"During all my experience in the labor movement I have never had the pleasure of presenting an agreement of this kind to strikers. It is the best contract in the cloakmaking industry throughout the country."

With these words President Benjamin Schlesinger greeted the three and a half thousand striking cloakmakers gathered yesterday morning in the Car Men's Auditorium, Van Buren Street and Ashland Avenue. Each point of the contract, just won after a twenty-four hour general strike, was received with indescribable enthusiasm.

The meeting had been scheduled for ten o'clock in the morning. But already at eight the entire neighborhood around the auditorium was filled with cloakmakers who had learned, through the Courier, of the news regarding the manufacturers' acquiescence to all their demands. It meant that they would 2return to work victorious on Monday morning.

The Courier, yesterday morning, was the only newspaper in Chicago to mention the cloakmakers' victory. On Ashland Avenue, near the auditorium, many interesting scenes of enthusiasm could be seen as workers devoured each and every word in the newspaper and discussed their triumph.

H. Schoolman, secretary of the local Joint Board and vice-president of the International, opened the meeting. In a short, well-given speech, he characterized the great significance of the victory.

When Schlesinger appeared on the platform, a storm of applause broke forth, lasting several minutes. With a copy of the agreement in one hand, Mr. Schlesinger began:

"Our present contract is no social revolution, nor is it anything pertaining to socialism. To my knowledge there is not in all America another union in 3any industry whatever that can boast of as wonderful an accomplishment as is our present agreement in Chicago. It is the best our International has made, up to the present day, and we have, therefore, every reason to be proud of our gains."

What the Workers Gained

Mr. Schlesinger then set before them the entire agreement stressing many points which give the local cloakmakers more than they dreamed of receiving. The workers listened attentively to every word and were happy in their victory.

The agreement, ratified yesterday, has a duration of two years. Cloakmakers gained the following:

A work week of forty-four hours divided into six days; the first five days from eight in the morning until five in the evening, one hour for lunch, and 4Saturday from eight until twelve noon. (Until now the work week has been forty-nine hours.) Jewish workers who wish to observe the Sabbath may work on Sunday from eight to twelve noon instead.

It is understood that both sides may arrive at a mutual understanding wherein the work week may be altered to five days a week: the first four days at nine hours and Friday, the fifth day, eight hours work.

Overtime is to be permitted eight months during the year--three and one-half hours in each of the five work days, except Saturday.There is to be no overtime between May 1 and July 15, and between November 15 and December 31. Neither is there to be overtime when the boss cannot secure more workers. All workers in Chicago's cloakmaking industry are to work only by the week.

Minimum Wage

The weekly minimum wage--which means that none are to work below this rate, 5but a capable worker may earn more--is decided upon in the following fashion:

Cutters, $40, instead of $20 to $34.

Trimmers, $33, instead of $18 to $26.

Jacket and dress operators, $44.

Skirt operators, $24.

Pressers, $40.

Underpressers, $36.50.

Finishers (including the lining basters), $32. (The highest a finisher earned previously was $24.50.)

Feller hands, $23.50. (They used to make an average of about $13.47.)

Button, hook and eye sewers, $18. (This does away with the old method of a six-month apprenticeship at a $12. wage. Instead there is only a two-month apprentice period.)

Edge basters (1st class), $28.

Edge basters (2nd class), $23.50

Sample makers, $32.

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When a trimmer becomes a cutter, the first six months he receives $33, earning afterwards $40 a week.

Weekly wages above the minimum scale are to be decided upon by each shop committee and its employers. No adjustors are to intervene. Overtime [work] will pay time and a half. Wages must be paid every Saturday, not in check but in money.

All workers are to be paid for the following holidays: Lincoln's Birthday, Decoration Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and half day on elections. (Up to now only a few hundred cutters received pay for legal holidays.)

Workers have the privilege of not working on May 1, the international workers' holiday, but they do not get paid for it.

Instead of the very complicated and involved machinery, used till now to

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settle the ever-arising disputes between workman and boss [a system] which always results in a long drawn-out procedure--a system has been installed whereby complaints of either side must be written down. These in turn are taken up by the chief clerks of both sides, the union and the association. If no agreement is reached the written complaint is forwarded to a board chosen from both sides. Their decision is final and binding.