Evening star., 1948-01-06
.'Back-to-Work'
Move Disputed
In GS| Strike
Service Continues
Sharply CurtoiIed
In 40 Cufeterius

Amid disputed claims of q
back to work" move, the strike
at AZ Federal building cafeterias
operated by Government Serv-
ices, Inc, today found all ex-
.cept two of the picketed estab-
lishmentS open for business but
greatly curtailed in manpower
and menu.
officials of Local All of the United
Cafeteria and Restaurant Workers,
CIO, declared, as the strike went
into its second day, that the COM
pany exaggerated quite bit" in
reporting between 200 and 300 union
members still on the job, with many
others expected to return today.
AS several hundred pickets re-
sumed their stations at o'clock
this morning, Oliver T. Palmer.
union business agent, insisted that
the strike is at least 95 per cent
effective. and that the union has
dug in" to keep it that way.
Two Cafeterias Closed.
The two closed cafeterias were In
the Labor Department and Supreme
Court Buildings. They were closed
to avoid embarrassment" officials
explained.
GSI spokesmen announced that
more thar 500 workers-employes
and persons newly hired-were pres
ent when the cafeterias served
breakfast this morning. The normal
employment is about $500.
j. C. Niehuss, company manager,
said later that quite a few" enl-
ployes were coming back, but he
said he could not give the specific
number. In addition, he said, the
company is continuing to engage
new workers.
The National Gallery of Art cafe
terra reopened this morning after
its customary Monday closing.
Closing Demanded.
The Interior Department cafe.
terra was open and according to
Mr.. Niehuss the menu and service
there were about normal. That
cafeteria became the center Of
dispute with the union demanding
| that it be closed in accordance with
what it said was request by Under
secretary of Interior Oscar L. Chap
man.
The union also demanded that all
GSI cafeterias be closed. . measure
it had suggested before.
At Mr.. Chapman's ONCE it was
denied he had made formal re-
quest for the cafeteria's closing de-
spite a statement earlier by Intasior
authorities that request for the
closing had been made
Richard Bancroft, president OF
Local All. sent a telegram to Public
Works Administrator Philip B.
Fleming containing the demand for
the closing of the Interior cafeteria
and continuing:
You have obviously taken the
side of GSI in its union breaking ef-
forts. We demand you close all GSI
cafeterias. BY permitting operation
you place the Government in the
disgraceful position of strike break
ing"
An FWA spokesman said he was
doubtful these requests would be
granted. He said Gen. Fleming had
indicated he did not wish to close
any of the cafeterias.
Menu Nearly Normal.
Mr.. Niehuss said the Interior
cafeteria was not using paper
plates such as were used at many
of the cafeterias yesterday. He said
that pies and cakes had been pur-
chased from outside producers and
were not turned out by GSI's own
bakeries
In general, Mr.. Niehuss said, the
menus at all the cafeterias. with
the exception of the two which had
been closed, included two or three
varieties of meats and two or three
vegetables. He said yesterdays al
most omnipresent frankfurter had
resumed its secondary menu role.
| Union spokesmen said there were
several instances where pickets
have been molested by supervisors
and striksr breakers. The pickets
have been called names, or urged to
/ Gee FETEpTAS paoa Al