The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-04
Drive to Cut Paw
At Park Central
BY a Food Worker Correspondent

BY 3 Food Worker Correspondent
NEW YORK. - Twelve months
have passed since the general hotel
and restaurant strike. During that
time, the management Of the Park
Central Hotel, 57th Street and 7th
Avenue, has mustered up enough
courage to once more begin an at
tack upon the living standards of
the walters, cooks and dishwashers
employed there.
No doubt, many working there at
present still remember the improve
ment in conditions getting twenty
dollars month, better food. etc.
whereas before no wages at all were
received that was due only to the
action takon by the workers them
selves under the leadership of the
Food Workers Industrial Union.
AT the same time the experience
OF many of the workers during the
general strike have been OF a rather
N%4oUHkOAAAOllA6 IldUuTG.
A great many things, however
nave happened since last year. First
OF all, the workers convinced of the
misleadership of the Fields and
CaldeS type, have removed them. A
bitter struggle to at least maintain
the remnants of their organization
was waged by the workers. and
crowned with such success that now
after twelve months we can once
more claim that not only did we
revive the union but that 1t is well
advanced toward becoming q real
mass union ON an entirely different
OASIS, controlled by the workers
themselves.
1t is therefore clear that If there
ever was hope for a successful
struggle against the wage cutting
drive OF the bosses, 1t is right now
Only last month our wages were
reduced from thirty to twenty dol
lars a month. This was only a test
case to see how we would take It
We were IN no position to object
just because we had no orgsniza-
ton. The bosses became well aware
OF this, Immediately taking advan.
tage OF it, and pressed us to buy
new uniforms for which we Will
nave to pay. These will cost lK
f1ve dollars and can also be con-
sldered as a wage cut, especially
since our new headwaiter has seer
Mt to fire one waiter after the other
for no reason at all.
Inc conditions of the room wait
ers are even more deplorable. The
watches are so divided that wher
one happens to have the long watch
which begins at 6:45 am. until IL &c
am, is broken, and then continue.
from $50 pm. until 2:3O am, {
total Of over thirteen hours, one |,
hardly able to crawl home. The
food Is eaten because there ISM
anything else, but we all know thai
an improvement is necessary.
This is all the result Of the non.
existence Of an organization amone
the workers. In order to protec
ourselves from further misery, it i
absolutely necessary that we oncs
more begin to think seriously abou
how to combat the steps which tn,
management is now taking agains
us. To do this effectively it woult
be we'll to Immediately set up com
mittees in the various department.
backed up by the rest of the work
ers.
We should especially begin t,
consider the necessity and advan
tages of joining the Food Worker
Industrial Union, Local 119, unde
whose leadership we achieved sue
cess last year, and whose influence
has greatly extended since then
Only then will we be sure of secur
ity on the job and Of a decent livinI
standard,