Arizona sun., 1946-11-22
Atterrl To
Get HeIpFor
Scab Hotel


for a scab job in "a Phoenix hotel
is a tough proposition. The men
trying to wreck Hotel e Restau-
rant Employees and Bartenders'
Union, Local No. 631, are using
every device known to man to staff
their scabby hostelry since all of
it's employees walked out because
the recent purchasers of the hotel,
who operate a hotel chain in Texas,
Oklahoma and Arkansas, refused
to sign the going union scale other
Phoenix hotels have signed.
There are rumors that workers
from out of the state are being
sent to Phoenix, who secure living
quarters temporarily, then appear
at the Westward Ho hotel in
search of employment. They hope
in this way to circumvent fed
eral law prohibiting transporting
strikebreakers across state lines.
In spite of all its attempts to
staff it's hotel, the place has only
a skeleton crew, and the owners
are desperate-they must be des-
prate-or they would never use the
methods reported last week. It is
apparent they are now using the
Maricopa county sheriff's office,
whether the sheriff knows it or
not, to get employees for the hotel.
And thereby hangs a tale:
The striking employees of the
Westward Ho-more than 200 of
thm-hold daily meetings. These
are more or less "pep" meetings,
to talk things over, make reports
and get instructions regarding
their activities on the picket line.
The meetings are held at differ
ent hours each day so that all the
workers can attend, as some are
constantly on the line. They are
coached carefully and get very
definite instructions to refrain
from any semblence of disorder.
This precaution may not be
necessary, but union officials are
taking no chances, because the
workers at the hotel are mostly
youngsters, boys and girls, mex
perienced in labor disputes, and
are more liable to resent the scabs
going in to take their jobs than are
the more experienced workers.
Maricopa county sheriff, plainly
seeking trouble, the pickets must
constantly be on their guard.
At the evening meeting Friday,
with more than hundred workers
present, word came in that a girl
had been placed in the county Jail
and sentenced to IS days unless
she went to work at the Westward
Ho. The report was not entirely
true, as investigation showed the
girl had been picked up out at the
fairgrounds by SPECIAL DEPUTY
LANE and held for investigation
on a vagrancy charge.
A collection was made at the hall
and few members went to the
Jail, where the girl was released
to them without payment of fine.
She came to the hall and said that
she was without funds, had been
seeking employment and that the
deputies had suggested to her that
she go to the Westward Ho hotel
and go to work. She told them she
preferred Jail to working at the
"Scab joint" and that she had then
been locked up.
She was given money, secured a
room and was placed on a job by
the Union Saturday afternoon. She
had been in the city for a week,
and had been unable to secure en-
ployment. She is now happy and
undoubtedly will make a militant
unionist. The girl was decently,
though not elaborately, dressed, she
had justifiable reasons for being
in Phoenix, and her unfortunate
introduction to our special depu-
ty" Law enforcement program at
the present. time may, in the long
run, prove fortunate for her.
The incident shows, however, the
swanky hotel is not particular as
to who it employees to serve its
guests. Migrants, who go to work
there at the Suggestion" of "spe-
cial deputies" to keep out of Jail,
are the only kind of people who
will work at this "beSt" Phoenix
hotel.