THEREIS |
_ STRENGTH”
Volume 1 No. 8 Published by IUE-CIO ag 202 Clinton Street May 17, 1951
“? UE-GE CONFERENCE BOARD VOTES
TO ACCEPT NINE CENTS AT ERIE MEETING
SULIUS EMSPAK, OUT OF JAIL, CONDEMNS
U.S. DEFENSE PROGRAM AND MARSHALL PLAN.
_ Some 100 delegates, about 30 of them from Schenectady, voted on a resolution
to accept the nine cents an hour increase won by IUE-CIO at the UE-GE Confer-
ence Board meeting at Erie, Pa., Sunday, May 13. .
The result of that vote, which was very close, was to accept the nine cents.
The Schenectady delegation, by voting to accept the nine cents, carried the
conference in favor of it.
Before the recess for lunch, delegates spoke mainly in opposition to the nine
cents, and seemed to be in favor of a strike.
But a secret meeting held during this time apparently laid the strategy for the
meeting. Immediately following the luncheon recess, speakers began to express o-
pinions favoring the nine cents. .
John Green of Schenectady said the people in Schenectady wanted the nine cents.
Schenectady workers never voted on this issue, but Green didn't mention that.
Sidney Friedlander of Schenectady spoke first against the nine cents and then in
favor of it,
Leo Jandreau, business agent of UE Local 301, said that rejecting the nine cents
would mean losing Schenectady. He said we can't afford to lose our membership
just to win a few extra cents. . a
James Matles, director of organization, told delegates early in the day that UE
leaders wanted to be able to go into GE management and give notice of a strike.
But after the secret meeting at lunch, Matles said it was more important to keep the
union alive than to win an increase. :
Albert J. Fitzgerald, UE president, spoke for just a few minutes, and spent that
time blasting IUE-ClO, as did Joseph Dermody.
But the surprise of the day came from Julius Emspak, who was making one of his
first public appearances since he was convicted on contempt charges and jailed.
Emspak, UE secretary treasurer, had nothing to say about the important issue of
negotiations. ' , é
FOR AT LEAST A HALF HOUR EMSPAK BLASTED THE UNITED STATES GOV-
ERNMENT. HE CONDEMNED THE MARSHALL PLAN, THE MEANS BY WHICH
AMERICA GIVES AID TO THE STARVING PEOPLE OF EUROPE, AND THE
MEANS BY WHICH AMERICA IS KEEPING COMMUNISM OUT OF EUROPE.
_ EMSPAK CONDEMNED THE U. S. DEFENSE PROGRAM IN THE TRUE SPIRIT
OF A GOOD COMMUNIST. HE CHARGED THE MONEY FOR DEFENSE WAS
ACTUALLY GOING TO POLITICIANS IN WASHINGTON, BOTH REPUBLIC-
AN AND DEMOCRATS. HE SAID SPENDING 72 MILLION DOLLARS FOR DE-
FENSE WAS STUPID, AND. THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD REBEL.
__ Those were the words of guidance uttered by the great Julius Emspak to the UE-
GE Conference Board. Just how long will the members of UE stand for this type of .
leadership? * " o
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