4
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
-November 5, 1948
Section Nights
For Next Week
. Next week’s schedule of ‘section
nights at 301 Hall will be as fol-
lows: ——-
Monday, segtion represented by
Board Member Charles Ferris,
Buildings 18, 181, 61, 63, 259, 265
and 49 Patrol.
Tuesday, section represented by
Edward J. LaBombard, Bldgs. 85,
93, 97 and 109,
Wednesday, section represented
by Willard Kuschel, Bldgs. 42, 46,
48 and 50.- -
Thursday, section represented
by Sam Scott, Bldgs. 273 and 285.
Friday, Nov. 12, section repre-
sented by A. J. Spears, Bldg. 107.
Saturday, Nov. 18, Bldgs. 15,
19 and the. ground floor of 17, re-
presented by Sidney I'riendlander.
Tonight union. members’ in
Bldgs. 73 and 784, C; E, Groes-
beck’s section, will have their get-
together.
After a brief discussion of union
and shop problems, the groups
have beer, refreshments and enter-
tainment.
Here's a New Excuse
For Not Raising Pay
The union is pressing for an
overdue pay raise for a Bldg. 10-C
worker who-has been deprived of
an inerease apparently for only
one reason, — that his foreman
thinks he “talks too much.”
The man, who has 42 year's serv-
ice, asked last summer for more
money. His classification was
changed from Class B machinist
to the higher rating of Class A
assembler Aug. 19. But he was
kept on the same kind of worl
and was given no pay increase.
When Shop Steward W. A. Ram-
sey took up the matter with Iore-
man L, Cooper Oct. 11, the fore-
man agreed that the quality and
quantity of the man’s work was
“very good” but said he “talks too,
much.” Last week Board Member
Albert Davis, Ramsey and Wil-
liam Kelly, assistant to the busi-
ness agent, had a grievance ses-
sion with A. C, Stevens and Frank
Schaaf! of the Works manager’s
staff on the case. Schaaff said he
would investigate the reasoning of
the foreman.
100 Per Cent UE
When 28 out of the 28 produc.
tion workers at Kennedy Name
Plate Company, Los Angeles, sign-
ed up as UE members, the company
agreed to open contract negotia-
tions.
Induction Motor Section Night .
Fences
Here are some members of the: Induction Motor division at their section night get-together Oct. 26 at 301
Hall. . The section, ‘represented by Board “Member John: Brauneisen, includes Buildings. 18, 18A, 40, 408, 41
Nominating Meeting
Will Be Nov. 16, 17
In accordance with Article
XVIII, Section A, of the Con-
stitution and By-Laws, notice
is hereby given to the member-
ship that nominations for offie-
evs shall be held at the régular
November membership meeting,
at the Union Hall, 301 Liberty
St, at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. -
1o, 1948, and 1:00 p.m, Wed-
nesday, Nov. 17, 1948,
Nominations shall be made
from the floor in the following
order:
President, Vice-President, Re-
cording Seeretary, Assistant
Recording Secretary, Treasurer,
Chief Shop Steward, Business
Agent, Trustees, Sergeant-at-
Arms, and Guide.
At the same meeting the elec-
tion committee of 25 members
shall be elected from the floor.
Helen Quirini,
Recording Secretary
T-H Board Permits
Interference by Boss
The Taft-Hartley_ Board recent-
ly refused to set aside a union
representation election in which
an employer interfered.
Two officers of the Mallinckrodt
Chemical Works, Missouri, called
in the employees individually and
- told them.the company’s. views
on an election. The Independent
Union of +Chemical Workers beat
the International Brotherhood of
Firemen and Oilers, AFL, in the
vote,
meray veconane
Biba
ave
Here's the Type of Man Picked foludas
Qualifications of Your Union Officers
The following is from the letter sent Oct. 26 by UE President Albert J.
Fitzgerald to Chairman David E, Lilienthal of the U. S. Atomic Energy
Commission:
The Personnel Security Review
Board of the Atomic. Energy Com-
mission, which you desire to es-
tablish as supreme judge over the
qualifications of UE members for
leadership, contains among its five
members the former president of
the National Association of Manu-
facturers, H. W. Prentiss, notori-
ous for his connections with the
fascist Franco dictatorship in
Spain and noted for his hatred of
the American labor movement.
‘Enemy of Labor
During the last war your as-
sociate Prentiss told the National
Industrial Conference Board that
employers should work for “legis-
lation to remove the wage-hour
law, the Wagner Act, the Norris-
LaGuardia Act, the Sherman Anti-
Trust Act and other laws affect-
ing labor-management relations.”
In 1938 this same member of
your Personnel Security Review
Board expressed these’ same mo-
tives in political terms, declaring,
“American business might be
foreed to turn to some form of
disguised fascistic dictatorship.”
It was on the basis of this rec-
ord that Supreme Court Justice
Robert L. Jackson, when Attorney
General, listed... your associate
Prentiss in an address before the
Massachusetts Law Society as one
of the “leading enemies of demo-
eracy,” “underminers of morale,”
and “economic exploiters,” class-
ing him with such individuals and
groups. as General Van Horne
Moseley, Merwin K. Hart, and
Frank Gannett’s League for Coh-
stitutional Government.
Purpose of GE
It is perfectly clear to us, and
should be to you, why the General
Electric Co, hopes to force this
union to submit to the dictates of
such men. If we were tu receive
the approval of such men as pro-
per leaders of the UE we should
rightly lose the trust of our mem-
hership,
The UE has been built, and its
rank and file -crtrol maintained,
upon the principle that no one but
the membership has any right to
determine what the leadership of
the union shall be. Your demand,
on behalf of GE, that the leaders
of this union submit themselves
to the approval of corporation
officials disguised as servants of
government is subversive of the
American principle of free and in-
dependent trade unionism.
Rejoining Union
Members who resign from the
union and then seek reinstatemen
must pay-an initiation fee and: all
back dues, under the 801 consti-
tution. In view of a number of re-
applications received recently, the
Executive Board directed EU
News to print this requirement.
LECTRICAL |
THE VOICE OF LOCAL 30!
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
November 12,
_ Officers by the Grace of NAM-AEC?
/ SORRY, BuB...
WE CAN'T Teust You
To CHOOSE Your.
OWN ONION |
REPRESENTATIVES”
| age t)
LET'S HAVE
FASCIIM
yw AMERICA!
DESTROY THE
WAGNER, ACT
WAGE eve Law
H.W. Prentiss, Jr, one of the five members of the
Personnel Security Review Board of the Atomic
Energy Commission, is a former president of the National Association of Manufacturers. In November
1938 jhe said that American business might need
‘some form of disguised fa
ic dictatorship.”. In 1944
he called for an end to the Wage-Hour Law, the Wagner Act, the Norris-LaGuardia Anti-Injunction Act, and
the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
As-a member of the Personnel Security Review Board of the AEC, he would
be one of the men to pass final judgment on whether or not the members could pick the officers they want
to — under the AEC’s demand that it have the right to pass upon the hal aly” of UE officers.
Board Sends Letter
To President Truman
Lhe following letter was sent this
tweck to President Truman, by unani-
mous vote of the 301 executive board.
Q
Hon. Harry 5S. Truman
The White House
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of our 15,000 members,
the Executive Board of UE Local
301 greets your re-election on a
program of restoration of the New
Deal,
Our members rejoice that you
have been given a Congress which
has an unquestionable mandate
from the American people ta sup-
pork you in bringing back the New
Deal and repairing the damage
done by the Hightieth Congress.
Our members voted variously for
you and for other presidential can-
didates. They are united in’ sup-
porting your pledge to bring back
the Roosevelt tradition,
We shall back you in demanding
that Congress abolish the Taft-
Hartley law without qualification
and return to the Wagner and Nor-
ris-LaGuardia acts; restore price
control and roll back the price of
food and other essentials; re-estab-
lish the excess profits tax and cut
income taxes on low incomes; ¢x-
pand .Soeial Security; establish a,
renl low-cost housing program;
abolish the poll tax; establish full
democratic vights for ally and ex-
(Continued on Page 2)
300 Women kage Jee
At Pittsfield GE Plant
About 300 women workers at the
Pittsfield, Mass. GE plant have
lost theiv jobs because the company
shifted its small: capacitor opera-
tions from Pittsfield to Fort Id-
ward, Women with up to-five years’
service were laid off.
UE Local 253 printed a warning
months ago in its weekly newspa-
per that GE planned to move vari-
ous operations to other communi-
ties. At the time, these charges
were denied by Manager Paxton of
Apparatus Works, Pittsfield. ‘The
company charged the union leader-
ship in Pittsfield with being “fear
mongers.”
ce
Arsenal, GE
Rate Surveys
Don't Match
The General Electric Company
“experts” who made its recent sur-
vey of rates in this district appar-
ently came out with a different set
of figures than the research staff,
of Watervliet Arsenal.
The Arsenal recently raised rates
of skilled mechanics up to 20 cents
an hour on the basis of its survey.
“According ‘to GE, these Axsenal ~~
increases don’t change the picture
as far as Schenectady GE rates
go.
Letter from Pfeit
GQ. iL Pfeif, employee relations
manager, wrote 301 Business
‘Agent Leo Jandreau last week in
reply to his request for a meeting
on this new development in the
rate question,. the announcement
of the Watervliet raises.
Pfeif said GE had ineluded a
“proposed increase” at the Ar-
senal in its survey of area rates.
The figure “differed somewhat”
from the actual inerease, Pfeit
stated, but in his opinion the
ethange in the Arsenal rates “made
no appreciable change” in the aver-
aves of the rates in the GI sur-
vey. ,
Jandreau Asks Meeting
Jandreau this week repeated his
request for a meeting,
“My information concerning the
recent wage increase at the Arsen-
nl apparently does not correspond
with yours,” he wrote Pfeil.
“The inereases granted skilled
mechanics up .to 20 cents an hour
were based on a community survey
made by them. The community con-
stituted an area of approximately
100 miles in radius. The results
of this survey showed their rates
lower than the community average,
therefore warranting an increase,
Tt should be noted’ that their A
Class Job Rate was equal to GE
prior to the survey.
Many Skilled Mechanies
“There are approximately 1000
employed at the Arsenal, many of
whem ave skilled mechanics. More-
over, the Arsenal is‘one of the lire.
(Continued on Page: 2)
9%
November 12, 1948
301 Presses Fight
To Get Upgrading
Local 301 is challenging at the
Howell level of the grievance pro-
cedure the company’s failure to
_... upgrade qualified electrician’s help-
ers to fill journeyman vacancies.
It is-the union’s contention that
in building trades cases in recent
years the company agreed repeat-
ediy that qualified helpers would
be upgraded before going outside
‘the group, and that seniority would
be considered. But last week A. C.
Stevens, assistant to the works
manager, contended there never
was such an agreement, He said it
was “natural” to consider helpers
first, but that this “does not pre-
clude” going outside for journey-
/ men.
Journeymen as well as helpers
under Foreman V, L. Hoppe in Test _
“were aroused recently when an
opening occurred for a B electri-
cian, and Hoppe ignored six help-
ers, with from two to three‘and a
half years’ experience as helpers,
and with long service records in
the armed forces. Instead, Hoppe
gave the job to a man who had a
total of a year and a half as help-
er, and who had left the helper ~
group last year to learn another
trade. Hoppe told’ Shop Steward
William Templeton the six helpers
he had were not fully qualified, He
told two of them that they lacked
technical schooling, although they
had attended classes in electricity,
and although the company has in-
sisted that no organized appren-
ticeship is needed for electrician’s
work, zs
In the grievance meeting Stev-
ens insisted school training was
not required. He defended Hoppe’s
action in passing over the helpers
in the group. He also said that a
survey had been made of helpers
in all the electricians’ groups in
the works, and no one was found
who was qualified to be upgraded
at the time, .
ATTEND YOUR UNION.
MEETINGS
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
United Electrical, Radio & Machine
Workers'of America, CIO)
Scuenzctrapy GE Loca 301
Published by Editorial Committee
Mary McCartin, Secretary
Arthur R. Bertini Clayton Pudney
John G. Grasso Victor Pasche
Editorial Office
EvectricaL Union News
301 Liberty St., Schenectady, N. Y.
Telephone 3-1386
UL NEWS SERVICE
Board Sends Letter
To President Truman
(Continued from Page 1)
tend veterans’ benefits,
We look forward to the restora-
tion of full and free collective bar-
gaining, untrammeled by interfer-
ence of company -or government
agency; an.end to such “tndemo-
cratié actions as the recent activi-
ties of the Hartley and Thomas
Committees and the Atomic En-
ergy Commission; the return of
traditional American civil rights;
the fulfillment of our pledges to
the Jewish people; and a new ef-
fort: to establish world-wide peace.
through the Roosevelt program of
international cooperation.
Our members will unite to carry
out their duty as citizens in back-
ing up this program in the Eighty-
first Congress. It is in this spirit
that we congratulate you, Mr.
President, on your re-election.
Respectfully yours
Andrew Peterson, President
Leo Jandreau, Business Agent
UE Strike Victory
‘UE strikers at the Dictaphone
Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn.,
ended their three-week walkout
with a settlement which brought
victory on all major points.
Donations for Boys.
The Local 301 Executive Board
Monday night voted $100 to the
furnace fund of the Schenectady
Boys Club. The ‘Board also voted
$25 to buy 50 tickets for the Mas.
onic cireus to be distributed to
needy boys through Willard Kus-
chel, 301 .representative on the
Board of Directors of the Boys
Club, The furnace fund will be
used to provide a -heating system
for the garage which the Boys
Club uses for meetings too large
for its clubhouse.
UE Broadcast
~The Arthur Gaeth broadcast,
by the national UE, is at 10 p.m.
every Monday on WXKW, Albany,
(860 on your dial).
Rate Surveys
(Continued from Page 1)
er plants included in the GI sur-
vey,
“Because of the company’s bor-
derline position of claiming 1%
above the community average, and
in view of this new development
since we had our last discussion,
‘we think a meeting would prove
worthwhile.
“At present, there is a consid-
erable amount of dissatisfaction
that could be cleared up.”
National C10 Joins
VE in Atomic Suit.
The national CIO this week an-
nounced it would join the UE court
fight against the Atomic Energy
_Commission’s “order directing “GE
not to recognize UE as bargaining
agent of atomic workers in the
Schenectady area,
UE has filed a Federal Court suit
against the members of the Com-
mission and GE. The suit asks the
court to revoke the AEC orders
and to forbid the Commission and
GE to conspire against the rights
of the union and its members, It
also asks $1,000,000 damages.
Statement by Phil Murray
CIO President Philip Murray de-
clared the action of the AEC “ex-*
tends beyond the proper require-
ments of national security.”
“We cannot accept the principle
that it is the proper function of a
government agency to cancel or
direct employers to violate col-
lective bargaining agreements with
unions,” Murray said.
“If the Atomic Energy Commis-
“sion asserts this unprecedented -
power, then any other agency of
government may likewise take it
upon itself to command employers
to violate collective bargaining
agreements.”
The Commission’s first order: ap-
plied only to the unbuilt Knolls IT
laboratory. After GE complained
the order. was not “adequate” the
Commission issued an order last
week barring UE from represent-
ing atomic workers at the Peek St.
plant or other GE atomie plants in
the vicinity. :
Government Control
Chairman David E. Lilienthal of
the AKC said officers of the union
must meet standards satisfactory
to the Commision. Both Local 801
and the national UE insist that on-
ly the union membership can
choose the union officers. They
have charged that the Commission
order is an attempt to impose gov-
ernment control on the union in
furtherance of the GE efforts to
replace the union by a company
union.
The company last week distrib-
uted copies of the Lilienthal letter,
containing the new order, to all of
its Peek St. atomic workers.
In spite of frequent newspaper
advertisements by the Internation-
al Association of Machinists, which
is trying to raid the UE atomic
workers here, the Peek St. workers
are standing firm.
WEAR YOUR UNION BUTTON
‘November 12, 1948
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
$870 for Arm Injury Heads Awards
Won by Workers Against GE Company
“ The latest list of Workmen’s Compensation court awards made to
Schenectady GE workers against the company includes approximately
$870 to Joseph Caracciolo, Bldg. 285 crane follower, for 10 per cent
loss of the use of his right_arm,._His_right shoulder was.fractured_in_—|--
an accident Feb. 7. Like the other cases reported, here, his claim was
handled by Marshall Perlin, Local 301 attorney.
For facial disfigurement, Pat-
rick Maston, Bldg. 278 crane oper-
ator, received an award of $175
and: Chester Bujanowski, Bldg. 60
lathe operator, $135. Maston was
injured Jan, 14, 1946, Buljanow-
ski also was awarded $28 a week
from June 21 to Aug. 17 for an-
other accident June 18 in which
two fingers were fractured,
A total of $560, representing
$28 a week from Mar, 12 to, July
30, was awarded to Oliver Masters
for heart strain incurred Mar. 11.
Others receiving awards are:
‘America Franchetti, —
jury and hernia “suffered June 18.
He is to get payment for reduced
earnings for a month.
‘ Mereury Poisoning
Lewis Needham, turbine. oper-.
ator in Bldg. 265. who developed
mercury poisoning last year, $32
a week from July 21 to July 31.
The company is to pay for teeth
for him.
Frank Caiazzo, floor assembler
in Bldg. 60 who suffered a hérnia
Feb. 29, $28 a week from July. 22
to Sept. 16, $18.30 a week from
Spt. 16 to Sept. 24, and $27.45 a
week from Oct. 4 to Oct. 25. The
payments are to continue for a
month at $18.30.
John Latkowski, Bldg. 60 crane
operator, $28 a week from June
16, 1947, to Aug. 4, 1947, plus
medical bills resulting from a
hernia which he suffered Sept. 27, |
1946.
Silicosis Case
Charles Davis, hydro-blast op-
erator in Bldg. 95, $28 a week
from Nov. 11, 1947, to Oct. 26, for
silicosis. The award is to continue
till another hearing.
John Sroczynski, clay maker in
Bldg. 68, for injury to his left
small finger May 14, $28 a week
from May 14 to May 17 and from
July 16 to Sept. 7.
Steve Matarazzo, Bldg. 60 crane
follower whose right leg was in-
jured July 29, $32 a week from
July 30 to Sept. 13,
John Hedlund, machine operator
n Bldg. 49 whose left wrist was
“broken July 28, $32 a week from
July 26 to Oct, 25, and to con-
tinue,
John Pietzykowski, furnace
worker in Bidg. 64 whose back
“varnish |
-inaker in Bldg. 77, $28 a week
(Derom June 18 to Oct. 4 for eye in-
Shop Stewards Asked
To Report Accidents
Business Agent Leo Jandreau
‘last week sent a letter to all shop
stewards reminding them of the
importance of protecting the Work-
men's Compensation claims of
workers and of reporting all in-
“juries and accidents to the union.
Hach letter was accompanied by a
leaflet on compensation rights and,
.. privileges .under..the Jaw,..and_an.
Accident and Compensation report’
pad, ‘
“The purpose: of. the Workmen’s
Compensation. Law is not only to
provide payments and medical
treatment for workers injured in
the course of their employment,
“but also to prevent accidents and
force the company to provide safer
and better working conditions,”
Jandreau said. ‘
.“This will only take place when
the workers in the shops take all
proper steps to protect their com-
pensation claims whenever they
are injured, or whenever they in-
cur a disease or sickness as a re-
sult of their occupation,
“In light of the speed-up which
the company is pressing these
days, we find that-the rate of acci-
dents has increased considerably.
As a result of new inventions and
scientific techniques in the use of
chemicals never before handled,
workers find themselves confront-
ed by even more hazardous work-
ing conditions. Therefore, the
question of compensation rights is
of even greater importance.”
Through its own attorney Local
301 handles compensation cases
free of charge for its members.
was injured Jan. 1, $26.87 a week
from Sept. 20 to Oct. 25, and to
continue for two months.
Kenneth Meachem, Bldg. 16,
whose right hand was injured Apr.
14, total of $380 for partial loss of
use of two fingers.
Mary Gleason, who suffered a
back sprain Oct. 24, 1946, $28.88
from Aug. 30 of the present year
‘to Sept. 16.
Agnes Ondrejka, Bldg. 69, whose
back was sprained Jan. 27, 1944,
is to continue for a month to re-
ceive $8 a week.
CONGRESSMAN DRIPP
ae
Voy :
"RUSSIAN SABLES,.. 1M RUINED!” nce
Kearney Plurality
Siashed to 12,000
Representative Bernard W. Kear-
ney, Gloversville Republican, was
reelected to Congress from the 31st
Congressional District by a plural-
ity far below his 1946 and 1944
records.
With the Hamilton County vote
not reported, he had a total plural-
ity in Schenectady, Fulton, Mont-
gomery and Otsego counties of ap-
proximately 12,000 over the votes
of his two opponents, William M.
Murphy of Schenectady, Democrat, ©
with Liberal Party support, and
301 President -Andrew Peterson,
running on the ALP ticket. The
unofficial returns were Kearney
74,831; Murphy 57,746 and Peter.
son 5,063.
Democrats Refused Labor Coalition
In 1946 Kearney had a plurality.
of 20,000 over Carroll’ Gardner,
Democrat and ALP, and in 1944
he ran up a 25,000 plurality over
Alexander Grasso. The drop to
12,000 this year shows there was
a real chance to beat Kearney, if
_ the Schenectady County Demo- —
eratic machine had not put up a
“token” candidate and if it had
been willing to work with labor.
Local 801 tried to get them to put
up a coalition candidate, but Exn-
est Buhrmaster and William Sherry
refused to work with the union.
President Andrew Peterson, there-
fore entered the Democratic pri-
mary with the endorsement of Lo-
‘cal 301 and missed winning the
nomination by only about 200 votes,
Senate Race
Thomas I’. Campbell, Republican,
who was returned to the state sen-
ate, received 46,691 votes to 41,249
for J. Vincent Smith, Democrat,
and 4,143 for Dr. Walter’S. Gross,
ALP candidate, endorsed by Local
301.
In this contest too the refusal of
the Schenectady Democratic ma-
chine to work with labor was re-
sponsible for a Republican victory.
The two other candidates en-
dorsed by Local 301 were victori-
ous. Carroll A.. Gardner was re-
elected county clerk, and R, Eugene
Male was elected Second Ward sup-
ervisor. He will serve the remain-
ing year of the term of his father,
the late Albert Male, also endorsed
by 301.
New Contract
Morse-Twist Drill and Machine
Company, New Bedford, Mass., has
signed a new contract with UE pro-
viding for an 11 cent hourly wage
boost plus an additional five cent
increase on the piece work bonus.
