Electrical Union News, 1949 February 18

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ELECTRICAL

UNION NEWS

February. 11, 1949

Urges Prompt Action
On Organizing Drive

Chairman William Stewart of
the 801 Organizing Committee this
week sent a letter to all shop stew-
ards outlining proposed plans for

____.--_the_.cumpaign-to--get“t00 “per cent

UE membership in every depart-
ment and urging full cooperation,

He warned that the number of
hon-members at the plant “is a

‘serious threat to’ the satisfactory

settlement “of day-to-day griev-
ances and the future negotiations.”

lxecutive Board members have
been asked to set up organizing
committees in their sections not
later than next week,

Plans for the drive were approv-
ed by the shop stewards’ meeting
Feb, 1 and will be presented to next
week’s 801 membership meeting.
The proposal is to have the drive
from Feb. 15 to Apr. 15... 2...

“Any member who signs up'a new’

member will receive a dollar from
the two-dollar initiation fee which
the new member pays by check-oft,
or by cash. The union office will pay
the dollar award after receiving the
initiation fee. ~ :

William H. Wilson, Jr., of Building 77, in pl
Landsay, Bldg. 49, who has worked nights 2

from the Bldg. 77 paintshop.

Transport Workers
Win Diamond Strike

The recent strike of cab drivers
ugainst the Diamond Taxi Service
was won by Local 159, Transport
Workers Union, GIO. The union
obtained reinstatement of the three
men whose firing led to the strike,
All strikers were also reinstated.

All the -drivers used to work a
12 hour day and reevive a 80 per
cent commission, with a weekly
gunrantee of $40 for a six-day

Second Shift Stages After Midnight Party

SORE

“Members of the second shift in a jovial mood at their party Jan. 28 at

from the second ‘shift, is the soulful look

night and continued on and on.-

7 of his 88 years with GE, dr

aid jacket, doing card tricks ut the second shift party. Scotty
ew the joker. .The onlookers are all

week. Under the agreement the
commission was raised to 40 per
cent, About half the men have been
placed on a 10 hour day and the
company has agreed to work out a
sehedule so. that eventually the

others will be on 10 hours also. The |

men working 10 hours get a daily
guarantee of $7.50 and the men on
12 hours get a daily guarantee of

The agreement alsa provides
urievance machinery, an aybitra-:
tion provision, seniority, and paid
vacations, :

Schen
Get $87 for 37!/2 Hours

Under a new agreement with the
International Typographical Un-
ion, commercial printing shops in
Schenectady last week started pay-
ing printers $87 for a 8744 hour
week. That is $2.82 an hour, The

old rate was $85 for a 40. hour

week, or $2.12% cents an hour,

The Pressmen’s Union nepotiat-
ed the same rate for the cylinder
pressmen.

ing bar-tender in the left fore

301 hall. ; Fred, Pacelli, Board member

ground. The party started after mid-

Distribution Operators
Get Raise Through 301

The job rate for distribution op-
erators, who control the distribu-
tion of steam through the plant,
was raised 11 cents to $1.675 in a
grievance meeting with Works
Manager Louis J. Male last week.
This means a two-step raise for.
four men and a one-step raise for
one, retroactive to Dec. 6,

The men contended that’ their
Job required the same skills as
steamfitters, At the first Building
41 level A. C. Stevens, assistant to
the works manager, offered a one-
step raise. Male went one further.
This brings the rate to one step
below the steamfitters,

Arguing the case for the griev-
ance committee were Business
Agent Leo Jandreau and Marshall
White, shop steward,

GE Not 'Observing'
Lincoln's Birthday

Lincoln’s Birthday will be just
an ordinary Saturday for any work-
er called in tomorrow, but Wash-
ington’s Birthday will be an “ob-
served holiday” this year,

If a worker not on continuous
process is called in on Washing-
ton’s Birthday, he will be paid dou-
ble time. A continuous pperation &
worker will be paid double time %
only in ease the holiday comes on
the sixth or seventh day of his
work week, meaning one of his reg-
ular two days off. Tt is not one
of the six paid holidays.

‘LECTRICAL |

THE VOICE

NION

(OF LOCAL 301 -----UER&MWA...

Cc. 1. 0.

Vol. 7 — No. 7

SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK

February 18, 1949

301 Opens Campaign
For 100% Membership

The drive to mak» the Schenec-
tady GE Works 100 per cent UE
by Apr. 15 opened tnis week when
the membership meeting approved
plans of the Organizing Commit-
tee, as recommended by the Execu-
tive Board and the Shop Stewards’
Council.

--, Much of the meeting had been

¢ ent on problems facing the union

“In reopening the GE contract and
the danger that Congress will re-
tain Taft-Hartley provisions.

“The best way to solve all these
problems is to organize all the un-
organized in the plant,” William
Mastriani said in presenting the
Organizing Committee’s report.
William Stewart, committee chair-
man, was unable to be present.

Every 301 member who signs up
a new member between Wednesday
(Feb: 15) and Apr. 15 will receive
a dollar from the new membe1’s.
two dollar initiation fee. Applica-
tion cards must be received at the
office on or before Apr 15 for the
awards to be given. The initiation
fee may be paid by cash. or check-
off. The dollar award will be paid
after the two-dollar fee has been
received by the union office.

Board members this. week start-
ed setting up sub-committees of
shop stewards and other members
to campaign during lunch hours.
The EU News will print the name
of each steward whose group is 100
per cent UR. ,

Applications of members who
dropped out of the union will be
considered individually by the
Executive Board under the consti-
tutional provisions for reinstate-
ment, 7 8

The Executive Board has added
Helen Quirini to the Organizing
Committee. Other members, be-
side Stewart and Mastriani, are
_fohn Green, assistant recording

peretary, and Chief Shop Steward
“Stephen-Watts. ~

DON’T BE A FREE RIDER
JOIN THE UNION

hapnesge amenmasimnanipn siren

CONGRESSMAN DRIPP

aoe

"PRESTO, PRESTO, YOU ARE
WITHOUT ANY CHANGES,”

by YOMEN

NOW THE WAGNER ACT

301 Sends Letter to AFL Steamfitters

The Local 301 membership meet-
ing this week unanimously approv-
ed the Executive Board’s recom-
mendation that the following letter
be sent to the Plumbers and Steam-
fitters Local 128, APL:

“We read in the local newspapers
that your union contemplates a
strike of the steamfitters in the
Schenectady Plant of the General
Hlectric Company. According to
these newspaper stories, your dis-
pute with the company is over the
issues of wages and other condi-
tions of employment,

“Local 301 has from its very in-
ception fought to increase the wag-
es, and improve the conditions of
employment for all of the employ-
ees of the General Electric Com-

pany including the steamfitters,
During the past twelve years great
progress has been made by the UE

in the plants of the General Elec-

tric Company throughout the coun-
try. _

“We regret that your union to
date has not communicated with
Local 3801 concerning your dispute
with the General Electric Com-
pany. We believe that the steam-
fitters alone cannot be successful
without the cooperation of Local
801. We are willing to discuss with
you your dispute with the com-
pany, despite the fact that your
union has used the vicious Taft-
Hartley Law for the purpose of
undermining the unity of the Gen-
eral Electric employees by break-

GE Conference —
Board Wage Drive
Approved by 301

A wage increase “to restore the
purchasing power of our members
and to bring back the jobs of those
laid off” was called for by unani-
mous vote of the GE Conference
Board of UE locals at its first 1949
meeting in New York last Friday.

The meeting did not recommend
a specific date for the actual re-
opening of the contract on wages,
but called for “an intensive cam-

paign” to bring to the membership.

and the general public the facts
which make a raise necessary.

Faets of the Case

The meeting adopted a state-
ment summarizing these facts, in-
cluding the lay-offs which have hit
several thousand GE workers, the
increase in GE worker productivity
by move than 25 per cent since the

_end of the war, and the fact that

the purchasing power of full time
GE workers is $11.09 per week
less than in January 1945, These
facts will be presented in greater
detail in later issues of this paper.

The Conference Board agreed to
lay the groundwork for a joint
meeting later with UE conference
boards in other major companies
under UE contract. That meeting
is expected to recommend a reop-
ening date,

In calling for a wage increase,
the conference declared that spec-
ial attention must be paid also to
the wage injustices in the rates of
skilled trades and women.

The Conference Board actions

(Continued on Page 2)

ing the steamfitters away from the
rest of the workers in the plant.
“We suggest that your union join
with .us during our coming nego-
‘tiations with the General Electric
Company. as the only way you can
achieve success for your members.”
3801 Business Agent Leo Jan-
dveau sent the letter Wednesday to
Keith W. Rockwell, business agent
of the Plumbers and Steamfitters,

So 0 LES ENTS A

OS IE | a orag

SEND PRICES UP:

BECAUSE THAT WOULD ONLY

OF MOTORS AND TURBO GENERATORS...

<AS LONG AS THERE (S A

‘ DEMAND FOR OUR PRODUCTS

AS THE TRAFFIC WILL BEARS

Gt.

Plan Study Groups

For Shop Stewards:

In order to equip all shop stew-
ards with the essential informa-
tion needed to carry on their day-
to-day duties, the Executive Board
has arranged a series cf discussion
meetings for small groups. The
meetings started Wednesday and
will continue through April. Each
steward is notified by the union of-
fice of his schedule.

“ The meetings will cover the fol-
lowing topics:

Grievances and contract, to be
conducted by the business agent
and his assistants.

Workmen’s compensation, unem-
ployment insurance and other legis-
lation, conducted by Marshall Per-
lin, 801 attorney.

Union finances, conducted by
Rudy Radosevich, 301 bookkeeper,

UE policy, conducted by Julius
Emspak, UE secretary-treasurer.

Meetings for first and third shift
stewards will be at 7:30 p.m. and
for second shift stewards at noon,
All sessions will be at the union
hall. 7

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
United Electrical, Radio & Machine
Workers of America, CIO
Scuunecrapy GE Loca 301
Beto
Published by Editorial Committee

Mary McCartin, Chairman
Arthur R. Bertini, Secretary
William Christman Frank D'Amico
Victor Pasche

Editorial Office
Evxecrnica. Union News

301 Liberty St., Schenectady, N. Y.
Telephone 3-1386

GE Conference Board

Wage Drive Approved
(Continued from Page 1)

were approved by the 301 member-
ship meeting this week, after the
delegates reported. The delegates
are President Frank Kriss, Busi-
ness Agent Leo Jandreau, Board
Members William Stewart, Dewey
Brashear and Anthony Esposito,
and Marshall White, shop steward.

The Conference Board also rec-
ommended to the locals the follow-
ing legislative and bargaining ac-
tivities:

A vigorous fight for improyed
social security and unemploy-
ment insurance laws, passage of
an adequate national health law,
and relief from burdensome tax-
ation on low incomes.

Insistence on improvement of
the GE pension plan and a fight
for improvement in present
health and sick benefit plans.

A fight for a shorter work
week without reduction in pay,
because of “unemployment ris-
ing in our industry due to in-
creased productivity and the lack
of purchasing power on the part
of the masses of the people.”
Campaign for this to be develop-
ed with the rest of UE.

A vigorous fight for repeal of
the Taft-Hartley Act and restor-
ation of the Wagner Act, as re-
quired for success in the collec.
tive bargaining program. ~~~

301 Girls Win

The 801 girls’ basketball team
defeated the Lenderettes 49 to 83
at the Young Women’s Christian
Association Feb, 7,

ena

“restcration

30! Again Demands
Taft-Hartley Repeal

The Local 801 membership meet-
ing this week unanimously went on
record demanding immediate re-
peal of the Taft-Hartley law and
of the Wagner Act
without injunction power or other
amendments, :

The meeting directed that copies
of the resolution be sent to Presi-
dent Truman and to the Senate and
House Labor Committees.

Several speakers pointed out
that in view of the fact that GE
President Charles E, Wilson was
scheduled to testify this week at
Washington, in favor of Taft-Hart-
ley, the union should again make
clear to Congress and the Adminis-
tration the stand of GE workers.

Members were urged to step-up
the posteard campaign against
Taft-Hartley and to get their
friends and families to write to
Congressmen. News from Wash-
ington reveals that the efforts to
repeal Taft-IHartley are still dang-
erously bogged down. Anti-union
Senators and Congressmen have
succeeded in stalling action by get-
ting long and drawn out hearings.
There is mounting danger that the
Wagner Act, when or if restored,
will be hopelessly saddled with
anti-union amendments.

After the 801 meeting telegrams

from dozens of individual members

e sent to the Senate Labor
Committee,

HOW MANY MEMBERS
HAVE YOU SIGNED
UP FOR LOCAL 301?

é

February 18, 1949

Carboloy Speed-up |
In Bldg. 16 Confirmed

Fears of lathe operators in
Building 16 that supervision ac-
tions around the use of carboloy
tools indicated a coming speed-up
were confirmed in a_ grievance
meeting in Building 41 last week.

Frank Schaaff of the Works Man-
ager’s office said it was “noth-
ing new to see a delegation when
carboloy comes in,” The specific
complaint was against a ruling by
Foreman C. J. Marchewka that car-
boloy tools would be issued only by
order.

Schaatf added that “perhaps they
have Jearned from experience. We
don’t want people saying a job
was timed on carboloy when it was
timed on high speed steel.” He de-
clared supervision had taken over
the application of carboloy. If
carboloy is used where a price was
based on high speed stcel, there
will be a new price, he said. Shop

Steward Stanley Fisher said thatgf™

the new ruling on tools applied t
some jobs that had been timed with
earboloy only a few weeks ago.
Schaaff admitted that if the loss of
time getting carboloy tools affect-
ed. earnings, it was something to
consider. ,

The union has taken.the position
that where higher machine speeds
are used for more production, the
faster handling required should
mean higher earnings. The com-
pany says only the same earnings
are called for.

It's Wise to Know Facts
About Breaking-in Rate

Workers who are transferred to
a different piece work job which
requires a learning time are gener-
ally told by the foreman that they
will be paid a breaking-in rate (10
cents higher than a new inexperi-
enced employee) for a fixed period,
such as six weeks or eight weeks.

This is a convenient device, but
is misleading, and can cost the
worker money. The contract (Ar-
ticle XI, Section 2, paragraph e)
provides that such a transferred
employee shall receive the break-
ing-in. guarantee “until their piece
work earnings are in excess of this
figure”. There is no time limit.

Furthermore, the “breaking-in
rate” is a guarantee, and if a work-
er can turn in more than the guar-
antee, he is entitled to do so and
get paid for it. Of course, from
then on he is on straight piece
work.

Where the training time is inci
dental, meaning the new job is
similar to the old one the guar-
antees are higher and are for fixed’
periods, depending on the circum-
stances,

February 18, 1949

“ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS:

Wilson's Words
Versus GE Actions

The Works News of Feb. 4 quot-
ed parts of GE President Charles
E, Wilson’s recent statement be-
fore the Joint Committee on the
President’s Economic Report in
Washington.

While most GE workers will dis-
agree with Wilson’s theories on
wages, prices, and profits, it is in-
teresting to compare his expressed
opinions with GE’s actions.

Wilson said the benefits of in-
eveased efficiency must be shared
with several groups, including: “the
customers, in lower prices: the
workers, in shorter hours and high-
er wages...”

But, with inereased production
bringing new all-time record prof-
i GE_ raises prices, and fights
bitterly against wage raises and
shorter hours.

Wilson said it would be wrong

lo wive to labor all the gains of

technological improvement .. .”
» But when a carho'oy speed-up
doubles production on a machine,
GE obje to giving the worker
ANY more earrings, even though
the work load hes actually inereas-
ed.

Wilson’s real thought was this,
in the last quoted paragraph in
the Works News:

“It is our serious conviction that
the present margins (of profit) are
lower than they should be...”

GE’s 1948 profit. Cafter all taxes)
is admitted to be 18 per cent above
the all-time high of 1947,

ALCO to Stop Cutting

Prices on Piece Work

A prolonged dispute between the
American Locomotive Company
and Local 2054, United Steelwork-
ers of America, over the cutting of
negotiated piece work prices was
settled recently. The company
agreed to end its practice of arbi-
trarily reducing the prices and to
reimburse workers ‘or prices slash-
ed in violation of the union con-
tract,

The controversy came to a head

last week after three months of

prievance sessions. Management
last week charged the workers
with staging a slowdown. News-
papers played up an ALCO state-
ment that management “closed

down” the diesel shop at midnight

cs Friday, and the story that the

Kop reopened at 12:01 a. m. Mon-
day after agreement was veached
with the union. The diesel show
always closes at midnight Friday
for the weekend, No lost time was

involved, the union reports... ==

But Wait Till You See the 301 Girls’ Team

The 301 men’s
basketball
team,
Standing,
left to right,
Richard
Graham,
Don Restifo,
Paul Smith,
Walter Hysen
and
Bobby Grasso.
In front,
Bruce
Mahoney.

Grievance Sessions

On Blocking Aisles

Blocking of the aisles leading
from the main bay of Building 60
to Door No. 12 has been the subject
of repeated grievance discussions
between Shop Steward Marvin
Rumrill and Foreman F, Bennett
in the past three weeks. Rumrill

‘pointed out that last week a weld-

er fainted in the hot booth, and
there was serious difficulty taking
him to the ambulanee because of
the clogged up aisles.

Bennett told Rumrill that super-
vision was trying to kecp the aisles
clear, Rumrill has taken the posi-
tion that more definite action is
needed to avoid a real danger.

Union Will Buy

Television Set

Local 801 is going to buy a tele-
vision set and redecorate the rear
room of the union hall.

On recommendation of the Exec-
utive Board, the membership meet-
ing this week approved these pro-
posals of the Activities Committee.
An amendment from the floor au-
thorized the spending of $800 to
$1,200 for these purposes.

HAVE YOU HEARD?
There’s an Orgunizing Drive
; Give.201. a Boost

GE Hires ‘Expert’
To Lobby for T-H

The General Electric Company,
leader in the Big Business drive to
retain the Taft-Hartley Law, has

engaged Gerard Reilly, former
member of the National Labor Re-
lations Board, for its anti-labor
lobbying work. :

Reilly registered as a GE lobby-
ist at Washington Feb. 7. His sal-
ary and expenses were not stated.
When questioned by the press, he
said he would appear with GH
President Charles IE. Wilson when
he testified before the Senate La-
bor Committee on the T-H bill.

In 1946 Reilly left the NLRB to
go into private law practice. He
had been a Labor Department
counsel before serving on the
NLRB. Labor unions recognize
that he has been at the bottom of
some of the worst Taft-Hartley ac-
tivities in Washington.

Reilly appeared Feb. 5 betiore the
Senate. Labor Committee as coun-
sel for part of the Printing Indus-
try of America, during a hearing
on T-H. Although not called as a
witness, he was asked to give his
opinions. '

Senator Murray attacked him
for his anti-union activities.

“You built yourself up in ‘this

country us a friend of labor,” he’

Company Checking
On Welders’ Duties

The company has taken time out
in the discussion of job  require-
ments for welders in the Turbine
Division, The Works Manager's
office also is holding up related
grievances on welders’ jobs pend-
ing discussion of the job require-
ments. Building 41 told the union
last week that they needed another
two or three weeks to make a thor-
ough check of welders’ dutics all
over the works before submitting
new job descriptions.

The principal point at issue is
pipe welding. The company took
the position in a recent grievance
that pipe welding as such did not
necessarily place a man in the
“special” $1.62 welding classifica-
tion. The Turbine welders say that
pipe welding requires a higher
quality and skill, and always has
been recognized as carrying the
“special” rate.

said, “and you got into the posi-
tion that you got into because you
were regarded as a friend of labor,
and then when you got in here and
got into this powerful position,
then you turned around and double-
crossed labor.” :

Senator Taft praised Reilly’s
“valuable work”.

Is Your Shop 108% UE?