BRESLAW, JOSEPH

BRESLAW, JOSEPH (1887–1957), U.S. labor leader. Breslaw, who was born in Odessa, went to the United States in 1907. He worked as a cloak presser in the garment industry and joined a local union in 1909. Breslaw was rapidly promoted, and in 1916 became its manager. By 1922 he had become the dominant voice in one of the metropolitan area's most important locals of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and was elected vice president of the ilgwu, leading the Union's right wing in the struggle against the communists. Unlike other prominent immigrant Jewish unionists, especially those who went to America after the 1905 revolution, Breslaw did not share a revolutionary tradition or evince socialist sympathies. He acted as a right-wing mainstay for the anti-Communist administration of President Morris Sigman between 1922 and 1925, but was forced off the General Executive Board during the compromise effort with the radical wing. However, upon the collapse of the compromise arrangements with the Communists, Breslaw was called back to office (1929), and a year later was placed in charge of the successful strike in New York City's dress industry. He was a loyal lieutenant to David *Dubinsky. Though more conservative than most garment workers, Breslaw, thoughout his career, was still more radical than the non-Jewish members of the American labor movement. In 1936 he joined the newly founded American Labor Party, and became a member of its state executive committee. Breslaw was prominent in establishing the ilgwu's health center. He also served on various committees to aid Palestine labor colonies, and, for over a decade, was chairman of the American Trade Union Council for the *Histadrut.

[Melvin Dubofsky]