4
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
~ March 10, 1950
IUE Thrown Out at ‘Paterboro GE
Quill Meeting Produces
The Ontario Labor Relations Board Feb. 28 threw out the fraudulent Much Noise, Few People
‘laims of the “Imitation UE” to represent the workers in the largest
GE plant in Canada, the plant at Peterboro.
The Board took this action after
UE had shown in open hearings
that the IUE had resorted _ to
wholesale fraud and falsification in
records it submitted to the Board.
Under Canadian law the Board can
certify a union as collective bar-
gaining agent upon presentation
of sufficient. evidence, without an
election. .
At the time of the national UE
convention last fall the Peterboro
GE local supported the Carey
group. But the workers are now
back with UE.
IUE claimed it should be certi-
fied and presented a mass of cards
altered. IUE leaders had to ad-
mit the fraud publicly.
GE had used the IUE petition
for certification as an excuse for
refusing to negotiate on wage and
contract improvements at Peter-
boro. The company also has been
withholding dues money from UE,
Since the IUE petition was
thrown out, GE has released the
dues money and has started con-
tract negotiations with the Peter-
boro and Toronto UE locals.
» The national IUE paper boasted
yecently that IUE had brought
“honest trade union policy” to
Canadian GE workers. 4
Newspapers Spread
Some More Confusion
Considerable confusion has been
caused by misleading newspaper
stories stating that GE has with-
drawn recognition of union offi-
cials at the plants in Syracuse,
Philadelphia, Lynn, and Pittsfield.
The story was based on just one
fact — namely that in Syracuse
some IUE leaders who had been
pretending to be UE officers in
order to hold on to the contract
were so thoroughly exposed by UE
that the Syracuse GE plant was
foreed to withdraw recognition of
those officers. Now these same
“TUN leaders are talking sivike for ~
recognition, These Carey agents
allowed working conditions in
Syracuse GE to become extremely
bad. Now they hope to-use the"
workers’ indignation over these
conditions for their own destrue-
tive purposes,
In Pittsfield, Lynn, and Phila-
delphia, the company has been
stalling - grievances at the. works.
manager level, but UE locals are
insisting on full recognition.
Qne hundred persons, possibly
including some people from GE,
On Income Tax Returns
last week -heard Michael J. Quill,
president of the CIO Transport
Workers, declare that UB policy
is “Communist-controlled.” . The
meeting was an “Imitation UE”
rally.
Quill used to be known in New
York as “Red Mike.’ In those
days his most famous remark was:
“I'd rather be called a Red by a
rat than a rat by a Red.”
Since then he found out that
red-baiting and making deals with
politicians pays better. He has
been working hard to get his mem-
bership to allow him to live up to
f ao his new name of “labor statesman”,
301 Prods Company
Into Health Action
The General Electric Company’s.
action in adding an Industrial
Hygiene laboratory to the wor’)
Hospital was.a concession to Loca
301’s fight against health hazards
at the Schenectady. plant.
The union has pressed continu-
ously for enforcement. of the con-
tract provisions on safety and
health. In policing the contract
301 has exposed alarming health
conditions. The union also has a
full-time attorney to handle work-
men’s compensation cases free of
charge for members. These com-
pensation cases have revealed
health hazards that can and must
be removed. Union pressure is
directly responsible for GE’s new
—._- penordine-to- _the—reqnirements_. of___. step-to-expand-—its——medieal—and_..
New York’s anti-labor newspapers.
Quill was introduced by Lewis
Benedict, president of Transport
Workers’ Local 159 of Schenec-
tady. In the days when Benedict
thought it was his job to lead the
bus drivers in contract fights
against the Schenectady. Railway;
Tomorrow (Saturday) morning he used to come running to Leo
is your last chance to receive as- Jandreau and the 301 staff for
sistance at 301 hall in making out guidance, help in | negotiations,
Pred wwenuescernn
Last Chance for Help —
_ your federal income tax report. writing of leaflets and speeches,
This free service is provided from. _free radio time, and general help in
9 a.m. to noon. The deadline for -getting himself out of the soup.
filing your tax return is next Wed- Now Benedict hopes to add a new
nesday. name, “Arnold.”
Mine Workers Win Great Victory
The United: Mine Workers went back to work this week with a
great victory for themselves, for eel trade unionism, and for American
democracy.
The money benefits include a raise of 70 cents a day, and about as
much again in payments to the welfare fund, guaranteeing one of the
best pension plans in existence.
But the greatest gain was the pioaf that united fighting union
members can win over the combined power of the mine owners, a court
injunction, and government departments, working together through the
Taft-Hartley Act. The miners defeated the Taft-Hartley Act and its
aim to establish slave, labor.
The miners’ aerate also was a victory for free collective bar-
gaining as against the “no-raise” pattern. The miners were obliged to
beat down the “pattern” accepted by the CIO through the Steel Fact-
Finding Board. That board sold out the steelworkers by denying them
a raise for 1949 and 1950 and establishing a miserable pension plan. It
also tried to establish that pattern for all labor, UE was expelled from”
the CIO because UE rejected that pattern and opposed turning collective
bargaining over to government boards.
The Mine union has never been called “left wing,” but when the
miners stood on their rights, the power of the administration and the
Taft-Hartley Act was brought down upon them just the same. The
miners won because they were willing to stand up for their freedom.
Like UE, the United Mine Workers are an independent union be-
cause they would not accept contro] by the sell-out top leadership of
AFL and CIO.
GE workers will look to the mine victory a8 an inspiration and a
guide in the difficult times ahead.
expan
health facilities. But of course
the announcement in the Works
News Mar. 3 didn’t mention 301.
GE said the new laboratory will
study “working conditions which
may affect GE employees’ health”,
and that it will make a check-up of
“locations using toxie heavy met-
als, or producing harmful dusts,
fumes, vapors or mists.”
Although the new laboratory is
a step in the right direction, i
cannot replace the joint union arg,
company action which 301 has
asked against health hazards.
X-rays and physical examina-
tions arranged by the union last
year revealed an alarming number
of silicosis cases and symptoms
among workers exposed to dust.
GE at a grievance session on the
New York level recently again
turned down the union’s proposal
for a joint union -and company
check-up of silicosis hazards in
‘Porcelain, the foundries, Mica and
elsewhere.
301 also discovered a number of
mercury poisoning cases last year.
Against GE opposition, the union
obtained workmen’s compensation
for the victims. The state ordered
the company to pay dentists’ bills
for workers who lost their teeth as
a result of the poisoning.
Raise at Magnavox
A general wage increase of four
and a half cents an hour, retroac-
tive to Jan. 1, was won by UE
Local 910 at Fort Wayne, Ind.
Did You Know
George H. Love, principal
spokesman for the mine owners in
the mine strike, became a director
of GE in January.
Let GE Know the Contract MUST Be Continued Here
NION
UBER & MW. A.
March 14, 1950
“YLECTRICAL
THE VOICE OF LOCAL 301 -
EXTRA
SCHENECTADY, N. Y.
“General Electric Challenges Workers to Defend
ages and Working Conditions on April 1
Beginning ‘April 1 the GE workers in every department must be prepared to fight on a minute’s notice
in defense of their wages, piece work prices, and working conditions.
The Executive Board and shop stewards will be geared to lead that fight. Z
That is the meaning of GE’s announcement last Friday, rejecting” UE's demand that the contract be
get ee adr ttl th a Ton han Daond_alantiannie-
extended until the -babor Board election is-held=
The Company Promises, But...
GE tries to make the workers believe that it will not chisel on their conditions when the contract expires.
But we had years of experience with company “promises” before the union. They were meaningless.
That is why we formed UE Local 301.
Even under the contract, the company has engaged in constant attacks on seniority, wages, classifica-
tions and piece work prices. ‘Only by pressing numerous grievances has UE stopped this chiseling. Right
now, without waiting for April 1, GE is pushing its drive against piece work standards. And GE carefully
omits piece work guarantees from the benefits it “promises” to maintain.
The company announcement means a planned attack on fourteen years of hardwon contract 4 iets,
That Talk of Neutrality
oN
UE is the sole legal bargaining agency under the Law unless and until some other organization may be
picked by Labor Board election. GE keeps on saying it’s “neutral,” but its actions show the very opposite.
Here’s the record:
1) GE files petition for election when Carey’s IUE is unable to back up its petitions with enough memb
ership cards in most GE plants, including Schenectady.
2) GE uses its petitions as an excuse to suspend 1949 negotiations.
8) GE demands changes in existing bargaining units, making it possible for IUE to stall election.
4) GE withholds check-off money in violation of contract, goes to court and pretends to be “in doubt.”
‘i 5) GE gives IUB agents free run of plant and right to carry on activities, including distribution of slan-
derous leaflets.
6) GE terminates contract effective April 1.
7) GE announces it will suspend grievance procedure pending Labor Board election. It invites IUE to
interfere with the handling of grievances.
No wonder Frank Fiorillo publicly weleomes GH ‘g action. He has bean trying to oRaats chaos for years.
' GE Aims for Wage Cutting and Company Unionism
GE wants a free hand to cut wages and piece work prices, speed-up and downgrade, and violate senior-
ity. It wants to encourage its company union, the “Imitation UE.”
GE will be responsible for anything that happens.
Unity in UE Local 301 won us our contract protection and conditions which are among the very best in
big Aidustry. Unity and solidarity in UE Local 301 can stop the company’s plan for wage- cutting and union-
usting.
UE remains the only legal bargaining agency here ‘follay:
Let every GE worker resolve now that after April 1 as well as before, GE: shall observe all contract con-
ditions and shall recognize UE 301 shop stewards and no one else. ; '
Executive Board UE Local 301
