April_23, 1948
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS:
301 Guide Swears In 10 Men and a Girl as atop Stewards
- THE VOICE OF LOCAL 301 - - - - - UEBR&MWA - 2 ee
Vol. 6 — No. 18 SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
Is This What GE anise
ot woe
April 30, 1948
Negotiations
On Contract
Are in Recess
GE contract negotiations are in
recess, with no date set, while
delegates from the 90 GE locals of
UE prepare to mect again next ;
week to consider the deadlock. The
GE Conference Board of UE dele-
gates will meet by itself and also
with the delegates from the other
nation-wide companies in UE-
Westinghouse, General Motors
Electrical Division, and Sylvania,
The UE committee called for the
DONT Forge.
SPEND LESS |
OUT PuT
PER WORKER
Bldg. 52; E. P. Riley, Bldg. 46; Carman Renzi, Bldg. 60; Joseph Thomas,
Bldg. 49; Eileen Everett, Bldg. 53; W. C. Benning, Bldg. 40; Walter
Moran, Bldg. 49; Frank Galea, Bidg. 60, and Robert A. Reid, Bldg. 3 49,
New shop stewards take. oath of office ait 301 hall. .-At extreme left,
George Walker, 301 guide, the officiating officer. Stewards, left to
right, Floyd Warner, Bldg. 16; Vernon semana: Bldg. 46; Mario Bagnato,
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: eae as re inc : * r recess list week after the company
UE “Tidapendenr ‘Political ‘Committee Party For Youngsters 2eeK ADiTraTion oo SEND ‘a _AUKE [Loo again had refused to make a wage .
; offer, A report sent out by the 2
Will Back Candidates at All Levels Children of Loca! 901 men- | OF Job Evaluation UE committee stated: .
bers are invited to a movie par- UE will present to the company :
The General Executive Board of UE has voted to set up a UE ty at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow (Sat- ae aie , a UE Statement :
: in Somed vs . ; in New York today a demand that i” : i
Independent Political Committee on a: national, district and local basis urday) at the union hall. There “The committee i
to support as candidates for public office “fighting advocates of our
* : ‘i iat
democratic and progressive program for jobs, democracy and peace.
Locals will make their own choice of what candidates to endoyrs
The,.step is in accordance with
the 147 UE convention resolution
calling “for creation of an inde-
pendent political force answerable
to no boss or machine and respon-
sive only to the will of the rank
and file.”
PAC Violates Independence
CIO-PAC has violated its tradi-
tional political independence and
the autonomy of UE and all CIO
unions, the GEB felt, by trying to
foree from the top its decision
about presidential, c andidates. UE
general officers were directed by
e
Newspaper Editorial
Belittles Pensioners
GE pensioners, trying to live on
$20 a month and $30 a month GE
pensions, must have been inter-
ested in a recent Schenectady
Union-Star editorial. The paper
implied that it’s their custom to
winter in Florida—and to chisel
on unemployment insurance.
The’.editorial, “How Many Chis-
elers 2 commented on the high
percentage of men over 65 years of
age listed as continuously unem-
will be refreshments.
Business Paper Admits
Cause of Price Raises
A Big Business spokesman, the
New York Journal of “Commerce,
has admitted at least indirectly,
the truth of Labor’s contention that
a wage increase is not the cause of
a price increase.
The Journal of Commerce on
March 2 wrote:
“In the electrical equipment in-
dustry, vigorous price competition
in appliances has already arrived.
“Any wage increase, therefore,
it submit to arbitration, in accord-
ance with the contract, Local 301’s
proposal for a complete negotiated
wage structure for the Sechenee-
tady Works. The union’s proposal
was submitted locally five months
ago. Tt would correct the many
job rates which the union contends
are out of line. The proposed
structure was worked out by the
job evaluation committee of the
801 Executive Board and approved
by the shop stewards on instruc-
tion of the membership,
In view of the refusal of man-
agement locally to negotiate an
the proposed sehedule of’ rates,
UE is taking the position that the
national management either must
Steel Copies GE
Price Propaganda
GE’s proprganda campaign of
tighting wage increases while mak-
ing new record profits, was adopted
during the past week by United
States Steel and other major steel
position on wages this year. This is
not true of the HERGHAtONS | in UE,
auto, packing, ete.
Prices Will Go Up
The big electrical and steel com-
panies can hardly believe their own
propaganda about “bringing about
... reduction in thé cost of living.’
Big Business’ own economists and
UE Strike Threat Wins
Victory at Westinghouse
Militant action by UE workers
at the Westinghouse plant at
Cheektowaga last week won satis-
factory settlement of major union
grievances there.
On the eve of a scheduled strike,
wishes to re-
peat the statement in its report of
of last week — that General Elec-
tric, despite its record-breaking
profits aud the needs of its work-
ers, Will not budge until the mem-
bership makes preparations to en-
force these demands upon the com-
pany.”
The committee includes Leo Jan-
dreau, Local 801 business agent
and president of District 8, Lynn-
wood TT. Ford, Jr. of Philadelphia,
Frederick M. Kelley of Lynn, Ivan
W. Lord of Pittsfield office workers,
John H. Callahan of Pittsfield, John
Nelson of Eric, Fred Haug of
Cleveland, Lyle Dougherty of Fort
Wayne, and International Repre-
is likely | irect L of companies, as well as Westing- can sentatives Joseph Turkowski. ¢
the GEB to resign from leadership Ployed during the last six months omyurate earnings pea work out the proposal with the house in the electeical field. ° experts ave predicting just the op- the company agreed: losenhy oe HEROWSEL and
oe ae son of 1947, Pere See ess SY unian or anbmit- tt fo axblivation, posile. All expectations now are ”
in CIO-PAC
because of widespread expulsions
of UE memhers from PAC for op-
for this reason, and ,
The Union-Star said it “would
like to see a breakdown on how
many of the total were men who
not be feasible to pass the rise ‘on
to the consumer. General Electric
Co, has indicated that it will op-
Otherwise GE will be violating the
contract,
Like GE, these companies an-
nounced “price reductions” after
big price increases, (the latest in
for prices to go up still further, re-
gardless of wages. Joseph M.
To eliminate a new incentive
system which had resulted in a
speed-up,
Big Business Tie-In
The report t also stated:
SIDE Seta a ATA THE
Tp" t + 5 . “There re :
posing the arbitrary PAC acticns, ; ‘ » = pose a wage rise.” UE also has told the company ruary), and now claim they are Podge, president of the American To negotiate a job evaluation _ Lhere appears to be an obvious
A letter from the UE genera} ‘Md been retired on pensions - - . that any wage offer, to be ac- » inflation. They continue Bankers’ Association, said Apr. 19 program. tie-in between the big corporations é
th e fa locals oxplains Fa at It also asked “how many of these So the real reason is out, And ceptable, must inchide speeifie pro to: make highly inflationary profits that “new and additional inflation- To install tistactory te how engaged in contract negotia- :
q sf “als explains t Q 7 - a . ; stdll a antistadtory eyst E
OFMEENS ‘ | . unemployment compensation checks We all know now that GE is mak factors ® sto. A SHustactory Syste
every level, UE members through
thio a ent organizati . mge vaise 2 r : ‘ates which are out of line, ‘ \ To provide job securit “main. ¢Peases although their record prof- 4
ah vend Lear teil Possibly the Union-Star can tel] Wage talse and still have high . ee _. U. 8. Steel’s advertisement 4p- sult of the adoption of the foreign te To mois JB oe ae fe ieee 2 ts for the past year have broken i 3
“ aie ee ca ne ; % Nowea, 65 year-old men where they can ernings left. peared in Schenectady, where it ajq program and planned expendi- penance ve nan w 0 . Bk ene all previous records.” q
ate in campaigns anc : s wet jobs. Prices are governed by what Attend Bus Fara Hearing has no plant, so that the total ad- tures for military needs. The Wall bumped 0 eir jobs by. outside ‘
ary voluntary fuunds.
Will Cooperate with Others
“AC UL-IPC will
every level,
went to Florida - - - .”
$50 Donation Voted
ing enough profits to grant a ‘big
trafic will bear, and not by wage
increases. Just now, regardless of
whether or not we get a raise,
vision for the correction of job
The State Public Service Com-
mission is expected to deeide
shortly whether it-will grant the
Big Advertising Outlay
vertising bill throughout the coun-
try must have been tremendous.
Like GE, U. S. Steel is part of the
ary
into the national economy as a re-
have been introduced
Street Journal has said about the
same in different words.
to vover “down time”.
contracts,
To reinstate a discharged shop
steward and arbitrate another
tions, to refuse to grant wage in-
Individual members of the nego-
tiating committee, including Broth-
er Jandreau, have expressed the be-
lief that GI’s aim in the negotia-
Local 301 has donated $50 to the prices of food and other essentials J. P, Morgan-First National Bank steward’s dismissal. Hons @o88 tae bey , 4
. int ith: ther eroups ~ . ' te oe . . s goes far beyond the wage ;
ane wth all oo anne widows’ and orphans’ fund of the are likely to shoot up because the Schenectady Railway Company an interest group (the world’s larg- UE Radio Program The workers voted to strike if question, that GE really hopes to 3
nee te al a pen reat Schenectady Police Benevolent As- government program of huge ex- “indefinite extension” of the est), according to an official find- Tune in on the weekly radio agreement was not reached by last weaken and break the union. . :
tives. um coon vethhees aah ClO. sociation. The money was voted penditures for armaments and the ratty dime bus fare. The city -.ing of the government Smaller War broadcast of Arthur Gacth, spon- Saturday. Impatient at weeks of — \ : 5
maxim SOOpery ~ by the Executi Ete Y1.2, Marshall plan mean profit inflation, of Schenectady, the village of Suc .. Plant y i i sor ations iati i 2
PAC, the AVL, Political Education by the Executive Board Apr, 12 P profit inflation g e Jants Corporation in 1946. sored by national UE at 10 pm. negotiations with management,
League and the Railroad Brother-
. Sita) orm aiyn ton? ' . posed the 10 cent fare at a PSC than in UE, because the United bany; WKBW, Buffalo, WGILN, anyway Saturday and the night be- GIs 1947 profit after all taxes Mage “4
hoods’: political br gatanivan ttn, $100 for Boys Club clo on Air e hearing in Albany recently, Loeal Steelworkers last year signed a Glens Falls; WKIP, Poughkeepsie; fore. They returned Monday how- was $95,299,000, This is a net re- i ‘
nr nr A denation of $100 for the Sche- he Capital District CIO Council 801 representatives present were two-year contract which in effect WSNY, Schenectady, and WAGE, ever, at the direction of union of- lun of 24 per cent on total in-
BACK THE NEGOTTATIONS nectady Boys’ Club was voted by broadcast at 9:45 pm. every Mon- William Mastriani, ‘Albert Davis forces it to accept the company's Syracuse. ficers. vestment,
WITH A loos: UK SHOP the 80L Exeeutive Board Monday. day over WROW, and Willard Kuschel, ‘
tia and the town of Rotterdam op-
The situation in ‘steel is diferent
every Monday over WOKO, Al-
about 1300 wotkers left their jobs
High GE Profits
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Now GE Calls It
Cost Improvement
Company language calls it “cost
improvement”, but the workers in
Industrial Control at the Schenec-
tady Works think it means lay-
offs, insecurity, and speed-up for
them,..and-still_new-reeord~profits ==
for the GE.
The workers in Control have
been hit badly by frequent -lost
time and many lay-offs. They were
therefore interested when someone
let out a copy of a supervision sheet
entitled “Cost Improvement Chron-
icle’, listing “cost improvements”
by various .departments and fore-
men, Those who looked at the ta-
ble wondered how much of the
“eost improvement” represented
speed-up os price cut, or the re-
duction in the number of machine
repair men, oilers, or porters in
Bldg. 58, without reduction in work
load.
The “chronicle” listed top per-
formers among the foremen in the
“improvement” program, and an-
nounced that “Messrs. Blesh and
Bradish are to wine and dine these
men.” The raises for foremen
came later.
Nothing was said about how this
contributes to the stability of the
country, which GE talks about.
The “chronicle” carried a cartoon
of C. J. Sertl, saying “To start our
cost reduction program we'll sing
‘jingle bells’.” Some wonder if he
meant tin cans.
Anyway, cheer up next time
you're laid off. Maybe you'll be a
GE “Cost Improvement.”
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
United Electrical, Radio & Machine
Workers of America, CIO «=~
‘Scuengzorapy GE Loar 301
po
Published by Editorial Committee
William Templeton, Chairman
Mary McCartin, Secretary
Clayton Pudney Victor Pasche |
Editorial Office
EveataicaL Union News
301 Liberty St., Schenectady, N. Y.
Telephone 3-1386
UE Rem-Rand Workers
Strike at Tonawanda
Firing of the local UE president,
Walter Gaul, caused 1100 workers
to go on strike Apr. 28 at the Rem-
ington-Rand plants at Tonawanda
and North Tonawanda, Gaul’s dis-
oon WE KNOW THAT You
EMPLOYEES WILL BE, GLAD
OF THE OPPORTUNITY
To BE PART OF OUR COST
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM”
How GE Handles
The ‘Free’ Press
Here’s a sampie of the way GE
operates to influence news and edi-
torials.
Peter Pavone Jr. of the GE Pub-
lic_ Relations Department_sent_a
Wall Street Journal
Confirms UE Article
Two explanations of the latest
GE “price cut” ballyhoo were giv-
en GE workers last Friday.
One was the Works’ News story
about “the company’s effort to
“7
of anti-union actions by the com-_
pany. yg
The UE strikers have served no-
tice they will not return to work
until Gaul is reinstated and until
the company lives up to the terms
of last summer’s strike settlement.
Rem-Rand has violated its. agree-
ment to negotiate with UE on
working conditions and for a pay
raise retroactive to Apr. 1.
This is Gaul’s second experience
of being fired by Rem-Rand for
union activities. He was discharg-
ed in 1986, but with the help of the
Wagner Act the union forced the
company to reinstate him. The
case had to be earried to the Uni-
ted States Supreme Court before
the company finally gave in.
Now that the Taft-Hartley law
is in effect, Rem-Rand feels free to
repeat its union-busting tactics. It
fired Mike O’Brien, UE president
at IHon, in March and Gaul in.
April.
Get Facts from Union—
Not-from Winchell!
The place to get ‘facts about
union action is still the union —
whether the union office or your
shop steward — and not the gos-
sip commentators, no matter how
big a network the commentator
may be on.
When Walter Winchell on Sun-
day night predicted “new strikes
. . « the dirtiest strike to be the
General Electric versus the United
Electrical Union,” he had no in-
formation from the -union.
UE strikes are voted directly by
the membership, and only the
. members can make such a decision.
As far as UE is concerned, there
is no reason why a strike should
be dirty. ..Did Winchell get his in-
formation from the company? ......
letter Mar. 31 to the company’s ap-
pliance and merchandise plant
managers. The letter said:
“Attached is a proof of another
in the current. series of General
Electric advertisements dealing
with matters of vital importance to
every American.
“This advertisement, in 1,000
line size, and entitled ‘How Does
General Electric Feel About Un- .
ions?’ is scheduled for use in the
public press of your community
next week... %
“Please pursue your friendly re-
lations with news editors or edi-
torialists on your papers by bring-
ing this proof to their attention.
If any editorial reaction is obtain-
ed, please forward representative
clippings to this office.”
Many Companies Grant
More Than 6 Holidays
Here are some of the 230 plants
with UE contracts providing for
more than six holidays: :
Holidays
Fairchild Instrument . 10
Ford Instrument
Sperry Gyroscope
Hertner Electric ..
Fard Lenard Electric ..
International Projector.
American Machine & Foundry 8
Singer Sewing Machine
(3 plants)
Thomas Edison Industries
G.E. (Dominion of Canada)... 8
It should be noted that while
other companies pay for six holi-
days‘as does GR, they do not dis-
qualify workers for payment if
they are absent the day before or
after. the. holiday. . Examples. are
Westinghouse (National Agree-
ment), General Cable, Sylvania,
R.C.A,, Phileo and Brown Instru-
ment,
_combat._ inflation,”
inflation,” with _an_addi-
tional statement by Vice-President,
C. H. Lang denying that the'sligh
reductions were needed to sell the
products. The Works News plac-
ed special emphasis on price cuts
on fractional horse-power motors.
The other explanation was in the
Electrical Union News. It pointed
out that in arguing -piece work
prices with the union recently,
company representatives had said
they wanted to reduce selling pric-
es to meet competition.
Which one was the truthful ex-
planation? Here is what the Wall
Street Journal, a Big Business or-
gan, reported Feo. 4:
“One of this country’s worst in-
dustrial shortages, fractional horse-
power motors, is fast turning into
a surplus ... General Electric, big-
gest maker of small motors, re-
ports a slackening demand for
fractional horsepower motors by
manufacturers of such major appli-
ances as refrigerators and wash-
ing machines.”
Of course, My. Lang doesn’t ex-
pect that workers read the Wall
Street Journal.
GE Still Fighting
Arbitrator's Ruling
UE has started a court action
te force the General Electric Com-
pany to abide by an arbitrator's
decision and reinstate three girls
fired last summer at the Hast
Boston lamp plant. The arbitrator
ruled they should be returned ta
their jobs with back pay.
GE recently lost out in an at-
tempt to obtain.a New York State
Supreme . Court decision which
would overthrow the arbitrator's
decision in the East Boston case.
The court’ denied the company’s
request,
___April 30,1948
3
Wilson Should
GE workers who-for the past’-11
months have seen the price of food
climb steadily, with no wage raise,
must have been interested in. the
Works News cartoon, renewing
GE’s attempt to blame wage in- .
creases for price increases. The
cartoon went so far as to show a
“character called “inflation”, made
ne
wt
to look like the traditional anti-
labor paper’s idea of a union lead-
er. ; .
In the past two weeks one ma-.
jor local super-market chain jump-
ed hamburger from 49 cents to 55
cents a pound. Presumably Charlie
Wilson’s cartoonist blames that on
“that last. round of wage increases”
which” Wilson has not yet agreed
to. a, :
The fact is that prices have gone
up steadily. Big Business has of-
fered every excuse, but it has just
kept pushing pricés_and wi
t'nue to do so as.long as public
‘feed and monopoly control make it
possible. And: workers who can’t
get a raise will be deeper and deep-
-er in the hole.
Section Meetings
Meetings of day shift stewards
of seven sections took place this
week and last week and many have
been scheduled for next week. The
‘Executive Board directed that the
section meetings be called because
of the many serious problems fac-
ing the union today. In addition
to discussing contract negotiations,
the stewards have taken up prob-
lems of their sections.
‘Pensioners’ Meeting
The UE-801 Pension Organiza-
tion will meet at 2 p.m. Wednes- |
day at the union hall,
Keep June 27 Free;
It's 301 Field Day
The annual Local 301 Field
Day will be Sunday, June.27, at
Columbian Park, Dunville Rd.
As usual there will be a con-
test for queen, with candidates
from all sections of the plant.
The winner will receive a cup
and a $100 bond. Second prize
will be a $50 bond and third
prize a $25 bond.
The grand prize of the day
will be a new Studebaker. Other
awards will be a television set,
an electric grill and a toaster.
The Activities Committee is
arranging a full program of
sports, dancing, entertainment,
games, movies. and refresh-
ments. Tickets are 50 cents
each,
will_con-__
a ELECTRICAL_UNION_ NEWS __
Try Buying Hamburgers
IF YOU WANTS IT, SISTER,
You HAS To PAY MY Price!
‘
Shop Stewards' Meeting _
To Discuss Negotiations
All shifts of shop stewards will
meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at 301
Hall. The chief subject of the
meeting will be the continuing
deadlock in GE contract negotia-
tions. Julius: Emspak, national UE
secretary-treasurer and a member
of 301, will take part in the dis-
cussion,
Traffic Rules
Obeying traffic rules around the
works is a good practice, for safe-
ty’s sake, Furthermore, company
guards have been cruising in pri-
vate cars to watch out for violat-
ors. Workers receiving three tick-
ets for vidlations are liable to be
penalized in their use of company
parking lots.
Another Call for Blood
A Local 301 member whose wife
is in Ellis: Hospital has... appealed
to the union for blood donations.
The hospital blood bank must be
vepaid for three transfusions the
woman has had. Volunteers should
contact the union office and when
they report to the hospital should
explain that the blood is to be cred-
“ited to 801.
Orders for Food
Executive Board members have
a list of food and supplies left over
from the 801 Food Center. They
will take orders from members un-
til these remaining items are gone.
Health and Welfare Plan
Par Metal workers, members of
UE. Local .1227,. New. York City,
have won an employer-paid health
und welfare plan. It covers hospit-
alization, medical bills and insur-
ance.
. Will Receive Bids
Company Won't Cancel
Vacation: Shut-Down
GE management has refused the
union’s request to cancel the vaca-
tion shut-down scheduled for this
summer in certain departments and
return to the practice of individ-
ually scheduled vacations. The
shut-down affects Electronie Tube,
Bldg. 269; Wire and Cable, Bldgs.
85 and 109; Industrial Control, and
Induction Motors, Bldgs. 18 and 40.
Louis Male, general superintend-
ent, informed the union of the de-
cision last week after a long delay. ©
The company had asked for time
to consider the union’s request,
whieh was made last winter.
Male said the policy in future
years will depend on the way the
shut-down works out this year.
On 301 Broadcast
‘The GE policy of “decentraliza-
On Lumber Supply
‘Do you want to buy some lum-
ber?
The union .member -who makes
the highest sealed bid can purchase
the shelving which Local 301 re-
moved from the Food Center when
the building-had to be vacated.
The local bought. the lumber last
November for $198. It consists
of two-by-fours and ship-lap and
can be inspected at the union head-
quarters where it is stored.
Bids will be received at the un-
ion office starting today and until
4 pm. next Thursday when the
sealed envelopes will be opened by
the Food Committee. Bids must
be on the. entire lot.
_._tion,” or establishing run-away_
shops, was. diseussed on the Local
801 radio program Wednesday
night, over WSNY. Richard Lins-'”
ley, US District 3 representative,
and Fred Gengenbach of Bldg. 77
took. part with Milo Lathrop in the
broadeast.
Bad News for Bus Riders
The State Public Service Com-
mission has granted permission to .
the Schenectady Railway Company
to continue its 10 cent bus fare un-
til September.
Durez Strike Continues
The UE strike at the Durez Plas-
ties plant, Tonawanda, was still
going full steam when this week’s
EU News went to press.
Take 10,173 Signatures to GE
Representatives of Local 301, photographed in the national GE buil ing
with the petitions signed by 10,173 Schenectady workers demanding a
pay raise and a better contract.
Left to right, Julius Weissman, Clem-
entine Bottieri and Edward G. Bauer. They handed the petitions Apr. 21
to George Pfeif, head GE negotiator.
GUT T
sh a ;
ry
