William and Essie Statler House - Table of ContentsHo.........useStatler's Restaurant
History - William H. and Essie
Barr Statler House
177 Bidwell Parkway, Buffalo, NY
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Built: |
1910 (Permit filed 6/4/1909) |
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Architct: |
Esenwein & Johnson |
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Style: |
Arts & Crafts |
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Owners: |
1910 - William H. and Essie Barr Statler 1960 - Katherine Statler (older daughter of William and Essie) 1964 - Dorothy Statler Morgan (younger daughter of William and Essie) 1965 - Charles Leone 1974-2006 - Jerome and Marie Gorski |
Restauranteur, Blaming Union, Plans to Close
Unable to meet scale, Statler asserts; says employees satisfied to work for less.Buffalo Courier-Express, August 28, 1940
Reprinted with permission from WNY Heritage Press
William J. Statler, operator of Statler's Restaurant in Ellicott Square, announced yesterday afternoon that he is going out of business because he is unable to pay his employees union wages and continue operation at a profit.
"I have been in business 44 years and once went through bankruptcy," Statler explained. "I have had 81 employees working in the restaurant, who were satisfied to work for less than the union scale.
"I told them that they were getting less than the union wage and that I was not proud of the fact that business conditions would not permit me to pay them more. Apparently they appreciated how business conditions were and said they were satisfied to work for small pay until business got better.
"A union attempted to organize the employees and, in my presence, officers of the union told the labor board they would take a vote among the employees about forming a union. Such a vote was never taken. But six former employees who were with the restaurant for a few weeks or a few months called a strike.
"Union officials told me that if I could not pay union wages, I did not deserve to stay in business. I cannot pay union wages, so I am quitting the business.
"It seems to me there is an American principle involved. That principle is whether persons have a right to work at low wages, if they are satisfied with them, or be thrown out of work entirely if they do not get union-scale wages."
Six pickets yesterday paraded with signs in front of the Swan Street entrance of the restaurant, as Statler announced his decision to go out of business.
