1
Rehie
PN i
ING
ae
ti
‘
ne
site
‘CTRICAL
THE VOICE OF
LOCAL 301 - - -- + UWEBR &M WA.
January 7, 1949
OF COMPARISON
PROFITS ARE NoT HiGH |
No MATTER WHAT METHOD /
’ SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
YAS YEAR,
ALL-TIME RECORD,
(PROFITS ARE AT AN
STOCKHOLDERS! Z
MEETING
Jandreau Discusses
Wage Negotiations
Wage negotiations aren’t over
when you go to the newspaper and
say, “We're going to do it next’
month,” Leo Jandreau reminded
the. shop stewards’ meeting Tues-
day night.
“There’s a little more to it than
that,” he said.
Recent newspaper articles quoted
President Frank Kriss that Local
301 would seek a wage reopening
‘in January, Jandreau pointed out.
These reports brought an alarmed
letter from, the business agent of
the Lynn GE local, which was
printed in last week’s EU News,
and a telegram from the business
agent of the Bridgeport, Conn. GE
local.
Bridgeport ‘Telegram
“Was amazed to hear one of your
officers wants to reopen wage
negotiations independently of all
GE locals and GE Conference
Board,” the Bridgeport telegram
Gs cescepmnns
‘This kind. of action will only
help the company by breaking
down the unity we have built over
a period of 10 years.”
Jandreau outlined the process by
(Continued on Page 2)
Resolution Concerning ‘Rump’ Meeting
The 801 shop stewards meeting
Tuesday night at the union hall
overwhelmingly passed the follow-
ing motion on the “rump” meet-
ing called Monday night by Frank
Kriss and Frank Fiorillo at Mont
Pleasant High School.
“Moved, that this general meet-
ing of Local 801 shop stewards just
elected by the members in the shop
condemn the so-called ‘Democratic
Action’ group and their agents,
Frank Kriss and Frank Fiorillo, for
attempting to hold a membership
meeting in direct violation of the
Local 301 constitution, These two
officers are trying to substitute
themselves for the entire member-
ship, and to take over the author-
ity which the membership has
specifically delegated only to this
body of stewards and to the execu-
‘tive board elected by the stewards.
“The gathering held last night
at Mt. Pleasant High School, pre-
sided over by Frank Kriss, is here-
by declared to be nothing but a
rump meeting held by the ‘Demo-
cratic Action’ group in a conspir-
acy with outside groups and the
daily papers to interfere.in the
election of the executive board, for
the benefit of outside groups We
declare that no motions or resolu-
tions passed at that rump meeting
have any standing in this union.
“The ‘Democratic Action’ gang
fear the elected shop stewards
and are trying to put outside pres-
sure upon us. We shall resist all
such pressure and defend this un-
ion and the living standards of
GE workers.”
301 Asks GE Prevent
Another Gate Incident:
Local 801 has asked the com-
pany to take action to prevent a
repetition of the incident Thursday
night, Dec. 80, when the plant
gates closed suddenly just before
12:30. The gates stayed closed
until 12:45, and second shift work-
ers were forced to stand in the
pouring rain. Hundreds missed
their buses and had to walk home.
The official explanation given by
the Works Manager’s office was
that a burglar alarm had been
short-cireuited by the storm, and
the guards were required to close
the gates.
Any members who suffered ser-
ious illness as a result should re-
port the facts to their shop ‘stew-
ard,
Stewards Hit
Actions of
Kriss Group
Over 400 shop stewards, elected
during the past few weeks, attend-
ed the first meeting of the Stew-
ards’ Council for 1949 Tuesday
night at the union hall. Chief Shop
Steward Stephen Watts presided.
By unanimous invitation of the
Executive Board, UE President Al-
bert J. Fitzgerald and Secretary.
Treasurer. Julius Emspak were
present. Fitzgerald administered
the oath of office to the stewards.
The stewards adopted by an
overwhelming vote a motion de.
elaring unconstitutional a “vamp”
meeting called by, President Frank.
Kriss and Recording Secretary
Frank Fiorillo at Mont Pleasant
High School. (See resolution on.
page 1). The motion condemned
the so-called Democratic Action
group and “their agents”, Kriss
and Fiorillo, for attempting to hold
such a meeting.
Condemn Anti- Union Publicity
Also by an overwhelming vote,
the stewards condemned “the pub-
licity campaign which Frank Kriss,
Frank Fiorillo and Stephen Watts
and their ‘Democratic Action’ gang
have been: conducting during the
past month”. (See resolution and
story on page 2).
This vote followed a report by
Business Agent Leo Jandreau on
the anti-UE and anti-301 publicity,
illustrated by newspaper quotations
citing new officers.
Kriss stated that he would defer
answering the attack on his actions
and publicity until the membership
meeting Jan. 18,
Approve Delegates’ Report
The stewards overwhelmingly
approved a report on the State CIO
Convention by the five delegates
from Local 801, William Temple-
ton, William Stewart, Joseph Sac-
cocio, Fred Pacelli and. Leo Jan- |
dreau, and an introductory report
by Jandreau.(See story next week.)
The meeting heard an appeal by
President Fitzgerald to work to-
gether “for the people in the shops”
and the welfare of the union. He
warned that GE is ready to move
in and destroy, the union if it is
(Continued on Page 2)
. a
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
January 7, 1949.
Stewards Condemn
Anti-301 Publicity
Shop stewards of Local 301 by
an overwhelming vote adopted the
following resolution introduced
from the floor at their meeting
“—‘Tiyesday night at 301 hall”
“Moved, that this general meet-
ing of shop stewards of Local 301
condemn the publicity campaign
which Frank Kriss, Frank Fiorillo
and Stephen Watts and their ‘Dem.
ocratic Action’ gang have been
conducting during the past month.
“While pretending to favor de-
mocracy, this group has tried to
destroy the democracy of Local 301
and substitute their will for that of
the membership. Through the
press they have ‘sought to create a
public hysteria in order to can-
cel out the democratic decision of
the membership in its choice of its
-principal.-.--officer,....the:. business
agent.
“While paying lip. service to the
collective bargaining needs of the
workers and the contract benefits
for which this union has been
pressing during the past year,
Kriss, Fiorillo and Watts have been
actively engaged in a campaign to
ruin that bargaining position by a
smear campaign against the local
and national officers elected by the
membership to represent them in
collective bargaining with the Gen-
eral Electric Company,
“The ‘Demoeratie Action’ group’s
campaign is giving support from
inside the union to the most vicious
Taft-Hartley forces in Congress.
It is seriously hampering the un-
ion in settling grievances. If elect-
ed officers are allowed to continue
such a publicity campaign against
other elected officers and the union,
they will seriously threaten the ex-
‘istence of the organization and
wipe out the huge benefits which
UB has won for GE workers over a
period of twelve years.”
Start the Year Right
If you haven't signed the peti-
tion demanding repeal of the Taft-
Hartley Law, get off to a good*start
for 1949 by signing it today.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
United Electrical, Radio & Machine
Workers of America, CIO
Scurnuctapy GE Loca. 301
<a
Published by Editorial Committee
Mary McCartin, Secretary
Arthur R. Bertin! Clayton Pudney
John G. Grasso Victor Pasche
Editorial: Office
ExveerricaL Union News
301 Liberty St., Schenectady, N. Y.
Telephone 3-1386
—
{ STRAIT AMES)
X
Way HoT JUST SNIP
)( A BIT OFF THE
1 \WEM, MR OHGRESSINN!
FevewaRMey nL
FRED
Waar
wom Pase
Jandreau Discusses
Wage Negotiations
(Continued from Page 1)
which the GE Conference Board
draws-up wage proposals which are
then passed upon by the locals, and
the bargaining procedure with GE
afterwards.
The demands made on GE are
coordinated with the UE bargain-
ing program at Westinghouse, Syl-
vania and RCA, he pointed out.
They are affected by the bargain-
ing of other CIO unions.
“Last year UE gave leadership
to the entire CIO in the question
of wages,” Jandreau declared.
Recalls Pre-Union Days
In the days before UL, Jandreau
recalled, the ,workers in Schenec-
tady used to say, ‘If we could only
get all GE workers under one
roof.”
When the workers tried to get
an improvement in Schenectady
they were met by the management
argument, “We can’t take that up
because it would affect. workers in
other plants too.”
“Now we have our union at Gl”,
Jandyeau said, “but we won't if we
don’t watch out. If we let people
divide us, this union is going on
the rocks.
“It’s a pity some people will try
-to break up overnight what it took
years to build up.”
Is Your Shop 100 Per Cent UE?
Stewards Council Hits
Actions of Kriss Group
(Continued from Page 1)
torn by dissension and confusion.
(See story on page 4.)
301 Vice-President William
Hodges declared that the Mont
Pleasant meeting was a “direct
violation of the constitution,” and
that Kriss “certainly made a big
mistake’ when he disregarded the
constitution.
He also criticized the statements
by Kriss and his group on the
wage reopening, as contrary to the
UE and 301 wage negotiation pro-
visions. Hodges emphasized the
importance of the GE Conference
Board procedure.
“Our strength is in unity among
all GE locals,” he said.
Opening the meeting, Watts
pledged he would preside impar-
tially. He said he wants to plan a
program of educating stewards in
union problems. There is no doubt
that GE and the Atomic Energy
Commission are acting jointly
against the union, he declared. and
said that in his opinion the refusal
of officers to sign non-Communist
oaths makes it harder to solve this
atomic problem.
Endorse Polio Drive
The shop stewards Tuesday night
endorsed the annual polio cam-
paign in Schenectady County.
President Frank Kriss brought the
request before the meeting.
Newspaper Campaign
Reaches New Height
The Union-Star and Gazette
campaign in support of Frank
Kriss and the so-called “Demo-
cratic Action” group reached new
~heights..during.. the _past_week,..as_.....--...--and-a-10" per “vent ine
the shop stewards were preparing
to elect the 1949 executive board
members.
The ‘newspaper pieces featured a
series of outright lies. They mag-
nified any statement by Kriss and
his associates, even including a
personal attack on Leo: Jandreau
and a “New Year’s message”. by
Kriss engaging in heavy. red-bait-
ing.
In.a remarkably distorted story
of the stewards’ meeting, the Gaz-
ette on Wednesday said the only
official action taken was “approval
of a report by a delegation” to the
State CIO convention... The fact. is
the Gazette was informed officially
null and void, and approving Leo -
Jandreau’s actions at the State
CIO convention. The same Gazette
‘story, said that Jandreau “attacked
the Catholie clergy.” Actually
~what Jandreau did was to say that
several clergymen had interfered
in union affairs and he would op-
pose such interference.
Here are’ a few more outright
lies:
That Jandreau is paid “approxi-
mately $150 a week.” (Union-Star,
Dec. 81, 1948). His pay is $118.40.
Gazette story Jan. 1, that. “af-
fairs of Local 801, UE-CIO, were
turned over to the incoming offic-
ers yesterday,” along ‘with a pic-
ture of Kriss, Frank Fiorillo, Wil-
Ham Downs, and Stephen Watts,
about “to assume control of the
union headquarters.” Story in the
Union-Star Jan. 8, that the new
officers “officially took over the
records and funds of the union.”
The fact is, of course, that the con-
stitution of Local 801 makes the
business agent the custodian of the
hall and records, and of the funds
jointly with the treasurer. Al] the
new officers did or could do was
look at some books and minutes.
The Gazette and Union-Star
story on the “rump” meeting Mon-.
day night carefully concealed two
facts — that only 800 to 400 were
present, (police said 250) and that
the Local 801 constitution specifies
that membership meetings can b
called only by the shop stewards
Exeeutive Board. - - : i
ATTEND YOUR UNION
MEETINGS
pal motors.
the demand for larger motors and
Nompany,
eight paid holidays, severance pay
January 7, 1949
GE Raises Price
Of Larger Motors _
The General Electric Company
put into effect as of Dec. 27 a 5 per
. cent inerease in the price of motors
above
nm th
price of large turbo-generators of
20,000 kilowatts and higher. The
price of motors had already been
boosted 5 per cent last July 1.
The latest price action by GE
onee again explodes the company
propaganda about prices and prof-
its. GE always says that wage in-
creases cause price increases, but
there wasn’t any wage increase to
blame the new jumps on.
GE is charging all that the traf-
fic will bean It raises prices on
large motors and ‘generators where
it has substantial backlogs of or-
ders, It does not increase prices on
rated 50 horsepower and
__appliances where. demand -is. weal
GI’s high price policy has helped
kill the demand for appliances and
Now GE is killing
turbo-generators by raising prices.
Additions to List
Of Shop Stewards
Additional official returns on the
election of shop stewards have
been reported by the Election Com-
mittee as follows:
Building 2—Patrick L. Vellano.
Bldg. 16—K, R, Case.
Bldg, 17—-Edward A. Luberda
and F. C. Van Schaik.
Bldg, 23 (Office Service)—Merri-
man Dorsch, Ida Suprunowicz,
Anna Waldenziak and Paul. Rie-
ciardi. —
Bldg. 28—Stephen Lasak.
Bldgs. 40—Earl Wilkinson.
Bldg. 49—Joseph H. Bartkowski,
Salvatore De Pietro, Willis A. Rex-
ford and Louis D. Valentino.
Bldg. 49 Patrol—Robert A. Reid.
Bldg. 58 — Salvatore Castiglia,
Addison Miller, Katherine Van
Wert, Reatha Pipe and Donald FE.
Kniskern.
Bldg. 59—Fay R, Hildreth.
Bldg. G6—Peter Pompilio.
Bldg. 68—Henry Busse.
Bidg. 76—John W. Van Auken.
Bldg. 2738—Fred Barber.
UE Wins Raise
Pay increases ranging from 12%
cents to 17% cents an hour are
rovided in the new contract of UH
* peal 475 with the E. C. Carpenter
Brooklyn, There are
and other improvements,
BUILD THE UNION
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS »
3
They Answered the Call for Blood Donors
Among the first members of Local 301 to answer the recent emergency plea for blood donations for Beverly
and Barbara Renzi were these men from Building 46. where Albert Renzi, father of the children, works.
Left
to right, Willard Kuschel, George White, John Loughlin, Jerry Purouski, James Sloane and Louis Pidgeon lin-
ing up at Ellis Hospital. The nurse is Betty Nourse. '
Another Statement
By Watts in Gazette
On. Tuesday night Stephen
Watts, as chief shop steward, pre-
sided over his first meeting of Lo-
eal 801 shop stewards.. He pledged
himself to carry out his duties. He
heard General President ~ Albert
Fitzgerald plead with members not
to take internal fights to’ the news-
papers. He thanked Fitagerald for
his appearance. Then he heard the
stewards’ body adopt, by a big
vote, a motion condemning the
publicity campaign of himself,
Frank Kriss and Frank Fiorillo, as
a threat to the existence of the
union,
The next day’s Gazette carried a
statement by Stephen Watts at-
tacking Leo Jandreau personally
and denouncing the appearance of
General President Fitzgerald.
Bus Drivers Get
14 Cent Increase
Agreement was reached this
week between Local 159, Transport
Workers Union, CIO, and the Sche-
nectady Railway Company on their
1949 contract. |
Bus drivers get a raise of 14
cents an hour under the new con-
tract. Mechanics are to receive for
a 40 hour week the same pay they
Big Business Lobbyists Ready for '49
, By Russ Nixon, UE Washington Representative
The Washington lobbyists for Big Business haven’t given up,
Asa
matter of fact, they are getting ready for their biggest season in, the
Capitol. Three of the biggest of these lobbies are the following:
Real Estate Lobby
Led by Herb Nelson of the Na-
tional Association of Real Estate
Boards, there are at least 15 full-
time lobbyists for the real estate
interests.
how much money they spend.
Their aim is no rent control, no
public’ housing, no controls on
building materials prices.. Need-
less to say, they don’t represent the
little landlords, their interest is
the Big Real Estate operator.
Power Lobby
The power lobby is one of the
most powerful and wealthy lobbies
in Washington. They are out
against any Kind of public power
such as TVA,
The leader of this lobby is P. L.
Smith, president of the National
Association of Electric Companies
which represents about 60% of the
private power companies in the
United States, Smith is paid
$65,000 a year plus expenses, His
association admits spending in ex-
cess of $300,000 a year lobbying
in the Capitol.
The American Medical Associa-
No one knows, actually, ;
tion conducts a terrifie lobby
against any proposal for public
health care or health insurance.
They call it “socialized medicine.”
They boast they will raise a $3,500,-
000 war chest to fight against na-
tional health legislation in the new
session of the Congress.
These are only three of the ma-
jor lobbies. They are enough to
show that the fight for decent leg.
islation for the people will be
tough, :
UE Gets Court Order
Forbidding Lock-out
UE Local 813 won a major vic-
tory in its campaign to end the
Evansville, Ind., blacklist when a
probate court judge issued an order
forbidding the Faultless Caster
Company to lock out workers.
The case was brought in behalf
of four workers fired’ without cause
after the “hearings” conducted at
Evansville by Congressmen Mitch-
ell and Landis of the Hartley: La-
bor Committee,
