Evening star., 1937-08-15
A.E.L. CAFE DRIVE
AFFECTS 100000
Nearly 10000 New York
Eating Places Involved
In Unions Efforts.
b the AasoeiatAd Press,

ey the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. August l4,-An esti-
mated 3,50oooo persons who "eat out
every day in New York find themselves
personally concerned with the cur
rent effort to unioniSe the catering
industry.
The drive inaugurated by II Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor unions, united
under the banner Of the Hotel. Restau-
rant and Cafeteria Employees Organ
tzation Committee, was spotlighted
this week by the Horn b Hardart
strike
Many thousands Of visitors who are
entertained by the nickel-in-a-slot
devices Of the automats, as we'll as
New Workers who eat in them reg
ularly. were confronted by picket lines
which on several occasions became so
dense that traf1ic was impeded and
arrests resulted.
Plcketing has ceased to be a novelty
on the sidewalks of New York, but if
the Catering Employees Organizing
Committee should call simultaneous
strikes in all the esta blishments it
hopes to organize, sections of mid
town Manhattan would have unbroken
picket lines running for blocks and
few sections Of the greater city would
be without quota Of marchers.
$4,000 Restaurants.
A rough estimate by the city health
department, which issues licenses to
all establishments serving food in the
city, placed their number at approx
mately 10000 OF which some 1000
are in Manhattan alone.
J. j. Rubin, general director Of the
unions organizing committee, con-
sidered this estimate low. The unions,
with some 10000 members now, ac-
cording to Rubin's count, estimate
that there are 100000 unorganized
workers in the field they seek to cover
Walters and mattresses, chefs and
cooks, bartenders, soda and fruit juice
dispensers, hotel, restaurant, cafe.
terra and delicatessen employees and
counter men and dining car employe,
are all included in the union group
formed to embrace the entire indus
try.
Paul Henkel, former president and
now treasurer Of the Society Of Res
tauranteurs, estimated there are TO-.
600 "a ting places in the city doing q
daily business Of $1,000 900, and thai
at least $3.50, 900, 900 is invested in the
industry.
Strike by Accident"
Food serving generally is recognized
as one Of New York's major indus
tries Not only are city folk notori.
ously fond OF dining out, but the pros
peet OF trying out the countless variety
Of eating places with their special
types OF cooking is an attraction fol
visitors.
When two New Workers get to-
eether a favorite topic Of converse
ton is the latest gustatory discov-
cries OF each and not infrequent is
the boast Of one who has dined out
every night for a year without visiting
the same place twice.
The Horn IL Hardart automats
which did a $4,000 900 business last
year, have particularly been favored
by those on their first visit to New
York
Rubin said that the automats hak
not been picked purposely As the firs
major objective, but that the strike
was an undesired incident IN the cam
paim.
Negotiations had been under way
with several Of the larger restaurant
chains. he said. The Horn & Hardart
case was the first to come before the
newly formed State Mediation Board
and was seized upon as a means OF
testing the usefulness Of the State
agency In promoting industrial peace