Evening star., 1946-11-01
Hotel Strike
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ton of the practice which hereto
fore permitted hotels to discharge
employees on guest complaints with
out any right of review by the un-
ion. We are especially pleased that
the union was able to achieve COM
plete victory on its main objective
the establishment of $50 week
minimum wages"
Several Issues Compromised.
Speaking for management, Joseph
C.. McGarraghy commented, eve
are very well pleased. Indeed, we
are happy that the employees have
returned to their work We believe,
as result of the negotiations, the
hotels demonstrated to the union
that they were unable to meet the
demands of the union. We think,
on the whole, the settlement was a
fair disposition of the case and one
which should leave no one with i'll
feeling"
Spokesman for both sides readily
acknowledged that terms Of the
settlement, as approved with en-
thusiasm at a meeting of strikers in
Turner'S Arena late yesterday, rep
resented a compromise on several
highly controversial issues.
Chief features of the agreement,
which had been announced at the
White House before its submission
to the strikers meeting, were these:
Increase of 3 cents an hour in
wages of tip-receiving employees and
of 6 cents for those not receiving
tips, guarantee of $50 week mini
mum for a 48-hour week for nom
tipped employees; abolition OF the
split shift, liberalized vacations,
arbitration of discharges, further
consideration of group insurance by
management and a readjustment
of the distribution of gratuities for
serving banquets.
Estimates Average Increase.
Mr.. Levine estimated the $50 a
week minimum guarantee Will
amount to an average increase OF
71a cents an hour in the wages OF
approximately 1900 nontipped en-
ployes. including maids, telephone
and elevator operators, porters and
kitchen workers.
The wage agreement approved
compared with an original union de-
mand OF increases of Is and 10
cents, and the hotel offer OF S and
az cents.
Ratification of the strike-ending
agreement by union members late
Yesterday afternoon came as the
stirring climax to a day of many
DEVELOPMENTS in a deadlock which.
less than "a hours before, seemed
hopeless
The strike had dragged through
nearly three weeks. Repeated
attempts at settlement had col
lapsed. Not more than one-fourth
of the available transient rooms in
the struck hotels we're occupied. The
cost of the strike to the business life
OF Washington was estimated con
servatively" at 100000 to $780,
900. Striking hotel employees had lost
an estimated 100000 man-days OF
work. Transient room vacancies ag-
gregated more than $4,000.
Summoned to White House.
The break came when negotiating
committees and spokesmen for man
agement and workers were sum-
moned to the White House yeSter-
day to hear a proposal drafted by
John r. Steelman, reconverslon dl-
rector. Shortly after noon, White
House Secretary Charles G. Ross
announced Mr.. Steelman's proposal
had been accepted and would be sub
mitted for ratification to the work
ers' meeting, which already had
been called for 2 pm. at Turner's
Arena.
Three previous compromise pro-
posals had failed either to avert or
end the strike.
The first, proposed by Conciliator
Clyde Mills before the strike
started, would have provided wage
increases of 8 cents an houS for
nontipped employees and cents for
tipped workers.
The plan was accepted by the union
but rejected by management.
The second, suggested by Commis-
sioner Guy Mason after the Central
Labor Union asked District Commits
sioners to intervene in the strike,
proposed arbitration on the basis of
7 and 3 cent increases. The union
declined to agree to arbitration
which would be confined to the wage
issue.
The third proposal was offered by
the Cancellation Service and sug-
eested arbitration of all controver-
eial issues, including wages, split
shifts, discharges, vacations and in
su-ance. The plan was accepted by
the union. but declined by man