Electrical Union News, 1949 March 4

4

ELECTRICAL _UNION NEWS

February 25, 1949

Top Gi Management
Agrees To Pay Guard

Rather than defend its  high-
handed methods of discipline in
arbitration, the national GE man-

—affement last week paid a guard
here one week’s back pay for a
penalty lay-off imposed last April.

» .The guard was penalized two
weeks, but one full week of this
was personal time taken in con-
nection with his mother’s death.
So the week’s back pay represent-
ed a complete victory for ‘the
guard.

The guard at first was fired, on
the sole word of Warren McDow-
ell, assistant chief of the GE. po-
lice, that he had seen the man
leave a bus. in Rexford. when sup-
posedly on duty at the GE airport
in. Alplaus. Local 301 produced
proof from the bus driver and the
patrol department’s own records
that the charge was untrue.
Charles. G. Marcy, GE supervisor
of personnel, backed the firing on
the ground that he trusted Me-
Dowell, but refused the ‘penalty.
UE took the case to New York
and demanded arbitration. Re-
cently the top management decid-
ed to settle.

Knolls Group Protests
Lunch Hour Policy

A group of 93 workers in the
Knolls research laboratory, left
work half an hour early last Iri-
day in protest against the com-
pany’s failure to give them a half-
hour lunch period like the rest of
the plant. Instead they get an
hour’s lunch period and have to
work a half hour later than neces-
sary, :

The 93 who left work early were
part of 124 Knolls workers for
whom Local 301 took up the lunch
hour grievance with GE. It. went
to the New York level.

Bids on Television Set
The Activities Committee has

announced it will receive bids on. a

television set for Local 301. The

deadline for submitting bids to the ”

union office will be Mar. 4. The
committee wants a 16 or 20 inch
sereen. The 301 membership meet-
ing last week authorized purchase
of the television outfit.

HOW MANY MEMBERS
‘HAVE-YOU SIGNED UP.
FOR LOCAL 801?

Introducing 301 Girls’ Basketball Team

hese members of the 301 girls’ baskethall team, wearing their snappy new uniforms, are, left to right, Toni
Nebolini, Helen Porter, Rosemarie Buska, Marge Boeinger, Betty Purcell, Jean Schwartz, Jenny Tescione, Rita

Pasquini and Beverly Brennen. Not shown in the picture are Helen Quirini and Laura Montashien,

improvements Sought
in Compensation Law

The conference called by UL at
Albany Feb. 16 on improving the
Workmen’s Compensation Law
drew up a program of 19 proposed
changes and elected a continuing
committee to direct efforts to have
them enacted by the legislature.
Their job will be not only to work
on this year’s legislative campaign,
but to prepare long in advance for
the 1950 legislative session.

More than 100 men and women,
including representatives of CIO
and APL locals, doctors, lawyers
and social workers, attended the
conference. Leo Jandreau, as pres+
ident of UE District 8, was chair-
man, Considerable time was spent
on discussing the plight of silicosis
victims, who can’t get compensa-
tion now unless they are totally
disabled, and of workers exposed
to radio-active substances.

Want Payments locreased

The conference voted that the
maximum weekly compensation
vate should be raised from $32 to
two-thirds of the average earn-
ings of the worker, with a mimn-
mum of $25 a week.

Full benefits. should be. paid. sili-
cosis and other dust disease vic-
tims, the conference urged. ‘The
law at present treats silicosis vie-
tims differently than workers suf-

fering from other occupational
diseases. ‘They don’t receive com-
pensation benefits if they are pur-
tially disabled, that is, physically
able to do some other type of light
work. <A silicosis victim who has
to give up his regular job and can-
not find a lighter job, or eas less
money in another job, docs not
receive any compensation.
Radio-Active Substances

To protect employees exposed to
radio-uctive substances, it was pro-
posed that compensation be paid
them for disability, unless the em-
ployer can prove their work was
not responsible. Mmployers would
be required to file with the State
Tabor Department the names of all
workers who in any manner come
in contact with or are exposed to
atomic or radio-active substances.

Additional recommendations will
be printed Jater in the EU News,

Don't Buy Belmont

Or Hoover Products

Remember that the Hoover Com-
pany and Belmont Radio Corpor-
ation are on the UE unfair list.

Don’t buy products made by
these arti-union firms. They in-
clude Hoover vacuum cleaners and

electric irons. and Belmont radios, .

also sold under these brand names,
Tru-tone, Airlines, Coronado,
Freshman television sets and Ray-
theon Belmont television sets.

$3,074 Awarded
For Hand Injury

Workmen’s compensation awards
recently made to Schenectady GE
workers on claims against the com-
pany included $3,074.40 to Tolvald
Requik for 45 per cent loss of the
use of his right hand. He was in-
jured last May 4. | : :

Awards in other cases, also han-
dled by the Local 301 attorney,
Marshall Perlin, were as follows:

$1,708 to Robert Bufe, turret
lathe operator in Building 60, for
25 per cent loss of the use of his
right hand as the result of an ac-
cident last Mar. 2.

$644 to Romayne De Guerre,
electronic worker in the Campbell
Ave. plant, fox 50 per cent loss of
his right index finger in an acci-
dent last Apr. 13.

$175 to Nicholas Isabella, Bldg.
105 welder, for a facial scar re-
sulting from injuries suffered last
May 5. ’

$275.45 for medicines and $896,67
for about 14 weeks~ intermittent
lost time from Aug. 26, 1944, to
May 7, 1948, to Grace “Rogers,.
whose legs were burned by acl}
Aug. 7, 1044, &

$31.10 a week compensation since
Sept, 24 to Rose Ciro, cleaning
woman in Bldg, 69, whose left knee
was injured on that date,

“LECT!

THE VOICE

ICAL

OF LOCAL 301

Vol. 7 — No. 9

SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK

March 4, 1949

Stop the Drop

GE Agrees to Chang

e Monday Pay Day

At a conference called by the State Labor Department in Albany
Tuesday at the request of Local 301, the General Electric Company

agreed to change its Monday pay da

Management is to hotify 3801 and
the state in two weeks about the
date of the shift. Mechanical de-
tails will involve some delay, the
company claims. If arrangements
are unsatisfactory when announced,
the union can ask the Labor De-
partment to take action to have a
reasonable date set for the change.

Police Justice Charles G. Fryer
of Schenectady last December rul-
ed in favor of GH and dismissed a
complaint filed by five members of
Local 801 against the company for

. violating the labor law by delaying

their pay day. This action was tak-
en by Judge Fryer even though the
Labor Department had rendered an
opinion that GE had violated the
law.

As the Police Court acquittal
could not be appealed the union

qyressee for action through a com-

laint it had filed with the Labor
Department.

While refusing to admit its pay
day shift was illegal, the company
this week agreed to change back
to the old system,

ipenmnk tangata ete 8

y back to Friday.

Top Secret

The amount of money that the
General Electric Company pays
Gerard’ Reilly, former member of
the National Labor Relations
Board, for his work as a Washing-
ton lobbyist is still a secret. Gen-
eral Motors pays him a retainer of
43,000 a month and he gets several
hundred dollars a month from the
printing trade. He helped draft
the Tatft-Hartley law and is lead-
ing the fight to retain it.

Help With Tax Forms

Local 301 members can again get
help on making out their income
tax returns from 9 aan, to 1 p.m.
tomorrow and Mar, 12 at the union
hall. It is a fvee service.

“ Don't Be a Slacker
Join the Union

1
ReLecres eM: Ma ERA Ream coment:

Board and Stewards Pledge
Support to Tiffin Strikers

Workers at the General Electric plant at Tiffin, Ohio, have been on
strike since Feb. 17 in protest against speed-up and piece price-cutting.
About 500 are involved in the stoppage.

Lay-Off Problem
Gets Worse Here

Increasing lay-offs in various
parts of the works reached the
point this week that the company
announced no job openings at the

_employment olfice would be offered.

to men with less than six months’
service who are laid off from their
current jobs,

Among women workers the con-
dition has existed for some time,
but this was thé first time that

men now employed were refused:

openings for common labor jobs.
This means that Schenectady GE

is beginning to feel the unemploy-:

ment situation which has hit many
parts of the country in varying de-
grees,

Special Meeting Asked

Business Agent Leo Jandreau
has requested a special meeting of
the Local 801 Executive Board with
Lewis J. Male, works manager, to
discuss the lay-ofl's and the em-
ployment problem and. perspee-
tives.

The Induction Motors Division
has been hit worse by the cutbacks.
Other divisions from which lay-offs
have been reported include Con-
trol, Aeronautics, and Welded
Products,

Lots of Rumers

As usual in such circumstances,
there have been a lot of discussion
and rumors in the shop as to the
cause of the lay-offs. There have
been rumors that the lay-ol's were
engineered by top supervision to
discourage the workers as wage
negotiations approach. These ru-
mors appear to be entirely wrong.

The reason for the lay-ofl's lies
simply in the fact that Big Busi-
ness has pushed prices so high,
without wages going up enough,
that the people have not got the
money to buy what is produced.
This is the situation that has been
developing around the country, The
growlig unemployment is the big-
gest argument for higher wages
and shorter hours. They are need-
ed to maintain purchasing power
und stave off a depression,

The 301 Executive Board and
shop stewards’ meetings this week
unanimously voted to support the
UE strikers at Tiffin. They direct-
ed that a letter be sent to Lewis J.
Male, Schenectady «Works man-
ager, urging him to ask the top
GE management to stop its speed-
up drive and settle the Tiffin dis-

“pute, (See letter on page 4).

The immediate cause of the dis-
pute was a price cut after the com-
pany: changed the taping of the
field ‘coi! of a small motor stator to
cord tying. The production quota
of the workers was doubled, All
the Tiffin workers have united be-
hind the women involved in the
case and the entire plant has been
shut down, ; .

Grievance Deadlocked

For several months the union
tried to reach a settlement by
grievance negotiations and the
case went to the New York level
twice. The union has asked GE to
submit the case to arbitration, but
GE says it will arbitrate only the
quystion of whether it had the
right to set a temporary price. It
demands that UE must agree that
the arbitrator may aot rule on the
fairness of the price.

Recent layofl's at Tiffin in viola-
tion of seniority also contributed
to the crisis,

Talk by Dermady
Joseph Dermody, secretary of
the GE Conference ‘Board of UE
locals, told the 801 shop stewards
Tuesday night that the GE policy
at Tiffin is part of its general pat-
tern, He stressed the close con-

. nection of the Tiffin fight and the

welfare of other GE workers,

Tiffin workers walked out, he
said, because they didn’t see any
other way to protect their jobs,

“GE is fighting hard in Tiffin be-
cause successful resistance against
its speed-up and price-cutting there
will stiffen resistance in other GE
plants,” he said.

GE workers must step the tend-
eney of the company to eut down
on payrolls, he warned.

“We must put up a fight to make
the industry work at capacity and

(Continuad on Page 2)

2

ELECTRICAL .UNION. NEWS

Marck 4, 1949

Stewards Discuss Handling Grievances

Stewards’ discussion meetings on the handling of grievances had
been held for 11 of the sections by the end of last week. While at-
tendance has been too low, those stewards who attended engaged in con-
siderable discussion and felt the meetings answered a major need:

Another two meetings on griev-
ances were scheduled for last
night, while next Monday and
Tuesday the final meetings on
grievances will be held, at noon for
the second shift and at’ 7:30 p.m.
for the first and third shut stew-
ards.

‘Each steward has been sent a
complete schedule of meetings for
his: section.

The following stewards attend-
ed the grievance discussions held
through last week:

Building 10—Albert E. Davis
and P, Clairmont.

Bldg. 14—Louis Santabarbara.

Bldg. 16—-J. J. Von Stetina, A.
Gritzback David Bambury, Joseph
Kelly and Walter Zolak.

Bldg. 17—Edward Messitt, Sid-
ney Friedlander, Richard Boehm
and Harold Rollins.

Bldg. 18A—Stanley Rusezyk.

Bldg. 25--H. M. Vosburg.

Bldg. 28—-Harold D. Simpson
and O, Jorgenson.

Bldg. 29—Ernest Townsend.

Bldg. 40—Medric Guyctte and
George W. Bullis.

Bldg. 41—Walter Bauer.

Bldg. 49—Casimer  Ceglerski,
Raymond Flanigan, Carl ‘Groat,
Leland Bellinger, William Poltorak
and B. L, Fertal.

Bldg. 52—Anthony Campriello,
J. J. Cognetta and Harry Bayliss.

Bldg. 53-—Elizabeth Stanionis,
-Reatha Pipe, D. Roger Pitman,
Michael Rakvica, Anthony Espo-
sito, Hugo Brzozowski, Frank Di
Amico and Salvatore Castiglia,

Bldg. 66—Raymond De Wire.

Bldg. 67—Michael E, Donohue.

Bldg. 68—-Henry Busse, Anthony
Rainone and Ernest Costanzo,

Bldg. 69—Stanley Bishop.

Bldg. 71—Frank J. Palmo:

Bldg. 76—Henry Kaminski.

Bldg. 77—John Petrozzi.

Bldg. 81—Raymond Forslund.

Bldg. 84—John Schlansker.

Bldg. 89—Sunday Lupe, Ethel
Collins and Dewey Brashear,

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
United Electrical, Radio & Machine
Workers of America, CIO
Scurnzectapy GE Locan 301

= <P
Published by Editorial Committee

Mary McCartin, Chairman
Arthur R, Bertint, Secretary
Willlam Christman -Prank--D'Amico
Victor Pasche

Editorial O fice
EvectricaL Union News

301 Liberty St., Schenectady, N. Y.
Telephone 3-1386

Statement Made
On Organization ©

The following statement was
submitted to EU News by John
Green, assistant recording secre-
tary. of Local 301 and secretary of
the organizing committee:

“There is a terrific job of organ-
ization to do in Local 801.

“Tt isn’t just a job of signing up
new members. and ex-members.
That is the primary step in organ-
izing a local unit of a union. The’
follow-up steps of organizing are
of the utmost importance, Perhaps
the biggest follow-up step is unity.
Unity in behalf of each individual

member from the business agent to

the newest member.

“To attain unity within a local
means that every member should
do his part of organization, A
member in good faith owes it to
himself and his fellow members to
take an active interest in union
affairs.

“There is a _ tendency to eleet
some one to an office, whether that
office be shop steward or presi-
dent, and then forget them. When
an officer is criticized for an act or
deed the members should stop and
ask themselves if they have at-
tended the membership meetings.

“Hach member can do his part if
he or she will discuss union actions
and policies with the fellow work-
ers. If each member will make an
eort to help advise the officers
who are trying to do a job for the
workingman and attend the meet-
ings, Local 801 will have done a
good job of organization and will
become a stronger and smoother
operating local.

“{ feel that each member who
will do his part of organization will
shorten. the time until Local 301
can proudly say, ‘Schenectady Lo-

cal 801, UR, is a full union shop’.”

‘Job Opportunities’
At Lynn GE Plant

The General Electric Company
devoted a full page of its Lynn
Works paper in February to tell-
ing “what’s in the works” at GE.
The page stressed the “job oppor-
tunities” created in 1948 at the
Lynn plant and predicted further
projects at Lynn in 1949 “to create
new job opportunities.”

About two weeks later the conm-
pany announced that 560 workers
‘are to be laid off at the West Lynn
Works, in addition to 100 already
laid off this year.

They Resent UE Drive Against Taft-Hartley

Federated Pleture:

GE President Charles E. Wilson, right, takes time off from telling the
Senate Labor Committee how much he loves the Taft-Hartley Law to

exhibit. a copy of the UE News calling for Taft-Hartley repeal.

At the

left is GE Vice-President L. R. Boulware who joined Wilson in asking

that T-H be. made still tougher.

Seniority Rights

In connection with current
lay-offs, members have reported
to the union that Building 1 was
putting pressure on them to ac-
cept openings on lower-vrated
jobs even though like jobs were
held by men with shorter serv-
ice Members should resist such
pressure. They should insist on
their seniority rights on similar
jobs.

Board and Stewards
Back Tiffin Strikers

(Continued from Page 1)

make payrolls go up and jobs in-
crease. Keeping up the people’s

- buying power is the only way to

head off a depression. The fewer
people can buy things the more
people are laid off.” :

GE notified UE that it would
close down the entire refrigerator
division at Irie, Pa,, if the Tiffin
plant did not resume operations by
Wednesday. The division employs
9,000 workers. GE alse threatened
to follow the Erie shut-down with
a lay-off at the Fert Wayne plant
which supplies motors to rie.
Tiffin also is a supply plant for
Erie,

UE Radio Broadcast

Arthur Gaeth’s weekly . broad-
east, sponsored by the national
UE, is at 10 p.m. Monday over
WXKW, Albany (850 on ‘your
dial).

MAKE YOUR SHOP
100 PER CENT UE

301 Meeting Pastponed ,0

Because of Clothes Sale

The Executive Board has post-
poned the 301 membership meeting
this month until Tuesday night,
Mar. 22, and Wednesday afternoon,
Mar. 28. The change was made
because the union hall will be used
for a sale of low cost clothing, as
authorized by the February mem-
bership meeting, for 11 days, start-
ing next Tuesday, Mar. 9, (See
leaflet inserted in this week’s EU
News.)

Under the usual schedule the 301
mecting would be Mar, 16 and 16.

UE District 4 set up the low-
price clothing project as a service
to its members, and made it avail-
able to other districts. Tens of
thousands of members in Districts
2 and 4 have saved money by buy-
ing these clothes and the project
has now been borrowed by District
3.

First and third shift members of
Local 301 will meet at 7:30 p.m.
Mar, 22 at the union hall and sec-
ond shift members at 1 p.m. Mar.
238,

Must Be Paid Up

To Transfer Here

A person from another GIO local
may’ transfer to 801 without pay-
ing an initiation fee on producing a
withdrawal or transfer card to
prove he was in good standing
when he left the other local. The

transfer card must not be moray
a

than ‘six months old and must be
presented ta 801 within 80 days of
employment,

Local 301 does not accept as
a member anyone who was not in
good standing with kis previous
union affiliation,

March 4, 1949

ELECTRICAL -UNION NEWS

25 Stawards Added to 301 Honor Roll

Names of 25 more shop stewards
were added last week to the honor
list for having 100 per cent UE
groups. These additions are:

Building 10C—
Wendell Roek-
ford

Bldg. 16 —
Louis Santabar-
bara

Bldg. 17—Sid-
ney Triedlander,
and Edmund
Calleo.

Bldg. 28-~Al-

bert: E. Davis.
, Bldg. 52 —
James Cognetta,
Mario Bagnato
and Harry Bay-
liss.

Bldg. 583—Anthony Esposito and
Mike Rakvica.

Bidg. 64-—Daniel L, Cichy.

Bldg. 66—John Bracken.

Bldg. 69—Stanley Bishop and
_ Carmen J. Di Girolomo,

Bldg. 72—-William Hodges,

Bldg. 76—Henry Kaminski,

Bldg. 77-—Joseph A. Mangino.

Bldg. 91—-A. L.. Brown.

Bldg. 98—Mike Santorelli.

Bldg. 95—Robert Phillips.

Bldg. 98—Mike Bielecki.

Bide. 994-~Charles O'Malley.

Ridg. 101—Fred Pacelli.

Bldg. 106—-Edmund Paska and:
and Stanley Borovicka.-

Davis

Union Helps Obtain

Bus Service Changes

Changés in several bus schedules
have-been obtained by the Local
301 transportation committee, act-
ing on complaints from members.
Chairman Morton F. Lewis took
the complaints up with the Sche-
nectady Railway Company. This
week he reported the following:

Buses now leave from State St.
and Erie Blvd. for the GE Terminal
at 10:24 pam. and 10:45 p.m. on re-
quest of third shift members.

The Michigan Avenue bus leav-
ing the GE terminal at 12:08 a.m.
for second shift workers had been
taken off several days. It now has
been restored,

On Sundays the Michigan Ave-
nue bus will leave from Fort Hunt-
er Road on the half-hour instead of
the hour, This will make it easier
for passengers to get to church
close to the hour starting time for
services.
eye company is looking into the

estion of restoring service on the
Rexford run leaving GE terminal
at 12:08 am. A petition asking
for this was signed by 44 members,
mostly living in the city. If the
run is restored, it will probably be
to Anthony St. only.

at
ce

Girolomo Cognetta

Union Protests

_ Speed-Up Cases

Pacelli

Friedlander Rishop

Wage Increases Are Safeguards -
Against Threatened Depression

The General Electric Company is trying to play on workers’ fear
of lay-offs by asserting that wage inereases will lead to depression. GE
also claims that an excess profits tax would result: in depression titi
But these arguments are wrong noesnat?

Depressions are caused by lack
of workers’? purchasing power ta
buy the products they produce,
Any measure which would inerease
such purchasing power,-——increased
Wages, price controls, tan reduc-
tions in the lower brackets, or an
excess profits tax to provide addi-
tional funds for social legislation
—would help stave off a depres-
sion. ‘

Wages Lag Behind Profits

During the period 1923 ta 1929
when industry had its own way,
wages were increased only four per
cent despite the fact that produe-
tivity increased almost one-third.
Profits increased GU per cent. The
result was the greatest economic
bust in world’s history.

But during the depression in
1937 organized labor for the first
time during a depression was able
to avoid wage cuts and in some in-
dustries win wage inercases. ‘Th
helped the country ont of depres-
sion,

Similarly, following the end: of
the war in 1945, three increases

won, by UE and other unions were

an SHEETS daavee | in
ing purchasing power and warding
off depression,

Buying Power Crops
As a result of its excessive prof-
iteering during and following the
war, industry has been worsening
the people’s living conditions and
reducing purchasing power. As the

President's Beonomie Advisers put.

its

“Compensation of employees,
which was 58.1 per cent (of the
“national income) in 1929 and rose
to 65.9 per cent in 1939 declined
». to G15 per cent in 1948, It
is thus approaching the 58.1 per
vent level of 1929 which mast
students of our economy now re-
gard as too low and contribu-
tory to the depression which
followed."

Lack of buying power is behind,

the unemployment that is develop-
ing in electric appliances, office
machines, radios, textiles, shoes
and a host of other industries, —
and wage increases are the solu-
tion. '

maintain:

The process of speed-up, both by
increased speeds in piece work op-

eration. and by getting more work |:

out of day work “service help”,
continues all the time.

Last week two cases were ates
cussed in grievance. meetings in
Building 41, involving increased
loads of work on serviee help, both
in the Control Division.

The maintenance and machine

repair group under Foreman H.
Stevens in Building 53, servicing
most of the Control Division, was
reduced by laying off three ma-
chine repair men and two equip-
ment maintenance men, Shop
Steward D. Roger Pitman pointed’
out that the erew already was car-
vying a heavy load -of wark and
that machines were waiting to be
repaired.
In Building 73 the plating group
under Foreman F, J. Warner pra-
tusted that a porter who had been
servicing the group full time was
recently ordered to work about
half the time for another fore-
man,

On all such cases the company's
stock answer is that they decide
what service help is needed for
efficient operation, and that thoy
do not expect to receive more than
a reasonable day’s work from the
day workers,

Kvidently the process goes on in
other GE plants too. The follow-
ing slogan is credited to GE work-
evs in Tiffin, Ohio:

“Work like a horse
and reduce the foree.”

Big Rise Upstate

In Unemployment

The number of workers on un-
employment insurance rolls in up-
state New York increased 110 per
cent in the four months from ‘mid-
October to mid-February. Appli-
cations for home relief have more
than doubled in the same period.
The unemployment figures do not
inelude the heavy railway layoffs
of recent weeks or workers who
have exhuusted their jobless pay
benefits.

The Division of Placement and
“Unemployment Insurance reported
that claims for unemployment in-
surance and veterans’ readjust-
ment benefits upstate had risen
fram T9477 in the week ended Oct.
8 to 166,952 in the week ended Feb.
Il, -A_vear ago the figure was 76,-
570 fot carly February.

A Wage Raise
To Protect Your Job

4

ELECTRICAL’ .UNION NEWS

March 4, 1949

March of Dimes
Receives $3,845

A check for $8,845.62, raised
through collections made by shop
stewards for the benefit of infantile
paralysis victims, was turned over
last week to the Schenectady March
of Dimes committee by Local 301.

Board Member William Stewart’s
section donated the largest amount,
$403.58. Board Member Sam
Scott’s section was second with
$387.41 and Willard Kuschel’s third
with $363.34,

Contributions from ather  sec-
tions, with the names of the Board
members, are jisted below:

John Brauncisen, $251.80; Albert
B. Davis, $247.17; James Cognetta,
$246.02; Raymond Planigan, $224.-
24; Joseph Kelly, $219.21; Dewey
Brashear, $184.68; Stanley Bishop,
$178.32; Anthony Esposito, $178.29.

Sidney Friedlander, $159.75;
Anthony Villano, $115.48; William
Templeton, $109.87; Henry Kam-
inski, $107.81; Joseph A. Mangino,
$101.65; Robert Phillips, $85.99;
Leland Sisto, $85.45; William Mas-
triani, $80.70; Edward J. La Bom-
bard, Jr., $76.16, and A. J. Spears,
$39.76.

More Action Urged

In Organizing Drive

William Stewart, chairman of
the 801 organizing drive, reported
to the shop stewards’ meeting
Tuesday night that 121 member-
ship applicaticns have been turn-
ed in since the membership cam-
paign started.

“That’s no where near enough
for now,” he declared. “Let’s go
out and really do a job. We have
never needed a fully organized un-
ion the way we do today.”

The drive requires time and en-
ergy from every shop steward and
from committees of rank and file
members, he pointed out.

Stewart’s section has the highest
number of new members so far, 16,
Joseph Kelly’s is second with 18
new members and William Temple-
ton’s third with 12.

Stewart asked the shop stewards
immediately to give the union of-
fice the names of all workers in
their groups, to be checked against
the membership rolls. Then the
office will give the stewards the
names of all those not yet mem-
bers, :

Shop stewards also were remind-
ed to be sure to have the applicant

’ sign his first as well as last name
to his card when joining the union.
The drive will continue through

. Presenting 301's March of Dimes Check.

Treasurer
William” Downs
of Loca] 301,

right,

“hands the
union’s check
for $3,845.62

to
William Mayott,
chairman of
the Schenectady
March of Dimes

committee,

301 Letter to Male on Tiffin Strike

ac
By unanimous vote of the 801 Executive Board and the shop stew-
ards’ meeting the following letter was sent, Wednesday to. Works Man-
ager Lewis J. Male on. the Tiffin strike:

‘Dear Mr. Male:

“Our Executive Board and shop stewards’ council have voted unani-
mously to advise you that the membership of Local 301 supports the
GE workers in Tiffin, Ohio, in thelr current stoppage in protest against
the company’s speed-up and piece price-cutting drive. _

“Tf the company, by its refusal to settle the Tiffin workers’ just
grievance, forces the stoppage to continue, our stewards will recommend
that the membership help the Tiffin members financially and otherwise.

“Our members are particularly interested in the Tiffin situation
because they realize that it is part of the pattern of speed-up, piece price
cuts and lay-offs now being established by the General Electric Com-
pany all over,

“Our members are feeling the effect of this drive every day. The
speed-up is worse today than at any time since the union was established
here. Our members do not intend to accept it.

“You undoubtedly know that the Tiffin stoppage was caused by a
flagrantly unjustified cut in the piece work price for a large group of
women workers, which the company would not settle and would not
submit to arbitration. Also, that the situation was aggravated by lay-
offs in violation of seniority. _ " ‘

“The shop stewards urge you to let the top management know that
it should stop its speed-up drive and settle the Tiffin dispute. ‘The com-
pany’s present attitude can lead only to difficulties, both in the shop
and for the nation, by causing further lay-offs, reduced purchasing
power, and ultimately a depression, GI profits have just set a new high.
There is no justification for the attempt to make even higher profits at
the expense of the workers and of the country’s welfare,

“Very truly yours,

Leo Jandreau
Business Agent”

_ Taft-Hartley Crisis
Movie Program Unless union members really
For Tomorrow make their pressure felt, the Taft-
Free. movies awhith avill be Hartley Law will stay on the books,
shown tomorrow (Saturday Local 801 shop stewards were
night) at 801 Hall for 301 mem- warned Tuesday night by the 301
bers and their families will be: attorney, Marshall Perlin. Disas-
“Our Town’, with Martha trous compromises are being plan-
Seott, William Iolden and Wal- ned in Washington, he pointed out.
ter Huston.

_ "Tall. Tales”, with Burl Ives. .. |: ‘Deadline for Bids

f ia Calling”, a i F Par
eamteein oa a be at 7:30 Today (Friday) is the deadline
aoe for bids to be submitted to the

ae Bnd “the Sseouth anos Mh union office on the television sct
“ which Local 801 voted to buy.

GM Price Cut
Strictly Phony

General Motors Corporation last
week linked announcement of a
phony cut in the prices of its car:
‘with news it would i “he pay
of its workers two cents an hour.
Under the “esculator” provision of
the United Auto Workers contract
the recent small drop in the cost
of living permitted the wage slash.

Ly its ‘carefully timed cut in the
price of its automobiles GM is pro-
moting the Big Business propa-
ganda about prices being determ-
ined by wages. But bere are the
facts.

GM workers average $1.60 an
hour so the two-cent pay eut de-
creases their wages one and a
quarter per cent.

The percentage drop in the price

‘sof automobiles is about half that —

much and comes after a large price

increase on the 1949 cars. The come“,

pany has made a $10 reduction i
the price of the $1,424 Chevrolet
fleet-line two-door sedan, its.,most
common model. That is a reduc-
tion of about seven tenths of one
per cent. The percentuge is about
the.same, or less on the other GM
cars.

Arotnd the first of the present
year when GM announced its new
Chevrolet line it set the prices at
seven and a half per cent higher
than last year, And there were in-
creases in the prices of the other
GM ears too.

But you won't find the Big Bus-
iness newspapers mentioning any
of these facts in connection with
the new price “cut” in cars,

. Jobless Pay Rights
Of Pensioner Upheld

A state referce has ruled that
Orresto Lazarro, GE pensioner

who contracted silicosis at the’

plant, is entitled to full. unemploy-
ment insurance benefits without
any penalty delay. The General
Electric Company had demanded
that the state suspend his pay-
ments for seven weeks on the
ground that he quit his job “with-
aut good cause.” .
Lazarro, who earned $1.72 an
hour as a molder in ceramics in
Building 68, retived last Nov. 1 be-
“eause of the effect of the job on
his health and the lack of oppor-
tunity to get another job at tl
plant at. a comparable wag
Marshall-Perlin, Loeal-301--attor-
ney, handled his case at the hear-
ing befoie a referee of the Divis-
ion of ‘Placement and Unemploy-
ment Insurance.

LOTHING SALE FOR
his Project will be held

— TUESDAY, MARCH 8 nicotine
+++ _thetintdis SATURDAY, MARCH 19

® CAVALRY TWILLS

REG. VALUE
12.50

* GABARDINES
® FLANNELS

® HARD FACED COVERTS
REG. VALUE

37.50 - 42.50

® COVERTS
© WORSTEDS

® GABARDINES

SN IE IO IN a OO AN ce a a

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SPORT
SHIRTS $3.5

Values to 7.95

100% ALL WOOL

SPORT - $15 50
| COATS .

Valued 19.50 - 22.50

SLACKS

Pleats & Zippers

'@
Reg. Value 5.85

a ee nt ee

ATTENTION — THIS SALE IS FOR UNION MEMBERS ONLY — YOU MUST SHOW YOUR UNION CARD OR

CHECK STUB SHOWING UNION DUES pEDU y — »
OUT UNION DENTIFIGAES. EDUCTION NO SALES WILL BE MADE WITH-

TO ACCOMMODATE MEMBERS ON ALL .
SHFTS THE HALL WILL BE open 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. DAILY INCLUDING SATURDAY ~

Sale Begins Tuesday, March 8 - + + + + + Sale Ends Saturday, March 19

At Local 301 Hall, Liberty St. & Erie Blvd.

Schenectady,.N..Y. et Loe ae ot Sponsored by Local 301 —UE-CIO