Electrical Union News, 1946 May 9

A

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

May 2, 1946

Saccocio Gives

“A little of the truth won’t - hurt
them.”

This was John Saceocio’s comment
when he returned to Schenectady from
testifying in Washington betore_ the
Senate Banking Commute | on the. e need
of price control. oe

In answer to congratulations on his
plain, forceful testimony, which made
headlines from coast to coast, the Local
801 committeeman said, “I tried to do
a job.”

Saccocio confessed he was “a little
nervous” when he started, addressing
the Senators.

“After -all, I’m only a small-man to

be tangling with the cream of the crop!’

But once | got going I lost all nervous-
ness,”

Certainly he didn’t sound nervous.
“When he told the Senators Apr. 25:

“Heaven help us if OPA-goes out of
business. Keep @PA and give it some
teeth. We want” “jail sentences for
everbody who violates OPA ceilings.”

A Senator inquired, “If we put all
these black market people in jail, where

on”

would we get the jails?
“Build more jails,” Saceocio said.

He gave them a-copy of his family
budget which has jumped from about
$29 a week in 1941 to $60,

Senator Charles H. Tobey,. (N.H.)
who favors price control, said: “Ma,
Saceocio, it’s a very healthy thing for
this committee to have people like you
come before it.”

As a closing message, Saccocio said
to the Senators.

“T don’t know any of you. But men.
like you don’t represent the people. You
represent the manufacturers and big
business. But we elect you. We are
the majority. We are the people.

“When you vote against us, we lose
faith, Democracy sounds fine when
you gentlemen are making campaign
speeches, but it’s what happens after
elections that counts, and that’s when
you forget us.” .

HARD TO EQUAL

Local 301 received 827 new member-
ship applications in nine days recently,
“— a record hard to equal. At this rate
there should be few “free riders” left
at the Schenectady GE plant. The goal,
of course, is a 100° percent union shop.

jose of Facts to U.S. Senators

John Saccocio, Local 301 Committeeman, his wife and their sons return from Wash-
ington where he testified at the Senate Banking Committee hearing on price con-
trol. Fred, 11, and’Mrs, Saccocio listened intently while he told some plain facts
to the Senators, but Richard, two, strolled around the Cayepitles Chamber.

CIO Speaker Raps Congressmen,

Warns Vets on

Congressmen who are attempting “to
rob the veterans of their last few dol-
lars by killing the OPA and _ letting
prices sky-rocket” were criticized by
‘Meyer Bernstein, Washington repre-
sentative of the national CIO Veterans
Committee, at a meeting of the GE and
ALCO Steel Workers Veterans Com-
mittees Apr. 25 at CIO Hall. |

Saccocio Budgets

1941 1946
Rent. cece ae $1000 $10.00
Pood wee. 10.00 25.00
Glothes oe 1.00 8.00
Insurance .. 3.00
Medical Care ...... 1.00 2.50
Dentist ............-+ . 2.00 2.00
Phone ..... 1.00 1.00 -
Light and Gas . .88 1.50
Social Security .... 66
Income Tax -......... 6.80

Total for Week......628.88 $60.25

ee.
Super-Senority

He presented details of the CIO vet-
erans’ logislative program. The . pro-
gram includes a bill which would pro-
vide terminal pay for enlisted personnel.
At present, officers below the grade of
major receive the $300 mustering out
pay plus terminal leave which sometimes
goes as high as $1,000.

Much of the meeting was devoted to
the serious problem of super-seniority
which is resulting in displacement of
employes with many years seniority at
GE and ALCO.

Bernstein pointed out that company
policy of forcing veterans to displace
other workers with a great deal of plant
seniority not only results in extreme
hardship and injustice to the displaced
worker but also for the veteran, since
the veteran’s job is guaranteed for only
one year,

“Strict enforcement of seniority
clauses under the union contract is the
only sound method of determining who
shall work at what-job,” Bernstein said.

THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA—LOCAL 30! CIO

Vol. II—No. [6

SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK

May 9, 1946

Local 301 Fights

GE Policy on Vets

Local 301 will carry its fight against
the GE policy on super-seniority to
court on the grounds of. contract vio-

‘lation, Leo Jandreau, business agent,

told L. H. Means, GE representative,
and Selective Service officials at a
meeting in Albany Apr, 29,

“We will start civil suits," he said, “to
recover pay lost to GE workers by dis-

_Jnissals. ana...lay-offs-in--vielation of: the

seniority clauses of our contract.”
Jandveau and other Local 301 repre-

“sentatives also—took-up- atthe" eon

ence complaints that many returned GE
veterans are earning less at their new
jobs than they were when they left for
injlitary service.

“The company, doesn’t care a hoot
about super-seniovity when it comes
to pay for veterans,” Jandreau declared.

“We think the letter and the spirit
of the law requires the GE to guarantee
veterans the same earnings when they
come back.”

(Continued on Page 3)

GE Contract Sessions
Resumed in New York

As contract negotiations with Gli
were resumed this week in New York

.Gity,--UE..-representatives.. announced

tentative agreement has been reached
on 17 articles. They were to tackle It
other articles on which no‘progress has
been made.

No agreement has been reached on
the following: Article IJ, Union security
and maintenance of membership; VIII,
nevotiating of rates and classifications,
information of rates, classifications and
incentives, and piece prices; IX, classi-
fication of jobs (contract formulations) ;
X, vacation; XI, job classifications; XV,
transfers; XVII, seniority preference;
XVUI, leave of absence. .

Also XX, arbitration; XX1, local un-
cerstandings; XXVI, travel time, pen-
sion plan, severance pay, apprentice-
ship, group insurance, pay for lost time
on union activity (supplement), holidays
with pay for hourly workers,

e

UE Board Asks Dues Raise
To Meet Increased Problems

Because the cost of living has increased for Local 301 as well ag for its mem-
bers, the new budget worked out by the Exécutive Board with the advice of the
union auditors made it necessary to recommend increasing dues 50 vents a month.
Dues have not been raised since the union was formed in 1937,

The Con:titution Committee has un-
animously endorsed the Exeeutive
Board’s recommendation that dues be
raisea from $1.00 ‘to $1.40 a month,

The proposal will be brought before
a special membership meeting Tuesday
te May I, at union headquarters,

all_shitts. were to dis-.
“cuss the matter earlier,

“From experiences with the General

“Electric Company in the past and from

our experiences in the present contract
negotiations, it is obvious that the union

Union Calendar

Tuesday, May 14—Special mem-
bership and committemen’s meet.
ing. Report of Constitution Com-
mittee on proposed changes.

Tuesday, May 21—-Membership
mecting. SP. M. meeting of Of-
fice Workers Organizing Commit-

“ mittee,

Wednesday, May 22—Capital
District COT Council meeting, ClO
Hall,

must gear itself to perform additional
services and handle increasing prob-
lems,” Leo Jandreau, business agent
said. 7

“Po moet the obstacles placed in our
way by General Electrie we need nd-
ditional funds,”

}

AEH ti ii’ Which the inereas-
ed budget was discussed, Board’ mem-
bers pointed out the need for, increased

action and expenditures in’ the | ‘politic: Teal

field,” ‘such as the fight to save price con-
“trol.

During thé strike, it was pointed out,
the union learned from first-hand ex-
periencéd the need of keeping public

opinion constantly and well informed:

on the problems of the union.

“That means radio and newspaper
publicity,” dandreau said, “And it
means money.”

Costs of the district UE and the in-
ternational UE. have. also increased,
Jandreatt’ said, and Local 301 ean pay
its proportionate share of these increus-
cs by the proposed raise in dues,

The job of organizing the office
workers also-calls: for extra funds.

VETERANS ON JOB

Union GE and ALCO veterans’ com.
mittees ave getting set for political ac-
tion by making lists of their members
avcording to wards and election dis-
tricts,

The veterans will use CIO ward head-
quarters throughout the city for social
affairs as well’ as political discussions
and meetings.

UE WINS UTICA VOTE

The UE won a National Labor Rela-
tions Board Election May 3 at the Utica
Tube Works of GE at Utica. The vote

was 157 for UR and 1 for no union.

Talks with management start soon,

UE District Meeting
To Talk Organizing

Organization of the unorganized
workers in the upstate area will be the
_ main subject discussed at the UE Dis-
trict conference at Rochester Saturday
and Sunday. There are five new GE
plants: to be signed up and many others
sealtered over upstate counties,

Other topies to be discussed include:

political action and education,

Local 801 delegates will ‘be: Andrew
Peterson, president; Leo Jandreau, bus-
inuss agent; William Mastriani, chief

shop. steward, Sidney Friedlander and.

Roy Lash, committeemen:

eee “oqaatoueiaPhaain yateNmiaiyta nian naimaeniangusber vem

ELECTRICAL UNION

NEWS

May 9 1946

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

Uniren Exectrica., Rapio & Macuine
Workers or America, C10

Scuenrctapy GE Loca 301

Published by the Edttorial Committee

¢ Dewey Brashear Ray Flanigan
Milo Lathrop Fay Marvin
Willian Mastriani

‘Editorial Ojfice ~ Electrical Union News
301 Liberty. St. -.-Schencetady,. N.Y.

SCHENECTADY PRINTING CO.. INC.

Office Workers Hear
Facts on Labor Unions

Jerry Steinberg, UE field organizer
issigned to Schenectady, gave the first
talk in a-series on “The History and
Functions of Industrial Unions” at a
meeting of the Office Workers Organ-
izing Coramittee Tuesday at CIO Hall.

The opening talk dealt withthe back-
ground and development of labor un-
ions in the United
States. Union parlia-
mentary procedure
will be the next
topic. ~The discus-
sions were arranged
on request of office
workers for infor
mation of the “why”:
and. “how” of.union.
organization,

Sadie lovinella
made a preliminary
report on the survey
now being made by
the Office Workers Organizing Commit-
tee on the kind of jobs held by the peo-
ple wha-have applied for union member-
ship. Many veterans of World War II
and long service employes have signed
ip, she found.

The publicity committee™ reported
that a news letter, Union Digest, will
be ready to mail’each member by May
15, Meetings of the Office Workers
Organizing Committee are » canducted
every other Tuesday.

‘Sadie lovinella

Missing—Some Committeemen
_ Since V-J > day. there have been: so
many changes at the Schenectady plant
that in some spots people don’t have
any committeeman. e
It’s important for all. groups to have
representation, the Local 301 office has
pointed out, Anyone knowing of a vac-
ancy in the committeemen’s ranks should
notify the Executive Board member of
hha section ‘or one of the business
agents,

“

— 20...

Name 1946 Mutual Benefit Chairmen;

Secretaries To Be Announced Later

The list of General Electric Mutual Benefit Association chairmen for 1946 is

printed below.
taries will be available later,

Section

No. NAME

1.

NH,
13,
ay
Io,
16,
IT,
Is,
1,

21.
22,

23,
2a,

25.

2h,
EG
28,
20,
30.
al,
32,
33.
84,
35.
a0.
37.
38.
39.
42.
0.
jl.
58,
jd.

60.
61,
62,
63.
G4,
66,
67,
Gs,
69,
0.

Tom Bonner qu...

Williant-A. Jones -

J, Pfatfenbaeh ........

T. Millett

D. i. lewin .

C. Lewis .

Dow Kimmey
Marshall Cory
Vineent DiCarlo
Charles Seber
F. Campbell

N. Pasquini .
W. F. Ossenfort
F. Pusez . 3
Mabel Whitmyre
Walter Simmons ..

R. Paterson, Jt:

Now about saving the list for future reference?.

eee Steel Fdry,

T. Sweeney... wsneuens

The chairmen are:

Department

wv MOLOY cues.

..-Motor

ven & One,

oScrew Machine
-Testing 3986
4357
2805
5485
4701
Forge wewwe ‘ 3601
eee Gs, & Ba. ccceececseeeeeees 622
33800
4438
8613.
8292
2697

ll, C. Insp.
-Volt. Reg.
--Ind, Heat

oo Meh,-Repair : ~~~2898,——--—-}. Qi

Pattern’ .. 2727

Charles Chandler ..............Cable

Josephine

D. R. Long
D. Albanese
H. F. Martin
H. B, Chriss ..
J. R, Waterman
J. Winkler: ......2

H, Is, Dawson ............

John Johanson

1 A. Burrows.

F. Walton

J. R. Dickson

R. K, Benedict ....
Joseph Richardson -
John Knowles ..

J. F. Howard ....

A.M. Reinhart ........
Andrew Peterson .....
George Hunter .........

E. Godfrey |. .....
A. MeNally ......
CG. J. Stegmiller
John H. Turnbull
L. Stone . :
Harry Bowers ..

William Fears ............-..-Gen, Eng. Lab
Leo Cummings .........
iE. H, Follett a

B.D. Miller

A. F. Heitkamp . ...

B. H, Thelin .
Paul Young .

George J. Jackson ..,

L. C. Robbins .. ....

Jeanette Ennis ............Corp, Affairs ..
W. J. Smith oo G. OF Ace’ting ooo.

H. 8S. Bush

Parla cess
soerseeeeoeomeee Shipping’

seveee---Turbine

serene Wire

eeeeeePorcelain _.
Mica ......

Transportation 3870
Tool & Die 8975
Patrol ceeteenes = 2141
PL & La ce (789
3184

4779

2758

otor . . ww 4282
Elee, Tube . a 676
2740
4807
8154
4477
3250
2776
5596
2859
5033:
5144
2959
3841
8271
3131
2685
5191
2502
4687
2744
2144
28°72

sereeeeGTANG eee
wee Welded Prod. ...
wes DUPDING ccc
-Turbine

Turbine
Turbine
Turbine ..
Punch Press

weeeke@s, Lab. .......
nvnannsine Turbine BEng. fic ceesceseccseeee
T. CG. Eng. oe bees eueeene
a. «lnd, Motor .....
woleM. & G, Eng. ...
Payroll ec...
. ..Adv, & Sales .
Order Service

(Continued on Page 3)

Names of secre-

Building
No.
40
18
"46
42
48
16
14
16

11
105

May 9, 1946

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

38

‘Preparing For Rochester Conference

Four of the delegates who will represent Local 301 at the UE District 3 conference
this weekend at Rochester. . Left to right, William Mastriani, Sidney Friedlander,

Roy Lash and Andrew Peterson, president of the local.
Jandreau, the fiftlr delegate; was in New York City at contract negotiations. when
“the picture Was made. . neg : ‘

Business Agent Leo

Local 301 Fights —
GE Policy on Vets

(Continued from Page 1)

The union spokesmen said Local 301
will turn over to Selective Service all
such cases for federal action against
G.E. Selective Service officials agreed
that handling such complaints is a duty
of their office.

On the matter of dismissing long-
term employes because of .super-senior-
ity of veterans, the draft officials lined
sup with GE.

They said that until ov unless the U.8,
Supreme Court rules differently, they
will act under General Lewis B. Her-
shey's interpretation of the law. Gen-
eral Hershey, U. S. Selective Service
head, maintains that any veteran has
seniority over any non-veteran, reward-
less of length of employment service or
contract provisions.

The union position is that a veteran’s
seniority should be figured on the. basis
of length of service with the company
plus time in military service. The Lo-
cal 301 veterans’ committee backs this
stand,

Beside Jandreau, representatives of
Local 301 at the Albany meeting were
Rdward Wallingford, Frank  Emspak,
Joseph Dominelli, chairman of the Incal's
veterans’ committee, William Stella and
Dewey Brashear.

Selective Service officials present
were Col. W. FL. Boughton, Maj. Charles
Henderson and Maj. C. A. Foss.

BONUS THIS YEAR

General Electric has informed
UE that the bonus will be paid
this year, The percentage to--be-
paid and the date of payment have
not yet been announced,

AID FOR STRIKERS

Collections for the Westinghouse
strikevs must ‘be turned in tomorrow at
the Intest so that the report of Local 301
members’ donations can be made,

The signs. all point to a generous re-
spouse to the needs of the UE members
on the Westinghouse picket lines, Com-
mitbeemen are the colletors.

Business Is Good, Thanks

Applications from workers who wish
te join Local 801 are still pouring into
the office. Tt is important that appli-
cations be turned in immediately in or-
der for the names to be sent to the com-
pany for the dune check-off.

UE Union Members
Repay Blood Bank

Members of the UE local at West
Lynn, Mass., donated eight pints of
blood recently to a ‘Boston hospital to
pay for blood transfusions given at the
hospital to the wife of a member of
Local 301. Soe
~~ -Dhe-Schenectaiy UE- member came ‘to
the Local 801 office with this problem:
he owed eight pints of blood to the blood
bank of Deaconess Hospital where his
wife was a patient. i ‘

Local 801 contacted Assistant Busi-
ness Agent Frederick M. Kelly, of Local
201, West Lynn, who took the matter up
with the Executive Board there.

Next news was that eight UE mem-
bers from West Lynn had donated blood
to repay the blood bank, If they had
not come to the aid of the Schenectady
worker, he would have had to pay more

than _$200 to_the_hosnpitalLw8 4

Union Office Explains
Dues Collection Method

To clear up misunderstandings on
dues collections, the business office has
asked members to remember the follow-
ing facts,

Dues will be deducted from pay on
the first Thursday or Friday of the
month, whichever is the individual
worker's payday.

Anyone working 10 days in any one
month will have his dues deducted for
that month.

Union members who have been off
the payroll and are re-engaged will find
in many cases that the first deduction is
$2.00. The reason is that they worked
at least 10 days in the previous month
but were not on the payroll when the
deduction was made for that month..,

For example, John Jones was rehired
Apr. 15, after dues deductions had been
mad for that month. Therefore on the
first payday in May the company cor-
rectly deducted $2.00 covering both
months.

NAME 1946 MUTUAL BENEFIT CHAIR

MEN

(Continued from Page 2)

Th Vv. G. Guteh ‘ I. G. BE.
72. W. FPF. Griesemer
Ta. VF. J. Scharbach
TH. R. V. Burleigh
Th, J, Kot ..

76, George I,

Tm OT Sauter &

seve Prods

vepweeAera, & Mat, eon
wesesweR UNC PYERS) sexes coexs

-Office Serv.
Plane & Wage
..Cons. Engr.

80. Jesse Sprong ceeccccocueedt. Edward cece

1 ’

srsreeneanonul et cman anentaeanimetaisreyy sor FO eee ntns