Sigman Unanimously Reelected President of Garment Workers Union

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Morris Sigman was unanimously re-elected president and Benjamin Schlesinger chosen vice-president of the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union at the concluding session of the nineteenth biennial convention here last night.

Through the efforts of a group headed by Morris Hillquit a compromise was effected, ending the strife within the Right wing of the Union. Although the election of Sigman was never in doubt following the failure of the oppositional group to muster enough votes to secure elections by relerendum to the entire membership, danger to the unity of the union, particularly in New York, was feared.

At the suggestion of Morris Hillquit, power and representation was given the Schlesinger group. According to the compromise reached, five places on the General Executive Board were given to the opposition, Schlessinger was elected vice-president, with supervision over the cloak and dress trade of New York City.

Besides Schlesinger, Joseph Breslau, the bitterest foe of Sigman, manager of New York Local 35 and Harry Wander also an anti-Sigmanist, were elected as vice-presidents. The first vice-president is Salvatore Ninfo, who was the leader in favor of the referendum. The other vice-presidents elected were Harry Greenberg, Jacob Halprin, David Dubinsky, Julius Hochman. David Gingold. Luigi Antonini; for outside New York: Max Amdur and Elias Risberg, Philadelphia; Charles Krindler. Cleveland; Miss Molly Freedman. Chicago; Phil Kramer. Boston; Morris Lialas. Chicago and Abraham Kirsner, Toronto. Abraham Baroff was chosen secretary-treasurer.

A special constitutional amendment, carried by a vote of 116 to 28, was necessary to provide the two additional places on the General Executive Board.

Schlesinger’s closing address was heard with great interest by the delegates. He declared he will work with Sigman for strengthening the Union and his only desire in accepting the post was to cooperate.

Opiion was divided among the delegates at the end of the eleven days sessions as to whether the compromise indicated final unity within the Union. Some hailed it as a genuine step toword peace, while others expressed the fear that in an administration divided by two strong factions, peace has not yet been reached.