Evening star., 1939-03-10
PeaceHopeHe|d
AtHote| Strike
Farley Recess
ConciIiotor Hopeful;
Parties Agree to
Return at Any Time

Return at Any lime
Hope that Washington's hotel
strike would be settled soon was
expressed by L. r. Steelman, direc-
tor of conciliation, United States
Labor Department., this afternoon
after a mediation conference with
Representatives of management and
labor.
Mr.. Steelman, who presided dur
ing a tWo-hour conference between
the hotel men and their striking
employees, said definite progress"
toward settlement of the strike had
been made during the morning.
Both sides submitted proposals
and counter proposals before the
conference recessed at 1890 pm.
The Labor Department, Mr.. Steel
man said, will attempt to find a
basis on which the. strike can be
settled. The strikers and hotel op-
orators agreed to return for further
negotiations at ANY hour of the day
or night"
Attending the meeting were 13
persons, representing the operators
of the 13 picketed hotels, the Hotel
and Restaurant Employees Interna-
tional Alliance and Bartenders'
League, A. F. of L., which called an
estimated 1000 of their members
out at dawn Wednesday, and rep
resentatives of the Labor Depart
ment's conciliation service.
Statement Is Issued.
The negotiators, summoned to the
Labor Department by Mr.. Steelman,
convened shortly after 10 am. After
two hours, Mr. Steelnan and the
hotel operators representatives
came out of the conference room.
They went into another office for
a brief conclave, while the union
representatives remained behind
with the other Labor Department
conciliators A short time later, the
meeting was recessed and Mr.. Steel
man issued statement. 1t said
81 feel we've made definite prog
ress this morning Both sides have
given us a clear picture of their re-
spective requests and their reasons
therefore. I am working on the as
sumption that they are all engaged
in the same industry, the efficient
operation of hotels. We have all
agreed together to seek honestly
for a solution of the common prob
lem.
''The union recognizes that 1t is
the business of the operators to run
the hotels. The operators repre-
sentatives agree that the union has
fundamental rights of existence and
growth.
To Return at Any Time.
1--WE have discussed in some de-
tail the rights and responsibilities
each party has to the other-all in
a friendly spirit.
In the beginning I suggested
there would be only one session to
these meetings. We will adjourn
when solution has been found. When
the meeting recessed at 1890 today,
both parties agreed to return for
joint conferences at any hour of the
day or night when I call them.
"In the meantime, we plan to
work between the two parties, giving
first attention to finding sufficient
agreement in order that the strike
may be called off. If we find this
possible, we can continue negotia-
tions on details later.
I'm the interest of the public our
lncirn ic fo find yNoirf q
which the union will feel justified
in calling off the strike, but we
have assured both the parties we
will stick with them until the en-
tire misunderstanding has been
healed This is very difficult task,
but with the attitude of the two
parties as we have found it this
morning and with the extreme need
on the part of both for an amicable
solution, I feel hopeful"
Desires of Each Group.
The exact nature of the proposals
and encounter proposals advanced
by the two sides during the meet
ing could not be learned. However,
the following were the desires of
each group which precipitated the
strike:
The union has demanded union
shop, under which all new employees
hired by the hotels would be men,
bers of the labor organization and
all non-union workers now employed
would be required to join. In addi-
ton, the union has asked the right
to review any dismissals made by
the management.
The hotels have refused to grant
the union shop" offering instead a
preferential shop" whereby union
men would be hired whenever pos
sible. Under this plan, the hotels
would have the right to hire nom
union workers and the non-union
members now employed would not
be required to join.
1t was these two positions that Mr.
Steelman, assisted by Howard T
Colvin and John L. Conner. COM
missioners of conciliation, sought to
reconcile.
Representing the hotel manage
ment were Joseph McGarraghy
lawyer; Thomas Carson, president
OF Washington Properties-whict
includes the Carlton and Wardmar
Park hotels, and Gardner Moore
managing director of the Shoreham
The following are the union repre-.
(See STRIKE, Page A-30