16; 1951.,
Workmen's Compensation
Protecting Your Rights
To Benefits
The ‘hattonking is a first of ‘a series
of articles on workers’ benefits written’
by the Union’s lawyer, Leon Novak.:
WHAT YOU MUST DO WHEN you
ARE HURT IN THE PLANT
In a big plant with thousands of sede
ers; there are- bound to be accidents’.al-
most every, day in the week. Some of
these accidents are serious, Others are
not so serious.” It is important to report
every accident to your foreman prompt-
ly, even if you feel that you'do not need
a doctor's care. ,
If “you do not report an adeident at
onée, you may find: yourself in'-danger ,
of losing your’ rights to Workmen's
Compensation benefits. Without ‘notice
o your foreman you may lose these
rights even if the injury, which may be
“small at first, “later develops into’ some-
thing, much more Serious.
Take for example the -following cuise
which was handled by Local 801’s law-
yer. A worker was working in. ,the
yard. He caught his foot on a track
and fell, striking his elbow against the
ground, It hurt him only for alittle
while and then the? pain disappeared.
He did not, think it important enough to
repor Almost two years later a. seri-
ous -condition of arthritis began to show
in his arm and. ‘finally his fingers be-
came partially paralyzed.
Proving this worker’s right to bene-
fits after this, was not-casy. It took.
many months. In the meantime, while
he ‘and the: union’s lawyer were work-
ing on the’ éase,, the worker could not
draw compénsation. benefits until his.
rights -were established, The difficulty -
with proving his case lay in the. fact
that while arthritis can ‘come from an
accident it, can also come from many
ohter reasons having nothing to do with
an accident. -—Here the Company had no
“notice of an necident. “Had the worker
reported the. accident® promptly, a lot
of time And. trouble could’ have been
saved, ,
. . ;
The Workmen’s Compensation Law
requires that injured workers give no-
tice of an accident to their employer
within "80 days after. an accident. The
worker who gives notice promptly pro-’
tects himself and his family. ”
“Now if only they don't suggest freezing profits.
3%
Trial Committee Elected
The - February Stewards-Membership
Meeting elected a trial committee | to
hear any requests. for application of
membership to. U.E. Local 301 by’ for-
mer members who were expelled from
the Union, a
-The trial committee will also reccive
any. charges made against members of
Loeal, 301. a
The constitution of UE: Local. 801.
provides in Article XII for a trial com-
Third Shift Board
Member at Large
The Union has had numerous re,
quests from time to time by third
shift members for representation on
the Executive Board. At the Execu-
tive Board meeting on January 22nd
‘this matter of representation was dis-
cussed and the Board decided to ap.
point Larry Gebo, who is third. shift
Board member in Turbing, to act as
Third Shift Board-Member at Large
until ‘such time as the survey of Ex-
ecutive Board. representation in. the
entire plant is completed.
‘mittee consisting of nine members.
The following members avere elected *
to the Trial Committee:
John Maietta Bldg. 60: ‘2nd shift
Carol Tillotsen . Bldg, 285 2nd shift
Ernest Crisctolo Bldg.273° 1st. shift
Michael Rakvica . Bldg, 53° ast, shift
Adam'Glover' . Bldg. ,17 “dst: shitt
Chas. Dougherty . Bldg, 52 .1st shift
Hugh McMullen. Bldg. 85°. ist shift
Robt, Armstrong .Bldg. 40° “1st’ shift’
Albert Davis." Bldg. 10 ~‘1s
“Govt. Banker Calls For“
No Overtime Pay.
Testifying before the Joint Congres-
sional Committee onthe Economie ‘Re-- ~”
port, banker Marriner S, Eccles, Federal
-Reserve Board member, called. for a”
longer work-week “of forty-four” hours |
for workers with no overtime pay, a ceil-
ing on wages and salaries, and higher
taxes.
He wlso called for the euiladimiont of
all “fringe” benefits like bonuses and
pensions and the elimination of . wage
gseulator clauses" in. labor contracts.
“Saying that, “Labor should: not ‘object
to:wape ceilings,” the banker also stated
that, “over-all price control was uneces-
sary and should not be imposed,”
THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE. WORKERS OF AMERICA _ LOCAL 301, UE
voli FoNed
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
Friday, March -2: 1951
200 Outstanding
Americans Protest
New York — On the eve of the open=
-ing 6f trials of some 17 men and wonien
_indieted for “contempt “of Congress,”
more. than 200, outstanding professors,
clergymen, lawyers, writers, profession-
al“ people and othe rs have’, addressed a
“petition to U. S. Attorney General J.
‘Howard McGrath. urging “him to “with-
draw*contempt proceedings.” :
“In these ‘ ‘contempt? prosecutions, the
statement. asser'ts,..the defendants have
invoked their constitttional right not to
testify on grounds of self-incrimination,
The statement, made ‘public today,
holds that “withdrawal of these con-
« tempt proceedings by you, Mr. Attorney
General; weuld go a long way towards
_maintaining in these. times of tensio
“the priceless. heritage guaranteed in the
Bill of. Rights ~~'the right to“one's per-
sonal views, no matter how unorthodox.
“The failure to dismiss these proceed.
ings would be a disservice to a constitu-.
tional right which the Supreme Court
has described as ‘a ‘safeguard agains:
heedless, unfounded or tyrannical prose-
cutions’,”” .
Among those signing the statement to
Mr. McGrath are: Paul J. Kern, Attor-
ney at Law, New York City; Robert W.
Kenny, former Attorney General of Cali-
fornia; Prof, Thomas I.eEmerson, Yale
University. Law School; Dr. Stringfel-
low Barr, former President, St. John’s
College, Annapolis;.Prof. Kirtley EF,
Mather, Harvard ‘University; Angus
Cameron, Exec. Vice President, Little,
Brown & Co., Boston; Prof, A. J. Carl-
son, University. of Chicago; and> the
Right Rev. Edward L. Parsons, Protest-
ant Episcopal Bishop (Retired) of Cali-
fornia; Rev, John..Haynes Holmes, The
Community Church, New York City; Dr.
Artur Schnabel, pianist, New York City;
Dr, Alice Hamilton, Emeritus Professor,
Harvard University; Mare Blitzstein,
vomiposer and playwright, New York
City; Prof. S. Ralph Harlow, Smith
College,.. Northampton; Rev. John Paul
» Jones, Union ‘Church, Brooklyn; Prof.
Louise Pettibone Smith, Wellesley Col-
legey Algernon D, Blick, leader, New
York Ethical Society, New York City;
Robert K, Burns, Carnegie Institution
“ Washington and Honorary Professor
{ Zoology, John Hopkins ‘University,
Balimore,
Julius Emspak Refused Bail
Julius Emspak, member of Local-301 and a native of Schenectady, was adjudged
guilty of contempt last Monday by Federal Judge TF, Dickinson: Letts.
Emspak was born in Schenectady. and lived here. all his life until he was elected
General Secretary-Treasurer of the U.E.R. & M.W.A. in 1986. He is an apprentice
graduate of the General Electric Machinist Apprentice Couise ° ‘and a graduate. of
G.E, Dividends Not Frozen :
«The board of Directors of, General
Electric just voted to pay 75e¢ divi-
dend per share forthe 1st quarter of
1951,
per year. This would be a 404%
crease over 1948. ~
This dividend is at the rate of $3.00.
A. & O. S. Members
Settle Grievances
Union members jin. Bldg. 46 held. a,
meeting at lunch.time’ last’ week .to dis-
cuss the. downgrading of assemblers,
“who ave presently requested to do higher
skilled; work
Assemblers Class‘
of lack of work, were given’ new work
that was equal to Class “A”. The fore-
man. refused to upgrade any of these
former: Class “A” men, The shop mect-
ing elected a committee headed “by
Executive Board member Serafin Pita,
The members instructed the committee
to tuke the grievance to Mr. Heckman,
Manager of ‘the A.‘& O. 8. Department.
Department nianagement “expressed ig-
norance of the facts ‘affecting the spe-
cific complaints, but agreed to. investi+’
gate, “Some upgrading and change of*
classifications immediately: followed. The
committee pointed out that there are
more grievances in Bldg. 46. that need
cleaning up. They said, if the forenan-
can’t do it, they*will see, the manage-
‘ment again,
FLASH
The U.E,. Local 301 Executive Board
and officers will recommend to the Mon-
day, March 5th, Membership Meeting
that the charter be opened for the month:
of March to take in non-members with-
out initiation,
This excludes those expelled and-those
who have resigned since January 1951,
The time to discuss this’ recommenda-
tion will be at the meetin, Bs so be presen:
and vote, :
® wha were down-
graded to “B” some time ago because
; & ,
Union College. oo
Emspak’s ‘guilt ‘is) becauseche refused
to answer questions of the House. Un-
American Activitics Committee, design-
“ed to frame him’and other members and
leaders of the Union.
. The Judge in his decision said, “Ap-
parently concern for his Union was up-
permost in his mind’, Therefore, the
protection: of the Fifth Amendment
against being forced to testify against
oneself, ‘which Emspak had invoked, did
not-apply in this’ case.” Immediately fol-
lowing Judge Letts’ decision Judge Kirk-
land adjudged-Tom ‘Quinn of UE. Local
601, Pittsburgh, guilty of contempt and
sentenced him to 4 ta 12 months in jail
and, fied ‘him 1,000 dollars, In, an un-
preeedented move, bail was, delayed -in
both cases. The Union is fighting for :
bail pending appeal of both the cases, ©
Emspak and Quinn were committed
ae the District jail, 19th and C, Streets,
E,, Washington, D.C. At ‘the time of’
ea to press with this story (Tuesday)
a decision was expected in the case of
Tom. Fitzpatrick, U.E, member from Lo-~
ul GOL, Pittsburgh. James Matles, Ox-
ganizational Director of the U.E., was
scheduled for trial Wednesday. Other
tases. against U.E. leaders are being
pushed, . =~ 8 .
Albert -Fitzgerald, President of the
U.E.R, & M.W,A., #ave’ the following
statement to the press Tuesday?
“The Un-American Committee hear-
ings out of which the contempt charges
grew resulted from a despicable plot of
employers, politicians and the corrupt
leadership of C.1.0. to frame and harass
-the leadership of UB, because of this
Union’s refusal to join them in their
drive against ‘the hast intenege, of the
people”
Membership-Stewards
Meeting
“MONDAY, MARCH 4,
. nd: Shift, — 1:30 p.m,
aIst & 8rd
Shifts |
2
Friday, March 2, 1951
Workmen’s Compensation
Protecting Your: Rights to Benéfits-”
The fullawing is the second in a series
of articles on workers’ benefits. written
by the Union's lawyer, Leon Novak.
“How You May Report an Accident.,
In my article in thé last issue of the
Electrical Union News I -pointed ‘out
. that accidents should be reported. as
- goon as possible to a foreman in order
tocprotect an injured worker's rights to
compensation benefits. A’ number of”
workers have asked me whether their
“yights are equally protected ‘if they
have reported the accident to the G. E.
hospital; The. answer to that question
is that a report to the G. E. hospital is’
just as good as a report to'a foreman. “
Occupational.-Diseases
There are some illnesses which come
from the kind of work that’a worker is
doing rather than from «an accident.
These are. called occtipational diseases.
For instance, a- man may be working
with chemicals or paints and find that
he is suffering’ from a skin disease. If
the doctors agree that the skin disease
comes from his «work, ‘the worker is
entitled to’ medical treatment. paid for
by the Company. He is also entitled to
compensation for lost time if he loses.
time ‘from work ‘from this condition.
There are many. types of Inesses which |
fall under this rule. Among them are
hernias (ruptur es), chemical poisonings,
silicosis, back strains, swellings and ~
KEE EP YOUR BONE-
(Federated Pictures)
ELECTRICAL. UNION
BY YOMEN
"You Will Need A Raise
With the present provisions ‘of ‘the
Defense Production Act, it serves as a
basis. for increasing prices. |The loop-
holes and defidiencies in the act make it
ineffective as a bartier:to inflation. The
act must be changed. or. there will not
-bé' any improvement: in our anti-infla-
_ tion’ program. hg
The Price Stabilization Program. isa
joke on the. American,-people; A’ so-'
called freeze on prices-.was announced
at'a time-when prices were higher, than’
ever before in history. ; '
PRI ES TO.GO HIGHER. —Although ,
“Frozen? prices. are (rising steadily, .
Economic’ Stabilizer Etic Johnston arid
Price: Stabilizer Michael DiSalle have
both announced that nothing: they can or
Will do. under the Defense Production
“Act will stop the cost of living frém ‘
rising another 6 percent by next sum-
“mer. We point out that from March 15,
1950; to December 15, 1950, living costs
also rose-6 percent—without any freeze. -
Profit’ margins are being guaranteed.
Every consideration, possible is being
wwiven by’ Government price agencies. to _
enhance the position of-business and to
~sprottet fat profits. Flexibility, which~
has been denied in the wage~stabiliza-
tion-order;-is being guaranteed by the
price stabilization orders. tare
TAXES TO GO HIGHER, —.Individ-
uals already have’ received: a stiff in-
erease in their taxes. The Congress is
6
. 7 Se . ee . rim . - - ‘now considering a program to“raise all
athens, . a Truck Drivers Claim Discrimination ted : Oo “If we can keep wages frozen, our glorious free enterprise system will look taxes in such a manner that people in
Tt is just as important to report an
occupational disease as soon as you be-
come aware of it ag it is to report an
accident.’ ;
“WHETHER YOU ARE SUFFERING
FROM AN ACCIDENT OR AN OCCU-
PATIONAL DISEASE, IF YOU ARE A
UNION MEMBER IN. GOOD STAND-
ING, THE UNION’S LAWYER WILL
.REPRESENT YOU IN YOUR CASE
WITHOUT ANY CHARGE TO. YOU.
THIS IS A SERVICE WHICH THE
UNION HAS BEEN GIVING FOR
SEVERAL YEARS. YOU CAN CON-
TACT THE LAWYER AT ‘UNION
HALL. OT
ELECTRICAL, UNION. NEWS
Unrren Evrerrican, Ranio & Macning
Workers oF AMERICA
Scausnecrapy GE Locat 301 UE
Published by the Editorial Committee
Presidunt,, ve WILLIAM 2. KELLY
Vive-Presiden' JOSHPH MANGINO
Recording Secretary. JOUN P. GREUN
Axs't Recording Secretar FRANK D'AMICO
‘Menstrer.. -HENRY KAMINSKT -
Chief Shop Steward. JAMUS COGNETTA
Rustness Agent... LEO JANDREAU
301 LIBERTY ST. SCHENECTADY, N.Y
The truck drivers, members of U. EL
Local 301, have been patiently waiting
for a satisfactory answer to their griev-
>ance that was officially filed with the
foreman on January 11, 1951. The case is
presently scheduled: for i
Thursday, March 1, 1951, on the N. Y,
level of the. grievance procedure.
The grievance specifically. affects the
so-called inside the plant drivers, who"
receive a job vateof $1.42 per hour. The
outside the’ plant drivers receive $1.46
per hour. When the-rateg::vere orig-
inally established, the plant was much
smaller and did not cover an-area north
of River.Road. The responsibilities of
the inside men are equal to the outside
men at the present time.
While the $1.46 per hour rate is low
enough when it is pitted against the cost
of living today, local management claims
it is-a satisfactory rate for the job. To
make the condition worse, drivers with
‘outside rates are assigned inside the
“plant, resulting in a-situation where two
drivers are:doing identical work, with: -
one getting de Der hour more than the
other. /
Last week the drivers complained
‘discussion.
about an unequal distribution of over-
time, The foreman gave a stock answer,
stating that it was being divided equally
among those doing the ‘same work. In
other words it was impossible to divide
it equally because of the de differential.
The truck drivers decided ‘that this was
too much and stopped work last Priday
morning, The Union olfice was notified
of the stoppage and President William
Kelly went over to Bldg, 227 where the
members had congregated. He advised
the men to go back to work, pointing
out that they had a very good case pend-
‘ing in New York, which would be set-
tled one way or the other by the follow-
ing Thursday. President Kelly said that
the Business Agent. was trying: to get
the case put on the N. Y. calendar
sooner than Thursday inasmuch, as it
was an emergency Gise: ‘ He said that
the overtime issuc would ‘be’ discussed
with local management, Kelly pointed
out that after Thursday the. men were
clear of the contract to take uny neces.”
sary action.”
The truck drivers took a vote by a
show of hands and went back to work")
U y “i 4-8 q re ie ba f : * .
even more glorious: at. the next quarter.” the lower income brackets will be forced
Request for More
Blood Donors
A -request has been made by UU. WE,
member, John Terry, Bldg. 109, Wire
Dept, tor blood donations, John’s wite
has been il] atthe Ellis Hospital and re-
quired twelve transfusions. Seven have
been paid for and five more are needed?
Guiseppe Niciforo, U. EB. member in. .
Bldg, 59, has been ill for the past four
months. He must replace 18 pints of
blood. :
Both of the ‘above are in dire oa, of
help, Volunteers. should - contact’ their
sleward-or the Union office. The Union
will pay one hour of lost time to volun-
teers.
Activities - Committee
Want Suggestions
“The Activities Committee is searching
for ideas. They are calling upon any of
the members who have suggestions ‘ta
getcin touch*with Michael R. De Celli,
Chainman,. Bldg. 278, or.O. By Phillips, [+
Seeretary, Bldg, 285, 2nd shift.
Have you asked the.
fellow next to you if he is a
Union Member?
Tell him it pays
to belong to theU.E.
“FE
Compensation Cases S
There are 700 compensation cases
now active in the compensation di-
vision,
Between January. 11th and atin
ary 26th, we had 280. hearings in
‘gourt, Most of these hearings . in-
volved persons who are getting com-
_ pensation for disabilities arising out
of accidents, to whom weekly- pay-
ments are being made. Final awards
for permanent injuries during this
period were awarded to" 28 workers,
totalling the sum of $18,538.79. These
cases were closed, The remaining
es are still pending for Ganelaued
compensation, .
-to bear a still] heavier share of the tax .
Jurden.
In 1948, individuals and corporations
“paid an almost equal share of the ex-
penses of Government. Today, individ-
uals are asked to bear 68 percent-of the
expenses of rearmament, » Among: in-
dividuals, the Congress is considering
raising income taxes another 20 pereent
“on low income groups while the increase
aah tamilies with incomes of $25,000
“year would be only 14 pereent,
This proposal would ‘lift tax rates on
low income families 45. pereent over pre-
forean vates. The increase on the high-
est incomes would..be almost nil. Many.
industries are escaping their. taxation
through special privilege loopholes in
the law.” No serious attempt is being
made to plug these loopholes.
Donation to St. Clare's.
The Union has been solicited for a do-
nation towards the enlargement of the
children’s ward at SL. Clare's Hospital,
The Executive Board and officers, do-
nuted 100.00 dollars in behall of Ua
jul 301. ae
