uw thes
6
NOT A gop . 7 .
NOT A MACHINE
SEOULD BE MOVED OUT OF SCHENECTADY -
General Blectric een find all the floorspace it needs right
hore in Schenectady. If they want to build new plants, let the
Teen ch iit hee of the thousands of empty heres it owns in towne
1én they evé plenty of floor space for producti 3 -
ment ond WE'LL HAVE J0BS. Bee? pom Broamenncn. and Gove lop
BIDE
TE
Son aati:
WE MUST LE T THR COMPANY AND THE COMMUNITY KNOW ‘THAT
WE'RE UNITED IN UE IN THE FIGET FOR JOBS $
‘ eee of some of the frievances already turned in by UE Stewards
Ne ry . , . :
A Health and Safoty grievance wes turne d in by the gles ver :
en rs Cad ae | DY ¢ glassblowers a
Exheust Men in Deve lonment, , & a
For 2 yoars the company hes promised to correct the faulty ventilating
system in Machine Development and nothing has been done,
The Union charged the company with violation of Article TII of the
UE-GH contract which stetes that the company wlll provide worling
conditions which will minirigze accidents and health hazards on its
premises. The Union further charged thet the mlass blowers and _
‘exhaust operetors have suffered from burns on their arms, chronic
colds and oths r respiratory disturbences &s a result of > nee
Grefts in this department. we es
The union demanded that the compa ny correct this condition immediately
The union received an enswor fron the foreman thet this condition.
is being studied, The unton refuses to wait until the company gots
good and roady to corroct this condition and is talking the op Levance
to building 41. Tho workers affected by this condition are ‘sick
and tired ofthe run-around.thoy'vo' been getting and crae-siek of”
having cold after cold while trying to carn a -livings — .
Other grievances include sonlority violetions, rate and’ classi ficetion
grievancose - IF YOU RAVE A BEEF COME TO 201s BROADWAY - UE Loon. 501
:
n
f
mom Vi — No.
O ol 13—No. 14
BULLETIN
Stackers in Bldg. » 273,
J-Bay, are unitedly fighting
a company attempt to cut a
standard price. by nearly 50
per cent. eg?
| Following a stoppage on
Tuesday, the company said
it would reconsider.
All three shifts have been
meeting almost daily at UE:
headquarters, 20114. Broad-
way, since. the company
tried to move in on a $37
job with a $17:95 cut. The |
fight to maintain the stand-
ard rate. boiled over into a
‘one-day stoppage a week
ago Wednesday.
The Carey-Jandreau crowd
tried to split the workers but
failed.
| CHE Urges Congress Boost Tax
Exemptions for
A fighting unity —- the kind that built
over the opposition of the company... :
“UE Local 301 met nearly every day with m
UE Loeal 301 — made strong headway this week
anagement on grievances and won impressive
victories despite the sometimes active resistance of the [UEers.
Workers with'prievances were
solidly backed by the union and
for the first time in recent years,
“action at- management level was
combined with’ shop action,
Where there were major griev-
ances, -the. union issted leaflets
urging unity to‘beat back com
pany attacks on rates “and con-
PAY RAISE
lorkers
A demand. that Congress give some tax relief to the ordi-
nary working family was presented before the U. S. Senate.
Tax Committee: last week by UE Washington, Representa-
tive Russ Nixon, -
Nixon, speaking on behalf.of
300,000 workers represented by
UE. told the Senators that half
of all American faimilies aré so
burdened by income and other
taxes that they do not have
enough money left to pay their
bills. On the other hand, Con-
gT has repealed ‘the excess
profits tax on the curporations,
exempted dividends. from. in-
come tax payments and opened
more tax loopholes. for the
wealthiest 10° per cent of the
population.
There is now before the Sen-
ate a Bill, the George-Frear-
Kerr Bill, S. 2983, which would
raise individual tax exemptions
to $800 for 1954 and $1,000 for
1955. The UE supports this
( Vil. ‘The present income tax
—<emption is $600. on every
one. .
Some. indication of what an
increase in income tax exemp-
tions would mean to working
people was: given the-Senators--
by Nixon, To raise inconie tax
exemptions by only $100 would
mean the equivalent of a
(Continued on: Page 2)
UE ROUTS CIO, AFL
IN ALLIS-CHALMERS
UE won a smashing 5-to-1
victory Wednesday over
AFL and CIO raiders at the
big Allis-Chalmers plant. in
‘LaPorte, Indiana, The vote
|in the NLRB election: was
UE 1,358; AFL Teamsters
290; IAM-AFL’ 228.
| The CIO auto workers
were also in on the raid, but
realizing that they didn’t
have a chance, the CIO
union leaders pulled off the
ballot on the eve of the elec-
tion. Although’ the AFL
boasted about the size of its.
membership, ‘the Allis-Chal-'
mers workers voted to keep
their superior contract and
rank and file unity. ;
Allis - Chalmers manufac-
tures farm equipment. UE
has been waging an all-out
employment in the industry
in which the union repre-
sents 35,000 workers. ”
ditions. The response showed
that this is the kind of unity
GE workers need and want.
The fight for jobs launched
by ULES last week is gaining mo-
mentum not only in the shop but
in the community. A letter from
the union to community leaders
explained that the company is
moving Jobs: from Seheneetady
in violation of the contract whieh
calls for collective bargaining on >
all matters affecting employment.
A telling point made by UE
to the. conmiunity is that the
company cannot justify layoffs
for “Tack of work” when, it is
opening new plants, contracting,
sub-contracting and. transferring
Scheneetady jobs all over;
UI! this week began contract
talks with G1 on wage increases,
a shorter wark week without loss
of pay and improved) pensions
while the CLO “negotiated” wage
vuls in auto and textile,
BILL HODGES SAYS—
STAY UNITED
“Tf Toawere in the shop today,
T would ‘be fighting to maintain
the UE and the ‘principles it
stands for.” With these words
Bill Hodges, former acting: presi-
dent and vice president of ULE
Local 301, called on. all Schenee-
tady GIS workers. to rally behind
the union which has won so many
gains for them over the past. 17
years.
The veteran union leader, who
retired in 1950, traced the history
of the union movement in Sche-
neetady GIO in an open letter. to
the workeis. He wrote:
“Front the inception of the UIE
and the formation of Local 301
in 1936,. great strides have been
made for the workers and their
families. In fact, the gains made
here in Seheneetady through Local 301, UE, independent, free
“fight to combat the mass un- |“ thinking, truly “deiiocratié ind progitessive Union are a challenge to,
any organization in the world today...
“GE workers, do not let the opposition disunite you. Go out
and fight for the organization that has accomplished so much
for you over the last 17 years.”
PSA Cea ATT UWP OLSEN MIURA AE MASUD INTIS NAHE ADE NNTP HAUTE AREER NNO ENENEIA HAC
PL Tn tae
28 Ee TSE NE
Sta PS
UE ACTION FORCES COMPANY —
TO ADMIT 269 LAYOFF PL,
Smoked out-by UE Eoeal 301’s exposure of plans, to move some 400 jobs out of Bldg.
269, GE management this week admitied that it was getting set for more mass layoffs in the
building, After making this admission i in a letter to all Tube employees, ‘Department. Man-
ager David C. Scott urged |
them not to worry about: the
layoffs because ev ery thing was
bound to work out in the! “next
ten or fifteen years.”
Scott’s letter was a desperate
attempt by the company to
stem the rising tide of anger
developing.among 269 wor kers
as the result of UTt’s revela-
tions that the company. was
taking their jobs to a number
of newly-built and: expanded
plants. Instead of helping the
situation, the letter fueled the
fire as it openly admitted that
company plans for Tube work-
s, and particularly for women,
were: for more and more lay-
offs. ‘Phe letter stated:
“Building 269 jis gradually
going to become more of a de-
velopmental area .. . the sim-
pler and more repetitive work
must be moved out to provide ©
the required Aloor space.
“This program nieans a re-
duction of employment as the
repetitive type of work goes
out... ‘It will take some time
for. the development work [
mentioned to be far ‘enough
along to result in production
operations. This means that
there will be less people em-
ployed in Building 269. until
these developments get to the
productive stage. It also means
that as we build up again, we
will have less light repetitive
work such as now is being per-
formed by women.”
This last admission that the
current layoff and speedup
drive at the company was be-
ing used most brutally against
woinen workers bore out UF
findings that the company is.
seeking-to violate the seniority
rights of women workers al-
most everywhere in the. plant.
Manager Scott's letter also
revealed the failure of the
‘Carey-Jandreau "crowd to do
anything about the current
threat to the jobs and the liv-
ings of Schenectady workers.
« SQUAWK, AND You'Lt HAVE To CLEMR
YOURSELF WITH M‘CARTHY/”
Thursday, April 22, 1954
The letter said the “reduction
began when the lighthouse tubes
were shut down and: we are
now in the process of moving
~ the thyratron line.”
The I:ighthouse job went out
several months ago. At the
time Jandreau
conniving with Carey and the
IVE-CIO that he didn’t find
the time to raise even éne word
of protest.
NAT
VICTIMS OF
was so busy.
WHO ARE THE
OUTSIDERS?
The recent un-American
Activities Committee hear-
ings in Albany and the.press
statements which followed
hind the so-called secession
They include Salvatore
Vottis, . Father Lamanna,
James Carey, Harold Blod-
gett, Joseph McCarthy, Pat
Kearney, representatives of
GE management—outsiders
all, It is clear that Jandreaw
and his small group. are
committed to forces outside,
the union and can no longer
serve the interests of GH
reveal some of the men bet :
Schenectady workers.
ON’S WORKERS BACK
LACKLIST
Throughout the, nation an increasing number of working
people are expressing their support for those who are resist-
ing company attempts to dictate what their employees shall
think or believe. © ~
As one GE worker put it:
“The company has already said
in a management bulletin: that
‘unity would best be served if
there was no union at all stand-
’ ing between employee and em-
’
ployer” If we think the way
the company wants us to think,
there’d be no, unions at all.”
Attempts to straight-jacket
people’s thinking was made the
official policy of GIF late last
year, Other, companies—recog-
nizing a union-busting policy
TAX CUT
(Continued from Page 1)
+-cent-an-hour wage increase
din the pay envelope of the aver-
age American worker with a
wife and two children,
The George Bill, if adopted,
would be equivalent to an
8-cent raise this year.
With the equal division of
votes now existing in the Sen-
ate, the George Bill can be
passed in the Senate if a real
fight is put up for it, Nixon told
the Senators,
» While. the OF supports the
George Bill, the union takes
the position that no” taxes
should be levied on incomes
below the amount needed to
maintain the standard of living.
This would mean an exemp-
tion of $1,800 for a single per-
son, $2,600 for a married
couple,.and $700. for cach de-
pendent,
when they see: ons: “hgye rushed
to: follow. suit.
But the’ union
member to have opinions whether
they agree with. company policy”
or not. This is part of UE’s
constitution. Today such unions
as IKME-CIlO are _compelled to
do likewise.
In Lynn, Mass, TUE-ClO
Local 201 is processing as a
grievance the case of: Alex. Gee-
gory, LUE member who refused
to cogperate with the McCarthy
comniittee when it came to town.
In Buffalo, TUE-CIO Lecal
1581, Westinghouse, the mem-
bership voted to uphold the right.
of members to use Constitutional
amendments to protect them-
selves against Congressional in-
quisitions; yen Carey was com-
pelled. to go along.
In Pittsburgh the Stewards
Council of the huge Westing-
house plant, TUIE- “CIO Local
601, voted: full support for two
TU members suspended — by
Westinghouse when it adopted
GIt’s firing policy. ©
And so the pattern develops.
Despite the propaganda whic"
surrounds the issue, the ta:
remains that a worker has the
American right to .his- own
opinions and thoughts, To sur-
render these, as the GE worker
previously quoted . said, would
‘mean “no unions at all,”
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
movement is |
“seeing what ‘this policy means.
UE, of course, was among ey
first to uphold the right of ‘an.
)
“Representative
duty as a citizen under
_ ter columns.
G. applied on a “plant; depart-
“Borman — Albert Einstein,
world famous scientist who has
frequently raised his voice in de-
fense of American democracy,
conmended UE International
Emanuel Fried
for his refusal to cooperate with
the House Un-American com-
mittee in Albany recently.
“Tam convinced that you did =
the right thing and fulfilled your
difficult
circumstances,” Professor Tin-
stein wrote im a personal letter
which he signed, “My Respects,
A. Einstein,”
A Mother's View
Of GE Layoffs
A. reflection’ of the “growing
need for action”, on the unem-
“ployment problem is contained in
thé Schenectady newspapers let-
A. recent commiumni=
cation ‘from Mrs. Ida Jeannatt,
a Schenectady mother,
example, that ‘Like
ing with growing concern the
present unemployment. situation
It seems a shame that in a
country as fine and large as ours,
only a war can bring prosperity.”
GE SEEKS END OF
PLANT SENIORITY
General Electric. manage-
ment is trying to scrap.
‘ plantwide seniority and ap-
ply the weak IUE security
clause...
Article XI-1(a) of the UE
Contract says—“In all cases
of layoff or transfer due to
lack of work, total length of
continuous service shall be
the major factor determining
the employees to be laid off
or transferred.” This means
strict plantwide seniority.
But under the TUE-CIO
contract, GE has its big
loophole., Article XI-1 pro-
vides that seniority can be
ment or other basis.” This
has been the big opportunity
GE has used to force depart-
ment and group seniority on
workers in Lynn, Syracuse,
Fort, Wayne, and_ Pittsfield.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
at first was oa cold —
points:
esut, for exainple, that em
ost mothers, T have been yiew-
right of
workers with longer Setvice :tox,. 5
both job and shift preference.
As‘a direct result, a woman
worker, Mrs. Dorothy Dygert,
not only was saved from layoff,
but was give the job and shift
she wanted.
Mrs. Dy gert had been work-
ing on an A Glass Work Ma-
chine job in Bldg. 269, A reduc-
tion of forces hit her group.
and she was laid off. After UIE
took up the case, pointing out
that there were other workers
with less’ service than Mrs.
Dygert still.on the job, the
company avreed to
woman her bump rights.
However, the only jobs of-
fered to Mrs. Dygert were on
the first shift. She had been a
second shifter, and could) not
accept daytime work because
of home responsibilities.
Management’s answer to this
“This is.
not a hardship case.” However,
UE fought it out on the basis
of the seniority’ provisions . of .
the UE-GE contract. ‘The union
showed that there were several
available jobs on’ second shift,
including a Bldg. 17 Pinch
Press operation, Faced with the
strength of the Ul! contract
and with the mounting protest
of Schenectady Glf workers
against seniority violations, the
company finally. yielded and
gave Mrs. Dygert the second
shift punch press job.
UNITY BEGINS AT HOME
The unity that has paid off for Schenecteidy GE workers over the
past I7-years was never stronger than during the 1951 IUE-CIO
raid. This headline and our memories tell the rest of the story.
WE DID IT BEFORE— WE'LL DO IT IN 'S4! - °
offer sthe «
Editorial @:-.
: THE WAGE CUT NEGOTIATIONS |
"The notion that once GE Schenectady workers are ‘ ‘repre-
sented” by IUE-CIO everyone’s troubles will be over cannot
survive what happened in auto and textile last week. .
The million-member UAW-CIO “negotiated” a wage cut
of up to 10 per cent for the Kaiser and Willys workers,
CKO textile workers are again. faced with a
wage cut, this time a 15¢ an: hour ‘ “package” that includes
loss of sevéral paid holidays and vacation benefits.
The CIO Steelworkers Union which also claims a million
“negotiated”
members, failed to lift a finger to save the seniority tights
and jobs of ALCO workers here in Schenectady.
This is CIO leadership. And anyone who is sucked in can®
not expect better treatment than the nation’s auto, steel and
textile workers.
The CIO says that the wage cuts in Kaiser are nece essary.
“to stabilize the firm’s economic position.”
This is just another way of saying that what benefits the...
Motors expressed it,
America.”
Carey in his offer to cooperate with GE
-trical firms in “cost reduction” schemes — layoffs, speedup,
_ company benefits the workers, or, as Wilson of General
“what’s good for GM is good for
and other elec-
job moving — is also saying the company first — «What's
good for CE is good for me.”
UE cannot accept this. We do not agree that wage cuts are
in the workers’ interests.
Experience shows that wage cuts do not save jobs. They
just lead to more wage cuts and finally to depression. Ask
the textile and carpet’ workers of Amsterdam and the Troy _
area, many of whom have been taking cuts for 5 years, what —
has happened to their living and working conditions. .
~UE believes that the working people come first. and that
what benefits the people benefits the nation.
This is the essential difference between the. UE leader-
ship and membership and the IUE-CIO leadership. With
them, the company. With UE, the people!
Ne
J
UE Wins Back
Pay For Woman
UIE T.ocal 301 this week added
a’ $102 back-pay
seniority credits
for a Bldg. 17
worker.
punch
settlement to
already won
press
The pay was won
for
Yolanda Spadaro for time: lost
during a recent illness.
YOUR GRIEVANCES
th your
grievances are
not
settled in. the shop, the place
‘Tem-
porary Headquarters, 20114
to come is UE Loeal 301
Broadway. Remember
agent,
day and evening.
Cie
your only legal bargaining
is
The union office is open. all
Thursday, April 22, 1954
fo net rn mere tna pemiane cereus pie coe!
wn tee dears meni
ete
ee
UE REOPENER STRESSES
JOBS, PAY INCREASES
With General Electric profits skyhigh, UE’s National
And Contracts In IUE- ClO
- negotiating committee for GE workers began talks with the
CONTRACTS company this week in New York determined to’win a sub-
IUE-C1O national. contract settlements. are not serbia : Ts wage, incr CASE, an her
by action of the membership. © ae ° proved pension plan and o ret
Contract settlements are accepted by vote of the IUIE- UE District 3 Council urgently, needed benefits’ for Gle j
C10 Conference Board. The Conference Board vote is: bind-
Neo Local Autonomy On Strikes
tecninictinw ate et a e
ne an rr LA SR OE
Enreanh st vere
STRIKES:
: ference Board.
ing immediately on the local unions.
(See IUE-CIO Constitution Art. TV, Sec. F)
In IUE-CIO, strikes in connection with national nego-
tiations are not called or terminated by the membership.
Strike action is taken by vote of the IUE-CIO Conference
Board, The local unions are bound by the vote of the Con-
(See IUE-CIO Constitution Art, XNIV, Sec. G) _
UE WINS FULL WORK
WEEK FOR MATRON
One of the grievances won
by UE last weck in Bldg. 41
was a full 5-day work week for
4 woman who had been put on
4days.
Hetore the UI grievance vie-
tory, more than a dozen women
~were using a washroom not
attended yy a matron on the
fifth day.
Giveaway Drawing to Back
tee of the District.
Women's Parley Delegates
‘UE. Local 301’s Women’s
Conrmittee this past week an-
nounced plans for a drawing
to finance a, delegation of 35 or
40 women to go -to the Na-
tional. UE Women’s: Confer-
ence in New York, May 15
and 16, °
Tn exchange for donations
of 25¢ (3 for 50¢), those taking
part in the drawing will. have
a chance to win top prizes in-
eliding (1) A Shakespeare
Spinning Reel; (2) A Lady's
Handbag; (3) ee _ 2-quart
thermos Gouties “
©
ONCELHADA =)
SECRET ad
» NOT SO SECRET
ATER te. ae
Juke Box Saturday Night
. nara. |
('M GONNA SIT RIGHT IT TAR ES TWO:
DOWN AND WRITE MYSELF / | To Tao
SE os
LOVES ME
Maybe IT'S Yous,
(
ILL CONT GET STARTED
WrTtt You:
Blasts Secessionists 9=§«§ss “™Ployees.
VE District 3 last . week
blasted those who “have given
the General Electric Company a
wedge to destroy 17 years of
unity of Schenectady GE work-
ers.” Delegates from 17 Upstate
’ New York locals voted unani-
mously to remove and | expel
fers “William Stewart and
William = Mastriani- from the
posts of vice president and trus-
High among ULE’s demands is
che for a 35-hour week at 40
hours’ pay as a partial solution
to the layolt problem facing GIs
workers in Schenectady. as
throughout) the nation, UE
also demands layoff pay -to
cover all employees in any
plant with one week’s pay: for
each year of service,
In presenting the demand for
higher wages, UIE points to the
need for increasing the purchas-
ing power of GIE workers as an
anti-depression measure, In ad-
dition to these and other de-
minds, ULE is seeking to com-
bat removal. of jobs, Tayotts,
short time, cuts in piece prices,
downgrading and violations of
seniority.
VUE on TV
Sunday, April 25
at 4:15 p.m.
WRGB
CHANNEL 6
“What's Behind
GE’s Policy”
VE Gains 40 Hours
For Bumped Worker
4. company attempt to violate
the seniority provisions of the
UL-GE national contract was
balked last week when UE Local
301 won a grievance case en-
abling a worker to get a 40-hour-
week job instead of the 30-hour
job originally given to her.
Estelle, Vessels, a worker with
444 years service, was laid off
recently i in Bldg. 269, The only
work she was oftere ed was a 30
hour office service job, althoug
other workers. with less service
were working 40 hours. The UE
grievance machinery took the
case to Bldg. 41, and there won
the. full-time job. for. Sister Ves-
sels.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
.
Paid al
Holidays
Night Shift
Bonus
Saturday
Overtime
‘Pensions _
Seniority
Rate
Protection
No
Discrimination
YOU BE THE JUDGE!
_6¢ second shift
“O¢ third shift
No Time: and one-half
for Saturday work un-
less it is sixth day of
work week.
$100 minimum
after 25 years.
“Ability” and
“Physical Fitness’
“Govern.
NO RATE
‘GUARANTEE
NO PROTECTION
AGAINST
_ DISCRIMINATION
Here are the benefits which GE workers have in the UE.
“ UAW-CIO at”
General
Moters
5% _ second shift
7% third shift
No Time and one-half
for Saturday work un-
less it is sixth day of °
work week.’
$100 minimum
’ after 25 years.
* Seniority by job
classification.
NO RATE
GUARANTEE
NO PROTECTION
AGAINST
DISCRIMINATION
‘Here are the things which the two BIGGEST CIO unions, each: claiming more than
d, 000, 000 dues payers, have NOT gotten for their members.
IN EVERY RESPECT THE UE CONTRACT IS FAR OUT FRONT!
IUE-ClO has already lost plantwide seniority, piece work protections and many other
contract benefits at other GE plants. Carey's raid in Schenectady would drag us down
to the level of CIO.
"DEFEAT CAREY'S RAID IN SCHENECTADY!
:$ ssued. by UE Local 301 --
PROTECT YOUR CONTRACT!
2012 Broadway,” Schenectady;. ‘N: Y:
Y-Aa)- oY
eee nial oe Ala
oy
eer ress
ef
Issued by UE Local 301
May 4, 1954
The IUE-C1O petition last week Hopped! Only a mi
hority signed, a building by building check shows, It flopped
because, the big majority of workers understood. that they would lose their UE contract if Carey’s UEers took over. It
lopped because-the workers felt the desperation behind. the high pressure tactics of the [UEers,
WO RIGHT
10 VOTE
On
CONTRACT
CONFERENCE BOARDS
Section F, When a Conference
Board approves and accepts a national
collective bargaining agreement hy a
vote of local unions representing no =
tess than two-thirds (2 4) of the mem:
hers of the Union represented by that
Conference Board, the national ‘agree.
ment shalt_be_deemed_t be Eindiag
immediately upon all local unions cov.
Section GG. When a Cunference
Board, by a vote of local unions repre.
senting no less than two-thirds (2 3)
of the members of the Union repre-
sented by that Conference Board, deter:
mines to_ strike to obtain a national
collective bargaining agreement ot to
terminate a strike called for such pur
pose, all local untons in that Conler
coce Board ate bound by such action. -
Section H. Conference Boards may
WO RIGHT
70 VOTE
OW
STRIKE
ANOTHER BIG DIFFERENCE, In UE, the members make
all key decisions. In IUE-CIO, it’s the Carey clique which
calls the tune. The above reproduction from the IUE-ClO
constitution (Page 47) tells the story.
“Nothing Will Happen?”
Charles Douds, Regional Director of the National Labor Re-
lations Board, was one of the first to nail the IUE-C1O lie that
Schenectady General Electric workers would be able to take the
benefits and protections of the UE Contract with them if they
Went. into. the..LUE-C1O, os RS :
Asked by a newspaper reporter what would happen to: the
.UE contract in Schenectady if the local went IUE-ClO, Douds
replied, “What happens to your lap when you stand up?”
There are two big reasons why GE Schenectady workers are
reuniting to hold.on to their UE contract. >
1, The UE-GE Contract, which runs until April, 1955, nails
down the UE gains of 17 years. This means that so long as GE
Schenectady workers are covered by the UE-GE contract they
will not be exposed to the wage cuts and loss of benefits negotiated
~by the CIO in auto and textile,
2. Only the UE contract guarantees plantwide seniority and
protects earnings. This means that GE Scheneetady workers will
not be forced to strike for seniority as in GE Syracuse or work
without a seniority agreement as in GE Louisville.
Will VE continue to do everything in its power to help GE
workers keep their contract, especially in view of big layotts,
downgrading and rate cuts? Absolutely!
This is-the way the workers’ interests are protected. This is
how a rank and file union operates.
The majority and more workers each day — supports the
UE in this position, That is why we have the swing to UE,
noticeable to all, in Turbine, Tube, Controls, Utilities and in
many other buildings and divisions,
The present crisis is especially serious in view of the worsening
Unemployment situation and the attacks upon the American
system of free trade unions.
Again we are faced with an IUE-C1O raid, led this time by
Jandreau instead of Kriss, Again the company, taking advantage
of the raid, is moving in on rates, working corditions, seniority,
All that stands in the way of the old non-union days of un-
limited rate cuts, speedup and no seniority is the Aght of the GE
workers in UE to keep their contract and their unio,
The Carey clique doesn’t stand a
chance against a fighting
membership, ‘
These are their
“IUE-CIO is not uniting GE workers but disorganizing
- them, wherever it has gotten into a plant. The GE Co. knows
the IUE-CIO’s weakness in every plant, and ‘so do ‘officials of |
the IUE-CIO know it. That is the reason why IUE-C1O has
to grab at every crumb the company offers; why it can’t protect
the workers in the day to day operations in the shop, why it
sells out the workers in negotiations, and why it has to depend
_ on empty brags and red-baiting to cover up its-miserable record.”
. — Leo Jandreau, Aug. 31, 1951.
“To defeat the attempts of the IUE-CIO in 1950 and 1951 to split
and disrupt our unity it cost $100,000. To keep .a fighting union
and our contract conditions it was worth it.” ; *
—Leo Jandreau, Feb. 21,1952.
“Jim Carey is willing to risk any suffering on: the part of the
IUE-CIO membership if he thinks that that suffering will serve his
main. purpose, trying to split UE.” . ;
— Leo Jandreau, Sept. 19, 19%
“The IUE for the past years has always ae “On my most sacred word of honor, I
dbeen disrupting, union-busting, trying to will bear true and faithful allegiance to
take away the benefits that should be got- P the UE dnd its membership and will de-
en for the people of the GE, trying to oe feuel it against all. who seek to do it
take us away from filing our day-to-day wy NGO ea 2 i, ;
grievances oh the. eoeipany: ‘* soon mw William Mastriani, Jan. 18, 1954.
as we get rid of this LUE we will be ina AS “After our strike in 1946 C. E. Wilson
better position and will be able to go and 3 swore he would get this Union. First he
try to bargain with the company and get those benefits e to do the job-and then he got hold of
that the‘ people still want.” Carey todisrupt from within.”
— James Cognetta, September, 1951, — William Mastriani, Nov. 20, 1953,
“UE did a good job and the fact that f “Our contract ranks with the bestin the
the enemies of our Union red-bait us only , country, Gur seniority clanse is second
‘Be lo none, Our democracy is unequalled.
I guess Cordiner doesn’t like that, What?s
fimore important, we de.”
Vincent Palazeke, Jan.. 8, 1954. ; : Harry IW illiams, Jan. 8, 1954.
2
proves that they can’t take us on over
issues and on the record.”
“The elimination of abuses, the winning of a shorter work week,
higher earnings and greater benefits are due to our unity: behind UE. .
Tam convinced that the only way we can keep what we have and win
further gains is through our united efforts behind UE.” |
— William Kelly, Jan, 8, 1954
“T tiave talked to people from IUE shops and it’s as though they were
back in the. company union days of the Works Council.”
ar: — Larry Gebo, Jan. 8, 1954.
