4
LOCAL 30! NEWS October 2, 1959
Company Official
Fears Union
White Collar Gains
At least one top inanagement.
official is worried about the in-
terest that ois) being aroused
unong white collar workers. by
more “sophisticated” organizing
tactics, .
The official in question, Frank
G. Armstrong, vice-president for
industrial relations, Burroughs
Corp. of Detroit, has warned fel-
low industrialists that a growing
number of white collar workers
are listening more closely to the
union message,
The company official is prob-
ably on solid ground in pointing
out that the growing appeal of
unions to white eallar workers
atyo flows from a breaking down
of the onco close relationship be-
tween these workers and man-
agement,
Armstrong notes that the rela-
tionship between the white collar
employee and the company is
growing more impersonal in our
big enterprises, his, he admit-
ted, in a talk at the YMCA Silver
Bay, N. ¥., Conference on Human
Relations, is causing the white
collar worker to reevaluate his
slatus, Many, he agreed, no
longer view union membership as
something beneath their dignity,
The company official put his
finger on the real nub of the
“white collar problem” when he
pointed out that these workers
“uow average 25 percent less pay
than manufacturing workers, and’
that they have lost their once
vaunted advintage in paid holi-
days, sick pay and vacations,
A recent survey of the National
Office Management, Association
showed just how haaly office cler-
ical cmployees' ¢ ping, ‘This
survey, Which cove onre 509,-
000 employees vol) than 7,500
firms, revealed id these um-
ployees now average only $70
week although th salaries went
up $6 in the past years
Wages of manufacturing work:
ers now average $020 per week,
although they once lagged behind
elerical employees. Manufactur-
ing workers today, thanks to un-
ion contracts, generally have bet-
ter health and welfare coverage
than white collar clerical em-
ployees,
Contrary to popular belief, most
office clerical employees—those in,
68 percent of the companies sur-
"Not One Step Backward”
SAN FRANCISCO, (PAD—‘Labor is not going to take one
backward. step, . .
“We are going to fight back as we have fought back before.
“Out of this convention will come a comprehensive plan to meet
this particular chalenge to the future of, the trade union movement.”
With these sharply-spoken words, AFL-CIO President George
Meany keynoted the third biennial convention of the sAFL-CIO at
the Civic Center in San Francisco, ‘wg
Meany’s keynote speceh summed up the sense of urgency fell
by the delegates and reflected their determination to lay down an
effective program to meet the crisis faced by organized labor,
‘CRUCIAL TIMI’ FOR TRADE UNIONS
The AFL-CIO leader said the convention mot at a ‘crucial time
in the history of the trade union movement and a crucial time in
the affairs of our country,” adding:
“Labor is an integral part of the social, economic and political
life of this great nation. It is part and parcel of the American way
of life and the thinking that adversely affects the trade union move-
ment, adversely affects the individual: workers in’ our unions and
workers who are not in our unions, an “adversely affects the
welfare and standing -of the nation as a 7
Meany blasted the “big moguls of biz ess” who are “attempt-
ing to weaken and render impotent this ‘movement and finally,
perhaps, to destroy it.”
that the new libor ku would not be used by him to engage in witch
hunts, :
“Well, that is very nice of him,” Meany said, “but it is an
admission from one of the advocates of this bill that there is con-
tained in the legislation the power for the Secretary of Labor to
enpage in witch hunts if he so ‘desires, Perhaps at some future
time we may have a Secretary of Labor who will want to use those
powers ind not lay them aside as Secretary Mitchell indicates he is
going to do.”
The delegates were provided with an 80-page analysis of the law
prepared by the legal staff of tho AFL-C10,
THE WEALTHY VS. UNIONS
Meany told the delegates. that the steel strike “is another char.
acteristic of this anti-abor drive.” ;
“Po me” Meany said, “it is almost incomprehensible that. the
chiet’ beneficiary of this (U. 5.) economic system, the people who
draw the tremendous salaries and: dividends and profits, seem out
to destroy the most progressive force ins American life.”
veyed--work 40 hours. Those in
12 percent of the firms work 387.5 "LABOR LOOKS
hours, Only five percent of the
firms have a 35-hour week. AT THE NEWS"
The basic reasons that white .
collar will respond increasingly Dial 1240 — WSNY
to unions lie in such factors as
these, and in the technological || Sponsored by Local 301, IUE
revolution now taking place in -AB.7 +
the office—a revolution that is Every Sat. 6:45-7:00 P.M.
He recalled Secretary of Labor James BP. Mitchell had promised”
threatening job security..
in the Steel Dispute
(Pages 2, 3, 4}
AFL-CIO.
Vol. 6 — No. 9
The Voice of GE Workers, Local 301, Schenectady, N. Y. October 6, 1959
‘MEMBERSHIP DRIVE KICKS OFF OCT.9 |
SS
aul A. Graziade, our scholarship award: winner, is seen
entering Notre Dame to begin his four year study, Lots of luck,
Paul, front your 10,000 friends of Local gol!
Trenton Strikers Return to Work
Te Test GE's “Geed Intentions"
The membership of Local 455, =
IUH, in Trenton, New Jersey, who
have been commended by the en-
tire TUE, for their militant stand
against GE, voted to return to
worl: after 12 weeks on the picket
lines to discuss thelr differences
with the GE Management.
They will test the “good faith”
of GE's intentions. to settle their
grievances in an honorable way
to pave the avenue for decent
working conditions in the plant.
The issues involved in the
strike deal with a number of
grievances protesting the com-
pany's action in cutting piece-
work prices and preventing oper-
ators from making, day rates, and
the company’s. attitiide: towards
its employees andthe Union by
the use of threats: and ‘intimida-
tion.
The Local stuck by iis guns and
put up a solid front against GE
and maintained a 100% effective |
picket line around the plant.
A. total of $1,418.95 was collected
and forwarded to the strikers and
their familles by Local 301. Sev-
eral hundred dollars which came
Wear Your Buttons Monday
The GE chain-wide membership
drive will “kick off” In full swing,
starting this Friday, October Sth.
All Union, Members of Local 301
are requested to report to their
stewards. with their’ pay-check
stubs, The steward will “then
write down their names and dis-
tribute the IVE membership but-
tons to them on Monday morning,
October 12th.
Wear Your Button Proudly
During the membership drive,
initiations will be waived for
those signing up during the
month of October, 1959, Each
Shop Steward will be supplied
with membership cards and but-
tons to be worn by members only,
So wear your button proudly and
sign up that non-union member
in your department right away!
Let’s all get behind this Mem-
bership Drive and malte Local 301
an 100% UNION MEMBERSHIP
Local among the eligible GE Em-
ployces,
“LABOR LOOKS
AT THE NEWS"
Dial {240 — WSNY
Sponsored by Local 301, [UE
Every Sat. 6:45-7:00 P.M.
in after the strike was settled will
be used to aid the Steelworkers,
who have been out on the street
for 7& days at the time this arti-
ele was written.
WEAR THAT UNION
BUTTON—SIGN UP THAT NON-MEMBER!
WALL STR ERT JOURNAT. MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1959
Fantastic Profits
1959—5694, 600,000.00
Big 12.
| Steel
| Companies 19
NOTE: Highest profits in all history.
1933 —"2837 »
A racession year for steelworkers, yet the fourth highest profit year in steel history,
57 —*569, 90,000.00
Tha alltime high profit figure until 1959. ,
,OO0.00
These record-breaking 1959 profits prove beyond all doubt that the Steel
_ Industry's action in forcing a shutdown was cold-blooded, shametul, and
contrary to the best interests of our nation. Take a look at these profits:
td
S115,
U.S. Steol
Bethlehem Steel
Republic Steel °
Jonos & Laughlin Steel
National‘ Steel
-Youngstown Sheet & Tube
Inland Steel
Armco Steel
Kaiser Stee!
Colorado Fuel & Iron
Wheeling Steel
Allegheny Ludtum Steal
ion TOTALS
* Yeek
FIRST HALE
1959
$254,900,000.00
123,200,000.00
67,100,000,00
42,200,000,00
39,500,000,00
28,700,000.00
42,200,000.00
50,600,000.00
10,200,000.00
12,600,000.00
11,000,000.00.
12,400,000.00
$694,600,000.00
oe
$135,700,000.00
53,800,000.00
23,900,000.00
“-8,700,000.00
10,300,000.00
7,800,000.00
20,100,000.00
21,000,000,00
4,600,000.00
300,000.00(L)
3,000,000.00
1,400,000.00
$287,000,000,00
Note: During’the years from 1947 through 1958, the Steel Industry operated at 87.1
Steel Industry opernted at 87.8% of capacity.
(after faxes).
FIRST HALF
1957
$231 ,400,000.00
103,700,000.00
52,900,000.00
26,600,000.00
26,100,000.00
21,900,000.00
29,800,000.00
48,600,000,00
14,900,000.00
8,900,000,00
7,400,000.00
7,700,000.00
$569,900,000.00
% of capacity. During the first. 6 months of 1959, the
This proves that the fantastically high profits of 1959 were made at normal operations.
= —
Fewer Workers Make More Steel
In 1957—it took 13 production-hours to make a ton of steel.
In May, 1959—it took 10,9 production-hours to make a ton of steel.
Aa the number of workers geta lower and lower, the amount of
profita and production gets higher and higher,
Tn the past two years, the Steel Industry has reduced ita workers
by 37,554,
Yet, the Steel Industry spreads propaganda of inefficiency,
when. its own reports prove that. fewer Steelworkers are in-
creasing production and breaking. all profit records,
It's ue that some of.the hourly wages are fairly high, but more
important is the fact that Steelworkers -are rarely given an
opportunity to work a full work-year, Steelworkers have averaged
as much as 40 houra per week in only 1 yoar in the last 13,
It's time for the Steel. Industry to stop trying to fool the people.
Their clever propaganda about inflation, export-import hoa, and lack
of worker efficiency is now proven to be deceitful and instigated by a
desire for personal wealth of the top executives,
the Nation.
earn ene a —
Thanks to the low, they cannot hide the facta and figures, The
truth has now been made public,
We accuse the Steel Industry not only of being purposely deceitful,
but also. of irresponsibility to its workers, its stockholders, and to
Btock options awarded: to. themaclves at the expense
of tho stockholdern are ‘the moans ateel executives use
to niphon off the great wealth of the Steal Industry for
their persona! fortunes, :
Take the example of Mr. X, an executive of one‘of
...the Steal companies, Every. time: the -market price of
‘his company’s atock rises juat 1 point he becomes
richer by another $32,000, In the laat.few months hia
Company's stock has risen about 15 points which gives
him a profit of about $480,000, If thin ‘same man
touenuare maiet
i. _How the chief executive of one of
came ‘ eee
exercised all his stock options and sold the atock’in
his company ‘he would make a gross profit of over
$2,500,000 und.o Take Home Pay of over $2,000,000
after taxes’... for which he risks not one penny.
This ia in addition to his salary, pension, apartmenta,
clubs, airplanes; railroad cara and unlimited: expenses *
he-may use for personal lusuries plus why apecial bonus
deal,. or poat employment benafit be may have. And
19 of the top 22 Steel Companies have stack aption
«plana similar to the one above. Little wonder that theed .
‘the. major. steel companies benafits personally, while.
; “. > Steelworkers’ families suffer.the hardships of a shutdown |;
executives want to “hold the line" on wages. Their per-
sonal profits and stock oquities will rise even further.
Their arrogance, greed, and'dosire for personal gain
would make old-time "steel harona” blush with envy.
“ |Steol profits are at'an all time high, Executive Stock
* Options are“at an call time high, Executive’ Bonuses
_ are at an all. time high. Executive Salaries are at an
all time high. Cost-of- Living is at.an all time bigh.
Yat, Steelworkers regular wages havo im
creased but 1 penny in the Inst 13 mantha,
—reeeneeneer nenmmemnvenreeneansetieh
va ao
United Steelworkers of America
1. W. Abel, Secretary- Treasurer
David J. McDonald, President
Howard R. Hague, Vice-President -
TET
David J. M@onald
Says —
It's Hard to Believe
BUT TRUE
According to a report in the
New York Timea on Auguat
2—in the past few vrars the
average rate of return an
sales for manufacturing
companies has heen ahout
6%. Rut the rate of return
“for US Steel for the first
half of 1959 was 10°,
vo ee
Tn last two vears, US Steel
employment was reduced by
21,000 while steel ship.
ments increased by more
than 32%, :
_ &¢ @
US Steel increased steel
prices 23 times since World
War IL
soe
Profits per ton of steel
shipped increased ‘by $3 44
a ton since 1947, about $10
a ton since 1955, by over S17
since 1953, and almost $27
since 1947. US Steel's ree
turn on net worth amounts
to 14.7%, tive times greater
than 20 vears ago.
ee
In the mast recent three
month. period in 1959 US
Steel shipped steel products
ala reeard annual rate of
30.9 million tans w
250.410 employees, Ax
cently asd 95dethe corpo:
tion employed 201,560 work:
ers and shipped 25.0 million
tons. In the space af six
years, US Steel employment
has been reduced by more
than 41.000 and steel shi-~
ments increased by 3.8 7 )
tion tons a year—ARe% ie:
crease per employee in 6
years,
o «8
Profits before taxes areover
the half billion mark in half
a year. This year, US Steel
profits equal an annual rate
of $4,845 per employee; an
increase of 31.800 a vear
per employee over previous
best in 1957,
e . .
The total payroll cost per
fon of steel shipped is $3.00
a ton less than in 1957,.the
former reccrd profit year,
see
Holding the “general level
of steel prices docs not mean
a price freeze, US Steel in
the past raised prices hy as
niuch as A Rk fon nn st
called “extras” without puts
ting into effect a “general”
price increase.
oe 8 8
US Steel's 1959 profits
amount to over $2.28 per
man hour, This is a profit
growth of $.67 per man over
prior record. two years ago.
s e .
Statement of US Steel's
chairman that he deca not
intend to raise the “general!
level of prices this year is
not quile the “hold-the-line”
position he pretends, be
cuune: :
1, Sharp rising produce
tivity reduces costs af pros
ducing steel, 2. Dividends
are al a new high and shout
to be raised further; cam:
pensation of supervisory
employees (Management tn-
centive Flan) in-steel iaeris. >
ing as, result--of “reward! oo 2
bonusen: compeanation. to
tteel executives: hecauee of
Black options, grows hy leaps
and hounds as market prices
af steel equities rive,
oe
US Steel reeard achieved
with fewer employeca than
in any year since 1939, ex
“cept for recession in 1958,
Total employment coats per
sales dollar for firat half of
1959 were reduced lo 39.8¢
an hour from a figure of
d2.2¢ in 1957, Most recent
Quarter, these coals were -
nuly S7.1¢ per sales dotlar,
Dectine in employment costa
in- relation to sales reflects
{he consistent trend of re
duced employ ment and ins
creased production,
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