4
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
August 1, 1946
CIO Unions
Aid Strike
Baliston .
____.__-.-___A_mass_picket_line. and aeémanatration.
in which about 200 Schenectady CIO
members took part Saturday at Balls-
ton Spa gave a new strength to the 21
week old strike of Local 410, Interna-
tional Fur and Leather Workers against
American Hide and Leather Co.
In addition to the Schenectady union
members, who went to Ballston in a
motor cavalcade consisting of two buses
and many automobiles, ClO delegations
from Gloversville, Watervliet, Troy and
Albany gathered at Ballston. The dem-
onstration was arranged by the Capitol
District Industrial Union Council, CIO.
Local 128, Plumbers and Steamfitters,
ALL, was represented in the Schenec-
tady labor delegation
on Local 301 Speakers. —
The largest delegations were those of
Local 301 and of Schenectady Steelwork-
ers. Andrew Peterson, president of
Local 301; William Mastriani, chief shop
steward ana president of the Capitol
District Industrial Union Council, CIO,
and Joseph Dominelli were UE speakers.
Other speakers incluaed: Edward Cas-
sidy, William Cerrato and Thomas Fyvie
of Local 2054, United Steelworkers of
America; Edgar Film and William
Moran, international representatives of
USA; Neil Dandereau, Local 3180, USA;
Lewis Benedict and Alton Petteys, Local
159, Transport Workers Union; Clar-
ence Carr and Charles Hildreth, Local
202, Fur and Leather Workers; Stephen
Zdunezyk, Local 128, Plumbers and
Steamfitters, and Leonard Colasuono,
Local 482, Amalgamated! Gloshing ‘Work+
ers.
$100 a Week Voted
The membership meeting of Local
301 last week voted to adopt the Balls-
ton strikers’ and to donate $100 a week.
till the end of the strike. Bernie Wool-
is, international representative of the
Fur and Leather Worker's, reported on
the struggle of the 200 strikers.
Controlled by Dutch banking inter-
ests, the American Hide and Leather
Co, apparently is determined to crush
the union, he reported, Handsome sums
of money were offered a couple of the
strikers if they would round up 60 or
7 men to break into the plant and re-
sume work. The strikers have stood
solidly together however, and no bacl-
to-work movement has developed.
” et
UE Check for $550 Aids YMCA Camp Fund
Foster Campbell, left, chairman of. the Local 301 Activities Committee, presents
the union’s check for $550 to H. A. Beaudoin, right, chairman of the Tippecanoe
Committee, as James F. Bunting, general secretary of the Schenectady YMCA,
looks‘on. The check represents half the proceeds of the Local 301 field day. The
money will give summer outings to many Schenectady children at the Tippecanoe
camp.
UE Wins Election
At llion Rem-Rand
(Continued from Page 1)
As two other Remington Rand plants
at Ilion voted for UE last year, the
Plant 1 victory makes the score 100 per
cent for UE at Ilion. Other Remington
Rand plants organized by UE in the
state are at Tonawanda, Syracuse and
New. York. City... ce
The membership of Local 301 “aided
the Ilion Remington Rand workers in
1936-1937 when they were battling for
better conditions and for their right to
organize. The company defeated the
strike.
Union Calendar
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 7:30 pam
Transmitter Section 81, 89, CAP
meeting.
Aug, 8, 7:30 p.m-—Buy Nothing
Committee.
Aug. 20, 7:80 p.m.—Joint Commit-
teemen’s and Membership meeting.
ore
Food Prices Rise
At GE Cafeterias
New food prices in the Schenectady
General Electric cafeterias show how
promptly GE joined the rush toward in-
flation.
Old New
Prices Prices
(During (Effective
Cheese sandwich........$.07 $.10
Bean sandwich . 10
Pork sandwich ......_
Beef sandwich
1s (
Colfee scene
Orange drinik .........
Pork and beef sandwiches jumped 71
per cent. Cheese and bean sandwiches
and pie jumped about 43 per cent; cof- |
fee, 25 per cent and the orange drink,
16 2/3 per cent. o
©
These items are just a few picked a
random. (Prices were boosted on prac-
tically every other kind of food too.
Remember those recent statements
from GER officials about the company
holding the line on prices?
pone Se ee QPP A) = Suly-22)-
THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA—LOCAL 30! CIO
Vol. III—No. 30
SCHENECTADY, NEW. W YORK
August 15, 1946
Vote in Primary Election Tuesday
To Assure Victory for Dominelli
Allen Townsend
of Local 301,
a Ninth Ward
campaign worker,
receives the
Next Tuesday, Aug. 20, is Pri-
mary Day. If enough union men
and women who are enrolled in
political parties go to the polls, -
Joseph Dominelli of Local 301 will
be nominated for sheriff on the
Republican.and Democratic tickets
promisc-of
Mrs.
Arthur Marzola~——
1210 Pleasant St,
that she will
vote for
Joe Dominelli
for sheriff on
Primary Day,
next Tuesday.
Her daughter,
Barbara, is 1934
years too young
to have a vote,
but she obviously
thinks the
Dominelli-for-
Sheriff. campaign
is a fine idea.
The doorbell
ringing will
continue till the
very last
minute.
GE Dunn or Gl Joe?—Voters Decide Tuesday
“We can’t afford to allow a» GE general foreman to become sheriff of this
county,” Thomas Fyvie, chairman of the Trade Union Committee for Joseph Domi-
nelli, declared today. Dominelli, a member of Local 801, is opposing the machine
choice, William Dunn, GE general foreman, in the Republican primary next
Tuesday. Dominelli is also running in Democratic and ALP primaries. Fyvie is
secretary-treasurer of Local 2054, United Steelworkers of America,
“We are all pretty much fed up with
the gang that runs this county,” IFyvie
said. “We're tired of their bungling
on housing and their trickery on taxes,
We're tired of having our county. run
by men who take their orders from
political bosses and from the General.
Electric Co. or American Locomotive.”
“ It’s about time the people of Sche-
nectady County took part in selecting
candidates of the political parties, Fyvie
(Continued on Page 4)
as well as the ALP.
The officers and Executive Board
of Local 301 “have urged air UE
members to vote for Dominelli and
to bring their families and their
friends to the polls with them.
Polls will be open from noon until 9
p.m. Anyone who is in doubt about the
location of the voting place in his elec-
tion district should call the County
301 Meeting Monday
Instead of Tuesday
To avoid conflicting with Primary
Day, the joint committeemen’s meet-
ing and membership meeting of Local
301 will be Monday, August. 19, in-
stead of Tuesday, Aug. 20. The
meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. at 301
Liberty St.
Board of Elections (Tel. 6-1269) or
(PAC headquarters at 301 Liberty St,
(Tel, 4-7771),
An active union member, Dominelli
is chairman of the Local 801 Veterans’
Committee. He was wounded twice in
action in Europe and received the pur-
ple heart.
The Dominelli-for- Sheritt campaign
was started by a non-partisan group of
World War If veterans who circulated
the nominating petitions which entitle
him to run in all three primaries.
A committee of CIO and AFL union
members also volunteered for door-to-
door canvassing, distributing ‘leaflets
and posters, and other campaign duties.
Committees in wards and towns will
supply watchers at the polls PeAMAny:
Day,
(Continued on Page 4).
August 15, 1946
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
ELECTRICAL UNION. NEWS
Unirep Evecrricat, Rapvio & Macuing
Workers or America, C1 O
Scuenectany GE Loca. 301
= a —
Published by the Editorial Committee
Dewey Brashear Ray Flanigan
Milo Lathrop William Mastriani
Editorial Office - Electrical Union News
301 Liberty St. + Schenectady, N. Y:
SCHENECTADY PRINTING CO. INC.
Urges U. S. Action
To End Lynchings
As president of UE’ District 3, Leo
dandreau wrote President Truman and
WU. 8. Attorney General Thomas. Clark
demanding federal action to end “the
terror and oppression that has been di-
rected against the Negro’ people.”
Writing in the name of 35,000 up-
state UE members, Jandreau protested
‘apainst- recent lynchings--and. violence,.-
including the killing of the - Ferguson
brothers by a white policeman at Free-
port, L, I.
“Tow can the U.S.A. spokesmen at
the United Nations and elsewhere truth-
fully speak of rights of peoples and na-
tions while lynchings and persecutions
of an enslaved and oppressed minority
people continue in their own country?”
he asked.
Jandveau also sent letters to all locals
und staff members in District 3 urg-
ing that letters and telegrams be sent
to President Truman, Attorney General
Mark and members of Congress by
proups and individuals.
“Rally the people in your community
in the fight for Negro rights.”
——
Nixon to Speak
At 301 Meeting
Russ Nixon, Washington represen-
tative of UE, will speak on domestic
and foreign affairs at the joint com-
mitteemen’s and membership meeting
of Local 801 at 7:30 p.m. Monday,
Aug, 19.
During the strike, Nixon spoke at
a UE rally in Schenectady: on the
Federal Court indictments; charging
General Electric with’ making an
illegal cartel arrangement “with the
Nazi Krupp armament firm -to re-
strict production of Carbaloy in this
country and to boost its price.
Nixon was .an official of the Amer-
ican Military Government in Ger-
many.
‘|-Union Program For Peace and Security js 7%
Local 301 has printed leaflets explaining the 14-point union platform on
which it bases its political activity. Here are quotations from the leaflets,
We support the United Nations as the basic structure necessary to world
peace.
The single most important factor is the unity of the Big Three. <Any at-
“tempts to combine. against or isolate any one of the three great powers must lead
to disaster. We.urge that American foreign policy be directed toward establish-
ing unity and raising the level of cooperation and understanding.
There can be no guarantee of peace so long as fascism in any form exists
anywhere,
fascism: wherever they still remain.
We call for encouragement and assistance to the people of the libe rated
countries and to colonial peoples in building their own democratic forms and in-.
stitutions. .
We advocate control and regulation of atomic energy by an organization of
the United Nations. We urge consideration by the UN of universal disarmament.
We call for every effort to help feed the starving peoples of the world. '
Security for All Americans
In 1944.the American people gave a niandate to their Government to make
the Roosevelt Economic-Bill of Rights a living reality. A combination of reaction-
will of the people. We
ments to the-Fair Labor Standards ‘Act.
We stand for the elimination of all forms of discrimination based on race,
color, creed, sex or national origin. As a first step, we support a permanent Fair
We urge immediate legislation to abolish the poll tax.
We condemn the efforts of profit-mad big-business groups to cripple price
control and insist on the re-enactment and strengthening of OPA.
We express our strongest opposition.to all legislative proposals restricting the
right of workers to organize, bargain collectively or freely to exercise their inalien-
able right to strike. eg
We urge that Congress provide our veterans’with more liberal allotments for
education, easier terms for loans, increased benefits for disabled veterans and their
dependents, minimum unemployment insurance benefits of $25 per weelt as long as
unemployment lasts, and terminal leave for enlistea men.
. What New Yorls State Can Do ;
We call for action to remedy the shocking housing shortage, with special
emphasis on veterans’ housing; immediate emergency construction financed from
the accumulated state surplus, supplemented by Federal appropriations. We call
for long-range legislation for slum clearance and low-cost housing and a constitu-
tional amendment providing $500,000,000 for an eight-year construction program.
We demand a tax policy based on ability to pay and repeal of all sales and
other unfair taxes. .
We urge that the state return to all cities a sufficient portion of tax con-
tributions to maintain and expand essential city services.
We demand immediate payment of an adequate veterans bonus, expansion
of educational facilities, free medical treatment for service-connected disabilities,
state-guaranted loans, and a state full employment bill to provide real assistance to
veterans.
We urge legislation to provide a 75-cent hourly minimum wage and overtime
pay in excess of 40 hours a week.
“We demand adequate state appropriations for education to improve and
extend facilities, provide a permanent child care and nursery school program and
give substantial and long overdue salary increases to teachers. We urge the
establishment of a state university.
We urge immediate improvement of unemployment insurance legislation, ex-
tending its coverage to all employees, increasing benefits and granting allow-
ances for dependents, lengthening the benefit period, providing coverage for partial
(Continued on Page 3) -
Employment Practices Commission,
We insist on an uncompromising program’ to destroy the roots of”
y
@
* August 15, 1946
ELECTRICAL UNION. NEWS
Summing It.Up,—Office Workers!
Youre Missing Out on a Big Deal
A ‘statement by the Office Workers Organizing Committee reminds Schenec-
tady GE office workers that because they still have no union bargaining agent
they have missed out on benefits of the new UE-GE contract.
New Board Member
JOHN SACCOCIO
John Saccocio, who made front page
heaalines across the- nation when he
spoke his mind on the high-cost-of-living
before a Senate committee in Washing-
ton, has been elected to the Executive
Board of Local 301.
He replaces Foster Campbell who re-
signed both as board member, and as
chairman of the Activities Committee
because he felt his work would no long-
er permit him to do justice to the jobs.
As chairman of the Activities Com-
mittee Campbell had charge of the last
three highly successfully annual field
days of Local 301. He has been active
in other union affairs. also.
Saccocio, a welder, has served as com-
mitteeman:in Bldg. 66 and was a picket
captain during the strike.
Take the matter of automatic in-
creases for untrained employes, for in- .
stance. Under the contract, planning
and wage rate clerk, labor grade No. 7,
would have a job rate of $46.40.
Start, $37.40; after. three months,
$40.40; after six months, $43.40 and
after 12 months, $46.40.
General Clerk Progression
General clerk, labor grade No, 2,
job rate $34.40, woula start at $28.40;
after three months, $30.40; after six
_“months, $32.40, and after 12 months,
$34.40,
Schenectady GE office workers also
lose out on seniority protection, griev-
ance machinery, periodic merit reviews,
job- classification; wage-rate and-job-de
scription information and other guar-
anteed good working conditions.
Other Plants Organized
Meanwhile more than 60,000 white
collar workers at other GE plants and
at Westinghouse, Sperry, General Cable
and other companies are reaping cash
and security benefits from UE con-
tracts, the Organizing Committee points
out. :
It Takes Money
To Run a Strike
The $100 a week donation from Local
301 is a big help to the Fur and Leather
Workers, CIO, now on strike for over
23 weeks against the American Hide and
Leather Co. at Ballston Spa.
However, the local on strike spends
more than $700 a week for food, rent
and doctors’ bills for its members. The
Capital District Industrial Union Coun-
cil, CIO, has asked all CIO locals of
this vicinity to contribute to the strike
fund.
Union Program for Peace and Security
___{Continued from Page 2)
unemployment and eliminating the penalty waiting period in the case of strikes.
We also demand a comprehensive system of state health and disability insurance.
We urge the prompt elimination of existing injustices to civil service em-
ployees through an adequate minimum wage, a substantial upward reclassification
of base pay, reduction of hours and the extension of all protective legislation to
state employees.
‘We urge a comprehensive program of public works, including hospitals, schools,
clinies, libraries, highways and other public facilities.
We urge. immediate enactment of-a state price control law and the strongth-
ening of existing rent control,
Heads Softball
s to the enthusiasm of -
Quirini, Local 801 now boasts a wom-
en’s softball team. ;
For several years Miss Quirini was
ecuptain of a women’s team at GE. A
commiteewoman in Bldg. 81 and former- +
ly in Bldg. 69, she looked forward to
the day when softball would be a union
activity, . be“
The. chance came this summer, when
the Pittsfield UE local challenged Local
801 to a softball game, — for women.
Captain Quirini’s team jumped at the
opportunity to play officially under the
UE banner. The Local 301 Executive
Board was delighted to have a ready-
made team.
In honor of the occasion, Capt. Quir-
ini made oileloth dickies for the girls to
wear with their white shirts and shorts.
She painted UE in red on the front of
each dicky and Local 301 on the back,
The dickies for all 15 girls cost a total
of $2.45. .
The Schenectady team lost the Pitts-
field game but count on winning a re-
turn game on the home field later this
season,
Union Radio Program
The summer radio programs of
Local 801 are broadcast at 7:15 p.m,
every Monday over WSNY. Tune in
for union and political news.
Next Monday you can hear the
program at 801 headquarters, before
the joint committemen’s and mem-
bership meeting. . :
