All About the Early Diamond Cutters of the United States

In North America the diamond cutters are well organised.

When the United States levied an import duty on diamonds, there arose a demand for expert operatives to cut and polish diamonds here, and then came the first immigrant diamond workers, mostly from Amsterdam. As soon as there was a sufficient number of diamond workers here to form a numerically respectable organisation, which was in 1895, the men established their first union. The Dingley Tariff, which provided a duty of ten per cent. on uncut diamonds and twenty-five per cent. on cut stones, had been enacted into a law, and it profited American importers to have their diamonds cut here, and cut in accordance with the exacting requirements of the American trade; so diamond-cutting was raised into a small but a recognised industry. The first union organised, although successful from its inception, disbanded, because the membership represented too many different nationalities and customs, and the individual members had not then learned the wisdom of subordinating petty prejudices and motives to the common interest.

The present union is entitled The Diamond Workers Protective Union of America, and was organised September 16, 1902. There are about three hundred and seventy-five members, a majority being natives of Amsterdam, although, besides Europeans other than Hollanders in the ranks, there are a few natives of the United States. Most of the diamond workers are employed in New York City, the rest being with few exceptions in the cities of Boston, Chicago, and Cincinnati.

There is but little of the unfortunate politics that so often characterises labour unions in the United States with regard to the control of the diamond workers' organisation through the election of officers, and there have been but few changes. Andrew Meyer a Hollander, is the president and Theodore Quetz, a Belgian, is the secretary. The members have a salutary regard for the constitution and by-laws of their organisation, and any objection to the rulings of their Executive Board, which is composed of representatives of every shop of more than seven employees, is a rare occurrence. No member of the union will accept employment without the consent of the officers.

On November 15, 1903, was organised the Universal Diamond Workers' Alliance, with a membership of fifteen thousand, by representatives of the trade delegated from local unions in Amsterdam, Holland; Antwerp, Belgium; Paris, St. Claude, Divonne, Thoiry, and Nemours, France; Geneva and Gex, Switzerland; London, England; and New York. Through this central organisation, all diamond workers of the world are virtually under one control. When a member of one local union goes to another place, he receives a certificate which entitles him to membership in the organisation existing in the place of his destination, and he is entitled to immediately participate in all benefits that the local union may afford. Reports issued monthly by the International Board enable the affiliated local unions to keep track constantly of the conditions of the various markets of the world. The local unions contribute to general strikes in other countries and are assessed, if necessary, so that strikes can be continued after the fund of the local treasury has run out. All news of worthy importance to the workers in the diamond industry is promptly cabled. If a union proposes to change the wages or other conditions, its claim is presented to the individual employers. If employers and employees cannot agree, the differences are usually first referred to the Diamond Cutters' Manufacturers' Association, which in most cases, appoints a committee to arbitrate the questions at issue, with a corresponding committee of the union. From January, 1906, until May, 1908, trade agreements existed between the employers' and employees' associations in the United States, whereby hours of labour, scales of wages, apprentice regulations, and practically all matters which could result in conflicts, were regulated. For matters which were not covered in these agreements a clause provided that recourse must be had to arbitration.

The diamond-cutting industry in the United States was in a flourishing condition from its beginning until the latter part of 1907, when, because of the financial depression popularly termed "the rich man's panic," all the diamond-cutting factories in America were closed, throwing out of employment the entire number of diamond workers. Before the advent of the ensuing year a few factories reopened with work progressing on a small scale, and, gradually, as confidence in the commercial world was restored, the factories resumed operations. During the period of idleness about one hundred of the workmen in the trade returned with their families to Amsterdam and Antwerp, where they received immediate employment.