Evening star., 1941-09-30
Hotel Conferees Seek
To Avert WaIkout
Set for Tomorrow
Strike Put OFF "a Hours
As Union-Monogement
0roup Meets Again

A conference between managers OF
hotels and representatives of the
unions which have voted a strike
against them was called at IL o'clock
this morning as the Labor Depart
ment Cancellation Service tried des-
perately to avert possible Gripping
OF the crowded Capitals hotels.
AT the request of Frank j. Shee-
han, department conciliator, the
Hotel and Restaurant Employees, A.
r. Of L., have postponed for "a hours
the strike scheduled to have been
called this morning.
Mr.. Sheehan called the conference
this morning at the Shoreham Hotel
between opposing sides in the hope
that some basis of negotiation can
be found before the estimated 5000
workers in 16 leading hotels leave
their posts.
The principal issues involved are
demands for wage increases and a
closed shop The hotels have
offered fiat 10 per cent raise to all
workers, but the union is insisting
on a varied scale of increases in
different classifications, some of
which are in excess of that figure.
The present modified union shop
clause in the contract between the
hotels and the alliance has been
termed unsatisfactory" by the
union.
Vote SO Per Cent for Strike.
Members of the union voted 80
per cent for a strike if their de-
mands were not met, it was an
nounced last night by Henry Kaiser,
attorney for the group.
They were scheduled to walk out
tonight. when the contract expires,
but Mr.. Sheehan persuaded union
leaders TO delay the strike until a
final effort at adjustment could be
made.
Mr.. Kaiser, upholding the union
viewpoint. said that increased busi-
ness in the hotels had placed an
extra burden of work on union men,
bers. while giving the hotels extra
profits The fiat 10 per cent increase
offered by the hotels is not fair to
workers in many classifications, he
said, because there are some who
deserve more money.
Joseph McGarraghy, hotel at
torney, said that the management
felt the 10 per cent increase was fair.
He said that it was hoped that a
strike could be averted. but that if
the workers walked out the hotels
would do the best they could.
THE hotels managed to operate
during the strike in 1889 and feel
certain they will also operate now
If a strike is called" Mr.. Nc
Garraghy commented.
Statement by McGarraghy.
The position of the hotel man
sgements was set forth further in
a formal statement issued by Mr.
McGarraghy just before he entered
the conference at the Shoreham Ho-
tel. The statement said:
The real issue in the present con-
troversy is that of the closed shop
and checkoff. Early in our negotia-
tions with the union representatives
they stated frankly that the closed
shop and checkoff were their first
demands, and they believed that be-
cause of the existing emergency
conditions in Washington they had
the strength to enforce their de-
mands at this time.
The wage dispute which they en-
phasiZe in their newspaper releases
Is purely a smoke-screen to cover
up their real demand, which they
know would not have public sup
port. They also know that our offer
of a 10 per cent increase to all en-
ployes is fair, but because of their
unwillingness to admit that the real
issue in the threatened strike Is
that of the closed shop. they pretend
that the issue is that of wage ad-
iustments.
The hotels took the position in
1899 that they would not sign a con-
tract which required them to dis
charge an employe who failed to
pay his union dues. The only
change which has occurred since
1899 is the present national defense
program, and We deny that the
union has a moral or patriotic right
to use the war emergency for the
purpose Of enforcing a demand
which 1t was unable to enforce even
by strike when it did not have a
war emergency to assist it"
The Alliance, which represents the
workers in the bargaining, is COM
posed of unions including members
from all classifications in hotel
work-bartenders. doormen, eleva-
tor operators, bellhops, maids, wait
resses, etc.
The union, in answer to inquiries
made by O. P. M. and the British
Purchasing Commission, which have
Offices in downtown hotels, has
agreed to arrange for defense
workers in these establishments tc
have elevator service.
The hotels involved include the