The Vokouns of Chicagoland

Not in a good way. The strike finally ends after and vote and nothing changes. The writer notes that "the sweatshops will still flourish...the old wages will still be paid and twelve to fourteen hours of toil will still constitute a day's work." In other words, the Manufacturers win big. To add salt to the wound, they make no commitment to rehire the strikers who haven't already crossed the picket line having made ample use of scabs. Then there is the future status of the union, about which one manufacturer states "From this day forward, we will recognize no unions of any kind and will run our business free from any outside dictation." The union officers try to stress what was gained but then what else is there to do. Still behind the polished statements of both sides, one can't but sense the bitterness of feelings and the resolve for the future fights ahead. It sets the stage for more strikes including the massive 1911 strike, lead by women, that made r...

Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. - James 5:4 Al Capone's soup kitchen (circa 1931) When things start to look dire, nothing like images of heaven and hell to set the stakes as the union accuses the manufacturers of creating "an inferno for the souls of the oppressed." Nevertheless, clearly being out of work was straining workers six weeks into the strike in spite of efforts by their neighbors and fellow unions to help out. As hunger for workers and their families loom, even more workers, mostly Bohemians, quit their shops which shows that the conditions in the shops must have been pretty dang miserable. Our family tailors were likely also existing at bare sustenance level along with their immigrant neighbors. How much longer will they last? To make my point, I couldn't resist posting a picture of Al Capone's soup kitchen which i...

And you thought your boss was bad. Three weeks into the strike and the Cutters get a gut punch. (I don't know if starvation makes that easier or harder to absorb that but I'm thankful I don't have to find out first hand.) The plot thickens as one of the union bosses quits the strike, and...wait for it... returns to work as a foreman in a cutters shop! All while being accused of passing union secrets to the Manufacturer's Association. We've read about threats, assaults, gunshots, and police rolls as the workers situation grows more desperate. The guy is a traitor but I have to give him credit for some big  cojones . He does assure us that he "made this organization" (meaning the union) and can "break it." I am going out on a limb to suggest that he kept his doors locked at night.

Don't blame me for the puns. I'm just the messenger here. The Cutters and Trimmers make their reply to the Manufacturer's Association statement from my last post. They are seeking recognition of the union, a minimum wage scale with some predictability, and an eight-hour workday. The cutters announce their solidarity with sweatshop tailors striking in support. We also learn that a prominent manufacturer has admitted that since the tailors exist on the verge of starvation, joining the cutter's strike makes little sense. What I find amazing is the issue seasonal work such that only 10% of workers were able to work year-round while half work only six months per year. If you are on the verge of starving then why push it, seems to be the logic of the most admirable stewards of the clothing industry. Nice. We shall see how it plays out.

"If we stick together, we will win." Indeed. Garment workers surely seem to be the best-dressed strikers At this point, two weeks into the strike, the union officers are expressing confidence but then what else are they going to say. However, at strikers meeting, the pain of missing wages is noted as some of the workers are "sorely in need". Meanwhile the manufacturers release their statement in an effort to garner public support. It accuses the striking cuttings of "terrorizing 20,000 tailors" with a sympathy strike when in fact the cutters had "all the wages they asked for." Also, in case you are wondering, the manufacturers are not anti-union just anti-THIS-union with its "irrational, inexperienced, and incompetent" leaders (presumably because they are demanding an hourly wage).  We assuredly can know that the manufacturers are reasonable and fair because any cutter can accept "the conditions that the employer names" and ha...

And a measure of bad temper. It is hard to beat shooting at each other for violent response but, a day later, what the sides lack in weaponry they make up for in enthusiasm determination. At one factory, the strikers gather while the workers inside wait, and wait, and wait longer to actually leave the building. The workday ends at 5:00 but most don't attempt to go home until 6:45. This doesn't prevent the ensuing fight. The attacked scab is a German only-speaking immigrant. Also of note, some of the special order tailors are lured back to work by promise of increase wages and fewer hours. These include one Paul Masek living at 646 W. 18th Street, three doors down from Charles and Mary Vokoun who were living at 640 W. 18th Street, among many other residents of 18th. Meanwhile, at least one tailor organization, Manufacturing Tailors' Beneficial Association, comes out against the strike and, in opposition, to the United Garment Workers of America. Can a house divided stand?

Don't forget the secret password! The major players in the strike are the manufacturers who are large commercial entities that sell and distribute clothing. They are represented by the Manufacturers Association. The contractors seem to be the middlemen who contract with the manufactures for the actual production of garments and then employ individual cutters and tailors to perform the work. I believe that the so-called "Bohemian bosses" in the article are contractors. Finally there are the individual tailors and cutters represented by the unions. Although technically a cutters' strike, the lack of cut cloth materially limits the tailors ability to work such that the two occupations are intertwined. With that background, here is the news from the "southwestern sweating district." The stage is set. The manufacturers have already started hiring scabs to replace the union cutters and say that they can hold out indefinitely. The union claims to be able to hold ou...

When cutters and trimmers decide to be quitters. Now that I have finished the stories on Frank and Charles, I'm posting a series of articles about the cutter and trimmer strike in the spring of 1896. They highlight the role Bohemians played in the garment industry labor movement. By this time, the Vokouns have been in Chicago for twenty years. Josepha has just died. Jan is probably retired or on the verge. Meanwhile, all of the children are married and/or working. As I have mentioned previously, Frank and Charles operate tailor shops out of their homes. Additionally the oldest grandchild (Frank's son), Frank James, is 18 and working as a cutter but still a few years from marrying Bertha Vanderbiest. His sister, Anna, is 12 years old but will start working as a "factory girl" by 1900, presumably making clothing, and will marry another cutter, James Placek, a four years later. Rudolph's wife, Lydia Vokoun and her sister, Anna Maruska, have both worked in tailor shop...

The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds. - Abraham Lincoln Throughout this blog, I have written about the role of family and the Chicago Bohemian community. In Charles story, I emphasized the role of fraternity our immigrant family. There was at least one other kinship that one can't but help believe played a large role in their experience - the labor movement of the time. Although, I touched on this in an earlier post, I continue to find interesting information to share. (Ultimately, I will edit these better to discuss tailoring in one and the labor movement in another. In the meantime, I apologize if I am repetitive). The Vokoun family fortunes were inextricably tied to the tailoring trade. The tailoring done by Frank,  Charles and their families in their homes, in service for retail tailor shops was not an easy profession. For one thing, business was seasonal with highest demand...

I'm kicking this post off with photo showing traditional Bohemian dress to segue to this 1904 article from the Chicago Tribune that gives an interesting description of Bohemian life in the city. "Simple, colorful, comfortable," do you agree? I found this picture of a Bohemian head shawl circa 1890 but it doesn't match my idea of simple, colorful, comfortable so I'm unsure which of the photos is closer to that of the day.  I did some research on the circle dance and this was the best video I found. Looks like fun. Czech bread is called 'houska'. It's a braided sweet bread. Some of Charles and Mary Vokoun's great grandchildren fondly recall how good it was when their grandmother baked it. I found a recipe in case you are inclined to make some. Send me a loaf, please?! St. Procopius is still an active Catholic Parish for anyone who has become "lax in your religious duties." It now serves a mostly Hispanic congregation. St. Procopius altar ...

"A lull in the struggle, A truce in the fight, The whirr of machines And the dearly bought right, Just to labor for bread, Just to work and be fed." -Mary O’Reilly, “After the Strike,” from Women’s Trade Union League of Chicago Garment Industry Sweatshop 1905 I found an article from the Chicago Tribune in 1889 describing the explosive growth of garment making in Chicago and nationwide as well as the process of actually making a piece of clothing in the day. At the turn of the century, New York's garment dominated in women's clothing so Chicago's industry focused on men's clothing. At it's peak, Chicago reportedly manufactured 15% of men's garments in America.  1897 Sears Catalog The garment industry was dominated by immigrants, including Bohemians and the Vokoun family. The article makes for interesting reading but it's behind a paywall so I just copied it and posted it.  Here is another article from the Encyclopedia of Chicago on clothing manufac...

Bored? Looking for a good read? There was a magazine published at the turn of the century called Park and Cemetery . Unfathomably and to the dismay of mausoleum enthusiasts, it didn't catch on as it was and folded after 5 years. That didn't stop a more macabre-sounding successor American Cemetery and Cremation from launching. Apparently this magazine was far more readable and relevant because it's been around for 90 years. I work at a hospital. I was thinking I ought to order some copies for our waiting area. The administration is really struggling to address staffing problems and, like any good employee, I am always trying to find ways to be helpful. Bohemian National Cemetery I have no idea if the Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago was ever featured in either magazine but it is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Nearly 120,000 people have been buried there. You take a virtual tour here . (I'm going to include some photos in this post so that you can get ...