of 1981, recommendations
for change and restructuring were recommended, with the QFL supervising the reform
to create a union more democratic and responsive to the approximately 15,000 members.
A meeting in March 1982 set the course for a restructuring and reorganization of the
union in Quebec. A group of union activists, the "Democratic Action League," had spent
years working toward an organization with a local leadership and active membership
participation in union policies and procedures. At the March 1982 meeting, Gilles
Gauthier became president of the ILGWU in Quebec and new by-laws were written. The
first formal constitutional convention of the Quebec Joint Council Quebec was in February
1983, and Gauthier was elected president.
At the end of the 1980s, Canada saw a drastic decline in textile and garment jobs,
losing hundreds of thousands of workers. Gauthier resigned from his posts in May 1984,
and was replaced by Gerald Roy. Roy was officially elected president of the Quebec
Joint Council and in 1986 elected Canadian director. Villano retired from Toronto
in 1986 and Herman Stewart was elected the new manager. Tino Ciampanelli was elected
president of the Quebec Joint Council in 1995. The North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) and the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) continued to contribute to
the loss of thousands of jobs in the garment industry in Canada.
The collection consists of various minutes from the Montreal Joint Council. There
are the Board of Directors meeting minutes that encompass the dates November 13, 1937-
July 29, 1940; March 21, 1940-December 18, 1943; and January 4, 1944-November 15,
1954. These meetings were in English and the minutes very brief. The earliest minutes
from the Joint Council consist of a bound and hand written journal of minutes November
1938-December 1940. The other meeting minutes for the Montreal Joint Council date
March 1940-December 1943; January 1944-April 1948; and January 1944-November 1963.
Delegates from locals 19, 43, 61, 342, 112 were present at the meetings, as well as
other officials from the Joint Council. The delegates presented reports from their
respective locals during the meetings, and minutes also include sections on communications,
office reports, local reports, and items from the International (ILGWU convention).
Meeting minutes of other committees within the Joint Council include the Grievance
Committee (1941-1947) and the Educational Committee (1950-1957).
The Joint Committee of the Ladies' Dress Manufacturing Industry for the Province
of Quebec included members from the Montreal Dress Manufacturers Guild and the ILGWU
Dress Cutters Local 205. It was tasked with supervising and carrying out the collective
labor agreement between the organizations. The Joint Committee consisted of a chairman
and a vice-chairman (elected) as well as an appointed manager with monthly meetings.
The committee also appointed a five member Board of Examiners. The by-laws were adopted
in 1936, and the bound journal contains the founding documents, by-laws, as well as
minutes through 1938.
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference
archivist for access to these materials.
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and
Procedures for Document Use.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
ILGWU. Montreal Joint Council minutes #5780/030. Kheel Center for Labor-Management
Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections: 5780: ILGWU records 5780/025: ILGWU. Local 262 minutes 5780/026: ILGWU. Local 315 minutes 5780/027: ILGWU. Local 205 minutes 5780/028: ILGWU. Montreal locals minutes 5780/029: ILGWU. Montreal Dress Joint Board minutes 5780/116: ILGWU. Montreal Joint Board records 5780/117: ILGWU. Quebec Joint Council records
Names:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -- Montreal Joint Council (Montreal
(Quebec))
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -- Local 19.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -- Local 61.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -- Local 112.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -- Local 342.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -- Local 438.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -- Local 584.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -- Local 592.
Subjects:
Women's clothing industry -- United States.
Women's clothing industry -- Quebec (Province) -- Montreal.
Labor unions -- Clothing workers -- United States.
Labor unions -- Clothing workers -- Quebec (Province) -- Montreal.
Clothing workers -- United States.
Clothing workers -- Quebec (Province) -- Montreal.
Industrial relations -- United States.
Industrial relations -- Quebec (Province) -- Montreal.
CONTAINER LIST
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Cloakmakers Union. Board of Directors. Minutes.
|
1937-1940 |
Scope and Contents
Incomplete.
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 2 |
Cloakmakers Union. Board of Directors. Minutes.
|
1940-1943 |
Box 1 | Folder 3 |
Cloakmakers Union. Board of Directors. Minutes.
|
1944-1954 |
Box 1 | Folder 4 |
Cloakmakers Union. Minutes.
|
1938-1940 |
Scope and Contents
Handwritten.
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 5 |
Cloakmakers Union. Minutes.
|
1940-1943 |
Box 1 | Folder 6 |
Cloakmakers Union. Minutes.
|
1944-1946 |
Box 1 | Folder 7 |
Cloakmakers Union. Minutes.
|
1947-1963 |
Box 1 | Folder 8 |
Joint Committee of the Ladies Dress Manufacturing Industry for the Providence of Quebec.
Cutting Departments. Minutes.
|
1936-1938 |
Scope and Contents
Includes correspondence.
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 9 |
Grievance and Appeals Committee. Minutes.
|
1941-1947 |
Box 1 | Folder 10 |
Educational Committee. Minutes.
|
1952-1957 |