The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-27
Exploitation
at the Hotel
Commodore
sTArEMENT no THE pREss


I'VE, a group OF workers in the
W Commodore Hotel in New York
City, can no longer stand the rot
ten conditions in silence, There
fore, We want to voice our griev-
ances through the press, and to
begin organizing the workers
against these miserable conditions.
On Jan. 81, 1888, a memorandum
was sent to every department head.
This memorandum read, From G.
M. Burrell: There will be no over
time paid for extra work. DEPART
nent heads must arrange the COM
pletion of the necessary work to
be done with their present staff.
ut is also imperative that the
payroll in point Of numbers of en-
ployees be kept down comparable
to the House Count-this to par
ticularly apply TO Saturday and
Sunday. Therefore, as many en-
ployees as possible should be put
on q five-day week basis and only
paid for actual days they work"
IN the dining room departments
the five-day week is carried out
as follows: Every worker gets one
full day off. The second day off is
given in half days, or rather in
fractions OF days. The worker
comes in to work early in the
morning, works 8 hours straight.
Then he is given d couple of hours
OFF in the evening shift. And with
this few hours off (after an 8-hour
working day., he is deducted a half
days wages. In this place, s hours
is considered s. half days work!
SHARE THE WORK"
EXPLOITATION
For the workers in the dining
room and room service depart
ments, the working hours consist of
three shifts. breakfast, lunch and
dinner. The management tells the
employed workers to help the I'M
employed, that we must share" to
bring back prosperity, etc. The
workers have to work two shifts in
one department, then transferred
into another department where
they finish the day without being
paid for one shift.
This is hypocrisy, mockery, and
exploitation in the name OF the un-
employed. This is the instruction
that "tllere will be no overtime
paid for extra work"
In q recent meeting OF the de-
partment heads, Assistant Man
ager Burrell gave the following
lecture: You have too many old
ms III your departments. There
will be no alibi. You have to have
entirely different men and atmos-
phere in your departments"
CONDEMN OLDER
MEN TO STARVATION
This means that the older men
will be out of their jobs, facing
starvation, and the management
will employ young men who can
speed up on the job. Naturally,
more lay offs will take place. We
are not against the young men
working but we are against con-
demning the older men to starva-
ton and death.
IN Jan. n, 1888, the Old Guard
" of the city of New York had a
supper and ball. The management
did not hire extra help, but they
transferred those who were about
finished working for the day from
other departments, and compelled
them to work at the supper and
ball. These workers stayed on the
Job for 1879 hours out of the "a
that day. They finished at $3.50
am. and were told that they must
report to work again at 1870 am.
the same morning.
And the management, together
with the department heads, have
the audacity to speak about help
ing the unemployed. They are u.s.
ing the unemployed to speed us up
on the job
We are supposed to get meals
from the house. The meals are not
fit for any living being A few days
ago they served us with stewed
chicken to be served to the guests,
but it was too rotten for the guests.
So the management cut it into
small pieces mixed with onions
and stewed vegetables, and served
it to us. Some Of us did not eat
it. Others who did, became sick.
These are some of the miserable
conditions existing in one of the
most famous hotels i'll this city.
A Group of Workers of the
Commodore.
Editors NOte.--This group of
workers should get in touch with
the Hotel and Restaurant Work
erS Section of the Food Workers
Industrial Union, at 4 w. 18th
ST., where they can obtain assist
ance in organizing against these
conditions.