Evening star., 1950-09-24
5000 Win Raise
In New Hotel
Contract Here.
a Unions Involved;
Working Conditions
Improved by Pact

| w SNihS SASaA'VtS
Improved by Pact
| Five thousand District hotel en-
ployes in the four AFL unions will
receive wage increases ranging
from 8 to 20 per cent and i'm
proved working conditions under g
| proposed new contract, Samuel
Levine. union attorney, said yes
terday.
The agreement, already ap-
proved by the hotels, Is subject to
ratification by each union involved
as well as by their joint executive
board, Mr.. Levine explained.
The lawyer said wages for en-
ployes who do not receive tips
about rs per cent of the total
will be increased minimum of
10 per cent. In some cases the
percentage runs as high as 17la
and even 20 to bring workers up to
new minimums.
Employees who can receive tips
get an 8 per cent increase.
Contract Runs for Year.
The contract runs for one year
and replaces one that expired Sep
tember 20. Unions involved are i:
Local 200, Cooks, Pastery Cooks
and Kitchen Employees; Local 781,
Walters and Mattresses and Bus
Employees; Local 80, Hotel Service
Workers, and Local IS, the Bar
tenders.
Attorney Joseph c. McGarraghy
represented the hotel manage
mentS in the negotiations. These
hotels are covered: Ambassador,
Annapolis. Burlington, Carlton,
Continental. Hamilton, Harring-
ton. Hay-Adams. Houston, Lee
House, Lafayette, Martinique,
Mayflower. New Colonial, Raleigh,
Roger Smith, Shoreham, Statler,
1,,s,'dn, Wardman Park. Washington and
Employees covered include: cooks
pastry cooks and kitchen en-
ployeS, walters, mattresses, maids
elevator operators, telephone oper-
ators, bartenders, bellboys anG
seamStreSSeS.
Union Clause Inserted.
Under the new contract. maids
will not have to turn mattresses
any more. A provision requires
that will be a job for male workers
The pact contains a clause that
II the Taft Hartley Act is changed
during the life of the agreement
an employer automatically will
hire all employees through the
union. If the union can not supply
one. any new employees will have
to join the union within two weeks.
MIR. Levine gave these high
points from the book thick con-
tract:
The right to arbitrate all dis
charges. including those based on
complaints by guest, one of the
points at issue in the 1946 hotel
strike.
Vacation Systems.
The method of computing vaca-
tlons is changed. Employees will
now accrue vacation during the
first year at the rate of one half
day per month or the major por-
ton OF a month. During the sec
ond and subsequent years, vaca-
tlonS will accrue at the rate of one
day for each month or major por-
ton thereof. Previously, a worker
had to work 270 days year to get
a vacation of one week after the
first year. Considered important
is that the vacation computation
now goes back to the original date
of employment.
One of the problems the union
had resulted from extra tourist
parties coming to WASHINGTON
mostly school children, which re-
quired extra cots in rooms. Under
the new contract a maid will get
rs cents extra for every cot over
two she has to make up. The
schools children did not tip and
bellboys had much extra work,
but under the new agreement.
bellboys will get 10 cents for each
bag handled into the hotel and
an equal sum for each bag han
died out.
One of the important changes
is in the expanded group insur-
ance benefits, all to be paid by
the employers. Prior to the new
contract, $500 life insurance pre-
vailed and SIS a week was paid to
an ailing employe for 10 weeks.
The new program provides an ad-
ditional $500 in case of accident
al death and the sick benefits are
increased to $40 week for 10
weeks.
Surgical Coverage Granted.
A new feature has also been
added under which an employe is
covered up to 5000 on surgery. If
worker requires medical care
outside a hospital, he will be re-
imbursed up to $100 toward his
doctors bill.
Under banquet parties and
American Plan parties. the union
found itself with problem in the
kitchen for the cooks, with an ad-
ditional load being thrown on
them, without any additional
help. Under the new arrangement,
where substantial increases in
work comes as the result of
parties, extra cooks will be en-
ployed.
Wage rates for all extra en-
ployes,, which include banquet
mattresses and walters, have been
increased on a graduated scale,
ranging from about to 20 per
cent.
- Eaas