Evening star., 1947-01-07
u. 5. Cafeteriias
Hit by Strike Of
200 Workers
Federal Employees
Will Get PiecemeoI
Sandwich Lunches
HOT DOGS are chief item on U. s.
cafeteria lunch menus. Page B-i

caleteTla lunch menus. rage B-l
A long-threatened strike Of
Government cafeteria workers
began today, inconveniencing
1913, 900 Federal workers who eat
in the SO dining rooms operated
by Government Services, Inc.
With 1900 workers needing the
waikout call, supervisory employees
attempted to serve hot lunches at
all cafeterias, but after today their
patrons were faced with the pros
pect of coffee, sandwiches, milk and
ice cream as replacements for regu-
lar lunches.
Almost every large Government
Department and agency was af-
fected.
Some of the larger cafeterias in
volved were the Commerce, Interior,
Justice, Labor, Navy, Treasury,
Postofice and War Departments.
and the Armory, Civil Service, Gen.
eraI Accounting Office, Internal
Revenue and Supreme Court.
SHdCk ndIS operating.
GSI's IS snack bars, which serve
IS 600 persons daily with sandwiches
and soft drinks. were not involved.
Neither were the Pentagon and
Agriculture Department cafeterias,
which are negotiating separate con-
tracts, and will continue to operate
as usual
Turned down in their request for
extension of the 1916 contract dur
ing negotiations for new one, Of
f1cials of United Restaurant and
Cafeteria Workers Local All (CIO)
branded Government Services &C.
Etion a lockout"
GSI~ rejected the contract exten-
sion demand shortly before mid.
night. Immediately union officials
began notifying members to remain
away from work today. Those who
did not hear the news, we're told by
shop committees at the various cafe
terias this morning.
Union Demand Cited.
At the outset of negotiations, the
union demanded an increase of 20
cents an hour and GSI countered
with an offer of scent increase.
GSI ultimately raised this to 8 cents,
but the union rejected the offer,
saying that none of their fringe"
demands - sick leave provisions,
vacations-had been met.
Although both sides had been pre-
pairing for strike as the deadlock
tightened, the hour Of the decision
caught them by surprise. GSI had
worked out q plan to keep most of
its larger dining rooms in operation
with supervisory help, but found 1t
difficult to advise the supervisors
Immediately
Most of the cafeterias opened on
schedule, however. Some served
breakfasts, including the Interior
Department, Navy Department, the
Armory and Census Bureau at
Suitland.
700 Operating Cafes.
About TOO persons including man.
ayers, supervisors, cashiers, check
ers and Office workers, were detailed
to keep the cafeterias operating as
efficiently as possible.
Tomorrow GSI will operate only
"a of the cafeterias, serving pack
aged foods and milk. It will en-
deavor to continue. serving three
meals daily at Arlington Farms and
two at Langston Terrace cafeterias,
but the others will serve luncheons
only.
Among the places scheduled to
remain open are Navy Department.
Arlington Federal, B Building at
Second and T streets S.W, Com
merce Department, interior DEPART
ment, Munitions at Nineteenth
street and Constitution avenue NV,
Social Security, Suitland, TT at
Gravelly Point, Justice Department,
Loans and Currency, Internal Rev.
enue, War Department. x Building
at Nineteenth and East Capitol
streets, Home Owners Loan Corp,
Procurement, @ Building at Twenty
fifth street and d streets NV,
Health Institute, Bethesda, SO M
street NV. cafeteria, T-6 Building
in Mclean Gardens and General
Accounting Office.
Some Government workers who
learned of the strike before leaving
home, took lunches with them. Gov
ernment Services said all dining
rooms would remain open during the
strike whether food was being served