Evening star., 1939-03-08
Strikers Picket
13leading
D. {. Hotels
Union Claims 1000
Workers Are Out:
Negotiations End

13 leading Washington Hotels at
dawn today as unions affiliated with
the Hotel and Restaurant Employees
Alliance went out on strike demand
ing union shop and other benefits.
Both the union and the manage
ment stood firm as the day wore on.
Neither made any move toward con.
ciliation and the Labor Department
moved in cautiously in an effort to
determine if its officials could settle
the strike.
Hotels claimed that they were
operating las usual" with skeleton
or substitute stats. Union repre-
sentatives said the strike was 100
per cent effective"
The strike-involving the biggest
demonstration of chain picketing
ever seen here-came as representa-
tives of the hotels and the union
broke off negotiations for contract
renewals, which had been going on
since last week.
Union representatives said 1000
workers were out. Service was
slowed down, If not stopped entirely.
in many of the affected hotels, they
claimed. Those who went on strike
included walters, cooks and other
kitchen help, workers in the service
departments, bell boys, elevator op-
orators, chamber maids, bartenders
and others.
The following hotels were affected:
The Willard, Mayflower, Shoreham,
Wardman Park. Harrington, Raleigh,
Carlton, Lee House, New Colonial,
Continental and Lafayette Workers
at the Ambassador and the Roger
Smith Powhattan Hotel struck last
week over the same issue. The union
belongs to the A. F. L.
Downtown Hotels Hit.
Downtown hotels apparently were
hardest hit. Employees from all parts
of the service walked out at the
Willard and Raleigh. Service in the
main dining rooms of both hotels
was suspended at breakfast, al
though coffee shops at both places
operated.
All hotels announced that they
would operate as usual with sub
stitute help. Requirements were
being made all through the morn
ing.
Manager Frank Swadley OF the
Carlton Hotel said that about 10 of
his workers had gone out, but that
he was continuing service as usual.
The Continental Hotel claimed that
only Is Of their 100 workers had
struck.
Apparently there was no possi-
bility that any other large hotels
would be affected by the strike i'm
mediately. The Hamilton Hotel
signed closed shop agreement with
the union last month.
Negotiations are being carried on
at present with the Washington
Hotel. the Annapolis Hotel and the
Hay-Adams House. They are not
being picketed. Mr.. Levine said the
hotels had indicated they would
sign satisfactory contracts.
Rotary Meeting Handicapped.
The usually smooth-running Ro-
tary Club luncheon at the Willard
Hotel was thrown into confusion by
the guests having to collect their
| own meals.
Instead of having the luncheon
in the main ballroom, it was held
in a small dining room on the first
floor. The ITO guests waited patiently
in line to proceed past a counter
where the head waiter and about
eight assistants dished out their
luncheon.
The Rev. Charles Warner of st.
Adams Parish, who presided, IN
formed the Rotarians they would
have to 'go back for the next
course" after they got their. soup.
He and Herbert L. Dunn, director
of birth and death certificates in
the Census Bureau and speaker of
the luncheon, were more fortunate.
Other guests acted as walters for
them.
The attitude of the guests was
Jovial with few murmuring, Il hope
the food holds out"
The menu included soup, scrambled
eggs, bacon and coffee
At the luncheon of the Adver-
tising Club, held in the Queen Eliz-
abeth room of the Raleigh Hotel at
1890, there was a noticeable short
age Of napkins, which caused some
(See STRIKE, Page A-3)