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WESTINGHOUSE WORKERS CELEBRATE VICTORY at gates of big Essington, Pa, plant immediately
after announcement of vote, Organized in UE
to defeat IUE-CIO and LAM-ABL raiders.
since 1936, these workers overcame treachery and red-baiting
District Council Maps Legislative
Program To Fight Unemployment
A. legislative program on. state
and federal issues, combining a
full-scale fight.to protect jobs and
to protect those laid off, was the
puineipal matter of discussion at
the UM District 3 Council meetine
held in Schenectady duly 15 and 16,
The Council recommended” that
all locals in the district set up lo-
cal unemployment committees to
keep in touch with laid off mem-
bers, ‘uid them in solving their
problems and actively carry oh a
fight for jobs in their respective
ureas.
The legislative: program adopted
for New York State ineludes:
Revision of unemployment com-
pensation law to -inerease maxi-
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE
WORKERS OF AMERICA (UE)
Local 301.
“> 2.=
Published by the Editorlal Committes
Prosidant_.. Jamos J. Cognotta
Vico Pra: —doseph Alols
Treasurer x soph: Whitbock -
Racording Miles Moon
Aus't Recording Seer
Chlof Shop Steward.
Busines Agent. -beo Jandroau
201 LIBERTY ST SCHENECTADY 5, N. ¥
4. © Friday, January 22, 1954
mui benefits to $40 a week.
Mlimination of waiting and pen-
alty periods. .
$4 additional tor all dependants
up to five; no merit rebates; liher-
alize eligibility requirements for
unemployed compensation.
Liberalize workmen's compensa
tion ta $40 maximum $15 mini-
mum; eliminate one week waiting
time; provide compensation to par-
tinlly disabled silicosis victims.
Amend equal pay law to elimin-
ate loopholes for diserimination for
“eouses other than sex,”
The federal legislative program.
adopted ‘by the Council included:
United action with all lnbor to
defeat the Butler Bill or other
similar bills to deprive workers of
right to choose their own unions
and their own leaders.
Increased ‘federal aid for state
unemployment insurance funds,
Federal public works to provide
jobs, 1
VOOWEY
program for Big Business. End of
Gavernment tux incentives to run-
way shops whieh cnuse. mass un-
employment. Lifting of trade bare
viers to enable U. S. workers to
fil! the world-wide demiuad for in-
dustrial goods,
Tax relief for. working peaple
with exemptions on all income up
to $4,000 a yenr: special exemp-
tions for working mothers.
Enactment of $1.25 federal min-
imum wuge law.
Enactment of Falr Employment
Practices Law with real teeth.
Increase social security to $125
a month for all workers 60 years
of age or older,
Repeal of Walter McCarran Act
ugainst foreign born; repeal of all
acts depriving people of their civil
rights; defeat measures to strip
Americans of the protections. given
by the Bill of Rights against Me- .
Carthyite witch-hunters and black-
listers,
Helen Quirini. Given
District Assignment
UE District Council 3 has sel-
cevted “Helen Quirini.of. Local 801.
for a full-time special 10-week as-
ignment to aid in carrying aut the
District program. among the UE
locals of upstate New Yark,
jiticians
The 7,000 workers of the
big Essington, Pa. Westing-
house plant, organized sing)
1936 in UE Local 107, gave
terrific five to one drubbing to.
the IUE-CIO, the IAM-AFL
and the red-baiting politicians
of the Vhiladelphia area January
14 in-an election conducted by the
NLRB.
The vote was: :
UE Local” 107 .B,046
"TUE-C1O. .. 04S
TAM-AFL. , 4 488
No Union an
As usual, the TUE-CIO campaign
was ‘conducted on a-basis of Me-
-Carthyite red-baiting. Westing-
house workers ‘were promised that
if they would: ‘give “up the honest,
“militant and democratic unionism
they had had in the UE for 17
rs and accept the undemocratic,
red-baiting IVE, both thé govern-
inent and the company would be
nies to them, (The TUE strategy
was: based on the faet that heavy
layofl's have been threatened at
Mssington and. the politielang were
used to the hilt to sway the elec-
Lion, ,
Repudiate MeCarthyism -
Speaking at Tsington after ty,
vote was counted, UE Director \_7
Organization James J. Matles said,
“The IVE is the only union it
1 Which bases its platform
on McCarthyism, Tonight's vietary
Is labows greatest achievement in
the Philadelphia area, Iv’s— the
greatest repudiation of MeCarthy-
ism in the entire labor movement.”
The UP. vietory also. proved
Westinghouse workers’ contempt
for union traitors and turncoats.
The ILE campaign was ted there
ly Francis Bradley, former Locul
107 business agent and one-time
MNxecutive Board member of UE,
und Edward Matthews, former sec-
retary of the Westinghouse Con-
ference Board of UE. Both had
counted on personal popularity and
belated red-baiting to earry West-
inghouse workers into: TUE-C1O,
but the workers showed they had
no use for traitors. -
- After the election’ Local 107 is-
sued a statement saying that the
vote “served as a repudintion of
the TUER-CIO and TAM-AFL out-
siders in their efforts to weaken
und undermine this union whip!
hus in 17 years established the b& )
wages and working: conditions in
the Delaware Valley. The $500,000
these two organizations spent in
their six-month-long campaign
could have been much better spent
‘defending the jobs of the tens of
thousands of CLO and AFT. mem-
hers out of the 835000 new unem-
ployed in this area,”
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS.
(9
Friday, January 29, 1954
~~ Vol. 13 — No. 3
ry Dote
Goldw:
BY Big Business
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Those oo. ‘Al
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vicious ante
to and Mac!
trical, Radio an Ca cw
at the putlex-Millor and
ator-Rhodes Bulls
otal care
ha BF
i, quaranton oMPIOY®
on profits through fower wa9e*
you to fight and defeat those
Jabor proporls.
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Wo urge
_————s
city
—_———
—_——
a
hing: Workers of America (UE)
CONGRESS WILL HEAR FROM ‘THE PEOPLE back home, it was re-
solved by the Executive board of Local 301 at its first meeting of the year
Monday.
It was decided to participate in the UE’s nationil petition
campaign to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures to preserve the
union movement against anti-labor laws threatening in’ Washington.
Above is a sample of the petition which" will shortly be circulated here
as well as in shops throughout the nation,
UE Launches National Campaign
Against Anti-Labor Legislation
The tip off of how the campaign
( ~\Washington. to puss legislation
th worse than Taft-Hartley was
given recently when Rep, Harold
H. Velde (Rep.-Iil.) —- notorious
enemy of labor — introduced i bill
in the House similar to the Gold-
“water bill in’ the Senate,
All sections of Inbor, APL, ClO
and Independents) have spoken out
eshurply against this legislation.
The UR Washington office, giving
leadership ta the entire labor
movement, has launched a two-
pronved answer to the Goldwater-
Velde attempt to destrey the free.
dom oof the labor movement by
setting up government Heensing
of unions,
_beA_ petition campaign has been
lnunched ta let Congress know
where the people stand.
YoA UE National Legislative and
Politieal Action cvanference will
take pliee ft Washineten on
Feb. 28, Mareh boand 2,
A fighting program of action to protect the job rights of
Schenectady General. Electric workers and to guard the out-
standing seniority provisions of UE’s national contract, was
mapped out at the first meetin
of UE Local 301 on Monday.
g of the 1954 Executive Board
’ At the same time the board delivered 4 mighty blast at
McCarthyism which is the smoke-screeh behind which the
company seeks to carry on its campaign of union-busting.
“UE’s seniority protection for GE workers is so good,"
Leo Jandreau, business agent of UE Local 301, told the board,
“that the company seizes every opportunity to chisel on its
provisions. It is up to every UE steward and member, regard-
less of léngth of service, to
fight to protect our seniority
rights. By doing this, hé pro-
tects himself and his union.”
Lengthy discussion at the board
reflected the main ideas UE’s an-
swer fo attempts of the company
to destroy seniority provisions is
tu make certain that the UE con-
tract is applied in all cases.
Ul’s fighting program on the
Job question calls for striet adher-
ence to, contract seniority provis-
juns, ussisting uneniployed workers
who are out of work and joint ac. -
tion by all groups within the com-
tuunity to combat MeCarthyismn
and to help solve the mountingy un-
amployment probleny,
The board unanimously approved
a statement of policy condemning
MeCarthyism whieh Geo is) trying
to use against the labor movement,
wAt the same time, the bonrd stated
that “if an open Congressional in-
vestigation is made by persons who
we think have a stake in the wel-
fare of this.community —-- in sueh
an investigation we have no desire,
although we vaffiem our belief in
the rights of citizens wenerally to
do oso, of invoking Constitutional
privileges with respect ta our own
affiliations, and to ours alone.?
GE Accepts McCarthyism *
Stressing that UM will refuse in
uay way to cooperate with a man
of MeCarthy’s nims, the board
stated that “MeCarthy called upon
the GE company to fire any em-
ployee who exercises their Consti-
“tutional privileres, thereby depriv-—
ing them of their livelihood. The
Gio company, in accepting: his ad-
vice, found a means of viohiting
their solemn written contracts’.
“The Snspired? QE pronounee-
Local 301 UER & MWA
STEW
MEETING. ~
Stewards 2nd Shift
Monday, Feb. 1
1:00 P.M. (Before Work)
Stewards Ist and 3rd Shift
Monday, Feb. |
7:30 P.M.
LOCAL 301 HALL
Erie Blvd. & Liberty St,
© Report of Committees
© Regular Order of Business
EXECUTIVE BOARD LOCAL 301 UE
ment of (heir unlawful intention to
fire anyone who invokes Constitu-
tional privileges is nothing more
than a threat to the security of our
country, when we see this act as a
One Man, One Company defiance
of a greater authority, namely, the
Coustitution of the United States.”
Discussing how the company
seeks to make the most out of cur
rent loss of jobs, many. division
stuwirds. reported attenipts to. v
lute Ul’s seniority agreements,
Reports were given of workers
with a dozen or inere of years aly
servied, Whose Jolis had disappear
(Continued om page 2)
G
“MCCARTHY AND MY MOTHER-IN-LAW”
“You look like you swallowed the top of the aspirin bottle
~ Local B ainst Union
(Continued from page 1y
ed, being offered a job with a
broom. Other causes were reported
of workers being discouraged from
seeking new jobs by foremen put-
ting impossible qualifications on
jobs. c
“There are jobs which many job-
less workers can handle,” one
. board member stated, “that fore-
men are claiming need trigonome-
try and higher matehmatics to do.
They often try to keep their fav-
orites who are not active, union
workers on the job while people
with long service are discouraged
from trying out for the jobs.”
GE Favoritism
The accusation of favoritism
nuide against the company recalls
to old-timers the period before UE
when faveritisn) was used. rather
than seniority to determine hiring,
firing and upgrading. The en-
trance of McCarthyism into GI"’s
labor poliey is actually an attempt
to return GIO plants to the period
-before UE, when the “open shop”
ruled,
“Tools Against Unions”
“Some Congressional cammittecs
have, unfortunately, the — bourd
stited, “made of themselves tools.
to besmireh the reputations of in-
dividuals and organizations, par-
tieularly lubor unions, We do not
easily forget that in 1948, when
Congressman—Kers —eame th
Schenectady with his prohérs, our_
local union was involved in a con-
test with a rival union, over the
issue of which organization the
workers in the Schenectady GE
plant believed to be the more el-
fective barguining agent. AL that
time our organization, the Ul, rep-
resented the. vast majority of GE
workers throughout the country,
“Such contests were being en-
couraged and aided by GE at that
time in order to break down the
unity that existed amongst the GR
workers all over the country. The
company encouraged Congression-
al investigations, working closely
with Congressman Kersten. Ker-
sten came to Seheneetady seem-
ingly to protect the country against
communism, but actully to try to”
help the GE. company and a ‘rival
union with the election,
“The Schenectady GE7 workers
grected Kerslen us he deserved.
Witnesses appearing before him re-
fused to testify. he rival Union
lost the election in Schenectady.
However,..in some. other communi-
ties where GH plants were located,
the UE lost andthe result of that
attack five years: ago changed the
active rate increase
2. © Friday, January 29, 1954
bargaining status of GE workers
from one Union to 48 unions!”
Tracing the use of Rep. Kersten
and grand jury “investigations”
ugainst UR, the board statement
points out that “MeCarthy’s hear-
ings had the unnounced purpose of
uncovering’ espionage or sabotage,
but the people in this community
wre suill wondering what was gain-
cd for the security of our country,
and what was proved as a result
of the Albany hearings.” ;
Stressing what a Union like UB
means to the commuinty as a
whale, the’ statement points . out
that Ul will fight McCarthyism
and “use every means available to
protect our Union.”
JUST A FEW DAYS before GE
issued its new, anti-labor policy,
wig G-E exeeulives sat in on
MeCarthy’s inquisition against GE
workers from Lynn, Mass. At Al-
hany, GE executives. observed Me-
Carthy in executive session, In
Massachusetts, they were out in
the open. (see picture).
lasts GE-MeCarthy Plot A
Eng. Lab: This group is protest-
ing the Inyoffs in this Dept. and
the additional work assigned to the
remaining employees. The Union
demands this situation be corrected.
Bldg. 12: John O'Neill, with 12
ears’. service, und 444 yeurs as
helper on the campound tanks feels
he is entitled to the joh the oper-
nlor is now leaving for pension,
Bide. 16: John Sheroka made a
written request on 6/9/58 accord.
ing to Contract for transfer to Ist
shift. The Union demands he be
given the opening that oceurred
on Grinder-Mise, Ist shift,
Bidz. 16: Opcrators on saw,
serew machines and milling ma-
chines protest the excessive errors
snd delays in handling MOL’s and
pink slips. The Union demands
these conditions be corrected.
Bide. 49: F, Bruso and . Crandall
are Class “B” Testmen doing Class
“A" work, Union demands they he
properly classified with rate -in-
creases,
Bldg. 49: The accumulators in
X-3 ate protesting the fact that
they are required to attach reject
tags to material passed by Inspec-
tion Dept. Union demands this sit-
uation. be corrected,
Bldg. 49: R, Bootier, sified
us a porter, is assigned full time to
moving materials. Union demands
proper reclussifieation and retro-
Bldg. 49:° E, Novak, 2 daywork
welder, was: assigned to a piece
work job that supervision would
not price and had just laid off weld-
Thousands of grievances ‘ave handled by UE Local 301
each year at all levels from the steward up to final appeal
in New York City, To keep members posted, we shall.
each week list some of the grievances that have not-been
settled at the steward--foreman level and have been
ferred to the executive board-manazemnt level.
ers from the same jobs. Union de-
mands explination and correction
of this matter,
Ride. 52: L. De Angelis has been
doing the work of a leader on the
job. Union demands he be classi-
fied and rated as such,
Blde. 52: Welders tnder Pore-
man Deherty dem proper ad
justment: and ineréase in pricing
tables due to changes on the job.
Bldg. 52: Combinatiol welders
and assemblers under Foreman
Dillenbeck demand proper increas.
es in prices on 228-8280R8 and 21¢4-
Bide. 60: Ei. Zumpella and M,
Gizai were. transferred to related
assembly jobs in violation of Con- >
tract, Article X-8-4. Union de-
mands they be paid the proper
rate, .
Biig. 66:
Loucks requested payment for ox-
tra work. on temporary: angles on
447-4057, 485-3169 and 223-7109.
Union demands payment for this
legitimate extra work.
Bldg. 66: H. Thuener demands a
time study on the main welding
operation on stator frame 228-7109
since the price is entirely inade-
quate,
Bldg. 68: John Mizenko was tak
en off his job, untoud tunnel kiln
vars, at his own request because of
his. health. Union demands he be
returned to “his: former jul since
he is now able to do so.
Bide. 68: Group under Foremian
_ Mitchell are complaining of the
I. - Weaver and G,-
safety hagard created hy the poor
condition of the trucks and buckets
they must use. Union demands
this situation be carreeted at onee,
Bldg. 97: Wy Balbarsus and J.
Koreszka request a time study on
thesbating of alumintind tumings,
Union demands management in-
vestigate and abide by Gontract,
Article VJ-5«(d).
Bldg. 227: Group in ‘Trimsporta-
tion under Foreman Tebbano pra.
test the use of Patrol Dept. to do
work of chauffeurs, Union demands
management correct this situation,
Bldg. 273: TF. lutzel protests low.
cr rated work being assigned to his
machine, Union demands Campany
abide by contract, Article VI-3.
Bldg. 273: 1. Lionarons does not
feel he has been properly consid-
ered for upgrading, Union demands
opportunity for Brother Lionarons
to he upgraded.to Class “A” Chip-
per ‘
Bldg. 278: This group of erector
assemblers have been working ov-
crtime und, therefore, demand the
return of the 2 men recently laid
aff from this proup.
Mrs. Emspak Passes(_)
Mis. Theresa Emspak, 81, of
815 lrancis Ave, mother of Julius
and Frank Mmspak of UE Local
SOL, died at her home Monday
after along ilness.dulius: Mmspak;
long a resident of ‘Schenectady, is
Ul general — secretary-treasurer
and now resides in Tucahoe, N.Y.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
O
instead of an aspirin,” said Marty to Mike one day.
“I feel fine,” said Mike.
“You look terrible,” said Marty, as. the pair sat down in a
corner for lunch.
‘It’s the way I always look when I’m thinking,” said Mike.
“Thinking!” exclaimed Marty. “That is a dangerous prac-
tice for which McCarthy is soon to issue a law forbidding.”
“That is just what I have been thinking about,” said Mike.
“That man McCarthy.”
“Don’t let McCarthy worry you,”
said Marty. ‘ :
“McCarthy does not worry me as"
much as my mother-in-law,” re-
plied Mike.
“Ts she investigating you?” ask-
ed Marty.
“No,” said Mike with a shake of
his head. “But she is saying that T
should answer the question.”
“Why you married her daugh-
ter?” asked Marty,
“No,” answered Mike. “She says:
why don’t you ‘answer the ques-
tions. She says: What have T got
to hide. She says: Tf she went be-
fore the committee,. she would
talk.” .
“And what do you say?”
“T tell her she would talk wheth-
er she goes before a committee ar
~ not.”
C )inoes that sntisty her?”
Mike shook his head sadly. “No,
he said. “She still says: Why don’t
ya answer the euestions ? What's
the answer, Marty ?”
Marty took a deep draw on his
pipe.
“Suppose, Mike, they called you
befere McCarthy or Butler,’ he
said, é
“Yop,” said Mike,
“And suppose they asked you if
you robbed a bank.’”,
“But T didn’t rob a bank,” said
Mike, “J’d tell them so.”
“But suppose they had a bull-
pen of hired character assassins
who they pay 2 fancy salary té say
they saw you robbing a bank, What
then 2?”
Mike scratched his head.
“They ean’t do that,’ he said.
“They do,” said Marty.
“Vd call him a liar,” said Mike.
“They’d produce another char-
acter assassin who would swear
you Were the liar. And lying to a
committee. means a long prison
term for perjury.”
“T_ shouldn’t have opened my
mouth”, said Mike.
“That would give you six months
for contempt and get you fired hy
GE,” said Marty. ,
“But what can an innocent man
do?” asked Mike,
“The Constitution of the United
States has special amendments to
protect the innocent,” pointed out
Marty,
“Oh, T wouldn’t date use the
Constitution to protect myself,”
suid Mike. “My mother-in-law says
its un-American to use the Consti-
tution.”
“T suppose she says its patriotic
to destroy the Constitution like Gl
is trying to do?” asked Marty,
Mike’s face flushed.
“Marty!” he exclaimed, “There's
something crazy going on here. If
you use the Amevi¢an Constitution,
they accuse you of being un-Amer-
jean. If you don’t use it, they ean
send you to jail. It’s cackeyed.”
“Well Mike,” said Marty, “the
Constitution was written to pro-
tect the innocent. Companies like
GE have always had contempt for
the Constitution. That’s why they
violate it so often as the record
shows.”
“So what?” asked Mike,
“So this,” said Marty. “Com-
panies like GE encourage politic-
ians like MeCarthy to make it
seem like a crime to use the Con-
ANY MORE SQUAWKS OUT OF YOU ABOUT SPEED-UP AND
RATE-CUTS—AND YOU GET THE SPECIAL TREATMEN TH”
stitution, GE wants to make it
possible to discover and then fire
any employee who says anything
aguinst lay-offs or attacks on sen-
jority or speed-up or rate cuts or
the attacks they make on our union
itself”? . ,?
“Go on,” sald Mike.
“Birst thing the company has
to do is to get people to answer
all questions asked them,”
“Go on,” said Mike,
“Then they find out who the
most active unfon men and women
are, They find out just who’s who.
Then the company fires these peo-
ple as ‘sceurity risks’ or ‘eommun-
ists’ And who’s to stop them?”
-“The Union will stop them,” an.
swered Mile,
“But,” said Marty, “the heart of
the union is team-work of its mem-
bers. The minute working: people
start answering some questions
before anti-labor committees, it
Opposition to McCarthyism
MeCarthy has become the, syni-
for the sort of phony ‘erusade
iat Port Monmouth represents,”
NEW YORK TIMES
Jan. 14, 1954
“McCarthyism (investigations)
- smear. a man and--imply he: -is--
guilty without the benefit of trial.”
. CARTER DAVIDSON
President, Union College
Jan, 13, 1954
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
“Liberty can be taken from us
hy Congressional committees which
{ransgress
rogatives of the executive and
judiciary... Stand firm against
the boole buiners and congressional
inquisitors who would trample the
Bill of Rights.”
SENATOR HERBERT LEHMAN
Jon, 25, 1954
the powers. and pre- -
Mounts
“The Fifth Amendment must
have been put into the Constitu-
tion for some reason other than
to protect criminals ... Io am
afraid the main result of such com-
mittee investigations is: to: make: »
great: headlines for themselves.”
DR. HAROLD UREY
dan. 13, 1954
opens the way for all) questions
... about their fellow union mem-
bers, There is no longer a union.”
“That’s just what the company
wants,” said Mike.
“Yos,” said Marty, “the company
encourages people Hke MeCarthy
to get us to give up the Constitu-
tion and answer the questions. Any
questions, Onee we start answer-
ing, we have to continve or we are
threatened with contempt. Then
the union goes down the drain,”
“JT guess,” said Mike, “The only
way is ta refuse to answer, To
stand on your vights. The Union
comes frst.”
“But how about your mother-in-
law,” said Marty
Mike waved lis hand. “If the
Union gets busted, she’ll have no
place to -eut,” said Mike. “She'll
see the point.”
_ “We're going to have to get a
lot of people to start seeing the
point,” concluded Marty.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
‘UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE
WORKERS OF AMERICA (UE)
i Lecal 30) |
« ss, QQ pe 2 seen
Published by the Editorial Committoo
Prosidont—.... J J. Cognotta
Josoph Alois
Treasurer wane enee—Josaph . Whitbeck
Racording Secrotary_—._.....Miles Moon
Ase't Rocording Sacratary—.s-Rudy - Rissland:
Chief Shop Steward William) Mastriant
Dusinass Agont—. -—beo Jandrequ
301 LIBERTY ST, SCHENECTADY 5,N, Y.
Friday, January 29,1954 9 |
