Evening star., 1945-06-06
Staffs in 70 Hotels
Here Win 5-CenfR Raise
Under WLB Decision
50-Cent Hourly Minimum
And Arbitration Set Up
For 4, 500 Employees

Inc war LABOR bOarQ LOQay
ordered a wage increase of 5
cents an hour for about 4,500
employees of 20 Washington ho-
tells and established a minimum
hourly rate of so cents, including
meal allowance, for those work.
ers not receiving tips.
Board action was designed to
settle a dispute over a new work
agreement which had existed since
early last fall. At one time the
employees. represented by the AFL
Hotel and Restaurant Employees and
Bartenders' International League,
threatened a work stoppage.
The hotels and the union had
reached agreement previously on
most of the wage issues. but some
union demands such as arbitration
Of discharges and distribution Of
banquet tips among employees still
were in dispute until the boards de-
cision.
Order Retroactive.
WLB made the wage increases re-
troactive to October /. expiration
date of the old contracs. 1t was
estimat ted that the retroactive pay
amounts to more than $250,000.
All employees OF the 20 hotels will
receive the scent wage hike, in
cluding those in position to bene-
At from tipping. The minimum ap-
plies only to the nontipped en-
ployes. All below the minimum will
be raised automatically to so cents,
while 2 cents an hour will be de-
Quoted from pay for each meal sup
piled by the hotel.
The hotels covered by the boards
decision are the Ambassador, An
napolis, Carlton, Continental, Har-
rington, Hays-Adams, Lafayette,
Martinique, Mayflower, New Colo
nial, Raleigh, Roger Smith, Shera-
ton, Shoreham, Statler, Wardman
Park, Washington and Willard. The
terms Of the boards order were ex-
tended to the Hamilton and Hous-
ton Hotels upon the joint request
of the hotels and the union.
Arbitration Compromise.
The hotels have more than 10 per
cent of all the hotel guest rooms in
the District.
The board ordered a compromise
on the highly controversial question
of arbitration of discharges, de-
manded by the union, which led to
the near-strike last fall.
Hotels were given the sole right
to discharge employees on guests
complaints. A discharge, after a
probationary period of six weeks
upon any grounds other than a
guest complaint, may be treated as
grievance and is subject to arbi-
tration.
WLB gave walters at banquets
the right to pass tip plate unless
a gratuity of 10 per cent of the
cost of the meal is guaranteed by
the booking party. In the latter case
the full amount of the tip shall be
sent to the union for distribution
among its members serving the
party.
Vacation Provided.
Spokesman for the hotel ex-
pressed dissatisfaction at the board S
decision on banquet tipping, point
ing out that it cuts in only walters,
busboys and employees directly serv-
ing a party and prevents a split
with the maitre d'hotel, chef and
others who in the past have shared
the gratuity.
Approval was given proposal
providing for one-half days vaca-
ton per month for all employees
and an additional one-half day per
month for employees with five years
service.
A 30-cent daily bonus now re-
ceived by cooks on split shifts was
extended to all kitchen employees. A
union request that split shifts be
replaced with a provision that eight
hours worked be within a period
of nine hours was denied.
I. B. Padway, counsel for the
union, hailed the boards settlement
as a very, very fine decision. j"
Hotel spokesmen were critical of
the rulings on arbitration of dis
charges, and application of the s.
cent wage increase to employees who
receive tips, as well as the distribu-
fioy, of ho y,r,iof fiHr