Evening star., 1938-04-02
.$14.9 AND $17 PAY
SCALES SET FOR
LAUNDRY WORKERS
Wage Board Decision Is
| Effective on Employers
| Next July |.
HIGHER RATE APPLIES
TO OFFICE EMPLOYEES
Overtime Wages Established at
35 and 40 Cents an Hour
by Ruling.

An increase in pay for a consider
able number of the women employees
of laundries, dry cleaning and dyeing
plants is expected to result from basic
wage scales fixed for them by the
District Minimum Wage Board.
BY unanimous agreement, the board
ruled last night that the wages of
plant workers shall be no less than
Sl4.50 week and that the scale for
office workers and other clerks shall
be no less than SIT a week. The
scales will become mandatory July !.
Laundry officials today said it is too
early to say what effect the wage in
crease would have on laundry prices
Spokesmen for companies operating
about so laundries pointed out that
they have several months in which to
make the necessary adjustments before
the wage increase becomes mandatory.
They indicated, in one instance, how
ever, that the Wage Board action had
not been unexpected
According to survey Of about l,7OO
laundry workers, made a year ago by
the Women's Bureau of the Labor
Department, the average wage paid
then was $1,000 a week.
The scales adopted by the board
were recommended by the Laundry
Dry Cleaning Conference. headed by
Clarence Phelps Dodge, former presi-
dent OF the Community Chest, which
reached decision after five hours of
debate late yesterday.
44-Hour Week.
The Sl450 weekly minimum rate.
which will be applied to about 4,5OO
women plant workers, Is for a stand
ard work week of A hours. It also
is to cover the services of women
who work from II to "A hours a week
II employees work longer than "A
hours they are to be paid 35 cents
an hour for the extra hours. Under
the law, women are not permitted
to be worked longer than 48 hours a
week. However, because it found
there are recurring peak loads for
laundries, the board ruled that the
44-hour standard week may be aver
aged over two consecutive weeks, In
other words, over a period of two con-
secutlVe weeks, the 35 cent an hour
rate would apply only to hours of
work above total of 88 hours.
For plant employees Who work less
than II hours week, the board pre-
Scrloed rate of 40 cents an hour.
The board granted the Office workers
and clerks basic rate 50 so a week
higher than for plant workers on the
ground that since these employees must
meet customers their budget require
ments for clothing sud sundries would
be greater. The SIT weekly rate
applies to those employed from 40 to
40 hours week. Part-tIme workers
are to be pe!d no less than 40 cents
an hour.
Learner Scale Established.
For the Office worker or clerk class
the board set sl4 so for learners, lim-
ltlng the learners period to go days.
after which they are to be paid the
SIT rate, All learners must obtain
licenses from the Minimum WAGE
Board.
The original District Minimum
Wage Board, about Is years ago, set
a fiat rate of SIS a week as the basic
pay for laundry workers.
Inc present board now has estab-
hshed minimums for three classes of
women workers. Previously. it had set
minimum of SIT a week for retail
trade clerks and scales ranging from
Sl3.25 to SIT week for the several
classes OF workers in hotels, restau-
rants and boarding houses.
Mrs. William Kittle. chairman of
the Minimum Wage Board, said it
should be remembered that large GUAM
titles OF laundry now are sent out Of
Washington. to cities and towns in
Maryland, Virginia, New JERSEY and
pennsylvania, and that discovery"
OF TINS fact at later date should not
De blamed on the wage scale.
Employers on the conference had
voiced fears that the establishment Of
a high minimum rate might cause
great increase in the competition OF
out-of-toWn firms. However, mem
bers of the conference were agreed
the District firms could meet the
wage scales adnpted