[1] In 1982, New York City's Chinatown was home to approximately 500 garment factories employing 20,000 members of the ILGWU Local 23-25.
[4] Every three years, the ILGWU negotiated a new contract on behalf of its 150,000 members throughout the northeastern United States: first with the manufacturers, then with the contractors.
ILGWU president Sol Chaikin, meanwhile, called the contractors' demands "an attempt to create a Taiwan in the United States and turn the union clock back fifty years.
Volunteering after work and on weekends, they spread the word in the factories and on the street, handed out leaflets, organized phone banks, and made appearances on local television and radio.
[9] On June 24, 1982, nearly 20,000 garment workers rallied in Columbus Park, carrying banners and picket signs.