Evening star., 1949-06-16
Butchers Vote
Today on Strike
In Pay Dispute
Formal Rejection Of
Hotel Supply Firms
Offer Expected

SIIST GAPeCteo
A new strike appeared likely to-
day, with carpenters, construction
laborers, pie statesmen and produce
truck drivers already made idle by
wage and hour disputes.
Union meatcutters who prepare
meat for hotel distribution were
to meet this afternoon to vote on
q strike. Formal rejection Of
wage offer proposed by five hotel
supply houses is expected.
Employers, including National
Hotel Supply, District Hotel Sup
ply, Washington Beef and Pro-
vision, Auth Bros. and Jepson,
all members of the wholesale food
division of the Merchants and
Manufacturers Association. also
are scheduled to meet today.
Pay Proposal Rejected.
The American Federation OF
Labor Amalgamated Meatcutters
Local 393 Is asking an 11-cent
hourly wage increase. According
to Albert G. Gray, secretary-treas-
urer and business manager Of the
local. the employers have offered
8 cents and the proposal has been
rejected.
Under q contract which expired
June !, the butchers are receiving
$1.59 an hour with a guaranteed
40-hour week. The union also
seeks a 40-week with double time
for Saturday and time and half
for all work over eight hours in
any one day.
The hotel supply firms are in
negotiation with the meat truck
drivers, an affiliate of the AFL
teamsters. The drivers are receiv-
ing $1.05 an hour.
The strike picture in other
fields:
Carpenters - Stalemated with
the Master Builders Association
since June over a 10-cent hourly
wage boost.
Construction Workers Still Out.
Construction laborers-Still un-
able to agree. after is days, with
the builders association over Is
cent hourly increase. The strike
of carpenters and Iaborers has
slowed an estimated 500, ZOO, 900
In Metropolitan Area construction.
including q number Of Govern
ment and District projects.
Pie statesmen - Bakery Sales
mems Local 80, out IA days over a
demand for 81 a week increase.
Drivers and INSTRUMENTATION
strike since June 10 against eight
produce houses at Union, Terminal
Market. Members Of the Truck
Drivers Local 639 and the Ware
house Employees Local 730. they
seek a 4S-hour week for the same
pay they are now receiving for q
54-hour week.kS - ~
Federal conciliators working on
the carpenter, laborer and bakery
statesmen controversies reported
: mo progress" today and said no
further meetings had been sched-
uled. S ~ nj = Fl
In addition to these disputes,
drivers and maintenance men of
the Alexandria, Bancroft and
washington Transit Co., which
operates between Washington and
nearby Virginia. have voted a
strike for 2 am. July 81. Principal
issue Is a union demand for
30-cent hourly pay boost. Their
present contract expires July 20.
a Benefit Requests Doubled.
Meanwhile, the District Unem-
ployment Compensation Board
disclosed its job has doubled on
new applications for benefits as
an outgrowth of the walkout in
the building industry.
Board officials said II the strike
continues for q prolonged period
it will increase the unemployment
tax rate Of many employers here.
Officials made it clear the board
dos not pay benefits to strikes,
bRE the strike is causing other
pstsons, not on strike, to lose
w&k.
0~A. Wharton, board director.
expaained the first five months OF
tffH calendar year show 20 per
cent higher request rate for un-
employment benefits as compared
with the same period last year.
Under the CT Bill Of Rights there
has, been an increase of LA per
cent. Mr.. Wharton said. He at
tributed these jumps to the vet
Grams getting out Of school and