January 23, 1947
Toolmakers’ and Machinists Statement
A resolution protesting the “stubborn refusal” of GE to negotiate a reasonable
settlement of the toolmakers’ and machinists’ wage rate cases was adopted un-
animously by a meeting of toolmakers, machinists and tool room machine operators
Jan. 17 at 301 Hall, and reaffirmed at the meeting Monday afternoon.
The resolution declared:
“The wage cases started on our behalf by Local 301 were modest proposals to
correct the long-standing inequities in our wages in the light of the requirements
of our jobs and the rates paid elsewhere for such work.
“We have shown great patience in pressing these cases and in going throug
the slow grievance procedure and the many stalls upon which the company insists
in its dealings with us,
GE Ignores Wage Arguments
“The company’s response to our rea-
sonable attitude has been to ignore our
rights and our problems. Its negotiators
“have admitted that our wage relatiorf-
ship to the community has gone down.
They do not deny that we have a sound
case for increases. They make no ait-
tempt to meet the fact that other plants
in the. wage area picked by the company
itself pay higher rates for our jobs. And
the company has recognized by specific
act that its rates for skilled crafts were’
out of line, by granting an increase of
10 cents to one craft, the patternmakers.
This has brought the pattermakers 10
cents above the toolmakers, though the
company does not deny that the skills
are equal and that the rates have al-
ways been the same in the past.
Company Wants Super-Profits
“The company’s attitude is neither
fair nor reasonable. It is contrary to the
spirit of our agreement and of genuine
collective bargaining. The “company
simply is determined to keep on making
‘super-profits at our expense,
“We are determined to win redress
of our just grievances, and shall continue
to insist that the company engage in
real collective bargaining on our wage
inequities and grievances. We condemn
the statement of Charles E. Wilson that
our demands represent only the views
of union leaders. Our officers are press-
ing demands which we, the toolmakers
and machinists, believe are overdue.”
Blood Bank Committee
The possibility of setting up a Local
301 blood bank will be investigated by a
committee named by the Executive
tive Board. The committee members are
Edward Bazan, Helen Quirini and
George Judway. The Jan. 7 member-
ship meeting directed the Board to take
up the matter.
‘Close Name Lists in
Gate-to-Gate Suits
‘-; No more signatures will be tak-
en for the’ present by 301 commit-
teemen for authorization in the na-
tional UE’s portal-to-portal suit
against GE, Because of the tech-
nizal requirements of the legal ac-
tion filed by the union, taking of
signed authorizations closed this
week, -
The court action will now await
hearings and decisions along with
the many other such cases brought
by other unions.
Help March-of-Dimes
The Activities Committe of 301 an-
nounced this week that proceeds of the
dance on February 7 will go to the
“March of Dimes” fund for the benefit
of infantile paralysis victims. The de-
cision changed the previously-announced
beneficiary. os
The dance will be held at’Turner Hall,
863 Albany Street, Friday night, Febru-
ary 7, with music by Larry Audette.
The Activities Committee will meet
again at 8 p.m. Monday, January 27, in
Room 2B at the Union Hall.
301 Members Need
Share-a-Ride Plan
Two members living in Hudson Falls
and Ballston Spa are urgently in need of
a rider arrangement with drivers from
those towns. The member from Hudson
Falls is in Bldg. 278 and works the 7
am. to 3:30 p.m. shift, The member
from’ Ballston Spa is in Bldg. 60, and
works from 3:30 p.m. to midnight.
. Anyone willing to have one of these
as a rider is asked to call William Kelly,
assistant to the business agent, at the
Local 301 office — phone 8-1386.
Legislative Group
Opens 1947 Action
An immediate campaign against the
ficod of anti-labor bills introduced in
the new Congress was planned by the
1947 Legislative Committee of Local
301. at its first meeting last Thursday.
The committee consists of one repre-
sentative from each section, elected in
December at the same time as Executive
Board members.
Fred. Pacelli, Bldg. 101, was elected
chairman Thursday; Joseph J. Krone,
Bldg. 46, vice-chairman, and George
Walker, Bldg. 78, secretary. The com-
mittee will meet Tuesday, Jan. 28, and
later twice a month.
; Letter to Ives
The Committee voted to write U. S.
Senator Irving Ives to demand that he
live up to his campaign promises that he
would favor Labor. He will be called
upon to oppose the Wagner act amend-
ments and other anti-labor measures in-
troduced by his fellow-Republicans. The
committee also will write to President
Truman, Senator Wagner, and New
York Congressmen, urging defeat of the
anti-labor bills.
‘ Protest to Dewey :
A protest to Governor Dewey agains
the policy of inaction in his annual
message was voted by the committee.
The letter will call for action on rent
control and housing, taxes, veterans’
legislation, health insurance, improved
unemployment insurance, wage-hour
law, and against racial discrimination.
The group will establish immediate
contact with Russ Nixon, UE Washing-
ton representative, to work with him
in carrying out the GIO legislative pro-
gram.
The commitee was hampered at its
first meeting by thé absénce of six of
its fifteen members.
Machine Crafts
(Continued from Page 1)
ments on the machinists’ rates gener-
ally, but said that a raise for, them
would affect “every day work rate in
the works.” :
Machinists were represented by Mar-
tin Maul, Jy., Lawrence Di Lallo, A. J.
Esposito, Henry Busse, Anthony Villano,
_Leonard Reichel, Adam T. Glover, Ty
Alan Edwards, Lawrence Gebo, W. W.
Selby, C. F. Ossenfort, A. H. Keller,
James Morrett, Stanley Aldhous, Joseph
Whitbeck, Fred Pacelli, and Michael Ted-
isco, assisted by Victor Pasche.
THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA—LOCAL 301 CIO
Vol. Hl-No. 42
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
Company to Reject
Retirement Appeals
Local Management will turn down the
appeal of any worker who comes under
the new pension plan for postponement
of his compulsory retirement, no matter
how small his pension may be.
An application for permission to con-
tinue working will not even be submitted
to the Pension Board if the worker
reached the age of 65 Sept. 1 or later.
The union was informed of this policy
of the company by Charles Marcy, sup-
crvisor of personnel at the Schenectady
plant, at a meeting Friday. Several
months ago, at a meeting in New York
City on a national. level, GE officials said
postponement applications would be
dealt with on an individual basis. No
mention was made then of limiting ap-
peals only to workers retired under the
old pension system or closing the doors
to appeals in hardship cases.
Several postponement applications,
handled by the union, have been grant-
ed and others await decision of the Pen-
sion Board. These involved workers who
reached 65 before Sept. 1.
Marey said Friday the company could
not consider the problem on the basis of
the worlker’s financial needs, and that
the pension was not intended to take
care of the worker’s needs, but only to
supplement his savings.
A. GC, Stevens, assistant to the general
superintendent, added that the question
of extending a man’s service beyond the
age of 65 was not a question of the man’s _
needs, but “a question whether the com-
pany can operate successfully without
them.”
“A pension is a reward for long and
faithful service,” Stevens said, “plus an
incentive to stay with the company. It
has no social intent.”
‘One of the-union’s proposals in the
coming contract negotiations is that the
minimum pension for any retired GE
employee be $100 a month. °
Supports Teachers
The Capital District CIO Council has
written state legislators urging that
they vote for a permanent, substantial
pay raise for teachers,
Ye
i
ey i
Re Gea
GE Censorship |
GE management at Syracuse refused
to let notices be posted in the plant about
a meeting for all UB locals in the city
Tuesday. The reason for tke refusal
was that the notice stated “Deadline for
Action” would be shown. The GE offic-
ials decided showing the union movie
wasn’t union business.
Albany ClO Conference
To Hear Pressman, Nixon
Lee Pressman, general counsel for the
CLO, and Russ Nixon, UE Washington
representative, will speak on, Feb. 15 at’
a legislative conference of the Capital
District CIO Council at Albany.
Members of all CIO unions in the area
are invited to the conference. In addi-
tion, members of other groups will be
asked to attend.
At Council Meeting
Local 801 delegates who attended the
January meeting of the Capital District
CIO Council at 301 Hall were William
Mastriani, Council president; Dewey
Brashear, Albert Davis, Rudy Ellis, Jo-
seph Dominelli, Sam De Cesare, Joseph
Krone and Fred Pacelli. .
Aids March of Dimes .
President Andrew Peterson of Local
301 is co-chairman of the industry com-
mittee of the March of Dimes drive in
Schenectady County. Proceeds will bene-
fit infantile paralysis victims.
Note Your Lost Time
Committemen are urged again
_by the union business office, when-
ever they lose time on union busi-
ness inside or outside the plant, to
make sure that the foreman marks
their clock card for the hours lost.
If a pink voucher for lost time is
missing, the payroll department will
check with the foreman provided
the clock card is marked.
This protects the committeeman
against possible errors on his lost
time. :
January 30, 1947
Toolmakers Win
Pay Progression
Automatic progression to the top’ of
the rate range in each classification has .
been established for toolmakers through
the union’s case to obtain wage adjust-
ments for that group.
The company offer, accepted by a
meeting of toolmakers, machinists and
tool room machine operators Monday
night, increases the toolmakers’ job
rates and guarantees a five cent increase
every six months until a worker reaches
the job rate which is the top of the range
in his classification. ,
Toolmakers voted unanimously to sup-
port the machinists (machine repair) and
tool room machine operators in their ne-
gotiations for raises. .
A sub-committee consisting of Law-
rence Di Lallo, Bldg. 53; Fred ‘Pacelli,
Bldg. 101, ‘and James Morrett, Bldg. 58
was elected from ‘the machinists’ com-
mittee to go to New York City on the
machinists’ case. The case has now
reached the national level.
The new toolmakers’ job rates are:
Class A, $1,635; Class B, $1.485 and
Class ©, $1.835. Workers now receiving
$1.635 will be increased to $1.685. The
job rate for leaders was raised to 91.786.
Raises are retroactive to the beginning
of the payroll weeks of Jan. 2 and 3.
The toolmakers were represented at a
‘meeting in New York on their case last
week by a subcommittee, Michael Tedis-
co, Bldg. 17; Edward Wallingford, Bldg. .
60, and Anthony Esposito, Bldg. 53, and
by Business Agent Leo Jandreau. The
company offer was made at that meet
“ing.
Addresses GE Engineers
Business Agent Leo Jandreau of Local
801 spoke on “Problems in Union Oper-
ation” at a meeting ‘of the Schenectady
GE Engineers Association Monday at the
*"YWCA,
Union Broadcast
Tune in on the Local 801 radio broad-
cast at 7:15 p.m. every Monday on Sta-
tion WSNY,. e we
2
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Senate Group to Fight
Anti-Labor Proposals
Russ Nixon, UE Washington repre-
sentative, reports that a progressive
pro-labor bloc in the Senate will fight ©
against Senators Ball and Taft and their
anti-labor - bills.
Senator Wagner of New York is an
active member of the bloc. Senator Mur-
ray (Montana) is acting as chairman
and Senator Pepper (Florida) is secre-
tary. Efforts are under way to form a
similar group in the House of Repre-
sentatives. Marcantonio (New York) is
a leader in organizing this House group.
. “Already, the Senate group has held
several meetings, discussed policies and
planned their action,” Nixon said. “The
group is holding meetings with the
leadership of labor, AFL, CIO and Rail-
road unions,”
CIO leaders have explained their posi-
tions on various. anti-labor proposals to
the Senate bloc and made suggestions
for the approaching fight.
“The Senators originally asked all
branches of labor to sit together with
them at such “a meeting,” Nixon re-
ported,
The AFL refused to participate in
joint discussions. This was a flagrant
act of disunity ‘on the part of the
old-line AFL leadership here in Wash-
ington. Certainly it does not reflect the
wishes of the AFL rank and file.”
Nixon urged that UE locals help build
AFL-CI1O—Railroad labor unity in their
own communities on legislation.
Committeemen's Meeting
The next monthly meeting of Local
801 committeemen will be at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb, 4, at the union hall.
-301-Adopts Greek Child
A Greek child will be supported for
two months in Greece through a $50 do-
nation voted recently by the Local 801
Executive Board. The money will be
cleared through the American Relief for
Greek Democracy.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Uniren Execrrican, Rapio & MacHIng
Worxrns or Amrriaa, CLO
Somrnuctapy GE Locat 301
== o>
Published by the Editorial Committee
Dewey Brashear Ray Flanigan
William Mastriani
Rditorial Office - Blectrical Union News
301 Liberty St. - Schenectady, N. Y.
te, SCHENECTADY PRINTING CO, INC.
January 30, 1947
Government Case Against GE Goes to Trial
On Charge of Conspiring with Nazi Firm
- The General Electric Co. and Carboloy, its subsidiary, are now on trial before
Federal Judge John C. Knox in New York City on the charge of having conspired
with the Nazi munitions firm Krupp:to control the production and sale of tungsten
carbide, a hard metal composition used in the production of machine tools.
Facts on Pension
Pension payments to workers retiring
under the new pension plan within the
next few’ years will be just about the
same as they would have been under the
old plan. The principal gain for these
pensioners under the new plan is the
fact that previously the pension ended
with death, while under the ew plan the
widow or other beneficiary may receive
the pension up to five years after the
date of retirement.
These facts were brought out in a
meeting on the question between the
union’s assistants to the business agent
and Charles Marcy, supervisor of per-
sonnel, last Friday. They are printed
here because many members appear to
have the wrong impression that they
may retire now with substantially high-
er. pensions than they would have re-
ceived under the old plan,
In any event, it is very advisable to
double-check the amount of pension you
-will receive before you apply for retire-
ment,
The effect of the new plan on the
amount of pension will be felt more as
the earnings credited since Sept. 1, 1946
begin to pile up. At present, pensions
under the new plan are based almost en-
tirely on earnings before Sept 1, 1946.
_The amount is likely to be very slightly
larger than under the old plan. Under
either plan, the approximate amount to
be collected in Social Security is‘ de-
ducted from past service pension credits
after you reach 65. Under either plan
that amount is paid you until you reach
65. The method of payment before 65
and deduction after 65 is different under
the old and new plan, but the result is
largely the same.
One advantage of. the new plan is that
a man with short service, retiring be-
fore 65, is guaranteed at least $80 a
month until he reaches 65. This was not
true under the old plan for workers with
short service, service not long enough
to cover, this amount.
A minimum pension of $100 a month
is one of the UE’s national contract pro-
posals. :
Officials of the company indicted by...
the U. S. government, including GE Vice
President Zay Jeffries, are in the court-
room. The head of the Krupp trust is
not present. He is reported held as a
war criminal. in Germany and the gov-
ernment claimed inability to serve him
with the papers in the case.
Huge Price Boost
The government’s criminal indictment
_ against the defendants charges ‘that their
conspiracy, which ran from November,
1928 to August, 1940, boosted the price
of tungsten carbide from $48 to $453
a pound.
The indictment against GE was pre-
pared in 1941, but the trial was held up
till now, f
the price at $453 a pound “had the effect
of discouraging and limiting sales of
hard metal compositions to small manu-
facturers in the United States.” Tung-
sten carbide was of great importance to
industries engaged in manufacturing na-
tional defense equipment.
Opposes Wagner Act ;
Zay Jeffries, indicted GE vice-presi-
dent, made a speech last October in
whieh accused union leaders of having
“un-American objectives”. He appealed
for the crippling of the Wagner Act and
opposed “high wages” for labor. Sche-
nectady newspapers gave generous space
to his speech,
Statewide UE Conference .
Planned on Legislation
Plans for a statewide UE legislative
conference in Albany during February
were made at the UB District 3 Council
meeting recently at Rochester. Leo
Jandreau, district 3 president, will con-
sult with James McLeish, District 4
president, on the time and program.
Local 801 representatives at Roches-
ter, in addition to Brother Jandreau,
were President Andrew Peterson, Wil-
Ham Kelly, William Mastriani and Roy
Lash.
Charles Rivers, UE international re-
presentative, was transferred to the dis-
trict staff as executive secretary to ,
service the locals, Edward Landy, dis-
trict executive secretary, was made an
international representative to concen-
trate on organizing. He had already-
been active in organizing work, inelud-
ing the Buffalo Westinghouse drive.
.
It charges that the fixing of -
January 30, 1947
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Strike Talk Spreads
in Teachers’ Groups
Teachers in Schenectady and through-
out New York State are making it plain
to Governor Dewey: and the Legislature
that their demands for decent pay are
not silenced by the $300 temporary wage
increase bill passed last week.
Delegates from 14 lecals of the Em-
pire State Federation of Teachers, AIL,
will meet at the Van Curler Hotel Sat-
urday to vote on a proposal to abandon
their no-strike policy. The Schenectaiy
local was to vote Tuesday night on the
question (after this week’s issue of EU
News went to press).
O Questionnaire on Strike
The Schenectady Teachers Association
has circulated a questionnaire to teach-
ers asking their reaction to the possibili-
ty of a strike. This group is part of the
New York State Teachers Association,
whose leadership has emphasized it is
not a union.
State Association leaders, including
Arvie Eldred, executive secretary, have
a full-sized revolt on their hands now
against the do-nothing policy of the as-
sociation. It’s reported that Mr. Eldred
would be glad to settle for the Dewey in-
crease, but the teachers won’t let him.
Even as far north as the Canadian bor-
dey small groups of teachers are meeting
to talk strike.
In New York City the CIO Teachers
Union, AFL locals and non-union groups
have united in-a Teachers Salary Con-
ference to press their pay demands. The:
Conference has warned Dewey that if
permanent salary increases aren’t ob-
tained this session a strike poll will be
considered.
Bill Is Tricky
The $800 temporary increase bill spon-
sored by Dewey is deceiving, because it
doesn’t mean that every teacher gets
$300. The bill gives every loeality $800
per teacher, but the community doesn’t
have to pass the money on to a teacher
unless the teacher didn’t get a raise of
that amount since June 30, 1945.
For instance, the Schenectady Board
of Education hasn’t decided yet" how
many teachers will be given this state
money.
Board Favors .
Isolation Hospital
The Local 801 Executive Board went
on record recently as favoring the main-
tenance of the Isolation Hospital in
Schenectady. Plans had been made for
abandoning the operation of the hospital.
Toolmakers and Machinists Meet on Wages
CEOHed
1
Section of the meeting of toolmakers, machinists and tool room machine operators
at 301 Hall, Jan. 20. Hundreds of workers appeared at the union hall that after-
noon to hear reports on negotiations for higher wages. See page 1 for later da-
velopments in the wage cases.
$15 Weekly Increase
For Local Printers
Union typesetters employed in Sche-
nectady job print shops will receive an
increase of $15 a week, or 3744 cents an
hour, effective Feb. 1.
The newly negotiated agreement was
ratified by the membership of Typo-
graphical Union Local 167 Saturday. It
raises weekly pay from $60 to $75 for a
40-hour week,
The six paid holidays, already in the
old contract, are continued in the new
agreement. George Kerl is president of
the local.
301 Dance
Final plans for the dance which Local
801 will stage Feb. 7 at Turner Hall, 863
Albany St., for the bencfit of the March-
~ol-Dimesdvive will be made at a meet.
“ing of the Activities Committee at 8 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 8, in Room 2B, 301 Hall.
The annual field-day of Local 801 will
be June 29, the committee has an-
nauneed,
What's the Limit? |
The GE seven eubie foot de luxe
refrigerator sold at retail in De-
cember for approximately $285,
The retail price at present is quot-
ed as $262.75, But tf you put in
your order now, your name has to
go on a waiting list and there is
no guarantee that the price won’t
jump again before the refrigerator
is delivered.
Here's New Example
Of GE Double-Talk
GE got out a special report to its stock-
holders last week, on the subject ‘of
“labor” legislation. The report said GE
wanted no “reprisal” or “retaliation”
against unions, it just wants to restore
“balance in industrial relationships,”
Does GE refer to “balance” as the
ability to use injunctions and Philadel-
phia police to beat up strikers? Or is
it the right of GE to violate the contract
daily by refusing to settle grievances as
provided by the contract, and then holler
to high heaven if a few workers decide
too much is too much and stop work for
a half-hour?
The same GE report protested that GE
was interested in the protection of three
“beneficiaries”, namely the “stoclkhold-
ers, employees, and the general public.”
Presumably this means profits above
even the usual thirteen percent, the ree-
ord prices which Big Business is charg-
ing the public, and wages dropping
steadily. because of the cost of living.
The report complained of the danger
of “profits siphoned off into higher wag-
es,” which would cut purchasing power.
You are welcome to dope that line out
for yourself. GE is operating at a par-
ticularly high rate of profit today. And
GE workers have the idea that their:pur-
chasing power is cut by low wages, not
by raises,
Speaks at Rotary Meeting -
Milo Lathrop, UE District 8 legislative
representative, spoke to. the Schoharie
Rotary Club Tuesday at Schoharie .on
common interests of farmers, workers:
and business men,
