Cash Wages
Wages when the workers live out
In the smaller hotels of New York City and the hotels of the smaller cities of the State, a straight cash wage was paid to women workers in all occupations. The wages of chambermaids and bathmaids varied from $8.77 a week to $16 in the 46 hotels where wage rates were obtained. Of these, the one hotel paying $8.77 a week was the largest hotel of a second class city where two large factories employing great numbers of women had closed down. The housekeeper said, “The works have shut down, so you can get workers at any price.” The one hotel paying $16 a week employed only three maids on a long-hour schedule.
The straight cash wages paid to chambermaids and bathmaids in the 46 hotels are as follows:
| 1 | paid at least | $8 | but less than | $9 | per week |
| 9 | " " | 9 | " " | 10 | " " |
| 11 | " " | 10 | " " | 11 | " " |
| 9 | " " | 11 | " " | 12 | " " |
| 11 | " " | 12 | " " | 13 | " " |
| 2 | " " | 13 | " " | 14 | " " |
| 2 | " " | 14 | " " | 15 | " " |
| 0 | " " | 15 | " " | 16 | " " |
| 1[[6]] | " " | 16 | " " | 17 | " " |
[6]. The actual wage paid in this group was $16.00.
Few women workers were employed in the kitchens and pantries of these hotels. No waitresses were employed.
A comparison of these wage rates may be made with the minimum wage fixed for hotel workers in 1919 in the District of Columbia where the cost of living is comparable to that of New York State. The Minimum Wage Board of the District of Columbia decided that a wage of $16.50 a week was the minimum on which a self-supporting woman could live. In no case do the hotels investigated in New York State pay this minimum when a straight cash wage is paid and the workers do not live in the hotels. It can be seen from these figures that 40 of the 46 hotels pay between $9 and $13 or an average of $11 per week.
Wages including lodging but no meals
In six hotels at which jobs were applied for, lodging was offered, but no meals. The following cash wages were offered to chambermaids and bathmaids in addition to lodging:
| 1 | paid at least | $8 | but less than | $9 | per week |
| 3 | " " | 9 | " " | 10 | " " |
| 1 | " " | 10 | " " | 11 | " " |
| 1 | " " | 11 | " " | 12 | " " |
No information was obtained for pantry workers or waitresses in this group.
The Minimum Wage Board of the District of Columbia, in extending its minimum wage of $16.50 to hotel workers who were living-in, attempted to set a money value on the board and lodging furnished by the hotel. Because there was no way of determining its actual cost to the hotel management, the minimum cost of room and board for a self-supporting woman in the District of Columbia was taken. The figure used is $9 a week for board and lodging; two-thirds or $6 for board, and one-third or $3 for lodging.[[7]] $13.50 is, therefore, the minimum on which a woman can maintain herself while living-in in a hotel but taking her meals outside. None of the hotels in New York State, furnishing lodging in addition to a cash wage, paid this minimum.
[7]. Minimum Wage Board of the District of Columbia. Wages of Women in Hotels and Restaurants in the District of Columbia. P. 16.
Wages including three meals and no lodging
In 8 hotels which paid the workers their wage, plus three meals a day, the following cash wages were paid to chambermaids and bathmaids:
| 1 | paid at least | $6 | but less than | $7 | per week |
| 0 | " " | 7 | " " | 8 | " " |
| 1 | " " | 8 | " " | 9 | " " |
| 5 | " " | 9 | " " | 10 | " " |
| 1[[8]] | " " | 10 | " " | 11 | " " |
[8]. The actual wage paid in this group was $10.00.
No information was obtained for pantry workers or waitresses in this group.
If the $16.50 minimum wage of the District of Columbia is taken, and $6 to cover the cost of three meals deducted, the minimum wage for this group would be $10.50. In no case was this amount received.
Wages including board and lodging
The largest New York City hotels and the largest hotels in first class cities require maids to live in and prefer that some of the pantry workers and waitresses should do so. In these hotels chambermaids and bathmaids living-in have the following wage rates:
| 1 | paid at least | $4 | but less than | $5 | per week |
| 7 | " " | 5 | " " | 6 | " " |
| 17 | " " | 6 | " " | 7 | " " |
| 1 | " " | 7 | " " | 8 | " " |
| 2 | " " | 8 | " " | 9 | " " |
| 1 | " " | 9 | " " | 10 | " " |
If $9 for board and lodging is deducted from the $16.50 minimum wage of the District of Columbia, $7.50 is left as the minimum wage for this group of workers. When the wages of chambermaids living-in are taken, it will be noted that only four out of twenty-nine hotels pay this wage or more, and that over half pay between $6 and $7 per week.
Waitresses in one hotel in New York City where board and room are furnished received $6.92 a week. Pantry workers, who are a skilled class, received one of the highest wage rates found for women workers in hotels. They have, however, no access to tips. In one hotel they received $50 a month with board and lodging, or $11.53 a week, and in another hotel $55 a month with board and lodging, or $12.29 a week. In two hotels kitchen workers received $30 a month whether they lived in or out.