ABSTRACT
The Jewish workers from the East End marched through the posh streets of the West End bearing banners, drums and trumpets. 'Who would have imagined that?’ was the response of Der Arbeyter Fraynd to this campaign. Jewish newcomers worked for sub-standard wages, took jobs from the English and worked as strike-breakers. The English strike organizers were various local branches of the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives (NUBSO), while the Jewish strikers were led by the International Journeymen Boot Finishers' Society. The outcome of the great tailors' strike from the autumn of 1889 was still fresh in the minds of Jewish workers and trade union leaders. Jewish workers suffered daily from subcontracting and cottage industries and were willing to fight harder than their English peers to end these practices. During the turbulent years of 1889–1891, Jewish and English workers staged many joint actions. These collaborative efforts were not always models of smooth cooperation.
