Thursday, August 31, 2017

Look For the Union Label

Remembering Simon Typograph: Abq Jew never got to meet Simon Typograph.

According to the Family Tree that Abq Jew received from his father, of blessed memory (now on MyHeritage.com), Simon Typograph (1864-1939) is the husband of Fannie (Kellerman) Typograph (1875-1940).


Fannie is a sister of Rose (Kellerman) Rosenfield (1880-1969) - Abq Jew's great-grandmother, who we all called Momsy. Momsy is, of course, the wife of Morris Rosenfield (1877-1937), aka Popsy, for whom Abq Jew is named.

Why is Abq Jew bringing this up just now?

Because it's Labor Day!
Union!

More than brothers-in law, Morris Rosenfield and Simon Typograph were brothers in the union. Both were active in the United Cloth Hat and Cap Makers of North America. Here's a bit of history.

The United Hatters Cap and Millinery Workers International Union (UHCMW) was formed in 1934 by the amalgamation of United Hatters of North America (UHNA) and the Cloth Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers International Union (CHCMW).

The United Hatters of North America (UHNA) was established in New York in 1896 as the result of the merger of two Knights of Labor-affiliated unions in the men's hat industry, the the Hat Makers and the Hat Finishers.

The Cloth Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers International Union (CHCMW) was established in New York in 1901, as the United Cloth Hat and Cap Makers of North America (superseding the the Cloth Hat and Cap Operators Union), and took its final name (adding Millinery Workers) in 1918.

In 1983 the UHCMW (a founding member of the Committee for Industrial Organizations) joined the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, which in turn merged in 1995 with the International Ladies Garment Workers Union to form UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees).

Abq Jew has documents & pictures!


ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED CLOTH HAT and CAP MAKERS of 
NORTH AMERICA

The union organizer Simon Typograph visited Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore, where he tried to organize. By October the foundation was finally laid, and the New York operator's union decided to call the 1st. capmakers union convention for Friday p.m. December 27th. It was decided that the New York organization should be entitled to 1 delegate for each 15 members, and the organizations over the country should be entitled to 1 delegate for each 25 members.

The 1st. convention on Friday, December 27th,1901 should remain a historic date for the Millinery Workers Union of America. That day, at 8:30 p.m. they met at the Manhattan Lyceum, 66.E.4th. str., New York. Without exaggeration it could be said that this Friday, December, 1901,is a new beginning for the capmakers and millinery workers that cannot be destroyed by conflict in which the freed worker gradually will be rid of the worst form of parasite that has eaten into this trade more than into any other; an organization in which the cap and millinery workers find enough strength to raise their standard of living to the best level of organized labor in this country, in which they find political and industrial freedom for the working people.

Delegates of First Convention 
From New York-14

Typograph         Zimmerman        Schwartz
Hinder               M.Yolis          Sonnenshein
Geller                G.Greene                 Radler
Rifelson            C.Stein                Yachofsky
M.Rosenfield    Sivetsky                              


Simon Typograph was a wonderful man. How does Abq Jew know? Because his family was still speaking about Simon Typograph many years after his death.

Pirkei Avot 4:13
Rabbi Shimon said, there are three crowns: the crown of Torah,
the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship.
And the crown of a good name is superior to them all.


Happy Labor Day!
Remember how we got here!

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