Los Angeles Garment Workers strike of 1933 facts for kids

The Los Angeles Garment Workers strike of 1933 was a very important strike in Los Angeles. It happened after the New Deal laws were passed. This strike is special because Mexican immigrant workers played a big part in it. The strike took place in the fall of 1933 in the downtown Garment District of Los Angeles, California. Leaders like Rose Pesotta and others from the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) organized the strike. They made sure it included Mexican immigrant workers. The goal was to get employers to officially recognize the union in the clothing industry.

What Was the Garment Industry Like in Los Angeles?

The women's clothing industry in Los Angeles was growing very fast. By 1933, it was worth about $3 million. Even when the Great Depression hit the country from 1929 to 1933, the garment industry in Los Angeles was not affected as much as others.

During this tough time, the clothing industry needed many female workers. Because of this, women from minority groups often had to find jobs to support their families. Mexican immigrant women became the main source of cheap labor in the garment industry. Employers called them "unskilled labor" which meant they could pay them less. This led to Mexican women making up 75% of the clothing and sewing jobs in Los Angeles.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt started the New Deal program. This program aimed to fix the country's economy and create chances for working people. Part of the New Deal was the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA). Section 7A of this act said that workers should get fair wages. It also gave them the right to join unions and bargain together.

However, many employers in the garment industry did not follow this new law. They kept using an "Open Shop" policy. This meant they would not recognize unions. The NIRA helped unions become stronger. This led to a wave of strikes across Los Angeles in 1933. Workers wanted their rights to be respected.

Who Was the International Ladies Garment Workers Union?

In Los Angeles, the ILGWU was led by white and Jewish union leaders from the East Coast. They mostly focused on white garment workers in the coat and suit factories. They often ignored the Mexican workers in the dress factories. These workers were new to unions but also wanted better working conditions and higher pay. Some union leaders wrongly believed that "Latinas could never be organized."

In 1933, Rose Pesotta was sent from the ILGWU's main office in New York City. Her job was to help organize Mexican garment workers. Rose saw that these women had the potential to be a strong part of the union on the West Coast. She believed they could greatly increase the number of ILGWU members.

Rose Pesotta worked with other ILGWU members, like labor leader Anita Andrade Castro. They helped Mexican women understand the benefits of joining a union. Rose visited workers' homes and made sure there were Spanish speakers to talk to them. She even helped set up KELW, a Spanish radio station. All these efforts helped teach and train these women who had never been part of a union before.

What Happened During the 1933 Garment Workers Strike?

In the fall of 1933, the garment workers strike began. This happened because employers refused to meet the demands of the Mexican garment workers. The workers wanted the union to be recognized. They also asked for a 35-hour work week and a minimum wage. They wanted to stop "homework" (sewing at home for very low pay). And they demanded safer working conditions in the factories.

The strike started on October 12 and lasted for 26 days. The strikers handed out flyers in both English and Spanish. They encouraged their coworkers to join the strike. On the first day, 3,011 workers stood outside dress factories in the downtown Garment District. Other strikers marched to government offices to push for their demands.

Sometimes, the strike became tense. Strikers would yell at or throw things like tomatoes at coworkers who did not join the strike. Because of these actions, the Los Angeles Police Department got involved. They tried to stop the strike by arresting 50 of the strikers. The women who were arrested were charged with unlawful picketing. The police said they were protecting workers. But a special police unit, sometimes called the "Red Squad", was actually trying to end the strike.

The ILGWU and some community members helped the strikers who were facing money problems. They donated groceries to the families of strikers. The ILGWU also gave strikers special cards. These cards allowed them to borrow money for rent.

By November 6, 1933, the strike was over. Employees went back to work. The garment workers had won some important things. They got a minimum wage and a 35-hour work week. They also successfully created a new union local, the Dressmakers Union Local 96. It had 2,646 members.