hat GE
At the last negotiating session, GE said one percent,
maybe a fraction more—maybe a fraction less—depending
on what the latest government Bureau of Labor Statistics
Show in April. That’s all it would offer—-said GE.
jut the last word on what's going to be in negatiations
wl rest not with GE—but with its workers.
RAY ELLIS, toolmaker: :
“Pye worked in GE 27 years. When I started,
toolmakers were considered the top job. Every-
* : a tf one wanted to. he
' toolmakers. Wow,
with piece work,
workers can in a few
weeks make as much
as the average Lool-
maker — which is
‘around: § $2.03. GE
only fools itself by
turning its back on
its skilled) workers.
A new apprentice
after 12 weeks they
put him on production and then he won't come *
back to toolmaking. He's making more money
on big lathes and boring machines, At present
lime, Gio says it can't hire foolmakers at) the
rato—everyoue's grabbing them, And the ones
they hire go on production, Ef ever we're going
to get anything for toolmakers, now is the time
The supply and demand situation of toolmakeérs
is good. We toolmakers in turbine in Building
275 are ready to go. We showed that when we
turned out ina. demonstration in a snowstorm,
We've never asked piece workers” cooperation,
but we think the time has come to ask them to
hack up the fight of the.-men who service them.”
: : 0 :
~ HELEN QUIRINI, Bldg: 81: | :
“Narrowing ‘the gap between women and the
lowest men's rates isn't even adequate for the
women, We must ’
fight this year and
keep fighting to
foree GE net to pay
wny women oaiorate
that iss lower than
the common laborer”
tate. Its ou good
{hing te see and
koow that so many
men are waking up
and realizing t hat
this fight of the woe & f a
men is their fight. too. ‘There are many cases
where GE has used low women’s rates to hire
nen for tess than (he common laborer rate. We
must go to the community and expose GE's mis-
erable ecanditions fur women——-and show up the
sliek and false Hrommmanide they put out.’
WILLIAM MASTRIANNI, Bldg. 73A:
“Maybe a lot of people dowt understand just
what the demand to eliminate geographical dif.
St 2 ferentials really
means, Let's pin it
down. In Utica, |
went there, in’ that
area GE is setting
up on-old phint) on
Tenth St. for elee-
tronies. Rates they
will pay are 30 to 40
eents lower than
here. Frank D’Ami-
co, from refrigera-
eM. (or control, went out
plant in Morrison, TH. 'There’s a 40
to 50 cent dilference out there from what they
pay in Building 43. GE's moving into small
o phints all over the map—into low ware arens,
Uowent Co Ludlow, Vermont, A new plant there
—-they're--paying-$190-for-tdolmakers~ and have ~
broken the work down into a. repetitive job.
They've got local shoe, groeery-clerks doing this
work—and the top man gets $1.90 and here it
'4 © Friday, April 18, 1952
orkers Are
pays $2.21.) They're moving large appliances to
Louisville and it’s not because they like the cli-
mate. [t's a low wage area and they'll try
again fo get work 40 to 50 cents an hour cheap-
er than they're getting it now. If we don’t do
something to cut out these geopraphical differ-
entials, they'll be trying to put us all on the
lower rates.” —
. [
SADIE IOVENELLI, Bidg: 81:
“TE think the women, particularly those who have
been most active, are very much encouraged by
. the support they're
getting from the
men this year. Fhe
men must be seeing
that a fight to raise
women's rates is
necessary “to safe-
fuard and protect
their own jobs, The
women insthe Works
are going: to call a
mecting soon to step
* . up this important
fight with GE. We women have-been.in the fore-
front and we're going to stay there. The gov-
ernment: proved GE discriminates against wo-
men in 1945 and UE Chas madé progress on it.
We can do a real job. of getting more this time
foethe men will fully unite in’ support of the
women, . The women alone shoulda't be expected
to earry the fight to protect ‘the rates for all"
*)
FRANK CHEERIO, day-worker, Bldg. 89: |
“Pye pot pants that are eight years old) and
shirts over three years old, if anyone wants to
5
-know what the seare
is with one day.
worker, LT think we
ought to have oa
demonstration Like
the skilled) workers:
had. TP think the wo-
men shatuld also
have such a demon-
stration, Maybe we
men ought to one
day have a parade
or demonstration ‘ z
and the women the next to let (8 linow how we
feel Let GE know about the poor diiy-workers
who are making 8145 pe $1.60 an hour"
‘CHARLES FERRIS, electrician:
“A lols got-to be done for the skilled workers,
One thine we should be clear about.
What we take home
if we vo hack tos40
hours, brother,
we're going to be in
trouble. We've talk-
ed long enough —
we've got lo fight
NOW, And everyone
should unders Cand,
that this Union.
doesn't depend ona
few leaders: lo ‘han-
‘ as & dle’ things. In UR,
it’s not that way. ‘The Union is us—and it’s up
fo us. We spent three hours in Building 41 on
one lousy things We asked to be treated the
sume as a stranger at the gale, when they hire
datside workers fur $2.45 to $2.65, with triple
time’ on Sunday, but they won't give us clectric-
jans~this work.” GE wandéred around the bush
on everything but the issue. By God, something’s
_ got Lo be done. We sat down a day-and-a-half.
last-week and the rest of the plant was ready to
Demanding
" , :
Here’s what some of them—day-workers, skilled crafts-
men, women, piece-workers—were saying about it at the
30D’ membership meeting on April 7.
It’s this. sentiment that they'll take to the National
Uk Wage Conference in Buffalo, April 19 and 20-—and
GE wall feel it more and more in the days and weeks ahead.
join us. The toolmakers are mad, building and
grounds, craftsmen are mad, the women are. mad
and its time we acted. GE thinks it’s got us
buffaloed, but GE will find out we electricians
aren't and we expect the support of everyone.”
: e
P. J. “PAT'’ DONATO, piece worker, Bldg. 52:
“In the welded products division, the welders are
all picce workers. A short time ago we took a
F : ae strike vote, in’ the
fall of 1951. The
welders voted then
100 pereent for a
strike. While we
know day-workers®
didn't. go that solid
on the strike, vote,
they should know
that the welders on
piece work are
ready, as always, to
ws So nhecithbetedse back the day-work-
ers up on any fight to improve their rates. They
ran depend on that.’ And the skilled workers
should know the same Hoes for their fight.”
VINCENT PALAZEK, millwright, Bldg. 60: |
“We piece workers. are pretty well convinced
that it’s our business, too, to get behind the
movement of skilled
werkers and = day-
workers to make GE
give them added
money they should
have. We'll back
them up in this fight.
We piece workers
feel that GN should
upgrade from groups
on the job instead of.
hiring men from the
wate for openings, roe: aS
that come up. ‘The skilled workers ean depend ,
on us that were hehind petit all the way.”
GEORGE DIEMER, electrician:
“HC used to be after a couple of years, you'd be
a belper, then a year at B class, then ina year
runes A. Now they want
: us to get another
cight or 10 years be- -
fore GE wants lo
call a oman a good
electrician, We've
vot 30 trouble-shoot-
ers. They take eare
of the Work
days a week,
hours a day and in
one year handled
over 21,000 jobs, Pve
spent my own time going to night sehool, and
the QE schuoal, too, to'be able to do any kind
cof electrical job. And for all this GE wants to
keep paying the ‘enormous’ amount of $2.21 an
hours They tell us our job requires overtime.
We don't object. because we need it. We couldn't
get along without it, But we're plenty burne
up at our rate when GE refuses to bargain a)
raise if and when we compare what many G%&
workers are getting after only -a few months.
ICs afar cry from what we get after years. We
start a€ 81.48 and we don’t get the cream of the
crop for electricians, anymore. Why not?) When
piece workers can jump toa. rate in a. few
months t electricians don’t pet after years—_,
a worker is going lo. take the job where he ean:
much quicker be able to buy the things his
family needs.”
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
ECTRICAL UNIO
THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA — LOCAL 301, UE
10 — No. 16
i SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
Friday, April 25, [952
Peterboro, Canada — The IUE-
CIO took a run-out powder on its
raid against UE Local 524 at the
Canadian General Electric Works
when they couldn’t get enough
‘eards signed by GE workers to
have an election. “4
x ko *
San Diego, Cal. — A one day
strike by 1,200 AFL shipyard ecar-
penters, painters, clectricians and
machinists compelled shipowners
to arbitrate their demand that a
new health and welfare program...
be jointly administered.
; kok o*
Evansville, Ind—-UE Local 813
members at Faultless Caster Corp.
have won an 11 cent wage ‘pack-
age, which includes a six cent gen-
eral increase as of March 1, a 14
cent raise for tool and diemakers,
‘an additional three cents on July 1
i
{a a wage reopener next Novy, 1.
a a?
Denver—A new strike deadline
has been set by 22 CIO, AFL and
independent oil unions, represent-
ing 275,000 workers, to win their
joint wage campaign for a 25 cent
an hour inerease. The new date is
April 30. .
kok
Pittsburgh—The 700 UE Local
601 members working at the West-
inghouse Nuttall Gear Works walk-
ed out on April 17 in protest over
the company’s attempt.to cut down
the time value of some jobs.
ok ok
Lansing, Mich.—To dynamite the
ice jam of grievances piled up by
the General Motors Corp. in its
Fisher plant here, UAW-CIO Loeal
602 members have yoted by 93 per-
cent to strike if GM doesn’t. stop
stalling before May. The big: vote
was attributed. to the fact that a
year ago when a strike vote passed
by a bare majority GM’s failure to
negotiate on grievanees became
cy pronounced, ‘
kk ok
Philadelphia—After a secret bal-
lot vote to strike, UE Local 155
members working at Tinius Olsen
Testing Machine’Co. won 10 and 15
cent increases on all minimums, an
added. day’s vacation for two yenr
workers and improved sick, surgi-
cal and death benefits.
Nage Conference Sets
22 Bargaining Goals .
Over 400 delegates representing 300,000 UE members held a spirited two day national |
wage conference in Buffalo, N. Y., April 19,
20, and charted a collective bargaining prograra
for 1952. Those sections of the. program that apply to the present wage re-opener in Gen-
Se.
‘ OL AT BUFFALO. The nine delegates UE Local 301 sent to the UE.
National Wage Conference in Buffalo, April 19, 20, are seen above at
one of the sessions. On left of .table-are seen Charles Ferris, Business
Agent Leo Jandreau, Pres. James: J. Cognetta, Chief Shop Steward
William Mastriani and Vincent Palazeke. On right aré seen Ray. Ellis,
Treasurer Helen Quirini, Fred Pacelli and John Smith.
Sen. Ives Hits Humphrey
Aims and Wage Freeze _
A state-wide committee of UE members met with Repub-
lican Sen. Irving M. Ives in Buffalo on April 19 to present their .
views on the Defense Production Act, which established the
‘301’ Dues Payments
Soar To New High
Dues paying membership of UE
Local 301 went over the 15,000
miurvk this month. The exact total
was 15,015. ;
This figure sets a high mark in
the time since the IUE-CIO first
began, over two years ago, an at-
tempt to split and disrupt the local
through two costly raids—ending
in a erushing defeat last Septem-
ber in an NLRB election.
The figures, as announced by
Marshall. White, office manager,
revealed that 3,912 have joined
301’ since Sept, 15, 1951.
Union leaders paid tribute to
shop stewards for the continued
high rate of new membership cards
each month and urged a stepped up
“lenn up” campaign to bring inta
801 ranks those still not paying
dues. Normal Gli turnover alone,
they said, requires. about 350 new
members a month to stay even.
wage freeze and undermines col-
lective bargaining, and the anti-
labor activities of Sen. Hubert H.
Humphrey (D, Minn,), :
Ives stated he was opposed ‘to
controls and therefore was against
renewal of the DPA, which expires
on June 30.
He also said he was opposed to
Humphrey's activities, as well: as
Sen. McCarran (D., Utah), since he
was against any interference with
the rights of workers to choose
their union or officers.
He expressed the .opinion that
Sen, Humphrey was “misusing” the
senate subcommittee which he
chairs, and which Ives is 9 mem-
ber of, and. “would be in UL’s cor-
ner when it testifies,”
Ives scoffed at charges that em-
ployers and IUN-CIO level against
UE, asserting that he knew that
~UE* Local 801 is ‘a democratically
run union, '
Fred Pacelli of ‘801’ was a mem-
ber of the delegation, which repre-
eral Klectric, inelude:
® A 15 cent general wage in-
crease “to compensate in part for
the ineréases in productivity and
for the loss in purchasing power
which our people have sustained .
sinee World War II,” ‘
© Winning for toolmakers: and
skilled craftsmen the rates recom.
mended on an area basis by the
Toolmakers Panel of the. Wage
_ Stabilization Board last fall “whielt ™
has been ignored by the Board and
by industry in, fixing the rates paid
to skilled workers. By grossly un-
derpaying the most skilled of their
workers, the employers have ef-
fectively elimped a ceiling over the
entire wage structure, to. the spec-
itl disadvantage of the skilled
workers and day workers.”
« © The elimination of diserimin-
ation in women’s rates, by which
employers extract extra profits out
of the work of women, which they
use to undercut the rate of all
workers. UE .secks to eliminate
all rales below the lowest rated
male job and the upward revision
of the rates of all work done by
women in accordance with the con-
tent of the job.
© Elimination of area and geo-
graphical differentials, which en-
able employers to brenk down wag-
es in organized areas by running
away to low-pay areas,
Participating in. the conference
were UE Local 301’s elected nine
delegates, which ineluded:
Leo Jandreat, business agent;
"Continued on fiage 2
Map Joint Fight
To achieve maximum strength
_ behind its 1952 wage and col-
lective bargaining goals, the
UE->GE National Conference
Board, meeting in Buffalo, April
18, voted to coordinate ils cam-
paigns with other major chains
in which UE has tens of thous-
‘ands of members, including
Westinghouse, Sylvania, General
Cable and Sylvania,
Leo Jandreau, 801’ business
agent, was elected by the Con-
- ference..Board.-to-the- GE com--
mittee, alone with John Nelson,
GE Erie Local 506 president and
Florence Romig, GE. Cleveland
Lame Local 707 chief shop stew-
ard, ;
sented 65,900 Ul’ members.
ad ese
SEBEs
Ped,
. Westinghouse Strike Over
Speed-up Won, Boycott Off
A two months strike by 700 UE Local 443. members
against speed-up in the Westinghouse bulb
paid off with victory on April 16.
McCarran Unit’s Attack
On UE Fizzles Out
The senatorial committee headed
by Sen. MeCarran promised some
“bombshells” before it conducted
hearings in Cleveland on April 17,
18, but it proved to be a dud.
Though it had ‘singled out UE
for special attack, the committee
tse went after the leader of an”
IUR-CLO local, proving that its
purpose is to nid the employers at-
tack and undermine all unions.
Unable to trap witnesses on
questions such as “where were you
10. years ago?’ and rejected as
anti-labor by all, but a-few miser-
able stoolpiveons. it dredged up,
the committee hastily brought its
fishing expedition against Cleve-
land labor to end.
To Speak on School Aid
Answering a request by Harry J.
Linton; superintendent of schools,
the “301? executive board “has in-
vited a speaker to the Union’s May
membership meeting, May 6, to
speak on the May 18 public refer-
endum, in which Schenectady eiti-
zens Will vote on two proposals de-
signed to finance construction’ of
three new elementary schools,
Bldg. 10: John Crenshaw and
Geardon Van Wagner, special met-
tals, doings ch B packer swork,
request reclassification and retro-
netive pay since the. time” they
started doing this work.
dames Gaulagher and Sheldon
Hopes, curholoy class G inspectors,
demand veelassifieation and adjust-
ment in rate to Coon basis of work
they?re: performing.
Bldg. 145. Louis oSantabarbarn
claims his group when working
overtime does his work and. de-
auinds equalization of overtinie and |
to be called in for overtime when
his work is available,
Henry Witusaynski, re nia ved
from his regular D.C. winding job
lecause of lack of work is now:on
Form TD stators, while his old D.C.
group is working overtime and us-
ing workers with shorter service
than his before he was transferred.
He demands reinstatement to his
old job.
Bldg. 16: Alfred Fleszuy, stock-
room keeper on third shift, de-
raands reclassification from B te A
with increased mate, on basis that
first and second shift keepers do
the same work and wet the A rate.
“A group demands .an ‘additional
enue follower
tuiaard created by use df.a erane
“that is required to lift jobs beyond
2 © Friday, April 25, 1952
seed teinstallation..ofoa
box crane and elimination of safety
plant in Trenton
Faced also with the threat of a
national boyeott of its bulbs, West-
inghouse agreed to rehire Carmella
LaPore, who was fired when she
protested a 75 percent speed-up.
The company in firing her cluimed
it had the right without the issue
voing to the grievance muchinery.
The time value,-over’ which she
Wus fired, will remain the same ‘is
befofe, while the grievance is ne- -
votiated strictly in accordance with
the national Cle contract.
All workers will reeeive pay for
Washington’s Birthday while there
was a lockout by the company.
Back pay on a wage: increase will
he paid immediately to Nov. 1,
1951. The Union’s demand for full
lockout pay will be negotiated in.
line with the regular prievance
procedure, ,
A corporation lawyer tried to
lead a “back to work’” movement
during the strike, with local and
district IUE-CIO leaders lending
their aid, TUE-CIO. leaders had
called. pon the workers to. sus
render to Westinghouse’s speed-up.
and aetively disrupted the strike ~
and lent aid add comfort to the
company by trying to undermine
the workers’ confidence ‘that they
could win, ’
GUEST SPEAKER... Ernest
Thompson,’ secretary of UE’s
National FEPC committee, was
a quest speaker at the UE Local
301 FEPC meeting on Monday,
April 2l, Thompson praised Lo-
eal 301’s planned fight on wom-
en's demands in’ GE negotiations
and told of*the-enthusiasm of UB
women members at conferences
held in various UE districts. He
also outlined’ specific steps to in-
sure fair employment practices
on upgrading, apprentice train-
ing and hiring.
Appointed for ‘Y’ Drive
Joseph Ahkao, Bldg. 73, has been
appointed by the Local 801 execu-
tive board to serve on the UE-GE
joint labor-management YMCA
committee locally, The committee
‘lends. its support to the drive of
‘the: YMCA to. secure finds
for
Vitally needed improvements in its
homes and camps in the area.
Going Up,"Up, Up
State taxes in 19h] totaled, $8.9
billion, a 12.6 percent increase over
1950, ,
Thousands of grievancesiare handled by. UE Local 3U\
each year at all levels from the steward up to final: appeal
vin New York City. To keep members posted, we‘ shall
each week list some of the grievances that have not been
settled at the steward-foreman level and have been re-
ferred to the executive board-management level. 5
its capacity, ;
Bldg. t7: A punch press group
of workers on’ un indefinite rota-
‘Gon schedule cbecause of uel of
work demand 2 reduction in forces .
to maintain a-40 hour week for
workers, as provided in the Union
contract
Pod. Melrose demands that avail-
able work be distributed on a fair
and equitable basis in his group,
charging that the foreman favors
one worker on better priced work.
Bldg. 46: Frank Belenez, A&OS,
transferred to a job on a multiple
spindle drill press with.a promised
‘ate“ol' $1.81, was recently told by
foreman it would pay only $1.70.
He demands supervision comply
with the promised $1.81 rate,
“Bld. 49: Harold Person demands
reclassification to > eranefollower
class AY with retroactive pay for
three months-on basis he is per:
forming A work,
Bruno J. Mosetti, transferred. in
November, 1951 from Bld. 16° to
Blig. 49 boring mill operator, start-
od at $1.60 on $181 job rate. He
demands the job rate and retro:
active
vides, :
Bldg.,.60: A group of 115 work-
ors. usingt.one..time.
means LO minutes before tho last
cud is’ punched, demands an ad-
ditional time clock,
payment, as contract pro-
‘lock, whieh}:
-Kugene McDonough, serew ma-
chine, demands an upgrading from
B to A with increased rate. ‘Tle’s
m charge of alarge s
responsible for activ
ber of men, |
Bldg. 66: A group ofsywas burn-
ers demand proper payment for
wark done to blow water out of a
line to get it back in service, ‘They
were only paid idle time for this.
Bldg: 69: 5A group demands re-
instatement ofa elass D inspector
to expedite inspection jobs prop-
erly, :
Bldg. 77: A group in chemicals
protests, Foreman. Palmatier’s’ at-
litude toward cleanliness and safety
conditions” and that measures. not
he taken only at times . visits” are
anticipated from company officials,
A group of markers demiand an
"ELECTRICAL UNION. NEWS
UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO -& MACHINE
WORKERS OF AMERICA ‘(UE) :
focal 301
Se ee ot
Published: by’ the Editorial Committag
Ass‘t Recording Secretary...-.Frank D'Amico
Treasurer +Helen Quirini
“Vica-Prosident --Roy Schaffer
Recording Swcretary.
Prostdant
ies of a nunm-
James J, Cognetta
Chlof Shop Steward. William Masiriani
Business Agent .-- Keo Jandreay
301 LIBERTY ST, | SCHENECTADY 5, N, Y.
wkroom and.
Rudy Rissland 4...
UE Conference
Sets 52 Goais
i
Continued from Page t
James J, Cognetta, president; Wil-
liam Mastriani, chief shop steward;
Helen Quirini, treasurer; Ray Ellis
273; Vineent Palazeke, 60;
Pacelli, second shift board member=
at-large; Charles Ferris, 63; and
John Smith, 278 second shift.
‘The conference deelared that
“employers are. making a concerted
drive against all unions” and that
electrical workers living: standiurds,
“in common with the living stand-"
ards oof all workers, have been
forced down singe World War II
by the insatiable corporation greed
for’ profits and by governmentiul
policies aimed at the impoverish-
ment of the people and the en-
richment of the corporations.
“The workers’ share of ‘the na-
tional ineome has been driven
down, and the corporations’ por-
tion enormously augmented hy the
tremendous: increase in labor. pro-
ductivity, by huge increases in
prices and by the wage freeze im-
posed under the Defense Produe-
tion Act.”
“The Wage
delegates declared, “is: not main-
taining the balanee between prices
and wages. ‘Hs policies are. lead-
ing to the worsening of the’ eon-
ditions’ of the people.”
The conference ulse noted ne
the “systematic driving down of
the living standards of the em-
ployees. of industry has already re-
sulted in a dangerous growth of
unemployment throughout the eon-
sumer industries and threatens the
entire economy.”.
investigation of: inefficiencies and
inaccuracies’ caused) by emerg-
ences that interferes with’ Poeular
routine of their job in shipping.ma-
terials.
Bldg. 8: A’ group demands
proper adjustment for a trans-
former job. that: they've. protested
the elas ution and price, They
cite’ a similar’ job in another sec-
tion that pays higher classification.
Bldg. 107: James. Coonradt,,,en-
titled to a vacation. on Nov, 29;
LoA1, asked dor this paye after he
is out for an appendicitis opera-
tion and was reftised. He demands
the one week's pay. - :
An investigation is demanded of
hiring of B carpenters while men
with longer serviee and abilities
for upgrading are by-passed, — :
Bldg. 227: Additional helper for
truck drivers is demanded. GE re-
cently removed helpers for loading
and unloading, and who assisted,
avivers to fix flat tires. {
Bldg. 269: Day workers on fk
tiewte LAH tubes demand a vevalu-
ation and? proper adjustment in
pay, based on facet their type of
work and responsibilities wareant
a higher vate than $1.34,
Bide 2782 A> proup of machine?”
helpers under Foreman 1. Wilmot.’
protest their method of upgrading:
and demand an-investigation.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
rr" }
Stabilization Board,"
Urge Steelworkers
Get Raise Now
Delegates to the UE National
Wage Conferenee in Buffalo, et
the final session on April 20, unani-
_mously went on-record in’ calling
— ¥pon President Truman to place
—the Wage ‘Stubilization Board's
recommendations for steel workers
into effect-at once.
Failure to da so, the conference
added, would only penalize steel-
workers for the arrogance of the
employers, who continue to “mane:
aye” the industry and draw, the
sane ‘salaries, profits and dividends
--while the workers’ wages do not
have added the “cateh-up" raise
‘that CIO Steel leaders accepted.
Delegates also stressed that all
ofdabor should unite to insist that
the WSB recommendations ‘be plac-
ed in effeet—with the same degree
of unity that over 100 corporations
displayed when they recently met
in Washington to voice their sup-
port for the big: steel companies.
It wis also noted that steel com-
panies are spending lavishly on
advertisements and publicity to
fight the government, while the
yovernment is supposedly in’ con-
«trol of operations: and“monies.
SETTING THE COURSE, The approximately 400 delegates to’ UE's
National Wage Conference in Buffalo, April’19, 20, are seen above at
the opening session on Saturday morning,
GE's 1% Offer Rejected;
Next Steps Charted —
The UE-GE Conférence
, April 18, voted unanimously to reject GE’s one percent nego- -
Board, meeting in Buffalo on
‘tiation offer and to seta date to resume negotiations with GE
and housing discrimination.
Civil Liberties Meeting Sunday -
UE Local 301 members have been, urged to attend a civil
liberties conference to be held Sunday, April 27, at the-Seottish
Hall, 205 Clinton St, ‘at. 2:30 p.m.
counsel, will be the main speaker,
Sponsored by the Tri-City Civil, Liberties Committee, a non-
partisan organization, the sessions will deal with fair employment
practices, the Humphrey and MeCarran senatorial attacks on labor
‘301? Business Agent Leo Jandrean has sent a warm message
of greetings to the conferenee, which, among other speakers, will
hear Ralph Candler, president of the AFL Structural Steelworkers
in Albany and ‘Troy Snipes, UE Local 301 member, who is presi-
dent. of the Capitol District National Negro Labor Couneil,
David Serihner, UE) general
Skilled Craftsmen Conduct
Noon-Hour Demonstrations
7 Over 1,200 toolmakers and: skilled building trades craftsmen stayeil
nvon-hour demonstrations lasting to 1:05 pam. on Thursday, April 17,
to buck up their demands for increases bused on a goverment WS
Rejoiners Must Pay
Full Back Dues
The ‘801’ executive, bourd has
voted that all workers who have
- dropped out? of the Union since
Jan. 1, 1951 and wish’ to ‘rejoin
must pay an initiation fee and back
“dues to that date. The Board noted
that many have rejoined and are
ving! the full baek dues and there
'd3 no-veal reason for any drop
outs, since UN has the methods
~and democratic procedures to han-
dle all grievances and complaints
-of-any member, Any other policy
“on back dues, the Board stated,
would “be unfair_to the many who’
“haye rejoined.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
panel survey last fall, whieh ap- -
plied in Schenectady wold mean .
a ceiling 48 cents above rates now
paid. -
Meetings held outside Bldg. 41,
Gampbell Ave. and Knolls heard
various speakers report. on the
meeting held in the Works. fire-
-house on April 15 to present their
demands and arguments to loeat
management.
The meetings instructed their
delegates to bring their fight to
the UL National Wage Conference
in Buffalo on April 19, 20 and voted |
to back tip any national nection that
UL. might propose ‘to win inereased
rates for skilled workers.
“on the basis of wage demands set
at the UH National Conference.
Leo Jandreau, ‘801’ business
agent, reported the series of mili-
tant actions, conducted by skilled
eraftsmen in Schenectady to win
their special demands, Similar ac-
tion was reported ‘by a UP local in
n California Gi plant.
Conference Board delegates cred-
ited 801? with taking a leading po-
sition in carrying out wage eam-
paign activities and indicated they
would fnitinte similar aetivities as
quickly as possible.
The fight of ‘301' around the
wie campaign was reported ito
National Wage Conference dele-
vates by William. Mastriani, Helen
Quirindi and Charles Ferris,
Local 301’s delegates, upon their
return home, expressed satisfae-
vion over the conference's delibera-
tions and felt confident other locals
would push their programs in the
manner ‘$01 is, They will urge
UL District 8 to plan un upstate
skilled workers conference and a,
district women's conference,
ee aie ite
“269’ Bomb Hoax
Blasted by ‘301’,
Full Aid Offered
When the big bomb scare broke
out on Tuesday of this week that
resulted in 1,000 Bldg. 269 workers
being sent home, UE Local 301 was
quick to offer “every assistance
possible to help track down the
perpetrator of the hoax, if such it
was, or of the criminal act of at-
tempted subotage, if such it was.”
The ineident, © which | produced
sereaming headlines in the after-
noon newspaper, resulted from an
anonymous call to GE at 9:80 a.m.
A man said: “You'd better clear
269, There’s a bomb planted there.”
’ He then hung up.
In communications ‘to Lewis 3.
Male, GE Works Manager; Joseph
Foley, Schenectady chief of police
and the FBI district office in Al-
bany, Leo Jandreau, ‘301’ businéss
aywent, declared:
“Ut: this7 anonymous call was
merely “a hoax, it is obvious that
the members. of this labor. orwani-
zation are being victimized either
by some demented person’ or by
one who is seeking to hurt every
man and woman working at’ the
General Eleetri¢ Company,: | for
clearly if an interruption in pro:
duction must follow. such a mes-
sage, it means a serious loss in pay
to them—not. to speak of a loss to
the company and to the National
production efforts.
“No one can adequately de-
nounce the psycopathie aims of
any individual who. could en-
gage in such a hoax.
dandreau also pointed out te
Male that if'such an aet should. he
repeated “some deview must be ar-
ranged, by conference with: this
Union, whereby interruptions to
production, and its consequent: loss
in pay to the working men and
women, be reduced to an absolute
minimum with due regard to safety
of life and property.”
Free of Cost
Nearly $11 billion worth of new
plants and equipment have been
made available to. private com-
panies free of cost by the gover-
ment’s defense tax. plans,
their
Lombardi.
hit the 99, pereent. mark...
Hit 100% On Fighting Fund
Two more seetions have hit thé. 100 percent mark in. paying
5. for the 801 Fighting Fund, for use in collective bargains |
ing strugeles and defense of the Union from outside attacks.
© Chalking. up: the 100 pereent. figure. are: sections in Bldg. 27!
headed by Joseph Alois, 301? board member and Steward Patrick
Almost, hut not quite, 100 percent is Steward Vineent: DiLor-
enzo's milling machine group of Ui in Bldg. 69. 'Phis group has
; meeting held in’ Bidg. 85, addressed by ‘801 Chief Shop
Steward William Mastriani, resulted in 15 signing up the same day,
Friday, April 25, 1952 @ 93,
