The sun., 1919-10-08
LAUNDRY WORKERS
REJECT PROPOSALS
Owners Refuse to Yield on
Closed Shop Issue and
Strike Spreads.
10000 OUT, LEADERS SAY
Brooklyn Unions Threaten to
Quit If 25 Per Cent. Increase
Is Not Granted.
10000 OUT, LEADERS SAY

The second day OF the laundry work.
ers' strike saw nearly all the laundries
closed. Terms Of agreement. as pro-
posed by the laundry owners, were
turned down by the Laundry Workers
Union.
The Laundry Owners Board of Trade,
representing the Fiat Iron Club. the
Rough Dry Lsundrymen,s Association,
Manhattan Clup. Wet Wash Association,
Towel Supply Association and the Linen
Supply Association, in making its pro-
posals yesterday agreed that It would
recognize the principle of collective bar
gaining.
Also II agreed that the employers
would not discriminate against union
men and women in employment and that
there should be no Interference on its
part or on the parts of It's constituent
members with the union and it's efforts
to unionize any non-union man in their
employ. Those workers who were en-
ployed at the time the strike was called
were to be retained.
1t was proposed to arbitrate the ques-
tion of wages and hours, and that wages,
when agreed on, should date as of Octo-
Der 6, 1919. All workers were to return
u work Immediately without discrimina-
tion II the agreement was acceptable to
the union.
The proposed agreement however.
was not acceptable to the union. IT was
read yesterday afternoon at a meeting
OF the strikers In the Harlem Casino,
116th street and Lenox avenue, and re-
Jected. The only reason for this action
seemed to be that 1t did not provide for
closed shop.
Vernon Smith, organizer for the Laun-
dry Workers Union, said yesterday he
felt sure that II the laundry owners
would insert a clause to the effect that
non-union help would be hired providing
| no union help was obtainable: and II
the non-union help did not join the union
in thirty days and there were union men
| or women out of work the union work
| ers would get the jobs, the proposals
would be accepted.
C. II. Van Doren, president of the
| New York Laundry Owners Board of
Trade, said yesterday at the Hotel
| Pennsylvania that he would recognize
/ the union, that be had done so in ne
/ gotiating with representatives and that
| lie would arbitrate everything except the
closed shop proposition. For the good
of the trade" he said. I'VE r,aet maintain
the open shop"
Strike officials estimated that $4,000
| employees were out on strike yesterday
and that by to-day the number would be
increased.
Felix seidin, antofficer of Lodge No.
POS. at 143 East 103d street and one
of the leaders in the strike. gave out
| the salary demands of the strikers.
| Collectors ask an increase from SEQ to
| $40 a week; assistant collectors, s35
! first class washers, $50. instead Of $40
expert shirt ironers, $40, instead of $25
assorted workers, those who do check
ing. asserting and assembling. want an
increase from s25 to s45; starchers
from s14 to s25. and unskilled labor
SIS. The latter's pax now is from ss
to $14. fffeE
Brooklyn laundry workers have de-
cided to follow the lead of their Nam
haitian fellow workmen. 1t is expected
that IL their demands for a % per cent
wage increase and A hour week are
not complied with more than IL, ,OOC
laundry employees will strike the latter
part Of thio week