The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-12
Code Cuts
ChiIds 81
Pay Again
47H Cents a Day for
Walters of Many
Years Experience
By a Food Worker Correspondent

By Food Worker Correspondent
NEW YORK.-No doubt you are
familiar with the permanent restau-
rant code which goes into effect
Monday. However, there may be a
few angles, as it applies to walters
and mattresses in the Childs Co.,
which you may not have had time
to familiarize themselves with.
Prior to 1880 we were paid 81
cents per hour, which after a series
of cuts was chiseled down to IL
cents an hour. That was the stu
alton up until the summer of 1888,
an all-time low, believe.
In Childs meal was never
charged against us. However, the
company started issuing food
checks some time in June, 1888, not
charging for food, just getting an
itemized check for food consumed.
No doubt, they had received in
formation that if they could show
they had been charging for food,
they would be at liberty to deduct
that from the % cents per hour
which went through with the tenn
porary code. Now, we do not ex-
pect to ever attain fair return in
wages for our efforts.
AT % cents an hour, with a de-
duction of SO a week for meals. it
left us around 81 per week. which
Just about paid to keep up the ap-
pearance the company demands.
How the New Wage Scale Works
This is an idea of how the new
wage scale of 1917 cents works out
for us. AS you know Is cents Zone
meaD is deducted for four hours or
less and so cents for five hours and
over.
BY keeping everyone on the job
5l4 hours (the one-half hour is eat
ing time, which, by the way, was
never charged against us) the sal
airy amounts to 9715 cents. Deduct
so cents for meals and we have the
magnificent sum of 471a cents. In
fact, as you can see, our net salary
for four hours is SO cents or So
cents more than for five and half
hours. 1t is quite obvious that no
one works four hours.
Prior to the introduction of the
temporary code in June, our wages
for five hours was SIS cents or TX
cents more than under the perrna-
nent code, and that SIS cents was
the bear market low
When the II cents per hour was
paid, every type of work was given
to walters and mattresses, naturally
putting someone out of job to
whom they would be compelled to
pay higher wage. I have no doubt
the same condition will obtain un-
der the new code.
Poor Food With a Smile
have spent many years in
Childs. A great majority of the
others have spent from five to 80
years. 1t only takes a minor slip
to be discharged. We are expected
to bear a large responsibility, be-
ing in contact with the patrons all
the time. We are trained with a
thousand rules to be super-sales-
men, and diplomatic, able to ap-
proach every type of customer in
the proper manner and apologize
with smile for poor food.
Many of our patrons, particularly
women, cannot afford to tip, yet
wish to eat in the atmosphere
Childs is supposed to afford. 1 DO
not pretend to know what a fair
compensation is, but 1 do think we
are entitled to some consideration
for being able to cater to all these
people successfully.
What do you think? I could write
book on the methods used to ex-
plot employees and guests.
Editors Note: The Daily
Worker will be glad to get more
information on conditions in
the work of organization and adj
vice in the struggle against such
conditions if the writer will send
in his name and address, and the
DAILY" is very careful in not
printing such information unless
the writer specifically requests 1t.