Survey  Shows  Plants  Closed
by Strike Are Again on
Normal Basis.
Seven Spokane laundi
two cleaning plants, forced to shut
down for almost 12 weeks by a
strike for the closed shop, are
again operating under normal conditions, a survey indicated yesterday. All are operating under open
shop conditions.
"Though our plants are running
again under normal conditions, the
laundries have suffered a heavy
loss of business due to the purchase
of electric washing machines by
former customers of the laundries,"
it was pointed out by C. F. Stevenson, manager of the Crystal laundry and president of the Spokane
Laundry Owners' association.
"Because of this it is extremely
doubtful that the laundries will be
able to offer employment to anything like as many workers as before. At the moment, every plant
is adequately manned with experienced workers and there are more
demands for jobs than can be
filled."
Wage Loss Set at $125,000.
At the office of the association
in the Peyton building it was estimated the recent strike had cost
the 500 laundry employees of Spokane $125,000 in lost wages. This
loss has not been nearly equalized
by strike benefits raised by assessing members of organized labor in
Spokane at the rate of $2 per
month.
According    to    officials    of    thp
aunary wormers' union, tne sum
jf $11,000 was raised for strike
oenefits in October. The normal
payroll for one month is between
$40,000 and $50,000.
Picketing of plants is being continued.
Union's Pay Discussed.
Some discussion with occasional
adverse comment was heard yesterday in union circles as to the
new wage scale of 30 cents an hour,
the so-called "picket wage," fixed
by the laundry workers' union for
persons employed in the new Associated Union laundry, operated by
the laundry workers, at E2322
Sprague. Among the employees of
the laundry are drivers belonging to
the teamsters' union, whose regular hourly scale is much greater
than that fixed by the laundry
workers.
The privately operated laundries
from which the laundry workers'
walked out nearly three
months ago, pay 33  1-3  cents an
"The so-called picket wage was
adopted by the laundry workers'
union for persons employed in the
new laundry to help get the institution on its feet," said Mr. Boegem,
manager of the new union laundry.
"Striking laundry workers realize
that other unions have made a sacrifice in taking stock in the new
plant and that it is up to the laundry workers to make good on the
investment.
"It so happens that the drivers
made the motion for the 30-cent-
an-hour scale. They are the higher
paid men in the industry and they
were willing to make the sacrifice
in wages to help the cause along.
The 30 cents an hour goes for
every one from the manager down.
We are now working two shifts
and rapidly increasing our output.
All departments are in production,
but naturally it takes time to get
smoothly."