Electrical Union News, 1947 March 6

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

pal ae

‘Kearney Supports
Anti-Strike Bills

Representative Bernard Kearney told
Fred Pacelli in Washington last week

that he will-vote “for any ial that will-

stop strikes.”,
Brother Pacelli, chairman of the 301
Legislative Committee, was one of 80

UE members from all parts of the coun-

try to interview their Congressmen on
- anti-labor legislation last week. . They
ealled on the Congressmen after hear-
ing international UE officers testify be-
fore the Senate Labor and Public Wel-
fare Committee. ~~
When Pacelli tried to question Kear-
ney about the Ball bills and other speci-
fic legislation, Kearney replied, “I
haven't time to study it. I’m not going
to commit myself on anything.”
Kearney referred to the anti-labor leg-
islation as “just. amendments to the
Wagner Act.” He defended his action
in voting for the notorious Hobbs Bill
last year...
All the delegates from New York state
joined forces to visit Senator Irving Ives.
Ives didn’t give a “Yes” or “No” an-
swer on any particular bill, but claimed
he has always opposed_bills harmful to
labor.
He said he objected to politicians mak-
ing “a political football” out of labor.
A UE member asked whether that
was an admission the Republicans are
-making a political football out of labor
now.
“Not the Republicans,” he said, . “put
a few individuals.”
Ives. told the group that “something
‘will undoubtedly come out” of all the
legislation introduced on the labor ques-
tion, but “it -won’t be as bad as you
fear.” He said not to be “too concerned.”

oo Still Waiting —

No answer i) ‘been vacaived frony J.
W. Burnison on the toolmakers’.and ma-
chinists’ cases when this week’s issue of
EU News went to press. A representa-
tive of top GE management, Burnison
promised Feb. 20 to report within a week
or 80.

ELECTRICAL UNION -NEWS.

Unirep Exvecrricar, Rapio & Macuine
Worxers or Amzriaa, C1 O

Sauunzctapy GE Looan 301

Published by the Editorial Committee

Willard Kuschel = Mary McCartin
Victor Pasche Leland Sisto
William Templeton

Editorial Office - Electrical Union News |
301 Liberty, St. +. Schenectady, N. Y.

SCHENRGTADY PRINTING GO,, INC.

Assemblers Assemble
Over Shop Problems

Assemblers in the Welded Pro-
ducts Division, Bldgs. 52 and 66,
, met Saturday at 801 Hall to dis-
cuss piece work problems and
grievances. Board Member James
Cognetta presided and Orrance
Gottschalk acted as secretary. ‘

The group elected a special com-
mittee to ‘assist shop committee-
men by calling attention to griev-
ances. This committee consists of

«Steven Keough, Ray Yon, Philip
Cognetta, Sal Maetta and Brother
Gottschalk.

Ray Snyder was elected treas-
urer of a refreshment fund.

— a

Union Presses Fight
To Raise Women's AER's

(Continued from Page 1)

~~ —~an hour; those on an AER of 96% vents

made $1.06, and those on an AER of 981%
cents made $1.03.

The union committee pointed out that
many women were unable even to make
their AER of 89% cents. Committee-
men Stella Stankavich and Lucy DeCarlc
of Bldg. 89 told Howell that he ought to
see how hard some of the women worked
to make fair earnings, that many “start
before 7 o’clock and work without let-
up”. The commitee argued that proper
AER’s should be established ‘so that the
women could earn a fair pay for normal
work, not by driving themselves to the
point of illness. = ~~

Committeeman Marie Westcott of 69
and Sadie Iovinella of 81 described jobs

-with an 89¥-cent AER in which the
women were required to work from diffi-
cult blueprints.

Also participating in the discussion
with Howell were Committemen Grace
Priello and Albert BE. Raymond of 63,
James Ducarello of 81, and Board Mem-
bers Mary: McCartin, Stanley Bishop,
Anthony Esposito, and Leland Sisto, as-
sisted by President Andrew Peterson,
Chief Steward Wililam Mastriani, and
Victor Pasche of the union office.

The 3801 Executive Board will act.

shortly on processing the case to the na-
tional level.

Movie Program

The Rotterdam group organized to ar-
range for showing children’s movies in
the community will announce the date
and place of the next program soon,
through the EU News and _ Station
WSNY. 3 ;

March 6, 1946

$1,999.79 Donated
For Paralysis Fund

Donations of Local 301 to the Caron)

of Dimes drive stood at $1,999.79 as of

Mar. 1, an iti¢rease of $100.10 ‘over the ~~

report in the Feb, 27 HU News.

Committeemen who still have money
to turn. in are asked to report promptly
to the union office so that the drive can
be officially closed.

Addition of $41.80 to the previously
reported $250.76 brought the collection
for Bldgs. 49 and 60 up to $292.56, Wil-
liam Stewart is Board member for this
section, the leader in the Local 3801 drive
for the benefit of infantile paralysis
victims.

Alfred Pelrah reported $1.70 more,
bringing the total for his: section up to
$98.40. It is ninth on the list.

The section of Charles Ferris jumped
from 16th to 11th place by the addition
of $27.72, making a total of $86.05.

James Cognetta’s section was raised

from..17th. place-to—14th_by--the_addition...

of $26.23.

Anthony Esposito’s section is still
16th, despite the addition of $2.65 since
the last report.

Local. Rejects
2 Applications

Applications of Helen O’Connor and
Stella Wysocki, both of Bldg. 269, for
reinstatement in Local 301 were turned
down by the Feb. 18 membership meet-
ing.

Members rejected the applications on
the grounds that both women were ac-
tive, about two years ago, in influencing
people to resign from the union and to
join the Mechanics Educational Society
of America (MESA).

Miss O’Connor was charged with lead-
ing the movement and Miss Wysocki
with helping her.

At the request of Miss Mysocki, the
Executive Board Tuesday appointed a

committee to investigate her application..

The committee consists of Albert Davis,
George Judway and Anthony Villano.

Radio Program Planned

Anti-labor legislation will be discussed
on the radio program of the Capital Dis-
trict CIO Council at 2:20 p.m. Sunday,
Mar. 9, over Station WTRY.

Gift for Iron Lung
The Executive Board has donated $25
to the Schenectady County Tavern As-

QO

sociation’s campaign to raise funds for |

an ivon lung to be given to the Sche-

nectady Fire Department for free use of

Schenectady residents.

March 6, 1947 ELECTRICAL:--UNION NEWS.

Planning Active

spensreiasy one , sasiencant

Program for Women Members of Local 301

: “

Board Member Mary McCartin, at extreme right, with a group
of women members of: the union at one of series of women’s
meetings at 301 Hall. Left to right, Hazel Sitterly, Bldg. 89

committeeman; Connie Wrex, Bldg. 89 committeeman; Marie women-at-lerge.

_ Westcott, Bldg. 69’ committeeman; Sadie Iovinella, Bldg. 81;
Lucy Zeppitelli, Bldg. 53 committeeman; Helen Rostkowski,
Bldg.. 28, and Board Member McCartin, representative of |

~—~ Ar Peughik keepsie” GE

UE Carries Election

_.. Check Your Rights -__

Production workers at the Poughkeep-
sie GE plant voted overwhelmingly for
UE against the AFL in a National La-
bor Relations Board election recently.
The vote was 128 for UE and 38 for
AFL.

The union victory was scored im the
face of red-baiting articles about the
UE in Poughkeepsie newspapers. Ene-
mies of the union quoted former Pridge-
port UE officers, leaders of the Carey-
Block faction, in unsuccessful efforts to
keep UE from winning the election.

The company called meetings for each
shift, before the election. Management
told the wozlsers the old story, “the door
of the company is always open to its
employes.”

Charles Rivers, UE district 3 execu-
tive-secretary, and Jerry Steinberg had
charge of the Orgaiizing drive for the
union. Dewey Brashear and Mary Mce-
Cartin, 801 Board members, addressed
the final pre-election rally.

. Victory in Kentucky

Another smashing victory was rolled
up recently by UE at the GE plant at
Henderson, Ky. The vote was 121 for
UE and 82 for the AFL. The campaign
against UE followed the same phony
pattern of red-baiting. The local press
cooperated with the AIL and the com-
pany by printing editorials hailing the
expulsion of 26 union members at
Bridgeport.

Within the past year UH has won 16
elections at GE plants, including the
Utiea plant and the foundry and office
at Elmira.

Members of 801 retiring from the Gen-
‘eral Electric Company are advised to
drop in to the union office to check up
on their rights. The union can be of help
to them-in protecting their claims under
the union contract, social security laws,
and pension plan. ,

Time for Red-Baiting,

-But for Nothing Else

The three top UE officers, President
Albert J. Fitzgerald, Secretary-Treas-
urer Julius Emspak and Director of Or-
ganization James J. Matles testified last
week in Washington before the Senate
Labor and Public Welfare Committee.

ments against the anti-labor legislation
flooding Congress, but they were given
scarcely any time to mention the subject.

Instead, they were cross-questioned on
the “Red” issue and on the Bridgeport
expulsions by Senator Taft, Senator Ball
and others. -

Senator Ball asked President Fitz-
gerald whether he personally is opposed
to barring Communists from union of-
fices.

“T am opposed to barring from office
any person who is a member of our or-
ganization,” Fitzgerald replied. “We
have no second class. membership in our
organization, —-I am opposed to barring
Communists. I-am opposed to barring
Socialists. I am opposed to baring Re-
publicans or Democrats. I am opposed
to barring anyone because of his race,
-ereed, religion or : political. belief.”

Their purpose was to present argu- ,

UE Representative

“Aitacked By GE Ad -

The General Electric Co. came to the *
aid of Bridgeport union disrupters by
running a full-page advertisement in

Bridgeport newspapers attacking Albert

'L, Smith, international UE representa-
tive.

Brother Smith was sent to Bridgeport
by the General Executive Board of UE
to safeguard the contract and job rights
of members and reorganize the local at
the GE plant. The local’s charter was
revoked because of the illegal expulsion
of 26 members.

“Mr. Smith Comes to Bridgeport—and
Stirs Up Strife and Trouble’ the GE
advertisement said in its headline,

GE attacked Smith for publicizing in
press and radio the fact that the union
disrupters (members of the Carey-Block

- faction) ar@ headed toward secession and

company-unionism.

301 Committee Protests

Proposed 10 Cent Bus Fare

Three members of Local 301 went to
Albany Tuesday to oppose a 10 cent bus
fare for Schenectady, at a State Public
Service Commission hearing, They were
Board Member Albert Davis; Fred Pa-
celli, chairman of the Legislative Com-
mittee, and John Kasitch, chairman of
the sub-committee on local legislation.

The Schenectady Railroad Co. has
asked permission to charge’ a straight
10 cent fare. The 301 Executive Board
appointed the protest committee. Mon-
day.