More Lost Jobs
in Turbine
by Paul Hacko®
“You make us tremble’. This is
Turbine management’s typical an-
swer to the sheet metal group in
Bldg. 278, concerning farm-outs
and job security, ;
Here is the story concerning
farm-outs in the sheet metal group.
In‘ order to pin point rumors. that
more jobs would be farmed out, the
sheet metal group filed a grievance
and it was processed by the Union
und labor management.’ It was
-andmitted “by management that
farm-outs were taking place. Man-
agement professed surprise that,
work was being farmed out to Am-
sterdam and Carman at lower,
prices. They were. going to look
into this matter,
Management stated that the po-
sition of the Company would be to
build large sheet metal enclosures
vloser to ‘the point of installation.
Saving on freight and storing of
enclosures were their reasons: for
doing this. 2
Union and sheet metal workers
pointed out that dockets covering
farm-outs had been processed, Un-
_ ion and committee pointed out the
fact that “when farm-out affected
and caused lack of work and down-
grades, there would be no farm-
outs’, Company’s answer | was:
- “We have changed our policies”.
Union and ‘committee — pointed
out that this was not what "GE.
was telling the community through
the media of the press and the GE.
Works. News. The Union’s: position
and the sheet metal group stated
that: this policy and notification
would leave no alternative than to
inform the community and the rest
of the plant what is taking place,
through means of the press and
the Union paper. Company’s un-
swert “You make us tremble”,
The sheet metal group has also
been informed that G.I. intends to
farm. out 48 out of 60 turbine large,
sheet metal enclosures, This is con+
trary to Pie propaganda, handed
out by GL i namely, “We have the
welfare of -G.E, workers in our
hearts at mal times ... Progress is
our most important product”,
Mr, Cordiner stuted in 1957 that
he is “not aware that anyone would
be injured ENPOME farm-outs and
job transfers”. What a false state”
ment this was and is, °
- | Following are places where sheet
metal work is being farmed out:
Amsterdam ° "
G.P.C, Engineering, Sturbridge,
Mass. ;
Arduini Mfg. Corp.,. Worcester,
Mass,
Ackroyd Sheet Metal, ‘Alben,
N.Y.
Bates. Tool & Die, Schenectady,
. (Carman)
Subcontracting
(Continued from Pae 1)
TO THE. PUBLIC: Stoppages
are discouraging GE top officials
from investing money in Schenec-
tady. (Stevens) Lf .
PRIVATE: We are only begin-
ning to decentralize. There will be
more small plant and small town
locations.
'O THE PUBLIC: -Plant Mana-
ger congratulates Chamber of
Commerce Committee set-up to
bring Industry in to the Capitol
Area. (Stevens)
PRIVATE: 5000 jobs in Indus-
trial Control moved out of’town.
TO THE PUBLIC: Decentrali-
zation has resulted in more em-
ployment: for Schenectady. (Craw-
ford)
PRIVATE: 5000 jobs lost ‘since -
1954 in factory. alone.’
TO THE PUBLIC: Schenectady
does not provide the cultural at-
mosphere. to expand employment.
(Cordinér)
PRIVATE:
new GI plants)
TO THE PUBLIC: Taxes in the
State of New York do not provide
for a good business climate,
PRIVATIE: Why say New York
State or even, the United States?
GE has now opened a plant in
Puerto Rico! :
TO THE PUBLIC: The Right to
Work Laws should be enacted in all.
the States for-the protection of the
working man,
PRIVATE: These laws weaken
Unions, by outlawing the Union
Shop.
One could go on : indinainitely giv-
ing the contrast between General
Electric’s publie statements and its
private actions.
While the GE officials are claim-
ing unemployment is not being*un-
duly affected by GE policy of trans-
ferring departments out of town,
and farming out work that could
‘be done by workers who have been
laid off, the New York State m-
ployment. Service reports an in-
crease in unemployment insurance
claims. The merchants and;..pro-
fessionals who depend on the earn-
ings of GE employees are com-
plaining because of a drop in sales.
© It finally bails down to one thing—
and that is the need for employ-
ment security,
This is the issue that comes up
“this year, between GI and the Na-
tional TUE, for contract’ negotia-
tions. The issue is important, not
only to GE workers, but to the en*
tire community.
Don‘t be lulled to sleep: by GE
slogans, Support the Union’s posi-
tion to give more economic security
to the workers in our community, |
and thereby create more security
for. the community as a whole.
‘Neither does Jones-
boro, Arkansas; Waynesboro, Vir-, »
ginia; Shelbyville, Indianas’(a few!
‘Standing Committees for 1958
As Recommended by Executive Board and Approved
By Membership
Constitution Committee .
William Linka, #273
Stanley Aldhous, #49
Anthony Campriello, #52
William Kelly, #273
Fay Hildreth, #59
Anthony Esposito, #40
Larry Gebo, #273
Joseph, Alois, #273
Marry Williams;"#16 °
Joseph Mangino, #49’.
Leo Jandreau, Bus. Agent
Legislative Committee
Whole Executive Board,
5 members to act as sub-committee:
William Linka, #273
Joseph Koral, #40°
Andrew Hmura, #269
. Henry Kaminski, #76
«John Shambo, #16
‘William’ Stewart, Legislative
Representative for Loczl
Fi inance Committee
' Gerald O'Brien, #17 .
William Templeton, #40
John D. Smith, #273
Vincent Palazeke, #60
Leo Jandreau, Bus. Agent
- Civil Rights Committee
William Garrison, #49
Sunday Lupi, #49
William Van Slyke, #40
John Smialek, #273
_Ralpty Boyd, #40
James Carey, #273 -
Grievance Committee
‘Chief Steward, Recording Secre-
tary, Business. Agerit and Execu-
tive Board Member with Steward
- involved in case:,
Discharge Committee
Joseph Sickinger, #273
Miles Moon, #738 °° «"~
Building Committee—
Officers of Union
Harry Williams, #16
John Shambo, #16
Gerald O’Brien, #17
Larry Gebo, #273
Michael Rakviea, #49
Vincent Di Lorenzo, #49
Leo dJandreau, Business Agent
Anders Christensen, #278
Bernard Fasula, #40
William Templeton, #40
John D. Smith, #278
Vincent Palazeke, #60
Compensation and Welfare
Harry Williams, #16 |
Michael Rakvica, #49
Joseph Alois, #2738
Activities Committee
Roy Schaffer, Office Mgr.,
Union Office
Angie Palmer, #50
Walter Martin, #60
Pat Donato; #66
Henry Caputo, #273
William Noone, #273"
Marshall White, #40
Paul Briggs, #52
Joseph Drozdowski, #10A
» William Mastriani, #69
Arthur Herberts, #24 ~
Edward Alberts #60
Joseph Marco, #84
Louis Di Angelis, #52
Thomas Brzoza, #72
Labor Dept. Reports on
Unemployed for 1957
750,000 persons applied.for and
received Unemployment Insurance
benefits during last year. Total’
benefits received amounted to 214
million in 1957.
Industrial Commissioner Isador
Lubin said these benefits provide ge
sense of dignity for the worker
without work, the lessening of fear
and the quieting of tension, In-
voluntary unemployment can never
be pleasant, but, at least, we re-
duce the problem to some, extent.
The Labor Commissioner reported’:
the average wage for New York.
State was $91.00 per week. He fur-
ther reported that the State Em-
ployment Service was filling close
to a million jobs a year,
IUE’s OWN .
Radio Program
Keep Posted with
PIPELINE
HEAR -
Jim Toughill
EVERY DAY
Nation, Your Union, Sports,
Weather and Music.
W.0.K.O.
On Your Dial — 1460
6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
EVERY DAY
-
News about The World, The ‘a i
Harman Cartwright, #84
John Shambo, #16
James Carey, #278
Toni Smith, #12
Betty Pavlick, #17
Edward Sobecki, #17
John De Georgia, #72
Appeals Committee
Committee of 8 from Mxecutive
Board at time the case comes up.
for appeal,
Placement Committee
Toni Smith, #12°
Joseph Sickinger, #273
Office Workers Organizing
Committee
Whole Executive Board
Editorial Committee
Harry Williams, #16 |
John ‘Shambo, #16
Gerald O’Brien, #17
Larry Gebo, #273
Michael Rakvica, #49
Vincent Di Lorenzo, #49
Leo Jandreau, Business Agent
IUE
AFL-CIO
Vol, 3 — No. 25
The Voice of GE Workers, Local 301, Schénectady, N.Y.
February 7, 1958
Congress First Major Vote
Expected on Natural Gas Bill
The long-pending Natural Gas Bill is likely to be the first
major issue to be voted on by the incoming Congress.
) his Bill-has been twice passed but vetoed. The propo-
‘nents of the, Bill are offering an amendment: to the Bill, hop-
ing it will pass the House.
The Natural Gas Act, H.R.-852 5, has already passed from
the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce to the
House of Representatives. H-R.-8525 will lift’ Federal con-
trols.on the price of natural gas. Tt made law, more than 27
million natural gas consumers will probably have to pay 15,
‘cents more per thousand cubic feet. If a family cooks and
heats with gas, the increase would amount to from $40.00 to
$55.00 per year. This increase in gas rates would represent
a wage cut of over 2 cents per hour,
. The defeat of this bill is necessary and action by the voters
is strongly .urged.. Write a letter to Congressman Bernard
Kearney, House Office Building, Washington, D. C., asking him
to vote against H.R,-8525
c REQUEST LOCAL ACTION
‘
Local 301 has made a formal request to the City Council
“and to the Board of Supervisors to go on record in opposition
to this legislation. In a letter dated 1/2 9/58, the Union ad-
vised the City and County legislators that this legislation
‘would increase the cost of natural«gas from $40.00 to $55.00
per year,
Walter Reuther’s Speech Postponed
Walter Reuther, President of the United Aulo Workers, CIO, and
‘Chairman of the Industrial Department of the AFL¢CIO, has found it
necessary to postpone his appearance as a Speaker and guest of the
Freedom Forum, which was scheduled to be held at the Mont Pleasant
High School Auditorium on Monday, February 17th, to the following
Monday, February 24th. The.time of the meeting is the same—8:00 P.M.
All Shop Stewards and Exeeulive Board Members are requested to
( ‘potify those members who purchased tickets of the change in date to
-Monday, February 24th.” ‘The Local’s meeting schedule was changed for
February for the convenience of those who were planning to attend the
lecture. The regular meeting of the membership of, Local 301 which
. falls on the third Monday of each month has been cancelled and a joint
Stewards-Membership Meeting was held last Mondyy, February 3rd.
The changed schedule for February will remain in effect.
The Executive Board Meeting which is scheduled for February 24th,
will be discussed Monday evening, February 10th, when the Executive
Board convenes. °
FLASH
Telegram has been .reeeived
from Congressman Bernard _
Kearney stating he will vote
against H.R. 8525,.the so-called
Natural Gas Bill that would
increase gas rates.
NOTICE
EXECUTIVE BOARD
MEETING
Monday, Feb. 10, 1958
7:30 P.M.
UNION HEADQUARTERS
121 Erie Blvd.
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
Bills to “implement the 1958 .Unemployment Insurance legislative
program of the New York State CIO have been introduced in Athany.
These Bills would: increase maximum benefits to $5-400, extend-the.weeks
-for“payment from 26 to 39, reduce from 20 to 15 the number of weeks’
work needed to qualify, extend coverage to establishments employing
one or more and provide for the enactment of the other parts of the
program for improvement of the Unemployment Insurnnce Law,
With the rising lide of unemployment, there is little need to empha-
size [he intportance of, above all else, bringing the henefit maximum more
in line with present day wages and living east. Thousands more workers
cach week are losing their,jobs and the need of themselves and ‘their
families is growing more acute every day. ‘Therefore, more than -ever
before in creeent years, a “clean” higher benefits bill must be enacled- in
AQSS. :
Introduction, of the Bills, however, is only a first step to get the
Legislature to consider these improveménts, From here on, what nust
be done is to contact your local Assemblyman and Senator and first urge
them to have the Bills reported out of committees and second: to ensure
sufficient votes for their passage. :
Hore are-the Bills by Assembly and Senate Tntreductor v Numbers
with the names ‘of the legislative Sponsors:
I, Assem. Intro. 1998—-Brennan i AL 218—Pox
Senate, Intro. 1685—Mackell (No companion bill in Senate)
To increase maximum weekly To
benefits from $86 to Si.
repeal the Hughes-Brees
merit: rating amendments which
lighten taxes for seme while-in-
‘A yy) an Hoge sot . ‘
AT, 1829—Weiser creasing them for other concerns:
Sw. 14238—Helman
To increase weeks of payment 6. A]. 1006—Roassetti
from 26 to 39. S.1. M—Cittelson
Toe veduce from 20 to 16) weeks
the number required to be eligi-
hle for unemployment. insuranee
benefits.
S.A 168—-Travia
8.1L. 1d4—-Pino
To extend coverage to all estab-
lishments of one or more.
A... 100%7—Rossetti
oA, 1190—Marano ST. 760—Watson
S.l, 604—Helman To
To extend coverage to employees
of non-profit organizations.
provide certain unemploy-
ment insurance payments retro-
active to July 1, 1957,
ASSEMBLY BENATE
Labor & Industries Comm. Labor & Industries Comm.
Ostrander of Saratoga
Blodgett of Yates
Drum of Columbia
Pomeroy of Dutchess
Hawley of Warren
G. W. Johnson of Essex
Horan of Westchester
McCloskey of Nassau
Marano of ‘Kings
Ingram of St, Lawrence
Travia of Kings
Asch of Bronx
Abrams of Bronx
Rossetti of Now York
Hatfield of Poughkeepsie
Condon of Yonkers
Metealf of Auburn
Bauer of Buffalo
Van Wiggeren of Herkimer
Pericone of Bronx
Watson of N, Yy City
Pino of Brooklyn
Gilbert of N.Y. City
Albert of Mineola
Mahoney of Buffalo
Zaretaki of N. Y. City
The above members of these committees will reeeive mail by ad-
dressing it to the N, Y, State Capitol, Albany, Me ¥.
' t
oie Sinaneenbhede erncc ir wt
The Right of an Injured Worker
To Sickness Benefits
“A worker who is injured while at work receives compen-
sation for lost time under the compensation laws. His maxi-
mum benefits are $36.00 a week. On the other hand, a worker
who is unable to’ work due to illness not connected with an
injury at the plant is entitled to Sick Benefits (known under
the law as Disability Benefits) with a maximum rate of half
‘of his wages up to $85.00 per week. Under compensation, the
injured worker receives his com-
pensation for as long as he is dis-
abled from the injury, while under
Sickness Benefits, he receives ben-
efits only for a maximum of 26
weeks.
A worker who is ‘injured at the
plant should file a claim for Sick-
ness Benefits as well as for com-
pensation, While a worker can-
not receive both of these benefits,
such a worker is entitled to re-
ceive his compensation of $86.00,
and in addition, he can receive the
difference up to half his wages but
not more than $85.00 per week, un+
dev the Disability Benefits Law. Of
course, the payments made up to
him under the Disability Benefits
Law will be paid to him. only for
the first 26 weeks of total dis-
ability.
Sometimes it happens for vari-
ous reasons that an injured worker
does not begin to receive his com-
pensation benefits until some legal
questions have been cleared up
with the help of the union’s lawyer,
In such cases, the worker may re-
ecive his benefits entirely under
the insurance plan with a maxi-
mum of half of his wages up to
$85.00 per week. However, when
the worker finally proves his right
to compensation at $36.00 a week,
this award is first used to pay back
‘the insurance company the $36.00
a week which should have been
paid in the first instance by way of
compensation.
Beeause all this sounds a little
complicated perhaps an example
should be given to explain it,
Let us take the imaginary case
uf Louis Dempsey. Supposing that
in January 15, 1952, Dempsey de-
velops an ulecr on the leg which
prevents him from doing any work,
He files a claim under his insur-
ance plan for sickness benefits and
his doctor certifies that he is total-
ly disabled. At this point, he is en-
titled to receive Disability’ Bene-
fits under the insurance plan. Demp-
sey, however, and his doctor also
feel that the ulcer resulted from a
blow to Dempsey’s leg while Demp-
sey was at work. With the help of
the union's lawyer, Dempsey files
a claim for compensation for ‘the
injury. If Dempsey can show that
the ulcer did in fact result from
the blow, he would be entitled to
$36.00: a week compensation for six
weeks lost time and also to the
payment of all -his medical. bills.
When the case comes up for a
compensation hearing, the company
informs the referee that before
they will pay compensation they
want Dempsey’s doctor to testify
as to why he feels that the ulcer
came from the accident, This caus-
es some delay in Dempsey’s com-
pensation claim, but in the mean-
time he is receiving $47.00 per
week as “Disability Benefits” or a
total of $282 for six weeks. Final-
ly, Dempsey’s doctor testifies and
the. referee rules that the ulcer did,
in fact, come from a blow at the
plant, He gives Dempsey an award
for six weeks compensation at
$36.00 or a total of $216 and at the
same time orders that this money
be: paid back to the insurance com-
pany which laid out the $282.00 as
“Disability Benefits”. .
The question might he asked as
to why Dempsey should have gone
to all this trouble to establish his
right to compensation benefits if
the only result was that all of this
money was to be paid to the insur-
ance company, The answer is that
by establishing his rights to com-
pensation, Dempsey has not only
also established: his’ right to the
payment of medieal bills as well,
but, has also established his right
to medical care or lost time pay-
ments for 18 years after the a
dent, This type of protection is not
given by the claim which hé filed
for “Disability Benefits” alone.
Workers who are injured or to-
tally disabled beeause of a condi-
tion arising out of their employ-
ment, should be careful always to
file both claims —- a claim for
compensation and a claim for sick-
ness benefits.
Attend Your
Union Meeting
IUE-CIO LOCAL 301 NEWS
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF LOCAL 301,
REPRESENTING SCHENECTADY
GE WORKERS
eG Boo 2
Published by the Editorial Committas
Prosidont
Vico Prosident
Treasurer
Recording Secretary....-.~
Ass't Recording Secretary
Chief Shop Steward.
Business Agont,
121 ERIE BLVD,
“Horry Williams
John Shambo
~Vincent Diloranze
Leo Jandroou
SCHENECTADY, N. Y.
Abraham Lincoln's 5 Union Proposals
While. Lincoln’s Birthday is a
legal holiday, the General Eleetric
and ‘the ‘Public Schools have de-
cided to celebrate Washington’s
Birthday which falls on February
22nd, this year, Neither of the two
are paid holidays, under the con-
tract. ‘
Washington’s Birthday actually
falls on Saturday, however, the
Company has decided to celebrate
the holiday ow Friday, which. has
been a practice in Schenectady. If
a, holiday falls on. Sunday, it is
celebrated on Monday. While the
choosing of Washington’s Birthday
gives the employees a 3-day week-
end against Lincoln’s which falls
in the middle of a work week,
either way it: results into a 20%
- eut.in the weekly pay check for the
hourly rated employees. Adding
this cut in purchasing power to the
thousands that have been. laid off
from the Schenectady G.E. in the
past few years, it gives the econ-
omy of our community a terrific
setback.
Quite often we forget some of
the important statements that have
gone down in history,-made.by fa-
mous leaders of our country. Some
of these statements could very well
he used as a basis for a solution to
some of our current economic
problems, President Abraham Lin-
coln in a message to Congress on
December 8, 1861, said: “Labor is
priar to, and independent of capital.
Capital is only the fruit of Labor,
‘and could never have existed. if
Labor had not first existed... .”
MUE’s OWN
Radio Program
Keep Posted with
PIPELINE
HEAR
Jim Toughill
News about The World,«The
Nation, Your Union, Sports,
Weather and Music.
W.O.K.O.-:
On Your Dial — 1460
6:30 am. to 7:00 a.m.
EVERY DAY
Birthday, Feb. 12 To Prevent Strike
Rejected by 6. E.
L. JANUARY, 1957 — During O
i
series of meetings with’ GE
officials, TUE suggested com-
pany and union gather all in-
formation regarding uliem-
ployment and insecurity, so as
to reduce seriousness of situ.
ation and prepare for 1958
negotiations on Employment
security.
é
APRIL 8, 1957—IUKE vroposee-}
that GE and IUE “sit down
immediately” and determine
basic facts for negotiations on
1958 reopener. Agreement
could be effective upon sign-
ing, or if GE insisted, on Oct.
1, 1958,
IF THAT PROPOSAL wasn't
satisfactory, [UE proposed ne-
rotiations start June 16, 1958
and all proposals from both
“parties be on table 30 days,
later. “We would then navd )
80 more days prior to October
Tin a calm, unhurried atmos-
phere, free from crises, to
reach agreement.”
APRIL 22, 1957—1UE_ pro-
posed a mutually-established
Fact-Vinding Board of several
well-known College professors
of Industrial Relations. This
Fact-Pinding Board would then
make a Report on what the sit-:
uation is, and the Union and
the company could then devotd: j
the entire time to what should
be done about the situation.
NOVEMBER 138, 1957-—-1UE
proposed GE and TUE appoint
a Joint Committee which would
gather all pertinent facts on
Employment Security and the
points: to be discussed in ne-
gotiations. This would then
leave the Union and the Com-
pany in a position where the
precious 30 days between Sept.
LT and Oct. 1 would be devoted
entirely to working out an
agreement, based on the facts
reported by the Joint Com-
mittee.
o
By permission of the Berkshire Eagle of Pittsfield, Mass., we are ‘running
a reprint of the following article, which was published in their 1/20/58
edition:
~ GE's Trouble Is That It Rubs Badly
At the Junction of Body and Soul
By Robert Smith
LINCOLN STEFFENS used to
insist that no“businessman could be
a good. citizen. I don’t know as I
would want to put it as badly as
that, but I sure know what he
means. For no man can be a good
citizen and a good businessman at
the same time —’ particularly if
there is a question of immediate
profit involved.
You take that business with Esso
in Bayonne, N. J., some time ago
“that so angered Che habitual de-
p orders of the over-privileged here-
abouts’ when I complained of it.
Esso then, somebody«must recall,
insisted that taxes be eut 10 per
cent, on threat of dumping a lot of
employes out of work. The local
politicos, at Esso’s urging, there-
upon cut back the school budget,
dropped plans’ for a new school, and
continued oversize classes. And in
answer to’ complaints about it, the
local manager explained .at some
length, to me and.to The Eagle,
that it was done with the welfare
of the school children in mind.
a
SO WHAT happened ? 2 So Esso
Ope its 10 per cent tax cut and Ex
ust recently dumped half its oe
force on the street. Of course the
local manager, as kindly a mind as:
you’d want to meet, asserted that
he had never promised that Esso
would keep Bayonne employed in
return for the cut. But he sure is
not going to sell me on the idea
that he did this either for the good
of the. school children or the good
ef Bayonne. He did ‘it, as he had
to, for the good of Msso—not he-
cause there was any danger that
Esso would go broke, but because
those profits had to stay right up
there or they. would look for a new
exmanager.
AND THAT is what Steffens
meant, When it comes to a choice
between a dollar bill — even an
extra dollar bill that the stock-
holders might easily spare—and
the good of the community, the
dollar bill wins every time.
That is why General Electric,
which can afford enormous salaries
and expense accounts for its execu-
tives, and can always find a job
for the son of a well-placed citizen,
Joes not hesitate to impoverish a
city if it.can see a chance to make
a better deal elsewhere. When it
talks about bettering community
relations, it really means deluding
the citizens of the city into: believ-
ing that General Electric puts the
good of the community first—that
-it is concerned with Progress, and
the Good Life, and. not with that
trifling 20 per cent profit.
BUT LET that profit start to
dwindle, even on a part of the op-
eration, and see how much GE is
ready to sacrifice for the commun-
ity’s good. A “good” businessman
knows no community. He is ready
to give his heart to Pittsfield, or
Hickory, or Rome, Ga., or Kalama-
zoo on a temporary basis, and to
withdraw it just as readily if the
chosen community tries to recover
too much of what he takes out of it.
. Lives there a GE executive with
tongue so supple that he ean deny
this‘obvious fact? Is there a pub-
lic relations “expert” anywhere
who can sell’ a’ community on the.
notion that turning half the payroll
out on the, street is a step toward
a better city? Or for that matter,
is there some, intrepid character
hereabouts with courage enough to
sign his name to a statement ex-
plaining and justifying the amount
of profit GE makes on its invested
capital ?
kook Ok
WELL, IT don’t think so. Your
sophisticated businessman knows
better than to mix truth with pub-
licity, Right now I am sure there
are a dozen great minds trying to
phrase sin answer to Reuther’s re-
quest that all profit above 10 per
cent be divided among company,
employes and customers. And you
ean be sure that none of them will
state the simple truth that the aim
of Big Business is to grab and hold
all the wealth it can get.
No, there will be talk about the
“Ameriean way” and “socialism”
and indirect hints that there is no
profit over 10 per cent and wise-
eracks about who does Ruetler
think he is, an executive o1 some-
thing? There will eventually be,
Iam sure, long philosophical treat-
ises on the blessings of permitting
men to store up- indecent aggrega-
tions, of capital and solemn statis-
ties to show how the country would
suffer enormously in lost taxes.
Just as if the country and the peo-
ple who inhabit it and work in it
can be told apart,
ak kook
AND SO I hardly expect that
General Electric, with allits wealth
of hired talkers and writers, will
wet into any discussion about how
much profit is enough and why
executives should get enormous
pensions and allowances, come good
times or bad, while.the “commun-
ity” (meaning the people who live
here) should pay the price of every
slacking off. On the contrary, I
look for well publicized (and close-
ly calculated) donations to com-
Does Long Service Pay Off?
by Bill Christman
The following article is based on detailed facts which this G.I.
worker submitted to the Union’s Placement Committee in a personal
interview at his request on 1/31/58. : ‘
This worker, who has 84 years of service with the Company, was
another victim of the Company’s moving a department ‘out of the Sche-
nectady plant. He was an Assembler out of Bldg. 46 in the A&O Dept.
and was issued his L/W notice on 11/25/57. :
‘
Thé runaround ‘and hardships that this worker was put thru in the
‘next six (G6) weeks, we.feel shouldn’t happen to a dog much less a worker
with this service.
©
He started: out on interview the following day, 11/26/57, without a
doubt in his mind that due to his long service and with his job being
moved out, he would easily get suitable and proper placement. He soon
found out how wrong he was in this thinking.
We just don’t. have enough space in our paper to relate all of the
details of what happened to this worker in the period involved, so we
will attempt to relate the most important facts concerning his case.
He wants the fact known: that on all of his interviews, which included
the following depts: MAC, SAC, Gas Turbine and Steam Turbine, the
only: personnel people ‘that gave him fair treatment, but still were unable
to properly place ‘him, were the MAC and SAC Depts.
On all of his many dealings with the Company’s personnél people,
he had tried to. impress them with this one’ main fact, and this was that
his wife was under the care of a heart specialist and he had been advised
by his doctor that any disruption of her normal way of living could prove
disastrous to her. He tried his very best to get these people to pick up
their phone and call the doctor to substantiate his statement. Not one
Company representative, which included a top representative of manage-
ment in central management, saw fit to cheek this fact. *
This worker wants. it known that he would have accepted any 1st
shift job offered that he was physically able to do in order to protect his
wife’s well-heing. He also states that this small request, to obtain a 1st
shift job, was the only favor that he had ever asked from the Company
in his 84 years with G.E.
An example of the type of treatment that he received on his many
interviews is: while on his second interview in Gas Turbine, he told the
management that a worker had advised him that there was an opening
in Stexrm Turbine on Assembly in the Diaphram Section, so he requested
that they hold up on filling the job offer in Gas Turbine while he investi:
gated this other job, This they aireed to do and told him that the offer
in Gas Turbine would be kept open for him as long as he made up his
mind within one week, To:make a long story short, he was refused the
job in Steam Turbine because their position there was that he had been
offered a job in Gas Turbine and had not taken that job. The truth of the
matter is that the original job offer in Bldg. 49 Was Heavy Assembly and
Erection which including climbing which both he and the Company had
agreed that he couldn't do, but the fact remains that after his turn down
in Steam Turbine, he returned to Gas Turbine for the job that they had
agreed would be kept open for this worker within two (2) days and was
told this job no longer was available to him.
Late in December, approximately the 27th or 28th, with his time run-
ning out in A&O Dept, he was forced to aecept a Nozzle Assembly job
on the 2nd shitt in Bldg. 49 on a three (8) step ‘downgrade. On 1/3/58,
he had to leave the A&O Dept. which was closed down and on 1/6/58, he
reported to Gas Turbine on assembly job on the 2nd shift,
On 1/25/58, after less than 3 weeks on the 2nd shift, this worker's
wife had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital, She was placed
under an oxygen tent but on 1/28/58, she died. This worker feels that be-
“nuse of his being forced to take a 2nd shift job is the reason that his
wife had this attack. He wants the Company to know that he sincerely
hopes that the “wives” of Company representatives whom he. dealt with
while trying to get placed never have to undergo the nedet als and TEE
ships that were forced on his family.
The above article only tells of some of the conditions ch our Union
and workers have to face in trying to properly place long service workers
who lose their jobs thru no fault of their own, .
munity welfare, more and more
free horsé-operas on television, and
plenty of exhilarating stuff about
how GE is getting ready to export
Free Enterprise to the moon,
IS YOUR FELLOW
WORKER A
UNION MEMBER?
Dinas ast
rash A eT aL SAGA CB TED TTT Tr
ones
