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Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
STATE New York
NAME OF Itounn Vivian Morris
ADDRESS 225 West 130th Street, N.Y.C.
DATE February 7, 1939
SUBJECT Domestic Workers' Union
1. Date and time interview February 2, 1939
12:50 P.M. to 2:30 P.M.
2. Place of interview 241 West 84th Street, N.Y.C.
3. Name and address of informant Dora Jones; Executive Secretary
Domestic Worker's Union.
4. Name and address of person, if any, wno put you in
touch with informant.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
This is a continuation of the story submitted
February 2, 1939.
Subject: Domestic Workers.
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms, each
bearing the proper heading and the number to which the material refers.)
FORM C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
STATE New York
NANE OF WORKER Vivian Morris
ADDRESS 225 West 130th Street, N.Y.C.
DATE February 7, 1939
SUBJECT Domestic Workers' Union
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
The Domestic Workers Union is located in the heart of
Yorkville, 241 East 84th Street. It was just past the noon hour
when Rose Reed conducted me to this temple of fidelity, which
housed a group of unceasing workers who delegate their lives to
providing ways and means of lifting the level of the shamefully
neglected domestic workers.
As We entered, Rose inquired of a sharp eyed nimble,
white worker, who was deftly cutting stencils for a batch of
petitions, as to the approximate hour that Miss Jones (the ex-
eoutive Secretary) would be in. She continued working but ans-
wered in a polite affable tone, that Miss Jones was expected
momentarily and asked us to inspect the headquarters pending
any tardiness on the part of Miss Jones.
I noted that there was a group of women seated around
a larbe table drinking coffee and eating sandwiches which were
prepared by a pleasant looking woman who stood over a gas stove
snugly situated in a corner, making it imperceptible from the
big front office where official business was carried on. When
I looked at Rose with a non -comprehending expression on my face,
she promptly enlightened my befuddled brain by telling me that
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this was a daily procedure. The women who had come for days work
and had not suooeeded in finding it, or the part-time job -seekers,
were allowed free use of the gas stove and cooking untensils.
I marveiled at the varied tasks that the women persued
between bits of sandwichs and sips of coffee. Some chatted in
sincere animated tones about the frankly exposing article appear-
ing in a local tabloid, written by Damon Runyon. It scathingly
denounced the housewives who work their maids lengthy, unhumane
hours at a starvation wage level. Every scalding word was caught
by straining ears, as the smooth toned young girl, whose sole ambi-
tions is to emulate Marion Anderson, read them off for the older
women some who had "left their glasses at home" and others who
admitted that they could not read.
A few of the group haltingly tried to remedy their
defective ieading; another having finished her meal, had pushed
her chair back from the table and was poring over a booklet on
elementary arithmetic. It was enlightening to know that these
women, instead of working themselves up to a dither because they
had not gotten a job, used their leisure time to further their
mental faculties.
After the article by Mr. Runyon had been duly discussed
it was decided that the article was to be clipped from the paper
and pinned to the bulletin board. While the young lady was pinning
the article on, I ventured to look at the very informative bulletin
board. There were numerous clippings, from papers, pamphlets and
periodicals pertaining to the domestic situation the country over.
There were notices of bills to be presented, bills that had been
presented, and petitions to be signed by the members of the union.
Directly in front of the bulletin board was a well stocked book
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case with many trade union books, pamphlets, union activities per-
iodicals, and a few popular fictions.
The young lady having finished her petitions, surveyed
them with pride, and beckoned to me saying, "What do you think of
the petition?"
I read the heading of the petition, the gist of which
was a plea to the members of the state assembly to limit the dames
tic workers to a ten hour day a sixty hour week, a fifteen dollar
minimum wage, days work at $3.50 per and an hour for lunch, and
agitation for the inclusion of domestic workers in the Social Security
Act, in view of the fact that eighty peroent of the Negro women
workers are employed as domestic servants. I remarked that this
was a giant stride toward the bettering of conditions among an
overlooked group.
At about this time, Dora Jones came in. She was a plump,
energetic, round faced Negro woman with all -engulfing eyes. The
worker who had been running off the petitions, (the educational
director) introduced me to Miss Jones. Impatient to learn about
the origin of the union, I immediately anquired of its beginning.
With pleasant alacrity Miss Jones complied with my hasty request,
"Our union is eight years old. It was started by a group of Finns
and a few Negroes in Harlem, who saw the neoessity for a fight
against exploitation of Negro domestics. Until 1935 the allow
was located in the Finnish neighborhood, but the hunger riots of
Harlem on March 19, 1935 marked the demolishing of the office by
the rioters. In 1936 we set up the Domestic Workers Union Local
149 A. F. of L. in this building. We have grown not spectacularly,
but at a steady clip. The members we get we hold. "She waved
her hand toward the group, which was oollectivly folding a bundle
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of letters that were to be sent out to the various members. "One
big happy family," she smiled.
"Now Miss Jones," I hesitantly interposed, "I want to
know your stand on the various slave marts
"I'm glad you brought that up," she interrupted, "That
problem has been a thorn in our side for many m day, but I think
we have a solution for this dilemma." We have sent out a sugg-
estion to the Rabbiss, in the various synogogues, and white clergy-
men, that they should stress to their congregation that they should
stop hiring the girls from the slave marts at starvation wages, and
have an organization set up and supervised by the church members
in the church, or some community house in the neighborhood, and
let the girls come there and wait for jobs. We don't stop here
but we suggest that a minimum wage law be agreed upon by arbitration
and this will help do away with a bane to New York humanitarianism,
the slave mart.
But, this will not entirely erase domestic slavery; so,
we sent out letters to the ministers of the Negro churches where
these habitues of the slave mart attend, and urged them to impress
upon these women the direct harm they do to themselves and others
by going to these slave marts; and accepting the low wages that
these heartless employers offer them. We want the pastors to in-
sist that they go to these places, that I am confident will be set
up by the cooperation that will be given us by the Rabbis and white
clergymen. In this fashion, having experienced a taste of fair -wages
and conditions, they'll want better conditions and that's where
we, the union come in."
I reflected for a while and then heartily agreed with
Miss Jones; she had a darn good insight on the solution to the
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slave mart problem. She is dead sure that the necessary co-
operation from the clergy and fair minded people in the mart
districts is forth coming, and this certainly will stamp out
of existence those heinous bogeys slave marts.