U.N. Has Racial Problem In Its Own Dining Room

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30121, 3 May 1963, Page 11

U.N. Has Racial Problem In Its Own Dining Room

(N.Z Press Association—Copyright)

NEW YOE . May 2. The United Nations had a racial problem of its own today, according to United Press International.

It involved the hiring of a negress. Gertrude Wooten, as a waitress in the delegates’ dining room in response to requests from African delegates that more coloured girls be employed

The regular waitress staff comprises 28 white women and one "egro. Miss Wooten was added as the thirtieth waitress.

But her appointment brought a storm of protests from several of the white waitresses. They insisted that their seniority rights were threatened although the negress was employed on the understanding that she would not replace any of the other waitresses and would in no way infringe on their seniority rights. United Nations officials, the dining room concessionaire and the Cafeteria Employees’ Union are attempting—so far unsuccessfully—to settle the, dispute by negotiation with the waitresses.

The United Nations. the concessionaire and the union insisted that Miss Wooten’s employment did not threaten anyone’s rights. A noisy, three-hour meeting of a union official with the wai-resses yesterday was inconclusive. Further meetings are expected. A union spokesman said the union regarded as “reasonable” the African request that coloured waitresses be added The request was made through the United Nations Under-Sec-retary. Mr Godfrey Amachree. of Nigeria. "We realise that the United Nations has many African members and we cannot ignore the wishes of such a large group,” the union spokesman said. “We want to do everything we can to accommodate them

‘‘Actually, we’ve had difficulty finding coloured waitresses for the United Nations.” Miss Wooten attended the meeting with the other waitresses yesterday. She was reported to be "embarrassed and on the verge of tears.”