Evening star., 1944-10-01
Strike Deferred
By Employees
OF 1S Hotels
Threat Is Averted
Just Before Lubor
Contract Expires

A threatened strike by cooks,
walters, chambermaids and other
service employees In 18 Of Washing
tons leading hotels was deferred
last night just before expiration Of
their contract at midnight. Union
leaders advised employees to continue
at work pending Government medi-
alton.
A telegram from the War Labor
Board reminding union leaders that
a strike would be 'in violation Of
their pledge to the President" was
read at three meetings and strike
vote taken.
Wording of the strike authoriza-
ton as submitted to the union mem
bers was Are you in favor of a
strike If negotiations fail?"
Strike Believed Favored.
Ballots had not been tabulated
at an early hour this morning, but
Cheers and applause Of strike state
ments at the meeting indicated that
the strike authorization was voted
by a large majority.
The WLB telegram was from
Phillips Garman, assistant director
OF the disputes division. It read:
The Secretary Of Labor and the
United States Cancellation Service
have today certified to the National
War Labor Board dispute inyoly-
ing the District Hotel Association
and Bartenders' Union rs, Hotel
service Workers Local 80, Walters
and Mattresses Union 7sl and
Cooks Union No. 200, AFL.
The National War Labor Board
has been informed that some of
these local unions are considering .
work stoppage at midnight tonight
IN violation of their pledge to the
President and the national policy
that there shall be no work stop
pages for the duration of the war
The War Labor Board directs yo,,
as leader of your union to exert
every effort to continue the hotel and
restaurant service in the Nations
capital and to instruct your mem
bers to follow the peaceful pro-
cedures set up by your Government
for the adjustment of labor disputes
in war time"
Speaker after speaker at the meet
mgs, which were open to the press
advised the workers not to walk out
until the last step of Government
mediation had been completed.
No Agreement Reached.
There has been no agreement. /"
Harold Barclay. business agent Of
the service employees local (cham-
bermaids, housemen and others)
told 800 Of his members at a meet
Ing IN the. building lahorers' head
quarters at 523 New Jersey avenue
NV.
I'VE haven't even begun to talk
money yet" he continued. The
unions are asking for minimum nav
OF so cents an hour for nontipped
employees and the same minimum
- base pay for walters and bell
hops. This would give them $24 a
week for the 4S-hour week. Present
minimum scales range from $3.50
for Kitchen help to $2352 for house,
men.
One OF the main points at issue
is the sole right clause he said
The unions, he explained later, want
to modify the clause in the expired
contract which gives the manage
ment the sole right" to hire and
f1re, and to have dismissals for
cause referred to arbitration when
the cause appears insufficient to the
union.
Agree to Remain on Jobs.
AT late hour last night, Sol Karp.
president of the walters, union and
executive director of the Joint board
which contracts for $500 workers
with the 18 hotels, telephoned this
statement to the press:
THE Local Joint Executive Board
accedes to the wishes of the War
Labor Board in its request that
there be no stoppage of work in the
present hotel controversy. This ac-
ton. in. temporarily .deferring a
work stoppage ordered by an over
whelming vote of the members of
the union, is taken with the hope
that speedy consideration will be
forthcoming from the board in
settling the disputes in issue"
The hotels involved are the AM
bassador, Annapolis, Carlton, New
Colonial, Continental, Hay-Adams,
Harrington, Houston, Lafayette, Lee
Sheraton, Martinique, Mayflower,
Raleigh, Roger Smith, Shoreham,
Washington, Willard and Statler.
The War Labor Board has sched-
uled a hearing Of the dispute over
wages between the Chesapeake 81
Potomac Telephone Co. and the
Washington Telephone Traffic Union
for 10 am. Thursday before a panel
composed of public, industry and
labor members of the board in the
Labor Department Building.
The dispute caused some inter-
ruption of service in Alexandria and
Locust when a number of operators
left their posts to attend meeting