IV - Farmers : tae | |
|. Guaranteed price level of 150% of parity.
2;
Ve
I.
2.
Support all efforts to maintain the family size farmer.
sof quality Associ-
ation to tax co-ops out of existence. .
Expand existing soil conservation programs.
Expand rural electrification program.
Expand Farmers’ Home Administration.
eterans
Federal Bonus. ek .
Increase benefits to disabled vets and their dependents.
Increase subsistence allowances to student vets and for on-the-job training.
Cut to 2% the interest rate for federal loans to vets for homes, businesses
and farms. :
Increase appropriations for Veterans' Administration.
— Taxes
Raise income tax exemptions to $3,000 for couples and $500 for each de-
pendent. .
Progressively higher taxes beginning with small amount above $3,000 and ap-
proaching 100% tax on net incomes over $25,000.
Reject all forms of sales taxes.
Restore excess profits tax on corporations,
— Foreign Policy
Support universal disarmament to include international control of atomic
energy, discontinuance of production of atom bombs and full international
inspection.
Complete elimination of the cartels and Nazi control of industry which
eplanned and furnished the economic base for Hitler's and Hirohito's military
~agaressions. : po
Protection of the rights of self-determination and self-government of econ-'
omically backward and colonial peoples.
Relief to war-ravished peoples and post-war rehabilitation with proviso that
under no circumstances should food of any other aid be used as a means of
coercing free. but needy people in the exercise of their rights of independ-
ence and self-government or to stir up civil war. ;
Vill — Housing
Large-scale federal low’ cost housing program sufficient to house all people.
Restore priority and price control on home building materials.
IX — Health and Social Security
‘Tt. National health law to guarantee that all people shall have dental, medical
and hospital care. : .
2. Raise old age pensions to meet living costs.
Vol. 6 — No.4
(LECTRICAL
THE VOICE OF LOCAL 301 - - - UWER&MWA - - -
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK”
“January 23, 1948
At right, National UE President Albert,
J. Fitzgerald speaking on the union pro-
gram to shop stewards of Local 301 and
other upstate UE locals at 301 Hall Jan..
14, Seated, left to right, Leo. Jandreau,
301 business agent and president cf Dis-
trict 3:. National Secretary-Treasurer
Jutius Emspak, a member of 301; James
Matles, national director of Organiza-
fon, and Andrew Peterson, 301 Presi-
dent,
_ Top UE Officers Visit Schenectady
Staff Appointments
Voted by Local 301
On recommendation of the Executive
Board, the Local. 801 membership meet-
ing Tuesday night voted in favor of the
reappointment of Victor Pasche and
William Kelly. as assistants to. Business
Agent Leo Jandreau. The names. were
-pecorimended to the Board by Jandreau.
The membership also approved, on ree-
ommendation of the Board, the appoint-
ment of Michel Perlin as full-time 301
attorney to handle chiefly workmen's
compensation cases for union members
free of charge. He will also handle un-
employment ‘insurance claims for them
and veterans’ rights under veterans’ leg-
islation,.on.the. same basis.
For several months Perlin has been as-
sisting Leon Novak, attorney, who has
‘heen handling such cases for 301 in ad-
dition to working for District 8. Novak
is now required full-time by District 3
because of the Remington-Rand crisis
and other matters, but will be available
for special cases for 301. .
A graduate of. Columbia. University
(Continued on Page 2)
Veteran Loses Arm
Through G-E Speed-up
Joseph Giello, Purple Heart veteran
and father of a 7-month-old girl, lost an
arm in-a punch press in Bldg. 17 last
Friday morning on the third shift.
Local 801 was scheduled to take up
with the works management this week
the’charge by the men in the group that
the accident was caused by supervision’s
insistence on speed and low piece prices
instéad of safety and fair piece prices.
The job on which Giello was working
was changed last October from. a. hand °
feed job at $2.12 per thousand to a suc-
tion feed job at $1.75 per thousand.
Grievances filed by Shop Steward Stew-
ard Sidney Friedlander are pending now.
The group claims that it is impossible for
operators to earn the AER at that price,
because of punchings slipping and stick-
ing. In order even to come near earn-
ing the ADR, men have to reach under
the punch to straighten out the sheet,
or pull it through, Both the last fore-
man, William Atkinson, and the new
one, N. G. Jones, had been shown the
operators working in this unsafe man-
-ner, but merely said the men were sup-
Chief Officers
Of UE Address
301 Stewards
The three top officers of the National ” .
UE, who spoke at 801 Hall Jan. “44,
urged members to back the approaching
contract negotiations with the unity and
determination which clinched other UE
victories.
President Albert J. Fitzgerald déclar-
‘ed that in spite of the Taft-Hartley Law
and millions of dollars spent by GE and
other companies to try to split the union,
“we can win the fight for decent wages
and. decent..living ‘conditions.” 2
“And if we do our job right in 1948,
we can see that the people who passed
the Taft-Hartley Law are removed from
‘office, and we can put the type of people
into office whom we elected in 1932.”
Schenectady was the fourth stop of
President: Fitzgerald, Secretary-Treas-
urer Julius Emspak and James Matles,
national director of organization, on a
coast-to-coast trip to key UE locals.
Officers and shop stewards of other up-
state UIE locals and visitors from other
CIO. unions attended the Schenectady
meeting, along with 301 shop stewards
trom all three shifts.
The nationwide trip, first of its kind
in UE history, was made necessary,
Fitzgerald explained, because of the
treinendous anti-union campaign “by
the employers we do business with and
the rotten press of this country.”
- He was applauded vigorously when he
said that instead of spending huge sums
on comic strips and other anti-union
propaganda, companies “would do much
better to put this money into the pay
(Continued on Page 2)
posed to use hooks and suction cups to
reach under the punch. This process
would mean still further cutting into the
earnings.
Giello might have gone to the back of
the machine to adjust the steel sheet,
But that would have meant walking
around three presses, because of the
cluttered-up space, according to fellow-
workers. So he reached into the press,
and the press tripped accidentally. His
forearm was gone.
January 23, 1948
~m~ rere en *
fi
374 -SRESS-
4 |
HS a bit of a trick | picked up wh the foundry...
UE NEWS SERVICL
Wallace, Third Party
Discussed at Meeting
The third party presidential candidacy
of Henry A. Wallace was discussed at
the 801 membership meeting Tuesday
night, but on recommendation of the
Executive Board action was limited to
expressing individual opnions.
Speakers opposing the Wallace candi-
daey praised Wallace’s record and plat-
form, but expressed fear that by run-
hing he would insure the election of a
yeactionary Republican. Wallace . sup-
porters argued that there is no differ-
ence between the Democrats, under the
leadership of President Truman, and the.
Republicans,
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Unirep Exccrricat, Rapio & Macuing
Worxers or America, CIO
Scuenzcrapy GE Locat 301
oe
Published by the Editorial Committee
William Templeton, Chairman
Mary McCartin, Seeretary
Willard Kuschel Victor Pasche
Leland Sisto :
Editorial Office - Electrical Union News
301 Liberty St. - Schenectady, N. Y:
Telephone 3-1386 “es
SCHENECTADY PRINTING CO.. ING.
Staff Appointments
(Continued from Page 1)
Law School, Perlin served four years in
the Army Air Foree. He was navigator
of .a B-29 in the Pacific. While a law
student he organized for the Hotel and
Restaurant Workers, AFL.
Another Board recommendation ap-
proved was for the appointment of Emil
Radosevich, Army Air Force veteran, as
bookkeeper to replace Adam Boss, who
has resigned.(See story next week about
Boss’ plans). Radosevich obtained his
bachelor’s degree in accounting at the
University of St. Louis. He first work-
ed for UE in 1942 and before coming to
Schenectady was an organizer at the
GE Lamp plant at Memphis, Tenn.
Under the constitution the business
agent recommends his assistants subject
to approval of the Executive Board and
the membership. Jandreau said only two
assistants are needed now, and that he
was not recommending appointment of
Ray Flanigan. Flanigan, who was on
leave from GE, has become a turbine in
spector in Bldg. 49.
SEE YOUR SHOP IS 100% UK
BUILD THE UNION :
Leaders of Engineers
Echo G-E on Wages
Leaders of the Schenectady General
Electrie_Kngineers_Associntion_last week.
rallied to the support of GE Vice-Presi-
dent L. R. Boulware in his stand against
a general wage increase. This action
was taken by the Executive Council of
the association Jan, 12, and: communi-
cated to Boulware in a message -from
R. C. Buell, president of the engineers’
group. There was-no indication of dis-
cussion by ‘a membership meeting.
This is the outfit which during the
1946 strike, eight days after the com-
pany had asked for an injunction against
Local 801 pickets, came out with a public
statement urging that non-production
in whatever way you can” on, the sub-
ject. :
The message last week from Buell to
Boulware was lavish. in praise of Bo
ware’s announcement of “price reduc-
tion” on.some items. Buell said in part:
“We will attempt to further improve
our production and efficiency by elimin-
ating waste time and effort, absenteeism
and tardiness. ~ ,
“We agree with you wholeheartedly in
the principle that further general pay
inereases throughout the country will
merely serve to add fuel to the fire of in-
flation. We feel that increases should
be given to those individuals who earn
them by greater productivity and value.”
National Officers Speak
(Continued from Page 1)
envelopes of their employees”.
Fitzgerald said lawmakers had at-
tempted to isolate labor leaders from
the’ rest of the country. by the Taft---
Hartley provision for signing affidavits; ~
No affidavits on Americanism have been
asked of employers, he pointed out.
Unfortunately “the great majority of
people holding public office are in there
because of money put’ in by corpora-
tions,” he declared, “and we can’t expect
to get a fair deal from them.”
The UE president made only one re-
ference to the.presidential candidacy of
Henry A. Wallace.
‘T’m not expressing any opinion now
on a third party or the capabilities of
any individual to hold the position of
president of the United States,” he said.
"But Iam saying that the officers and
members of this union will stand up and
fight for the principal that any qualified
man in this country has the right to
run for. president... without his heing
called subversive.”
January 23, 1948
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
GE Likes to Forget
$75,000,000 Profit
GE came out “in pretty good shape”
eee tn. the. matter_of profits. for_1947,.James..|__
Matles, UE director of organization,
reminded union members at 801 Hall
Jan. 14. ; i
He cited the 1947 profits as $75,000,-
000, compared with the wartime average
of $49,348,000 and.the pre-war 1986-1989
average of $44,000,000.
Matles pointed out that today GE and
other companies don’t want to talk pro-
fits. They insist on talking about mak-
ing “only 6% cents on every sales dol-
lar.” But in 1947 they wanted to talk
about profits, he explained, because they
claimed their profits had fallen in 1946.
“But GE got a $28,000,000 kickback
~ fiom the government to make up for its —
1946 ‘losses’’’, he said.
“For every five dollars paid out in
wages,” Matles declared, “two dollars
will go to profits. Industry can raise
wages 13 per cent and reduce prices 10
per cent and make a profit higher than
1939.”
Matles said that GE workers are
$13.08 short a week now, compared with
their take-home pay in 1945, in spite of
pay raises, but the company has doubled
its 1945 profits. ©
UE faces two big fights this year, he
pointed out, the first of them at the con-
ference table’ where the issue will be
very simple, “You have the money and
we need some of it.” The second fight
will. be in the November elections.
“If we take a licking this April we
will “be too demoralized to fight in
November,” he warned.
“In 1920 the labor movement caved in
and busted up. It took 13 years to come
back. The employers couldn't bust us
up in 1946 or-in 1947. They'll try in
1948. Your negotiating committee will
be just as strong as the backing they
get back home.”
Must. Continue to Search
For Food Center Quarters
Local 801 has been given an extension
of a few weeks, instead of having to
move the union Food Center Feb. 1 from
1027 State St.
No new location has been found yet,
so it’s ‘still important for members to
make suggestions about possible places.
Most of the buildings suggested so far
are too small. The dimensions.ought to
be at least 50 by 100 feet.
Last week union members bought $9,-
753.59 worth of food and supplies at the
Wood Center: $1,861.75 ‘Thursday; $4,-
118.11 Friday and $3,773.78 Saturday.
_ $20.75 Equals $12.75
A U. 8. war bond bought in De-
cember, 1941, for $18.75 and cash- -
ed today is worth only $12.45, i
cluding interest.
The bond-holder will receive
$20.75 in cash if he turns in the
‘bond now, but the $20.75 will buy
only as much food and clothing as
$12.75 would have bought in 1941,
If the government: failed. to_pay....
the actual cash for these bonds,
even Herbert Hoover would be
shocked, It’s just-as shocking that
the cash will buy so little.
6
District Backs Jandreau
Emspak Points Out
Big Business. Lies
Big Business is concentrating its pub-
at 801 Hall. The
first lie is about the. Taft-Hartley law,
he pointed out, and the second is about
the relation between wages and prices.
“The impression is being planted in -
theminds of the people that unions that
don't file affidavits are “violating the
law,” Emspak said. “That?’s a lie?
He emphasized that the law does not
require any union to place itself under
the anti-labor T-H board qv to file af-
fidavits; and -that Uli, like the Steel-
workers and many unions, has voted to
Statement.on Wallace.
The District 3 Council of UE Jan. 15
at a meeting in Albany unanimously ap-
proved a statement by Leo Jandreau on
Henry A. Wallace and the third party
and adoptéd the statement as it own of-
ficial policy, . .
The Jandreau statement, printed in
last week's EU News, criticized the
State CIO Executive Board for taking ~
action against the third party candidacy
of Wallace, “before there was time for
discussion of this very important ques-
tion by the member unions.” The state-
ment also declared “there is no reason to
attack a man like Henry Wallace”, and
pointed out his devotion to the program
of Franklin D, Roosevelt.
Council delegates took part in a thor.
ough discussion of the Wallace issue and
urged that all locals have similar discus-
sions, All speakers supported the Jan-
dreau position that action should be lim-
ited. to discussion at present.
The Council voted approval of the 1948
contract policies and proposals of UE.
cal 801 in expelling three members for
violating the union constitution. The
expelled trio, ’rank © Fiorillo, Martin
Stanton and Carmine Di Girolamo, did
not appear for a district hearing sched-
wed for Jan. 14 on their appeal from the
expulsion. They sent a letter stating
they would not appeal. The three are
members of the so-called “Democratic
Action” group.
Will Continue Food Center
The Local 801 membership meeting
Tuesday night voted to continue the un-
ion’s Food Centex and approved the
statement of policies and report on three
months’ operations submitted by Chair-
nian James Cognettu for the Food Com-
mittee. Details. of the report will be
printed in next week’s EU News.
spak warned, “GE will have you believe
a wage increase means a price increase,
Perhaps that’s the biggest lie and. the
most successful lic that has ever been
put across.” ;
He advised people not to be fooled. by
the recent reductions of § to 10 per
eent GE has announced on certain lux-
ury items... ;
“What has a television set to do with
the cost of living?” he asked.
He said that after "OPA was killed, GE
jumped. prices of washing machines .100
per cent and of some refrigerators about
as much. The new reduction means that
an item which sold two years ago for
$60 and has been selling for $120 to
$130 now goes down to $114,
The labor cost on a refrigerator is
about $17, he pointed out, and the 18!
eent raise “maybe inereased the labor
cost $2”, a tiny fraction of the increase
GE made in the ‘price. + ‘
“There’s no relationship at all be-
tween wages and prices,” -he declared:
“The company. makes the decision- on
prices on..the basis of how much the
traffie will bear. It’s their decision ex-
elusively and it always has been.”
Will Ask GE to Drop |
Annual Shut-Down Plan
A survey taken by shop stewards in
their shops shows that most workers
want to select their own vacation instead
of having GE assign vacations on the
basis of the shut-down schedule it has
announced here, :
Both the 301 Executive Board and, the
Stewards’ Council last week. voted that
the-union should take up with manage-
ment at once the question of changing
the shut-down plan. The policy of an-
nual shut-downs has spread throughout
GE plants. : .
