4
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
December 24, 1948
Fryer Rules for GE
‘in Pay Day Complaint
(Continued from Page 1)
a company-dominated town.
The. union is taking immediate
steps lo bring’a new-action against--
GE on this issue, in a court where
the workers can hope to have the
case considered on its merits. Mar-
shall Perlin, Local 301 counsel, is
consulting other lawyers and the
State Labor department this week.
The State Labor Department al-
xveady has agreed with 301 that
GE’s Monday pay day violates the
law.
The cause heard Saturday was on
a complaint filed by five 8301 mem- -
bers as individuals. As it was a
criminal case, the acquittal cannot
be appealed. The next case will.
be on behalf of other 301 members.
-'Three of the complainants, Wil-..
liam Mastriani, of Bldg. 734, chief
shop steward, Dominick Gabriele, a
steward in 78, wnd Patrick Bucci,
member there, were called as wit-
nesses by Assistant District At-
torney Emmet Lynch. ‘Two other
complainants, Stanley Antonowicz
and Charles Malinowski, both of 73,
were unable to attend.
Their testimony was simple, es-
tablishing that they worked through
Friday and sometimes Saturday,
and got paid for that work on a
Monday over a week later.
GE, appearing with a battery of
Albany lawyers headed by Frank
A. McNamee, Jr., appeared to be
building up a technical defense for
appeal purposes, in some way ‘re-
lated to the federal Wage Hour
law. They had Works Manager
Jesse M. Howell testify that GE
Remember
Next November
Police Justice Charles G. Fry-
er comes up for re-election in
November 1949.
This is something to be re-
membered by UF members as
well as the great majority of
other citizens who believe that
a judge should apply the law to
big corporations as well as to
small business and the common
people.
produced for interstate commerce,
Bdward A, Cavosie, supervisor of
payrolls, contended the company's
work week ran from Monday morn-
ing, to Monday morning at the end
of the third shitt .
Leonard R. Hinckle, Control divis-
ion payroll supervisor, — testified
that piece workers turn in their
time on Monday morning, He ad-
Police Court Scene in Pay Day Trial
Dominick Gabriele of Building 73
testifying before Police Justice
Charles G. Fryer in the pay day
e against GE,
Election Into Case
The General Electric Company
tried to drag the recent union elec-
tion into the police court trial Sat-
urday) on the pay day charge
brought by five 301 members.
In cross-examining William Mas-
tviani,. chief shop steward, Frank
A. McNamee, Jr., Albany lawyer
who handled the case for GE, asked
him about his union office, al-
though Mastriani was appearing as
an individual. Then he asked about
the election. Emmet Lynch, assist-
ant district attorney, objected that
this has nothing to do with the pay
day issue. The question was so
obviously out’ of order that Me-
Namee did not press it.
mitted he did not know just when.
The three union witnesses prompt-
ly took the stand and testified they
were expected to turn in their time
on Friday. The company made no
effort to contradict this.
The case was clear, Everybody,
including GE officials present, ob-
viously expected a conviction,
which they would appeal an tech-
nical grounds. .
Then, without waiting for a word
of legal argument, without asking
tor the usual legal formalities,
Judge Fryer barked-out his acquit-
tal GH officials appeared to be
as surprised as the union members
present.
GE officials and attorneys con-
gratulated each other, However,
there are other courts besides Jus-
tice P'ryer’s,
Many Volunteers Answer
Appeal for Blood Donors
There was a prompt response
from the shops to the appeal EU
News printed last week for blood
donations for Beverly and Barbara
Renzi, daughters of Albert. Renzi
of Building 46.
The union office made appoint-
ments with. Ellis Hospital for 17
volunteers: to donate blood this
week for the little girls. These
donations will more than repay the
10 pints owed for the children and
will give them a good start on the
New Year. In addition, other names
were put on file for future dona-
tions.
Strike Settled
The strike against the Brown
Taxi Company was settled Wed-
nesday, Local 159, Transport
Workers Union, CIO, has = an-
nounced. Workers were to return
yesterday, ;
The drivers are to get 40 per
cent of all fares, with a guarantee
of $7.60 a day for a six-day week,
Jandreau Condemns
Support of Kersten
Business Agent Leo Jandreau
gave the following statement to
the Electrical Union News this
week: :
““GE workers were given a hor
rible example this week of where
factionalism can lead. The presi-
dent-elect of this union was quot-
ed by Schenectady’s anti-labor
‘newspapers as endorsing the lying
attack made on UE by Charles
Kersten, the Taft-Hartley Con-
gressman with a 100 percent rec-
ord of fighting against the people.
Kersten’s own constituents repud-
iated him at the polls.
“Brother Kriss has every reason
to know this union is controlled by
the membership alone.
“Brother Kriss’ statement has
won him the praise of Congress- .
man Kersten. He may weleome.it.
{ do not believe the membership
will, :
“Certainly the ery of ‘split’ hand-
ed to the press by Brother Kriss
will not help GE workers win a
settlement of their many pressing
shop problems, much less obtain a
general wage vaise. It is elemen-
tary trade unionism that strength
lies in. unity of the members. ~
“There is ample room for honest .
differences of opinion among elect-
ed officers as to union policies. The
place to air them is in the union
hall and the union paper. I believe
the membership will insist that all
officers do so hereafter.”
UE Broadcast
Tune in on the Arthur Gaeth
broadcast, sponsored by UE, at 10
pan. Monday on WXKW,
GE President Admits Company Spends
$1,000,000 On Wage Propaganda
President Charles E. Wilson of. the General Electri¢ Company ad-
mitted to a Congressional subcommittee in Washington Tuesday that
GE spends about a million dollars a year on propaganda connected with -
union wage demands,
Wilson testified for three hours
before an economic ‘subcommittee
studying corporate profits, He said
that GE’s profits are lower than
they should be te “cushion” the
company against a market drop,
GE profits are now at an all-
time high. During the first «nine
months of 1948 the company made
$84,000,000 profits (after taxes)—-
or over twice as much as its war.
time profit rate.
Before Wilson. testified, the Con-
gressional subeommittee had heard
Russ Nixon, UE representative,
but limited him to 15 minutes,
Nixon suggested that industrial
heads be questioned about the
amount of money spent for econo-
mie propaganda.
GE recently opened its guns
against the 1949 wage increase de-
mands of UE through a speech of
Wilson’s at Shelby, N. GC. He said
that industrial euthacks and* un-
employment might vesult from a
fourth round of general wage in-
creases, °
“It such demands are suecesstul”,
he said, “there will result increased
costs of manufacturing — goods,
There is simply no ether way out,”
This argument is just a repeti-
tion of the Big Business propayan-
da that wage increases cause price
increases, There is no truth in it,
THE VOICE OF LOCAL 301
U. ER. & MW. A.
WSs
ct. 0.
Vol. 6 — No. 52
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK —
December 31, 1948
~~kocal 301 Takes Up™
Holiday Pay Cases
Local 301 has taken up with the
Works Manager's office a number
of individual and group cases over
refusal to pay Christmas Day pay
to workers who have been working
Saturdays.
The difficulties arose over the
question of individual foremen’s
judgment as to who would have
been scheduled to work on the
Christmas and New Year’s holiday.
The. settlement arrived at in New
York on the 801 grievance provided
for holiday pay for those who
‘would have been scheduled to
( jork” if the Saturday had not been
‘a holiday.
Building 41 told the local union
office that after the settlement was
reached in New York, the foremen
were told to make up lists of those
workers they would call in Satur-
day if it were not a holiday. In
some cases foremen reported they
were not going to call in workers
even though they had called them
in on. earlier Saturdays. These
cases are being argued by the
union.
Local 301 received word from
Pittsfield that the GE management
there was trying to make it appear
that the holiday pay settlement
was an act of generosity on its
part, instead of a negotiated settle-
ment of a grievance under the con-
tract. The Pittsfield management
also was: trying to attach more
strings to the settlement.
GE Prospects Bright
For '49, Wilson Says
GE President Charles E. Wilson
recently predicted that the com-
pany’s business will continue “at
the same high level of 1948” dur-
ing 1949. He admitted that the
company’s net income in dollars is
about twice what it was in 1940.
But he used the same statement
to say that “a fourth round of wage
increases” would probably result in
“eutbacks and unemployment.”
(jigned The Petition?
Don’t let 1948 end without sign-
ing the UE petition for repeal of
the Taft-Hartley. Law and return
of the Wagner Act. Your shop
steward is collecting signatures,
See him today.
Nailing Some Lies
Printed About 301”
Difference of opinion can be de-
bated on the union floor, but out-
right lies about the ‘union requise
correction. oa .
An unsigned mimeographed lea-
flet marked “Submitted by the
Membership Committee”, distribut~
ed over the Christmas week-end,
declared that members found out
“this week” they would-not' be paid
for Christmas and New Year's. It
said “when the contract was signed
this year we were told that we
were going to get 6 paid holidays.”
The facts have already been re-
viewed in recent issues of this
paper, When the contract was ap-
proved, Leo Jandreau pointed out
that the two Saturday holidays
would be lost this year. The mem-
bership nevertheless approved the
contract, almost unanimously, be-
cause there was_ no strike senti-
-ment. ‘
The minutes of the Executive
Board meeting June 9 at which the
contract offer was reported show
that Frank Kriss himself referred
UE Locals Fight GE
On Piece Rate Cuts
Various UE locals at GE plants
are fighting company efforts to cut
pay by changes in” piece work
prices. ;
Joseph Dermody, national UE
representative reports that at the
Elmira Foundry GE based a cut in
a job price on a small change in
the hole in a casting.
At Bridgeport the company gave
as a reason for cutting piece work
prices a change in the catalogue
number of an electric blanket The _
operations are identical.
At the Taunton plastics plant the
company has used-.a change in the
color of a plastic compound as an
excuse for reducing the piece work
price.
At Holyoke, output quotas are in-
“ereased on piece work jobs trans-
ferred from Pittsfield. In other
words, the company expects. their
Holyoke workers to produce faster
on identical operations.
to the loss of two holidays. But he
proposed no action in the matter.
Cali Meeting ©
Of Stewards
For Tuesday
Shop stewards elected by mem-
bership groups throughout the
plant during the past few weeks
will meet for the first time as a
body at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4,
at 301 hall. They will take their
oath of office at that time.
The Executive Board Tuesday
night unanimously voted to recom-
mend the following agenda for the
meeting:
Pledge of allegiance to the flag.
Reading of minutes of last meet-
ing.
Swearing in of stewards.
Report on State CIO convention
by 301 delegates.
_Recent publicity and leaflets af-
fecting Local 301.
Recommendations of Executive
Board:
Report by international UE of-
ficers.
New business.
Good and welfare.
More Election Returns
Additional official election re-
turns on the voting for shop stew-
ards throughout the plant have
been reported by the Election Com-
mittee as follows: ;
Building 18—-Marshall J. White.
Bldg. 28—W. T. Wilkinson.
Bldg. 49—Fred C. Van Dervoort
and Charles D. Wood..
Bldg, 60 — Salvatore Albert,
James Serrapiglio, Elmer Horst-
myer, Noel Test, Richard Haines,
Richard Snyder and Exnest D.
Griscuolo.
Bldg. 64—V. J. Millington and
Adam §. Krawezyk.
Bldg. 66 — Donald D, Murphy,
John P. Green, Ray DeWire, Jerry
Ohlidal and Mark Brownell.
Bldg. 67—D. A. Siskind.
Bldg. 98—Francesco Rossi, Mic-
hael Santorelli and Edmund C.
Paska.
Bldg. 258—J. H. Smith.
Bldg. 259—-R. H. Wagoner.
Bldg. 273—Edward L. Kearney
and Edward A. Noiseaux.
Through a clerical error the re-
port-in last week’s EU News gave
the name of Norman Vielleux as”
elected from Bldg. 40. David Oliver
defeated Vielleux.
Another correction has been. made
{Continued on Page 2)
sates
.
2
December 31, 1948
Boulware Tries
To Earn His Salary
The Works News Dec. 10 carried
a full-page defensive piece by L. R.
Boulware, GE vice-president, en-
titled “What is the Trouble?” The _
lengthy piece attempted to answer
charges made by UE here and else-
where.
It.is not necessary to answer the
mass of details thrown in by Boul-
ware. Here are a few simple facts:
Bulware denies that GE is in
conspiracy with the Atomic Energy
Commission against UE. The fact
is that Chairman David Lilienthal
of the AEC was.in secret consulta-
tions with GE before the AEC or-
der came out. The fact is also that
when the AEC directed its first or-
der against UE only as to the fu-
ture Knolls II laboratory, Boulware
(in his. letter of Sept. 28) com-
plained this was not “adequate” be-
cause it did not cover Peek Street.
Lilienthal obediently came back
with an order applying to Peek
Street.
Boulware denies that General
Electric’s own loyalty is in doubt.
That is just calling black white.
The fact that government officials
entrust secrets to GH is all the
more serious in view of 12 specific
charges of GE actions against the
American people, including convic-
tion of conspiracy with the Nazi
Krupp firm even after the war
started in Europe. Senate Com-
mittee testimony showed. that this
held back American war produc-
tion while the Nazis had the ad-
vantage of the use of tungsten car-
bide (carboloy).
Boulware denies that GE is try-
ing to have a company union. But
in the 1948 contract negotiations
he fought against seniority, against
_ piecework safeguards, and against
compulsory arbitration of griev-
ances. GE executives have public-
ly declared they could teach GE
workers how a union should be run.
Even in his statement trying to
deny he wants a company union,
Boulware calls for union leaders
who would “promote a higher
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
United Electrical, Radio & Machine
Workers of America, CIO
Scnenzctapy GE Locat 301
<i
Published by Editorial Committee
Mary McCartin, Secretary
Arthur R. Bertint! Clayton Pudney
John G. Grasso Victor Pasche
Editorial Office
ExectricaL Union News
301 Liberty St., Schenectady, N. Y.
Telephone 3-1386
M'Bo
Newspaper Tells 301
About Wage Reopening
Local 801 members were told by
the Union-Star Tuesday that the
contract wage reopening clause
would. be “negotiated next month”
and that at that time certain con-
tract demands would be made.
The story quoted Irank Kriss,
president-elect, as making the “an-
nouncement” of what the local
would do. It contained no refer-
ence to the membership of Local
801 having anything to say on the
subject, nor to the fact that the
wage reopening is something to be
decided by the membership in all
GE plants under the UE contract.
Business Agent Leo Jandreau’s
only comment on the supposed “an-
nouncement” was that-all matters
of union program will be decided
by the membership.
The Kriss announcement appar-
ently was the outcome of a meet-
ing of about 25 so-called “Demo-
cratic Action” and Kriss followers,
held at PNA Hall last Sunday.
standard of living through the tra-
ditionally successful American
way of improved equipment and
methods, of a fair day’s work by
everybody, and of free choice in
jobs, in purchases, and in speech.”
That is just NAM dressing for
GE’s program of speed-up, no rais-
es, no seniority,*no union security,
no price control, and. the right of
employers to interfere in unions.
For once the EU News will imi-
tate John L. Lewis and use a fam-
iliar Shakespeare quotation:
“Methinks the lady doth protest
teo much.”
BNIONS? WHY WE
BELIEVE, IN UNIONS
PUT--usten
To BLOWHARD
SOUND OFF AT
WIS ADVERTISING
AGENCY---
SAY THAT WE'RE AGAINST
WAGE INCREASES: BuT DON'T
FORGET TO ADD We'RE IN
_FANOR OF DNIONS-:
Smooth Talking Business Spokesmen
Can't Hide Huge 1948 Profit Figures
Big Business paraded its smoothest spokesmen at the recent Con-
gressional sub-committee hearing on profits at Washington, D.C.
“AM the fancy talk, however, couldn’t hide the following facts,”
Russ Nixon of the UE Washington staff reported. , .
Shop Stewards
(Continued from Page 1)
in the Bldg. 40 list by the Election
Committee. Last week’s EU News
reported Thomas J. Morissey as
elected. The vote was protested
and another election was conducted
by the Election Committee Mon-
day. The winner is Earl Wilkinson.
Aids Newspaper Guild
The 801 Executive Board Tues-
day night voted to donate $62.50
toward the fifteenth anniversary
fund of Tri-City Newspaper Guild.
Gazette Story
Suggests Raid
Is the Gazette now trying to
promote raiding of Local 301 by
another union?
A story datelined Washington
Dec. 21, but evidently written
right in the Gazette office, con-
cluded by saying that: for Local
801 to be approved by the Ato-
mic Energy Commission—
“Qither top officers of the in-
ternational UE will have to pass
loyalty ‘tests; there must be
complete change in top officers
of the UL, or the Schenectady
‘local must affiliate itself with a
different international union.”
The words are by the Gazette.
Who is behind it?
“Since 1940, in the nine years,
American industry has taken out
$202 billion in profits.
“This 202 billion dollars in prof-
its in nine years means that every
American family on the average
had a burden of $5,000 in profits
to cover — either through high
prices or high taxes.
“At the end of 1948, profits are.
running at the rate of 35 billion
dollars a year. Prices which are so
high above cost make possible this
unprecedented profit level.
“In 1948, profits of American
corporations amount to approxi-
mately $830 per family.
“The companies organized by UE
are right in the swim. The real
measure of profits is how much re-
turn does the owner get on his in-
vestment. In GH, for every $100
invested, the profit in 1948 is near-
ly $81 before taxes. GE’s total
1948 profits of $217,000,000 amount
to about $1,090 on every employee.
“Those who invested in Westing-
house in 1948 are getting about $18
retum on every $100 invested.
Profits before taxes on each West-
inghouse. employee in 1948 amounts
to $850,”
UE Broadcast
Tune in on the Arthur Gaeth
broadcast, sponsored by UR, at 10
p.m. Monday on WXKW, Albany
(850 on your dial).
December 31, 1948
_ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
3
While these young guests of Local 301 watched movies at Mont Pleasant
High School Dec. 19, a photographer snapped their picture for EU News.
Latest Awards Made
For Workers’ Injuries -
Workmen’s Compensation awards
obtained recently. for. Local 301
members. injured at the Schenec-
tady General Electric plant in-
clude:
$32 a week from Oct. 5 to Oct.
14 for Clifford Pierce, Building 60
sheet metal worker, who suffered
a compound fracture of the left lit-
tle toe Oct. 4.
$32 a week from Sept. 22 to Dec.
18 for Carlo Cassaro, Bldg. 59
porter who strained his back Sept.
21, He is to get $28.93 a week for
two months from Dee. 18.
$32 a week from Oct. 18 to Nov.
29 for Walter G. Scofield, assem-
bler and erector in Bldg. 16, whose
right thumb was fractured Oct. 15.
$382 a week from Nov. 1 to Dee.
6 for Hugo Fasching, toolmaker,
whose right knee was hurt Oct. 26.
$32 a week from Oct. 14 to Nov.
28 for Antelo Pace, Bldg. 17 punch
press operator, whose back was
sprained Oct. 18. .
$12 a week for reduced earnings
from June 28 to Nov. 8 for Anthony
Marotta, Bldg. 15 punch press op-
erator who suffered a hernia Jan 6.
$25 a week from Aug. 2 to Sept.
13 for Stephen Culifano, punch
press operator who suffered should-
er, back, foot and heel injuries Mar.
21, 1941. He was awarded vaca-
tion pay from July 19 to Aug, 2
of the present year.
$3.01 a week reduced earnings
om May 18 to Sept. 9 for Joseph.
Gurcio, who suffered a back sprain.
He also gets compensation at the
rate of $28 a week from May 11 to
May 18 and from Sept. 20 to Sept.
24,
Quotes Ives’ Spokesman
On New 30! Officers
A Washington story carried as
“special” by the Schenectady Gaz-
ette last week quoted “a spokesman
for Senator Irving M. Ives -(Rep.,
N. Y¥.),” as saying that new of-
ficers of Local 801 “may be called
‘upon to aid in formulating anti-
Communist provisions in any new
federal labor law.”
When the Taft-Hartley bill was
passed in the Senate, Senator Ives
was praised in the press as one of
those most responsible for its pass-
age, because of his skill in maneu-
vering and his use of his one-time
reputation as a “libera].”
CIO and AFL unions have con-
demned him for his Taft-Hartley
vote.
Board Favors Increase
For Election Officials
The 801 Executive Board went
on record Tuesday night in favor of
a salary increase to $5,000 for the
Schenectady County election com-
missioners, Charles W. Eckel and
Henry C. Fagal. The Board will
recommend to the shop stewards
and to the. 801 membership that
the local ask the Board of Super-
visors to grant this raise.
Biggest GE Profits
The Wall Street Journal Dec. 1
said that profits of the General
Blectrie Company for 1948 “are
expected to be the largest in the
history of the company, exceeding
last year’s $92,298,000 by a sub-
stantial margin.” For the first
nine months of 1948, GE profits
totalled about $84,000,000.
BUILD THE UNION
Camera Shots at Local 301 Children’s Christmas Party
The. quartet above sang during the children’s entertainment at the union ,
“Christmas party. Left to right, Shirley O’Brien, Ara Porter, Patsy
_Polens and Eileen Burke.
Harold Vine, Albany magician, with two members of the audience who
volunteered to go on the stage to take part in one of his acts.
Lynn Local Alarmed Over Kriss Remarks
On Local 301 Reopening Wage Clause
Local 801 has received a letter from Frederick M. Kelley, business
agent of UE Local 201 at the Lynn, Mass., GE plant, expressing alarm
over an article in the Wall St. Journal Dee. 28 quoting President-Elect
Frank Kriss of 801 on reopening the wage clause. Lynn has 15,000 mem-
bers and like Local 301 is a key local in the GE system,
Kelley said the article reported
the 801 officer as saying that “an
increase would be sought next
month under a wage reopening
clause in the local’s contract with
General’ Electric.” .
(Similar articles quoting Kriss
were printed by other newspapers
too.)
Kelley’s letter pointed out “that
the wage reopening clause referred
to is not in a contract with Local
301” but is in the national agree-
ment between GH and UE, acting
for all its GE locals. . .
Further publicity along this line
will cause confusion in the Lynn
GE. local, Kelley protested.
“T think it unnecessary to point
out to you that a matter as serious
‘as wage increases under the Na-
tional agreement must follow a
longstanding practice of GE Locals
Conference Board meeting, mem-
bership- ratifications and a well
planned campaign of publicity,”
Kelley stated, “in order that our
efforts will not be in vain,”
The 301 Executive Board voted
Tuesday to submit the letter to the
stewards meeting. ;
In last week’s KU News a state-
ment by Jandreau, commenting on
the Kriss wage “announcement”,
explained the procedure which
must be followed in reopening the
national wage clause.
13-Cent Raise
The recently organized workers.
of Johnson, Matthey and Mallory,
Ltd., st Mt. Dennis, Canada, have
won a pay raise of 18 cents an
hour in their first UE contract.
;
:
;
L
a
Q
i
i
i
i
i
¢
i
4
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
December 31, 1948
Filling Gift Bags for Union Christmas Party
Volunteers
stuffing gift bags
for the 301
children’s
Christmas party.
Left. to right,
Mary MeCartin,
Building 28; _
Betty Di Micola,
Bldg. 81 :
Christina Maietta,
Bldg. 269;
Mary Ruggiero,
Bidg. 17;
Philip Suits,
and
Paul Wait,
Bldg. 16.
Danville GE Local GE To Open Plant In Low-Pay Area
Defends Seniority
A layoff of 97 workers in which
seniority was disregarded caused a
work stoppage of 700 employees at
the General Electric plant at Dan-
ville, Ill. recently. *
After meetings with UE repre-
sentatives, the company agreed to
call back the laid-off workers with-
in two days. In a letter then sent
to all employees, the company said
it had regarded the layoff as “tem-
porary” and had planned to call
the workers back in 10 days “and
possibly less.” GI blamed the lay-
off on shortage of silicon steel.
Company representatives agreed
that if similar lavofi's are consid-
ered in the future they will notify
the local before carrying them out
and. try to work out a satisfactory
method,
GE workers said the layoff was
the final straw in forcing the work
stoppage. They had.protésted the
company’s failure
ances concerning spe
and piecework prices.
‘up, seniority
Interference Continued
By Schenectady Papers
-Schenectady’s daily newspapers
continued their campaign of inter-
ference in Local 8301's affairs with-
out let-up during the past week.
Typical was the Union-Star story
Christmas eve saying that petitions
sucking Leo Jandreau’s resignation
were being circulated in the plant.
The next morning’s Gazette then
quoted Frank..Kriss as saying his
group knew nothing about it.
Even the bare statement by
Jandrveau that the union's program
would be determined by the mem-
bership was distorted by the
Union-Star on Tuesday.
An article in the Atlanta Con-
stitution recently stated that the
General Electric Company plans to
open a plant in one of the smaller
cities of Georgia to manufacture
small appliances such as toasters.
The company is reported to be con-
sidering Elberton and Carrollton as
sites for the plant which is to em-
ploy about 500 workers.
According to the southern news-
paper, GE is going to Georgia to
make use of the “stability and the
traditional conservation of Geor-
gia’s population” and the low cost
power. “Stability” obviously refers
to the largely unorganized char-
aeter- of Georgia labor. This lack
of organization is reflected in the
income of the'people of the state.
The average annual income of a
resident of Georgia was $885 in
19:7 compared to $1,372 for a per-
son in Pennsylvania,
While GE is making plans to ex-
pand in low-paid areas in the south,
it is closing down some of the
northern plants opened during or
since the war,
Picking the Winner of Television Set
Rose Palkeovic, inspector in Building 89, drawing the lucky ticket stub
that won. a television set for Earl Briggs, Bldg. 58, at the Loeal 301
dance Dec. 18, at the union hall. Edward J, La Bombard, Jr., center, and
Gordon Belgraye, right, are co-chairmen of the Activities Committee,
Proceeds from the sale of dance tickets went to finance the 301 Children’s
Christmas party Dec. 19.
a | treme ARIAS Oren eee em etem etiemnoete es
i
GE Will Close
Scranton Plant
The General Electric Company
plastics plant at Seranton, Pa. will
be closed down by the end of
February, management has noti-
fied UE Local 125. Indications are
that the closing will be earlier. the
local reports,
All employees of the plant, total-
ling approximately 200, will lose
their jobs. The work now done at
the plant will be transferred to
Taunton, Cohocton, Decatur, Pitts-
field, Meriden and possibly else-
where. —_
The company has given two ex-
planations of the permanent. shut-
down:
Lack of demand for products
made at the plant (such as lamp
shades, plastic knobs, plastic re-
frigerator parts, plastic dishware
and fluoresecent light shades).
A complete reorganization of the
plastics division, a :
There is little prospect of the Gh
workers getting other jobs in the
Scranton area where 14,500 jobless
are already seeking employment.
At the other GE plant in Seran-
ton, ‘the electric sink and cabinets
plant, 140 of the 800 workers were
laid-off in October, About 25 were
called back in the past few weeks,
but the rest aren’t expected to be
back before six moriths.
Jandreau Will Address
Bridgeport GE Workers
Business Agent Leo Jandreau
will address a meeting of the tool
section of UE Local 203 at the
Bridgeport, Conn. GE plant Jan.
10. The 801 Executive Board Tues-
day night authorized him to accept
the invitation sent by Business
Agent Ellis Brooks of 203. He will
speak on specialization, tool rates
and other problems relating to the
tool section.
The Bridgeport local recently re-
elected Brooks, President Michael
Marinaccio and an entire slate of
officers committed to national UE
policy. This slate won by a major-
ity of more than 24% to 1 over op-
ponents who were largely “Demo-
cratic Action” leaders.
The defeated candidate for busi-
ness agent, Pat O’Boyle, is a
“Democratic Action” man who was
local treasurer in 1947, In 1947 the
‘Democratic Action” group and its
allies defeated founders of the
union ina red-baiting campaign,
and brought about the expulsio
without trial, of the men who built
the ‘union. The membership later
reinstated the expelled leaders.
Last year the Marinaccio-Brooks
slate won-in a close three-way
contest,
tos
