The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-04-10
HOUSEWIVES FORM
UNION TO SETTLE
SERVANT PROBLEM
Washington Women Organize to
Protect Mistress and
Maid.

A housewives union is the latest
activity of prominent women in Wash
ington, d. G., among whom are Mrs.
A. S. Bur1eson, wife of the postmaster
general; Mrs. Joshua Willis Alexander,
wife of the secretary of commerce, and
other cabinet members wives.
With contracts between mistress and
maid, pledges of loyalty between en-
ployer and employee and specified hours
"off" for the domestics, society women
and homekeepers of the capital are
seeking to solve the servant problem.
Through the Housekeepers' Alliance
the members hope for such success that
their organization may become national
in its scope.
Chief counse1ors and members of the
thew T. Scott, honorary president of
the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton; Mrs. Rose Gouverneur Hoes, a
writer, now president of the alliance,
and Mrs. Randolph Hopkins, formerly
of the Women's Employment Bureau
of the United States Department of
Labor.
The plan of the organizers is to make
the union mutually beneficial to mis-
tress and maid. Every member must
pledge herself to be loyal to her maid
and not to withhold good references
for petty reasons when passing her
servant on to her neighbor.
1t is the sentiment of the entire al
lance that maids should have shorter
hours. Some members have even gone
so far as to propose an eight-hour day,
but the majority hold this would be
impracticable; :,
"The employer and. employee should
IL. e I~s1
that the maid is to work and the even
ings she is to have of" Mrs. Burleson
said. 1.-THE mistress must keep good
faith in this matter"
The key to the whole plan lies in the
contract to be entered into when en-
ployment begins The housewife and
maid must agree as to whether two
weeks or a months notice is to be
given should either be dissatisfied with
the arrangement. In case the employer
discharges the maid without giving her
the specified notice, the. employer must
pay an entire months wages. If the
maid quits" without giving proper no.
tice, the other members of the union
will be informed of her action, so that
they will not give her employment.
A sliding scale of wages is to obtain
in the union, pay being based upon the
individual maid S efhc1enCy.
"The maid who has to be taught all
the little niceties of the household by
her mistress should not expect the
wages which would be paid a gradu-
ate of a domestic science school," Mrs.
Randolph Hopkins said, in discussing
this phase of the plan. Furthermore,
the housewives are not going to stand
for an inefficient maid who declares,
oh, don't do laundering or I cook
but don't wash Dishes They admit
that this is the age of individualism,
but insist that maid of all work
should live up to her job. It's a case
of playing the game as well as having
the name"
The women will work through a
model employment office where the rec
ords of all applicants for service will
be kept. The office will be supported
by the dues or fees of the members of
the Housekeepers' Alliance. For the
maid who proves herself worthy, there
will be bonus from her employer at
the end of years service and another
bonus or increase in pay after the sec
ond year.