New-York tribune., 1912-01-02
OUTLOOK DARK FOR
WHITE SHIRT FRONTS
strike Of Laundry Workers
Causes Anxiety, Walters in
Hotels and Restaurants
Being Affected.
1900 OUT, SAYS LEADER
ymployers Divided as to Seri-
BUSINESS of Movement, and
Some Prefer General Shut
down to Compliance
with Demands.

with Demands.
rhere yyas a feeling of anxiety yester-
aav among the large contingent of men
vbo like a wide display Of shirtfront
,ben they we're warned of the starting
,f the first general strike of laundry
workers. ordered by Local Union 26i
of the International Laundry Workers
Y-nion which has been threatening
general strike for nearly two years.
According u some of the members OF
,he union. forty thousand laundry work
ers NAV he on strike to-day. Few work
ers are in the union. and there are two
smaller unions which may strike in sym
nathy. but the membership of all three
il small proportion of the laundry
workers in the city. Some of the en-
plcying laundry firms, however eX-
messed the opinion that the strike would
involve nearly every laundry to-day, but
others said hey were not worrying.
The demands of the strikers are ten
hour workday. double pay for overtime
an increase from five TO siX cents each
for ironing shirts. enc route less a day
for the drivers. who also demand Sl4
week for drivers Of one-horse wagons
and SIS a week for drivers of two-horse
wagons and 4 union agreement 1t was
reported that FIVE hundred of the drivers
were on strike.
Expects General Strike.
NJ. Langfelder. Of NJ. Langfelder e Son,
whose laundry. at No 312 East 92d
street. is involved in the strike, named
number of laundries affected by the
strike up 10 late hour yesterday after
noon. He also said several laundries
which catered to the trade Of the hotels
and restaurants were involved, which
would be a hardship for the walters. He
believed practically all the laundries
would be involved.
Owing TO the present state OF the
trade" he explained, "a great many or
the employers strongly favor general
shutdown rather than submit to the de-
mands You cannot raise the prices OF
laundry work 10 your customers, as you
would raise the price of suit of clothes
if II cost more than formerly to produce
They would not pay the necessary IN
crease if we granted the demands. and
80 grant the demands would mean that
we would stand the loss. We have only
q small margin of profit, any way, and
this would be sacrificing it all. My own
opinion would be in favor Of a shut
down"
At the Brunswick laundry a large
strike was predicted, TO which other
firms agreed. Just as large a number Of
the employers made light of the strike.
Among these was Frank Fallotico, pro-
prietor of the Liberty Steam Laundry,
No. 333 East 105th street. He said;
"The general demands were made on
me but the men did not quit to-day and
gave me until tomorrow. ] do not look
for much trouble and do not believe the
strike will be a large one. Some of the
shops were open to-day and doing busi-
ness. and some would have closed any
way"
Says Whole Trade Will Be Tied Up.
The headquarters Of the strikers are
at Doelge's Hall, 125th street and st.
Nicholas avenue. and the strike leader
is William Armour, president Of Local
126. which declared the strike. He be-
lieved the other unions would strike in
sympathy.
"All the trade will be tied up he said.
Each steam laundry controls from fifty
To one hundred and fifty hand laundries.
A change is needed badly in many Of
the laundries, independent of the ques-
ton Of wages and hours Of labor Sew
enty-fve per cent, at least, Of the work
ers are girls. and in some Of the fac
tories, where they start 10 work at ]
D. M. quitting at II p. m. they are not
allowed to sit while taking luncheon,
consisting Of coffee and sandwiches, but
have 10 stand while they eat it in a
hurry. We intend to complain TO the
Board of Health about this and other
matters. The demands do not cover all
the grievances. We have the laundries
affected by the strike picketed, but have
no trouble"
He thought there were about twelve
thousand workers out.
Following a visit from the unions s
committee, which refused all concessions
asked by the employing steam laundry
men of the city, the latter called meet .
Ing in Terrace Garden last night and
organized themselves under the name OF
The Employing Steam Laundrymcn's As
soctatiot.. with Max Langfelder as pres
ident AS tho result OF the fat refusal
Of the union 20 grant any compromise.
even denying the employers two weeks
time in which 10 adjust themselves to
new conditions, several OF the laundry
owners and proprietors viii shut down
their plants to-day for an indefinite
time.