Tailor's Strike, 1889

The tailors' strike of 1889 united 10,000 east London Jewish tailors from three unions, the Amalgamated Society of Tailors and two smaller pressers’ and machinists’ unions in the fight for improved working conditions. The Strike Committee was chaired by Lewis Lyons, the son of German Jewish immigrants who had worked in tailoring from the age of 11. The Lithuanian Jewish anarchist William Wess acted as Secretary. Under their inspirational leadership the strike was highly organised and well resourced. The Strike Committe, based in rooms above the White Hart Pub in Greenfield Street, Whitechapel organised daily marches through London to raise funds to support the striking workers and provide them with essential food, issued in the form of food coupons such as this example. Leaflets were printed in English and Yiddish. Money was also received from other unions including £100 from London dock workers unions also on strike in 1889. Leading members of the Anglo-Jewish community, Lord Rothschild and the local MP, Samuel acted as mediators with the employers and after 5 weeks, the strikers’ demands for reduced working hours and a limit on overtime were agreed.
A Yiddish periodical noted: 'The workers are learning unity in action, and are moving step by step towards their self-realization as a class'.
Tailoring remained a dominant form of employment amongst London's East End community until the middle of the 20th century. The 1901 census counted 12,700 Jews with Russian and Polish heritage identifying as tailors & a few hundred more shirtmakers, dressmakers & others. Many were self-employed. One fifth were women.