Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-02-19
INDUSTRIAL OUTBREAK
IN GASS BROS. CAFE
A Wide Dispute Between the Manage
nent ard the Mattresses as to the
Proper Length Of the Working Day.

labor cyclone with a double storm
center broke out i'm this city yesterday
and last evening both wings Of it swept
over The Republican Office. The fury
Of both storms was similar but each
/ left a different impression after il had
passed and the only way To give the
readers of the paper an accurate de-
scriptiOn OF the tempest is 10 present
/ both sides.
/ Early in the evening five young
women called at this office and an
nOUnced that they were the five wait
resses who had organized a walk-out
/ at Gass Bros. Washington street cafe
yesterday morning. The organization,
/ they contended, was very much on the
/ spur Of the moment, though each was
willing to bear her part Of the respon-
sibility. Their story is that they get
seven dollars per week. the agreed
price and respecting which there has
been no al gument. They were employ
I ed they say and until yesterday had
/ been working from o'clock in the
morning until go 2. NJ. when they
were given their own time until 40 at
which hour they resumed and remained
on duty until Z. NJ. a total of eleven
hours a day. Their allegation is that
yesterday morning Manager Gass in
structed the cashier to prepare on the
typewriter for the information Of the
mattresses, a new order; that the new
rules were that they should remain on
duty from a NJ. To $ +. NJ, con-
stantly, for two days. a total Of thirteen
hours. and that on the third day they
should be given their own time for
one and one half hours in the after
noon leaving a net Of eleven and half
hours work, or an increase Of two
hours work per day two-thirds Of the
time and a half hours work per day
the other third of the time. And for
this there was 10 announcement of
F. increased pay.
u The cashier impaired to the girls the
substance of this information without
going to the trouble OF preparing the
typewriter order, and the girls all an
nOunced that they would walk out.
Manager Gass then came In, according
to the story Of the Mattresses. and
asked who had started the revolt and
all five of the young women responded
that they were to be considered as the
offenders, whercupon the manager told
those who were not satisfied with the
new rule TO take off their aprons at
once and get their money and go. never
crossing the doorstep again. They say
they Immediately retired to the pantry
to take off their aprons when the man
agen entered and told al who We're en-
gagged in sewing patrons al the time
{ the trouble arose, to go back and check
up their customers or submit 10 arrest.
4 This they did and then walked out.
After this recital they said they de
sired to have it added in reply TO the
edict that they could never work there
again. that they did not want to work
there any more. They claimed that in
addition to the long hours and small
pay, they had not been allowed such
things to eat as they desired, and were
made to eat such things as had been
left by patrons previously served. in
stead of having such things cooked as
. they felt appealed TO their appetites.
Shortly after their departure Manager
Gass called at The Republican office
and told his side Of the controversy.
his story differing materially from that
of the young women in point of time
the latter were asked to work. He said
he had been planning for a week to
give the Mattresses an easier schedule.
with shorter hours, and that he had in
his order yesterday, cut off one hour
from the time they had been previously
working. When he learned of the diff
ficulty he told those who were dissat-
isfied that they could go and do so at
once without waiting to finish their
days work. He said they left almost
Immediately leaving the house without
service but that he very soon employed
men walters and business was resumed
at once.
The delegation of girls which called
at The Republican office announced
that they would shortly take steps for
the Organization Of a union so that the
waitress business in Phoenix would be
established ON some sort of a hasis