The Bakers Union Is Successful
Jewish Labor World, November 20, 1908
The Jewish baker employers have decided not to get into a squabble with the bakers. Last Saturday after a long meeting, twenty-two owners determined to sign the union agreement and take the union labels. The bakers will work ten hours a day. It is now our duty to buy bread from places where the union label is used, and the union is recognized.
The Bakers Union arranged a mass meeting for Sunday 15. Over 300 people were present. Mazor, Lifkind, and Ziskind spoke. Lifkind talked on the conditions of the bakers. He is one by trade and feels the sufferings and slavery of the bakery workers. Mazor told the workers to organize against every form of oppression. Ziskind, in his short talk, spoke on what the public can do when they feel that they are being over-charged. He touched on the cooperative movement throughout the world and proved that it is possible to have cooperative stores here in Chicago, if only the workers desire them.
2Everyone knows that the radical workers went from restaurant to restaurant, house to house, and grocery to grocery and agitated for the bakers and their label. The Jewish Labor World was the first and last to assist the bakers, yet the Courier issued a statement that we are misleading the workers. Where was the Courier before? Why was there not a word mentioned in the news editorial page about the poor bakers? Why hide in the ghetto? Only a few people read it anyhow. Why did not Mr. Ziskind mention the bakers in the Courier when he was asked? Why did he say he cannot do anything for the bakers? Of course he cannot be blamed. He cannot write such stuff, but what was the matter with Mr. Zolotkoff? His attention was called to the fact. He is an assistant states attorney, and can take complaints when he is positive that the citizens are not abiding by the law.
The bakery employers organized against the laws of the country to raise the price of bread, and other bakery goods, through uniting into a trust. This is a crime against the constitution of the United States. Why did Mr. Zolotkoff remain silent? The least he could have done was to write a few editorials in the Courier. We believe that it was very important, but he 3feared that the owners of the Courier would lose the matzoh advertisements of the connivers, the Wittemberg family, or the other matzoh companies. That was the main reason why Zolotkoff mentioned nothing in the Courier.