Section Work in the Women's Garment Industry

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An interesting and instructive case study of a union's adaptation to technical change can be found in the women's garment industry. In the latter half of the nineteenth century the center of the women's garment industry was in New York City. Immigration was unrestricted, and skilled tailors from Europe became the work force for the new expanding needle trades industries. The system of labor was unspecialized, an individual skilled worker making the entire garment. Manufacturing was carried on in small unsanitary shops-the so-called sweatshops. Gradually, new methods and machinery were introduced. By the beginning of the twentieth century the manufacture of a garment had been subdivided into several basic crafts--cutting, operating, finishing, and pressing. Although the sewing machine operated by foot power was the only machine in use at that time, eventually cutting machines, pressing machines, special purpose sewing machines, and electric power came into use. Despite the introduction of these and other machines, the basic system of manufacturing women's garments remained unchanged. For many years the manufacture of women's garments in the New York market has been dominated by the so-called tailoring, or whole garment, system. In this method of production a skilled operator sews the entire garment. One operator makes the outer shell of the garment, sews the parts of the lining together, and then attaches the lining to the body. In the newer section work system, on the other hand, the sewing of the garment is broken down into many subdivisions with each operator performing only one small operation. Thus, one operator will work only on sleeves, another on collars, a third on cuffs, etc. Section work was first introduced into the men's clothing industry, for men's clothing is a relatively staple article. In women's clothing, by contrast, the style factor is dominant. About 40 years ago large men's clothing manufacturers began to set up section work shops where the work was subdivided into many small operations-as many as 150 in some shops. In the manufacture of women's garments, however, the introduction of section work was held back because of the highly seasonal character of the industry and the great variety of styles produced.