4
ELECTRICAL “UNION NEWS _
Oo ___May 16, 1947
As Union Members Jam 301 Hall to Approve New UE- GE Contract
The largest membership meeting in a year ufanimously approved the 1947 GE
contract settlement May 5; Above, a section of the overflow meeting listening to
the report on the contract by Leo Jandreau, shown at right, Local 301 business
agent and a member of the national UE negotiating commitiee. The meeting gave
« Jandreau a tiging vote of thanks for his work on the contract.
Company Delays
Signing Contract
Signing of the GH-UE contract has
been delayed because the company wants
to make last-minute changes which would
weaken the maintainence of member-
ship provisions.
This does not delay effectiveness of
the wage increases, the six paid holidays
and other improvements covered in the
supplementary agrement which has al-
ready been signed.
Pay raises were scheduled’ to be j in-
cluded in thé pay checks distributed yes-
-terday and today. This. week’s. issue. of .
EU News went to press, however, before
the checks were given out.
The national UE officers have called
the union negotiating committee to New
York for a meeting Tuesday. The nego-
tiators will meet with GE officials Wed-
nesday. The union hopes the contract
will be signed at that session,
All angles of the maintenance. of mem-
- bership question were argued out at the
negotiating sessions along with other
contract provisions. The UL negotiators
can see no valid reason for the company
reopening the question now, after reach-
ing agreement.
“We will not allow the maintenance
of membership provisions to be weak-
ened,” Leo Jandreau said.
MAKE YOUR SHOP 100 PER CENT UE
No Need for. Worry
Don’t worry if a stranger starts
inspecting your machine.
The GE company has notified the
union that during the next few
weeks people will be in all sections
of the plant to take data off the
machines.
They are insurance Zopriivers,
the company explained, and have
nothing to do with piece prices.
Peterson to Speak
On ClO. Program. -...
President Andrew Peterson of Local
301 will speak on the Capital District
CIO Council radio program at 2:20 p.m.
Sunday over WIRY. The program will
answer the false statements made by the
National Association of Manufacturers
in recent newspaper advertisements fav-
oring anti-union legislation.
The CIO Council will also have a pro-
gram at 12:15 pom. Sunday on WOKO.
State CIO Conference |
The New Yorks State CIO Council has.
called a special state-wide conference on
anti-labor legislation at 1 p.m., May 24,
at Chancellors Hall, Albany. All affil-
iated locals have been urged to send dele-
gates.
Industry Paper Admits
Grave Copper Shortage
Even a publication of the electrical in-
dustry itself admits the seriousness of
the copper shortage in hampering pro-
duction of electrical plants.
Hlectrical World stated recently:
“One important shortage that may be
worse before it is better is copper, since
with imports reduced and the drain on
the stockpile_increased,..the-end..of. Reb-
ruary saw the best estimate of duty-
free copper-available for allocation to
fabricators at only 9,000 tons.”
Local 301 last week called on GED of-
ficials to use their influence to break up
the world copper cartel which has cre-
ated an artificial shortage of copper.
The union asked GI. to exercise its in-
fluence with its controlling interests, the
House of Morgan and the First National
Bank of New York, to compel Kennecott
Copper and Phelps Dodge to break away
from. the world cartel.”
301 on Air
The weekly radio broadeast of Local
301 will be at 7:15 p.m. Monday over
WSNY.
BUILD YOUR UNION
THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA—LOCAL 30! ClO
Vol. 5—No.: 18
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
«May 23, 1947}
Women Will Hear
AER Case Report
A meeting for all women, members of
Local: 301 has been called for 7 p.m.
Wednesday at the union hall to hear a
report on the AER case involving low-
rated piece work jobs normally perform-
ed by women. This meeting will precede
the. general membership and committee-
men’s meeting,
Reports -will be made by the four-
woman committee who met Tuesday with
national GE officials in New York City
on the case. They are Helen Quirini,
Mary McCartin, Sadie Iovinella and
Lucy Zeppetelli, Business Agent Leo
Jandreau and Joseph Terkowski of the
national UE office assisted them.
Company representatives James Burni-
son and Lester H. Means refused to
grant any of the union’s demands to
raise women’s pay, but said they “would
consider arbitration.”
The committee said that management
refused to discuss specific issues but
talked in generalities about the calibre
of. work done by women and about ob-
jections of “various .people” to women
holding industrial jobs. :
Management denied any bias on the
part--of the -company--toward:-women
workers. The committee answered man-
agement criticisms of women’s work by
pointing to their splendid production
record during the war.
All Union Smokers
‘Will Get the Idea
The Local 301 Executive Board
voted Wednesday to remind union
members that CIO workers are on
strike against the R. J. Reynolds
Tobacco Oo. producers of Camel
cigarettes .and Prince Albert to-
bacco. More than 10,000 members
‘of the Roodjand)\Tobacco.\Workers
: are on'the picket lines at the plant
in Winston-Salem, N. C.
Will Be Speaker |
Here Wednesday
“Albert iL Fitzgerald, international UE
president, will come to Schenectady to
address. the joint membership and com-
mitteemen’s meeting of Local 301 at 7:30
p.m. Wednesday at CIO hall. He will
diseuss the life-and-death struggle of
UE and other unions against the anti-
labor bills now in Congress.
Section Night
The last section night program until
after the Local 301 field day June 29 will
_be tonight at CIO Hall. It’s for. mem-
bers from Electric, Patrol, Turbine, Por-
celain, Punch Press, Searchlight and
Ordnance departments. Joe Louis fight
pictures, dancing and refreshments are!:.
on the entertainment program. s
SIGN UP A NEW MEMBER
ae Defies Union Contract
GE Won't Send
Disputed Cases
To Ar itration-
rbitration
‘The Generali Electric Company’s ‘flat
refusal to comply ‘with the contract pro-
vision for arbitration of grievances was
referred this week by the Local 801
Executive Board to the Schenectady
membership for ‘action,
At a grievance meeting Tuesday Jaines
W. Burnison, speaking for top manage-
ment, told Business Agent Leo Jandreau *
that the company would not proceed
with arbitration of a dozen unsettled
cases, because GE did not intent to let
an “outsider”, "meaning an impartial
arbitrator, decide questions which affect
the company’s costs,
Both “the old and the new contracts
provide that:
“Tn the event no agreement is reached:
on any matter involving the application —
or interpretation of any provision of -
this Contract, such matter shall be sub-
mitted to ‘arbitration of request of cither
the Union or the Company.”
GE Violates Contract :
The refusal to arbitrate is a direct
contract violation which breaks down
(Continued on Page 8)
Vote On Constitution
Slated for Wednesday
A special meeting of the Local
801 membership has been called for
7:30 pam. Wednesday, May 28, at
CIO Hall to act on proposed chang-
es in the local’s constitution. The
meeting. will be held jointly with
a meeting of committeemen from
all shifts.
The constitutional changes orig-
inally were to be acted on at a
membership meeting last Tuesday.
As a quorum .was not present Tues- | --
day, the ExecutivecBoard set «the! +:
. new date at its’ meetirigi!Wednes-
day.
2
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS |
May 23, 1947
Peterson Attacks
Anti-Labor Bills
For Big Business to label trade unions
as “monopolies” is like a thief shouting
“Stop Thief” when the police show up,
President Andrew Peterson of Local 301
said Sunday on the Capital District CIO
-vadio broadeast over WTRY.
“The National Association of Manu-
facturers is trying to drum up support
for its campaign to blame‘so-called labor
monopolies for. high prices,” Peterson
said, . :
“The Department of Justice made
public a report this month that 79 of the
100 largest corporations in America face
anti-trust action by the U. 8. govern-
ment. American business monopoly is
constantly getting stronger.”
Discussing the Taft-Hartley bill,
Peterson said the purpose of the legis-
lation “is to weaken or destroy all or-
ganized labor in this country and so give
Big Business an opportunity to make
more profit. by: reducing the standard of
living of all the American people.”
The Capital District CIO Council will
present programs at 12:15 p.m. Sunday
over WOKO and at 2:20 p.m, Sunday
over WTRY.
. Here's Suggestion
For Memorial Day
Local 159; Transport Workers Union,
CIO, has chartered special buses to take
passengers to the Altamont auto races
Memorial Day. The buses will leave the
“YMCA in lower State from 10:30 a.m. to
11 a.m. The one-dollar round-trip tick-
ets can now be bought from all Schenec-
tady bus .drivers. Proceeds will go to
the union. Anyone wanting to make
group reservations or to get additional
information sliould telephone Alton Pet-
teys, Schenectady 2-2010.
UE Broadcast
Make it a habit to hear Leland Stowe
at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday on the
national UE radio program. It's on
WSNY (1240 on your dial), WABY
(1400) and WBCA (FM).
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Unrrep Eurerrican, Raptio & Macuine
Workers or America, CIO
Saurnverany GE Toca 301
oR
Published by the Editorial Committee
William Templeton, Chairman
“pot> Mary. McCartin, Secretary.
Willard Kuschel Victor Pasche
Leland Sisto
Editorial Office - Electrical Union News
301 Liberty St. - . Schenectady, N. Y.
eee SCHENECTADY PRINTING GO., ING, soeeummen
State CIO Meeting
In Albany Tomorrow
U.S. Senator Glen Taylor (Dem-
ocrat) of Idaho will speak at the
New York State CIO Council’s con-
ference on anti-union legislation at
1 pm. tomorrow (Saturday) at
Chancellors Hall, Albany. © Con-
gressman Emanuel Celler (Demo-
crat) of New York City will also
address the meeting. Leo Jan-
dreau of Locai 801 is a vice-presi-
dent of the State CIO. Members of
all CIO unions in Schenectady have
been urged to attend.
-GE Shreve Provides
Laugh of the Week
There’s nothing anti-union about the
Taft and Hartley bills, according to Earl
O. Shreve, GE vice-president recently
elected president of the U. 8. Chamber
of Commerce... *
“There is no disposition on the part
of the Congress either to inflict penalties
on labor unions or union members,” he
said. : :
Apparently Mr, Shreve doesn’t think
jt would be any penalty for a worker to
have his union destroyed, to lose the
right: to strike, to have contract nego-
tiations stalled indefinitely, to have out-
siders hand-pick his union officers or to
receive pay cuts, ;
Shreve wants legislation “to restore
equality in collective bargaining.” LTvi-
dently he thinks GE and those other lit-
tle businesses that are struggling to get
along need government protection from
the unions.
Women Workers Protest _
Unfairness in Bldg. 81
A group of about 25 women from
Bldg. 81 punched out early Monday aft-
ernoon in protest.against the unreason-
able attitude of supervision. A delega-
tion from the group reported to the un-
ion office to discuss the grievances. The
chief complaint was unfair timing of
jobs for pricing.
Wililam Kelly, assistant to the busi-
ness agent, Committeeman William Fish-
er, Board Member Dewey Brashear and.
a committee of four women met with A.
CG. Stevens, assistant to the ~eneral sup-
erintendent, on the problem Tuesday.’
Stevens said he would investigate and
agreed to have another meeting yester-
day. The women on the committee are
Emily Lisks, Laura Zimmer, Helen Motyl
and Helen Posluszny.
Organizing Drive
Gets 720 Members
_ More new members have joined Local
‘301 since the organizing drive started in
March than during any similar length of
time in the past five years. The total
of new members has now reached 720,
aceording to William Stewart, chairman
of the Organizing Committee.
Two new names have been added to
the honor roll of committeemen with 100
per cent union membership “in their
groups. They are George Quick, Bldgs.
12 and 14, and William Hodges, Bldg. 72.
Richard A. Neilson Anthony Villano
U. S. bonds of $100, $50 and $25 will
be awarded at the membership mecet-
ing Wednesday night to the three mem-
bers who turned in the most application
cards by May 1: Anthony Villano, Bldg.
37, with 81 new members; Richard A.
Neilson, Bldg. 69, with 25 members, and
Frank H. Hiller, Bldg. 285, with 15 mem-
bers. ,
“Now isthe time to make the Sche-
nectady plant 100% UE,” Stewart said.
“Since the pay raise went into effect,
“there have been many cases of people go-
ing to their commit-
teemen to ask for
application cards.
I’m sure that many
others: would join at
once if somebody
asked them. Our
trouble is that we
haven’t contacted the
whole plant yet. °
“We must male
every non-member
renlize that the un-—
jon got his increase -
for him and that on-
ly the union can-pro-
Frank H. Hiller tect ‘it, We don’t
. Nders, That’s the feeling throughout the
shop.”
want'any more free’
May 23, 1947
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
3
Company Defies
Union Contract
(Continued from Page 1)
the grievance procedure for all em-
ployees. The matter is being placed by
the Exceutive Board before the whole
membership and in the first place before
- the departments immediately involved in
the grievances on which arbitration was
refused.
The company’s attitude leaves the |
method ,of obtaining a settlement of
grievances up to the members. The con-
tract. provides that “the union or locals
will not cause or officially sanction
their members to cause or take part in
any sit-down, stay-in, or slow-down, or
an other stoppage ... until all the bar-
ga‘ning steps mentioned in the grievance
nrovelure shall have been employed
without suecess.”
The disputed cases have been taken
ail the way more than once. They have
been pending for many months,
Grievance Cases Involved.
The grievances which the company has
refused to submit to arbitration include:
the wage classification of five testers in
Bldg. 85; the job rate for two reel head
painters in 85; the AER for a group of
spot welders in Bldg. 78-4; the classi-
fication of a toolmaker in 269; the AERs
for the workers in the Welded Products
Division; the rate for crane followers in
Bldg. 60; an individual rate.in Bldg. 17;
the job rate for a wiring and assembly
group in Bldg. 5; the question of whether
or not the silicone reactor process in
Bldg. 77 was properly on continuous
operation; and the wage classification of
_ switchboard operators in Bldg. 265. In
addition, the company would arbitrate
three questions of breaks in service only
if the union would accept the company’s
“existing rules”, not part“of thé- con-
tract, as governing the cases.
While the GE has always fought to
evade abiding by the arbitration clause,
the company was believed to have been
encouraged by pending anti-labor legis-
lation to take its blunt stand in defiance
of the contract.
More Telegrams Sent
On Anti-Labor-Bills
Albert Davis, Board member, has re-
ported that Mary McCartin ‘sent tele-
grams to Washington protesting, anti-
labor legislation for her group in Bldg.
28. hoor yee
> Alfred Spears, Board member, re-
ported that William D. Kelly sent tele-
grams for his group in Bldg. 105
Biggest Crowd Yet Turns Out for Section Night
The section night party May 16 at CIO Hall, for members in R.LM., LC., Tube and
dance floor scene.
‘Welded Products departments, was the best attended of the season, Here’s a
Important — Veterans
The U. 8. Veterans’ Administra-
tion has reported that only 51 per
cent of eligible veterans have ap-
plied so far for their terminal leave
pay. The deadline is Sept. 1.
At the present time, approxi-
mately one billion, 300 million dol-
lars in terminal leave pay is un-
claimed. Forms for filing are
available at any post office and at
the Local 301 Veterans’ Center,
801 Hall. ;
Have You Mailed Postcard
To President Truman Yet?
Posteards are being distributed this
week by committeemen to 801-members
throughout the plant to make sure that
thousands of messages reach President
Truman from Schenectady urging him
to veto the Hartley-Taft bill.
If any member doesn’t understand the
importance of writing President Tru-
man, the committeeman has a mimeo-
graphed statement to show him.
cent raise, paid holidays and all: the
other gains of your new and past UE
contract?” the union statement asks,
“You will lose that, and a lot more, if
the pending anti-law bill (Hartley-Taft
bill) becomes law.” ‘
Timing Discussion *
Continues With GE
Discussion was scheduled to continue. ~
in Bldg. 41 late this week on the timing
rates to be applied under the step rate
plan which took effect two years ago.
Committeemen from departments where
the raised timing rates were not applied
were called into the discussion.
Last week, A. C. Stevens, assistant to
the general superintendent, told the un-
ion that as far as he could find out the -
correct timing rates were applied on all
time studies, and that he did not con-
sider that the change meant anything
under table prices o2 om prices set by
estimate or comparison.
For two years the contract has pro-
vided:
“New incentive prices will be set on
the basis of the established step rate
plan for incentive workers.”
The step rate plan raised AMR’s any-
where from 44 cent to 4% cents. This
in turn raised the timing rates for new
prices. The union believes that the clause
is clear, and that new prices should have
F been set according to the new rates,
“DO YOU WANT TO LOSE that 11%
whether set by time study or otherwise.
$1,938.59 for Cancer Drive |
Cancer drive collections turned in by
Local 801 committeemen totaled $1,-
938.59 by -Wednesday. :
