Electrical Union News, 1947 May 2

ecnybyiomanyomsane
Wearever

4

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

April 25, 1947

Add Three More Names to List of

George Walker, left, Local 301 guide, administers the oath’ of
office to a trio of new committeemen, left to right, Joe Baldi-

Union Shop Committeemen

cini, Bldg. 42; Floyd Thomas, Campbell Ave., and Hazel Sit-
terley, Bldg 29, at the April membership meeting in union hall.

eady to Examine ~
in Value Claims

The preliminary group meetings of
committeemen on wage rate inequities

_ Were completed last night, and the 301 ’
Executive Board job evaluation commit-

tee will begin next week its examination
of claims submitted by committeemen.

Job value questionnaires have been
distributed to the committeemen at
the meetings and through the board
members. Information on the question-
naires will serve to analyze- the value
of a job-which a committeeman believes
has too low a job rate or AER.

The questionnaires should be returned
through the board members within one
week.

The study carries out a decision of the
membership that hereafter job rate in-
justices will be negotiated on an over-
all basis, in. comparison with the over-
all picture of wages in the plant, and no
longer through individual grievances.
The proposal is that after the member-
ship decides what the proper relation-
ship of: job rates should be, negotiations
will be opened with the local plant man-
agement for a complete set of labor
grades and wage scales, such as are in
effect in almost all other companies un-
der UE contract.

The survey covers “piece weenie jobs
equally with day work jobs. The pro-
posal is to arrive at the job rate on all
jobs, and set the piecework AER’s by
adding the usual 15 percent incentive
factor. :

Correcting the job rates is just as im-
portant for the pieceworkers as for the

Getting Your UE News?

Members not reteiving the UE
News, the weekly paper mailed to
alt members by the national union,
should tell their committeemen and
make sure the local has their cor-
rect address, i

Pensioners Call on Spicer
To Agree to $100 Pensions

A meeting of 200 GI pensioners,
members of the UE-CIO 801 Pension
Organization, sent: a night letter Tues-
day to E. D. Spicer, GE vice-president,
demanding that‘he agree to the UE con-
tract “proposal for a minimum $100
monthly pension.

“Our pensions have always: been much

“too low and now they have been cut by

rising costs to the point of starvation,”
the telegram stated,

“Many in-our ranks are dependent on
public relief. We believe it is high time
that you recognized the claims of those
who served the General Electric Co.
faithfully for most of their lives.”

Girl’s Basketball Team
Scores Another Victory

The Local 801-girls’ basketball team

defeated the Pittsfield All-Stars last
week at Pittsfield, 48 to 43.

Plans are now underway for a 801
girls’ softball team. Watch this paper
for date of the first practice game.

day workers, even where piecework earn-
ings happen to be high. Getting the
right job rate will protect future ecarn-
ings.

Ask More Earnings
To Offset Speed-up -

A “special meeting of members in’ the

Turbine Division Tuesday afternoon in.

two shifts unanimously adopted a reso-
lution submitted by the committeemen,
demanding that the price-setting for-
mula be revised where a carboloy tool

speed-up is introduced, in order to allow

the operators the possibility of “a rea-
sonable increase in earnings.”

The meeting added its amendment to
the resolution, -backing up day workers
in opposing any speed-up of their work.
The amendment also declared that where
the piece work machine speed-up results
in a lack of adequate service by day
workers to piece workers, - the: ~piece

workers forced into waiting time should -

be paid average earnings instead of. day
work waiting time rates.

The resolution submitted by the com-
mitteemen and approved by the division
membership pledged the division's back-
ing to operators in refusing to work at
any reduced prices until the issue of the
price-setting formula is settled.

The meeting demanded a prompt
meeting with the company at the na-
tional level in a further effort to settle
the carboloy price dispute, and also the
question of shift hours for third shift
workers in the division,

As an alternative to a revised price-
setting formula in connection with the
surboloy tool-speed-up the Turbine com-
mitteemen and members have proposed
that the work involved: be placed on day
work at present average earnings.

THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA—-LOCAL 301 ClO

Vol. 5-No. 3

SCHENECTADY, NEW. YORK

May 2, 1947

Vote

Stewart's Section
Leads in Telegrams

William Stewart’s section leads the
entire plant in the number of committee-
men who have sent telegrams to Wash-

.ington opposing the Hartley and Taft

anti-labor bills. The telegrams were

paid for by dime contributions , of: the

shop workers whose names and ‘address-
es were signed to the wires.

In addition to reporting 11 commit-

“last Week, Stewart turned in” 20—

more names this week: Edward Wall-

‘ingford, Noel Test, Emmett Brennan, R.

H. Reisinger, Ray H.. Frederick, Roy
Hamilton, Sam Dinardo, John De Graff,
Clifford Springer, Theodore Griffith,

Casmer Kislowski, Robert Finigan, Gab-

riel Maitino, and James H. Cayea, all of
Bldg. 60, and Charles D. Wood, Edwin
G. Ccons, Joseph H. Hallenbeck, J. C.
Nelson, Harold Barber and August Neu-
bauer, all of Bldg. 49.

In Michael. Tedisco’s section, tele-
grams were sent by James Mangino and
William A. Downs, Bldg. 15; Louis San-
tabarbara, Bldg. 16, and Stephen Skrzyn-
ski, Tedisco, Robert Weston, Frank
Capello, and Dominick Tiscione, all of
Bldg. 17.

In Charles Ferris’ section: Felix Pap-

“poeki “and George Diemer, Bldg. 1sF;

Roland Wagoner, Bldg. 259; William
Templeton, Bldg. 11, and Ferris, Bldg.
63.

A. J. Spears’ section: Spears, Bldg.
107,

301 Organizing Drive

The organizing drive of Loeal 801 has
been extended until June 1, by order of
the Executive Board.

The Board also voted Monday that
the prizes for signing up new members
should be awarded May 1 as originally
planned. This week’s issue of EU News
went to press before names of winners
were announced. Stanley Bishop's sec-
tion was still way in the lead for organ-
izing activities.

By Tuesday night, a total ‘of 475. new
members in the plant was reported.

Julius Emspak, a member of Local 301
and. international UE secretary-treas-
urer, was principal negotiator of the UE-
GE wage settlement and also took a

leading part in securing the agreements
with Westinghouse and GM.

| SPECIAL MEETING |
301 Membership

and

Committeemen
(All. Shifts)

Monday, May 5

7:30 p.m.
at
CIO Hall, Erie Blvd. and:
Liberty St.

RATIFICATION
CONTRACT

londay: on Wage Settlement

UE President
To Speak at
301 Meeting ©

The Local 301 membership and shop
committeemen will act on the proposed
UE-GE contract settlement at a special
meeting at the union hall at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, May 5. International UE Presi-.
dent Albert J. Fitzgerald will be prin-
“cipal speaker.

After two months of negotiations,
agreement was reached Saturday in New
York City, subject to approval by GE
locals throughout the country. Like the
‘Westinghouse and GM settlements, the
proposals would give the 125,000 GE
workers covered by the contract.a pay
increase of approximately 15 cents an
hour.

The general increase to all hourly rat-
ed employes would be 1144 cents an hour.
The other 8% cents would be provided
by the six paid holidays and other gains.

Details of Proposals

Here are details of the contract pro-
posals to be voted on: ,

Wage increase of 11% cents an hour
to all hourly rated-employes covered by

( CONTINUED ON PAGE 2) ;

301 Makes Check-up

On Incentive Prices

Local 801 is checking reports of fail- ©
ure in parts of the works to apply the
contract provision that:

“New incentive prices will be set on

‘the basis of the established step rate

plan for incentive workers.”

The company has been asked to survey
the plant as to application of this pro-
vision. Information also is being pre-
pared to assist committemen in making
theix own checks.

The action has been taken because of
reports. of violation in various parts of
the Turbine Division.

The step rate plan raised AER’s any-
where from 4 cent to 4% cents. This
in turn raised the timing rate for new
prices.

2

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

May 2, 1947.

301 Votes Monday
On Wage Proposals

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)

the national contract, who have not left
the company before the date required
for ratification, May 6, The increase is
to be effective as of Apr. 14.

’ Six paid holidays falling in the regu-
lar work schedule to be granted all hour-
ly ‘rated employes. The holidays are
New Year’s, Memorial Day, Independ-
ence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and
Christmas,

Addition to the present vacation clause
of a provision that employes with 20
years or more continuous service will
receive a third wéek of vacation.
Guards, Power Station employes and
all others on continuous process opera-
tions will, receive double time when
working a holiday and time and one-
half when working Sunday.

Employes assigned to repair or in-
stallation work off company property
will receive double time for hours work-
ed in excess of 12 hours. . ;

Employes reporting to work and told
no work is available will receive an ad-
ditional hour over the 1946 agreement.
This brings the figure up to three hours’
pay.

Overtime is to be equally divided.

Incentive Workers

Progression schedules to be negotiated
for incentive workers.

The company must notify incentive op-
erators when a time study is in order
and the purpose of the time study. The
steward is to have the right to observe
and the foreman is obliged to explain
the data used in making up the price
from the time study or P. R. tables.

———----..-Incentive_workers,._ transferred ___to

IMPORTANT!

Don’t miss ‘the Leland Stowe
broadcast, sponsored by the na-
tional UE, at 7:30 p.m. every Wed-
nesday over WSNY (1240 on your
dial) and WABY (1400). Also on
WBCA (FM).

First Hand News
From Washington

William Mastriani of Local 301 re-
cently reported on an interview with Re-
presentative Bernard W. Kearney of
Gloversville at. Washington. Defending
his vote for the Hartley Bill, Kearney.
said he had a “mandate from the people”
to vote for such measures. Although

Local 301 and other unions opposed him
last November he was reelected, he
boasted. ;

Labor’s: campaign is to defeat anti-

labor bills in the Senate, if possible. If
anti- union legislation passes the Senate,
there will be a Conference Committee to
iron out differences between the Senate
bill and the Hartley bill. Pressure must
be put on Kearney to change his vote
when the Conference bill comes up in
the House of Representatives. It is also
necessary to urge President Truman to
veto all anti-labor bills. ,
And if the bills are vetoed, the heat
must be put on Ives and Kearney to see
they don’t vote ‘to overide the veto.

Employes with less than one year’s
service, who are out because of accident,
will be granted credit for such time out
up to three months. Employes with one
year or more continuous service will be
evedited with up to six months of the

+’ _---ti me—oul—for—illness,- -lack~-of- work. or

higher or equally rated jobs where a
learning time is incidental, will be guar-
anteed the previous AER rate for three
weeks as a minimum pay.

The number of elected union officers
granted plant seniority is increased from
eight to 12. Shop representatives are
assured of job seniority during lay-offs.

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

Unirep Evxorricat, Rapro & Macninge
Workers or Amerraa, CIO
Seuuneerany GE Locat 301

<a

Published by the Editorial Committee

William Templeton, Chairman
Mary McCartin, Secretary
Willard Kuschel Victor Pasche
Leland Sisto

Editorial Office + Blectrical Union News
AO1 Tiherty St + Schenectady, N. Y.

\ nee SCHENECTADY PRINTING GQ,, INC

accident,
Improved arbitration clause names the
American Arbitration Association to
». handle cases of unsettled disputes.

Board Okays Settlement.

The Executive Board voted Monday to
recommend that the contract proposals
be approved by the 801 membership.

A motion was also passed praising the
international UE officers for their suc-
cess in planning and carrying out the
bargaining program. A rising vote of
thanks was given to Business Agent Leo
Jandreau, of the national negotiating
commitee, for his work at the contract
sessions. ; ,

The Board pointed out that all mem-
bers of the local must help defend the
contract gains. from being destroyed by.
anti-union legislation.

301 Members Help |
Handle Bus Crisis

Prompt action by members of the

Schenectady CIO Coordinating .Com- .

mittee and the Capital District CIO
Council -helped avert a citywide bus
strike last week and strengthened the
grievance machinery of Local 159, Trans-
port Workers Union, . :
As a result of firings and suspensions,
Local’ 159 voted” April 28 to strike
against the. Schenectady Railway Co.
unless A. Frank Geiler was removed as
manager. i
Victor Pasche, assistant to the business
agent-of Local 301, Alfred Pelrah and

William Templeton, 301 representatives ,

on the Coordinating Committee and
Robert Northrop of the CIO Council ar-
ranged immediately for a meeting with
Mayor Mills Ten Eyck and the city man-
ager. As a result of the meeting, the
company backed down from its position,
reinstated the men and agreed to arbi-
trate the cases. Other meetings followed
with these union representatives and
with Anthony Barbieri, chairman of the
Coordinating Committee.

The net result was that, except fora
two hour interval when Local 259 had a
special meeting, buses ran as usual dur-
ing the crisis, Local 159 reached an
agreement with the company improving
grievance machinery, guaranteeing arbi-
tration of disputes and safeguarding the
security of its members,

GE Won't Talk Pensions;

Union Committee Named
General Electric Co. again this year
refused to negotiate pensions with UE
or to consider the union’s proposal for
$100 minimum monthly retirement pay.
The company took the stand that pen-

sions are not a, proper: subject-for-col-—
lective bargaining, — one of the pro-

visions of the anti-labor Hartley Bill,

GE ‘also insisted that it has no obliga-
tion to consider the problems of worker's
alteady retired: or to increase their pen-
sions. ;

The proposals of Local 801 were based
on the actual needs of GE pensioners.
Hundreds of men and women who work-
ed long years for the company have had
to seek public welfare assistance. be-
cause their pensions are so small.

The Local 301 Executive Board voted
Monday to set up a union committee to
investigate possibilities of establishing
a Local 301 fund for the benefit of hard-
ship cases among pensioners.

There’s, Still Lots of Work to Do on
Local 801 Organizing Campaign

‘May 2, 1947

ELECTRICAL.UNION NEWS ..

As Turbine Division Turns Out to Take Action

Part of the special meeting for members in the Turbine Divi-
sion April 22 is shown above. Below is. a. speakers’ platform

Behind them, left to right, Emmett Brennan, Ray Frederick
and. Roy Lash, all of Bldg. 60. The meeting passed a resolution

photograph taken at the same session. At the table, left to - demanding a prompt meeting with the company at the national

right, William Kelly, assistant to the business agent; William .
Stewart, division chairman, and President Andrew Peterson.

Gains Are Negotiated
For Salaried Workers

Salaried workers in the GE . plants
where they are organized and come un-
der the UE, contract will make substan-
tial gains in pay and in improved work-
ing conditions under the proposed UE-

« GE. settlement.

Highlights are:

12% cents an hour pay increase.

Non-exempt employes to receive time
and one-half for Saturday work- and
double time for Sunday work.

Protection for existing holidays when
more than six. -

Progression schedules for wage in-
creases to job rate. *

Protection from drastic wage cuts
when transferred for lack of work.

Additiotial vacation—ailowances—--——-~

Unfortunately the Schenectady office
workers aren’t organized, so they will
not automatically receive these bene-
fits. In order to forestall union organi-
zation, GE will undoubtedly hand them
the pay raises and other improvements.
However, the unorganized workers will
have no way to enforce the new provis-
ions and to press grievances.

Section Night

The next section night at 301 Hall
will be May 16 for members in R.I.M.,

‘Ine, Tube and Welded Products, —

CIO. on Air

The National CIO broadcast will be

at 6:45 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday): over

WOKO, :

the third shift.

level on the carboloy tool speed-up and on working hours of

CUTE

_ Grievance Case Wins

ave June 29

The annual Local 801 field day
will be June 29 at Pete and Sally’s
Grove, Upper Albany St,

_ An automobile will be the chief
gate prize again this year. A re-
frigerator will be second prize and
a table model radio, third.

George Judway, chairman of the
Activities Committee, has  an-
nounced the traditional contest fox
field day queen. The girl in whose
name the most tickets are sold will
be the winner. Board members
should submit the names entered
from their sections to Helen
Nichol, Bldg. 269, or to Local 301
headquarters, 801 Liberty. Tickets
are now being printed.

Union grievance action recently re-
sulted in the establishment of a new
classification for seven workers in Bldg,
49, in pay raises for them and for three
group leaders.

The seven are now classified as stator
frame group assemblers, with a job rate
of $1.4314 an hour instead of their pre-
vious $1.88%4. The change increased the
rates.of three leaders to $1.5344.

Ernest Fainelli, shop committeeman,
handled the case with the assistance of
William Kelly, assistant to the business
agent,

Cancer Drive
With 172 of the 400 collection tins for
the cancer fund drive turned. in, : Local:

301 has collected $1244.40.

Pay Raises for 10