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:
St, Johnsbiiry, Vt. — The New
England town meeting, traditional
form of democratic government in
the urea, Was really democratic in :
St. Johnsbury this year, thanks to
UE Local 234, In recent years, the
town fathers had taken to holding
the ‘meetings during the day. so
that, only business men and execu-
tives could attend. Taking a lesson
from theixy own union meetings
Which are held when everybody
“ean attend, the: UE members at
the Fairbanks Morse Co. launched
a campaign, for night town meet-
ings. One hundred ‘members of the
local and 80° wives of members
took time ‘off frony work to attend
the afternoon gathering. Immedi-
ately one of the group moved to
change the meeting time. When
the later session was held, tle local
armory was packed to the rafters,
About 1,000 people turned out for
the. largest, most democratic town
meeting on record.
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Louisville — Four AFL leaders .
hore have been suspended from
their jobs in the latest step in the:
“réign. of terror” against all unions
being conducted by Louisville cor-
porations, The suspéitded. four are
“employed by B. I. Goodrich in a
synthetic rubber plant. Similar
action has been taken against UE
leaders at the 5,000-member Inter-
national Harvester plant. UE is
allempting’ to organize the new
Louisville GE plant.
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Madison, Wise. —- UE locals in
Wisconsin this week were fighting
a proposul in the state legislature,
which would reduce compensation
benefits for injuries bringing about
a loss of hearing, It was estimated
that the. bill would cut payments
to about 1,000 workers,
. wk ok oO
New York — The CIO American
Newspaper Guild voted this week
to make an all-out fight against the
firing of a Boston United Press
Feporter who refused to cooperate
with the House un-American witch-
hunters. The reporter had refused
to answer questions about’ his
political affiliations on the grounds
that they violated the rights guar-
anteed under the fifth amendment
of the Bill of Rights,
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Hamilton, Ontario —"UE Local
~§20 has won the highest minimuny
male labor rate in the -Hamilton
area Ina contract just concluded
“with the United Carr Fastener Co.
The rate, $1.49% an hour, is 644e
higher than the scale in Hamil-
_ton’s basic steel shops. -
Board Votes Support for Striking Menands.
AFL Workers After Leaders Make Ap
peal
A personal. appeal for support by the president of a -striking AFL ree in Pee as
brought a pledge of full support from the UE Local 301 executive board Monday night. As -
a first token of the Schenectady union’s backing for the striking workers, the board voted
Leaflets Hit GE Threatto Seniorit®
a $100 donation, and then dug down
in their pockets for an additional
$35 in personal contributions.
The support appeal was made by
President: Ralph Candler of Local
626 of the AFL. structural ivon
workers.. His union was forced out
on strike by the Albany Steel and
lron Co,’ in Menands six. weeks ago.
Candler; who headed a 3-man
delegation to the board, told of
the company’s attempts to destroy :
existing conditions, which led’ to
the -first strike by the. Menands
workers in 15 years. He said that
the strike had been directly caused
by the company’s breaking off of
negotiations and complete refusal
to barge iin with the workers,
Among the company demands
which caused the walkout was one
for unlimited and compulsory over-
time. Others would abolish exist-
ing sick leave and destroy senior-
ity rights.
For its. part, the union'was seck-'
ing a health and hospitalization in-
suratce plan, the posting of work
rulés’so that workers could not be
fired © for “‘violating ‘regulations
which they did not know existed,
super seniority for shop stewards
und an adequate call- back period
following layoffs.
He noted that the company had
offered a 15¢ hourly wage boost
so that the pay question was not
divectly involved in the strike.
Rates at the striking plant now
range from $1.25 to $1.53 an hour.
Since Albany Steel and Iron
supplies GE with material, one of
the first steps planned by the 801
executive board to back the strik-
ers is a guarantee that no supplies
from the struck shop would be
unloaded or handled by UE mem-
bers.
Autoworkers Gain
General Motors and Ford work-
ers this week’ scored their first -
major break under the 6-year con-
‘tracts: which have been hobbling
‘their efforts to maintain decent
wage levels and working conditions.
First break was scored in GM,
where the CIO autoworkers were
able to. renegotiate contract pro-
visions so that skilled. workers will
vet a 10¢ hourly increase, and 19¢
of the 24¢ an hour in eost of liv-
ing increases will be on thé wage
scales.
Ford workers also won increased
pensions so that the monthly level
will now reach: $137.50, including
‘federal social security, In‘ addition,
the annual improvement factor in
both pacts was raised from..4e to
“Be an hour,
Friday: May 29,1953
The threat posed to the seniority
provisions of the UE-GE contract
by the company's. “no collective
bargaining” attitude was stressed
this week in two leaflets. distri-
buted by UE Local 301 at the
Schenectady ‘works. é
aA leaflet issued by the local on
Wednesday morning was titled, “Is
MY Job Safe?” It pointed. out that
job security was a reality only as
long. as full plant-wide seniority
was guaranteed.
From that point, the leaflet went
on to show that seniority had to
he protected in day-by-day griev-
ance negotiations with the man-
agement. It asserted that there
were already signs that the com- /
pany’s refusal to negotiate in good
faith on the national level was
spreading down to the local griev-
ance level, menacing these vital
negotiations. _
In a leaflet issued, by the na-
tional office on Monday, the senior-
ity question was tied in with the
company’s huge profits. This leaf-
let showed that GE, along with the
other big corporations throughout
the country, was making an all-out
drive to destroy seniority protec-
tions. This drive, the circular
stated, was aimed at giving man-
agement a free hand to pile up
ever greater profits by speeding up
workers and laying off without
regard to length of service.
In order to do this, GE has been
using the “temporary” layoff gim-
mick to: evade, seniority provisions
of the contract, Another threat to
the job security © of the workers
stems from ‘the “iunaway” shops—
plants. built by GE and other com-
panies in “non-union, low-wage
areas, ke
Both leaflets cited instances of
GI! attacks on “seniority in plants
from New York to California,
Mentioned were: the violations of
seniority. at’ the heart of the UE
strike’ in» Scranton and the IUE-
CIO strike in Syracuse, and recent
- attacks .on. the seniority of UE
members’ in the GE plant in On-
tario, California,
This weelt’s leaflet distribution
was marred by an incident in.
which a car, believed to be driven
by a-non-union employee, deliber-
vately swerved into Chief Shop
Steward Bill Mastriani as he gave
out the leaflets at the Rice Road
and North Avenue ‘plant’ gate, ‘
Mastriani jumped ‘out of the way,
but..was. hit on the arm by #
auto, He was able to continue 4
distribution, The union leader hi
filed a complaint: over the incident
with the Rotterdam police.
Open Joint Drive
A joint drive by 2 AFL unions,
the teamsters and the machinists,
to organize auto repair shops
throughout the country was launch-
ed this week,
Be
+ WE RE
Save
ay
WHAT ARE You GRIPING AgouT ? RAT S FREE, aint iT?
_ ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS...
.-wiveaway -dea auvings
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
Friday, June 5, 1953
t
HIGH FLYING. Frank Cook, well: known comic acrialist, will be one of
‘the featured entertainers at the UE Loeal 301 Field Day on June 28.
Cook is pictured in his. act above,
Field Day Tickets Go at Record Rate
Record sales. during the first
ek in which the tickets were in
he ‘shop strongly indicated that
UE Loenl 801’s 19538 Tield Day
would be the biggest such event
ever held in Schenectady. The field
day will take .place on Sunday,
June 28, at Republican Park on the
Princetown Road.
Sale of the tickets at the low
8 for 50c price was spurred by the
$2,500 worth of prizes which ticket
holders will be eligible to win in
the giveaway drawing at the field
day. Heading the prize. booty will
be a 7 cubie foot GE freezer which
retails for $300, The complete
list of prizes appears at the end
of this story.
One of the chief problems facing
the activities committee, which is
in charge of running the field day,
is the need ‘for volunteer help on
the actual day of the event. Local
members are urged to. offer their
services for a few hours in order.
to assure the smooth operation of
the entire program. Worms on
which to volunteer ure ay ailable
from either the shop stewards or
at the union hall. ;
is for the program itself, it will
ntelude several top professional
stage acts, wrestling matches, car-
nival games, a little league base-
ball game, and, of course, the big
the repuliy giveaway prizes, there
will be a special wate award valued
ut $125. This will be won by seme
lucky youngster under 120 years
Tn -addition- to.
Refreshments will be sold at the
field day at cost, as they were last
your,
The complete prize list with val-
ues in parenthesis:
1—Seven cubie foot GE freezer
(8300); 2—GE “Stewardess” clec-
tric range ($260); 3—12 foot alum-
inium boat ($240); 4—GE table
television ($200); 5—Lauson out-
‘hoard motor ($125); 6—LRevere mo-
tion picture projector ($125); 7—
Power lawn mower ($110).
8—Wilson golf clubs and bag
($100); 9—Singer portable sewing
machine ($95); l0—Underwood
portable typewriter ($75); —
Westinghouse floor: waxer ($70);
(Continued on page 2)
VUE Wins Women’s Boost,
As Flpes Rise for Skilled
Major progress on one of the key negotiations issues,. and
indications that’ GE management: may be preparing to make
concessions on a second union demand were reported this: week ;
Leaflets Recall Open
‘Shop Days Before UE
Leaflets dealing with the huge
GIS profits’ and comparing shop
conditions before and sinee union
organization were -distributed by
Ul ‘Loeul 801 at the Schenectady
works gates this week.
These leaflets were the 18th and
l4th. issued by UE in’ its current
campaign to acquaint GE workers
with all of the issues in current
economic talks between the union
and the company. As in the previ-
ous 6 weeks, one of leaflets was
issued bythe national union while
the other wis published by. Local
BOL.
The local leaflet recalled the old
days before union organization at
GI when only “eompany men”
could hope for decent jobs or up-
grading, and when seniority was
meaningless. 1t pointed to. the
long, hard fight waged by GE
workers throughout ‘the country
for honest _ collective bargaininy
to correct these situations, and it
served notice on the GE company
that UE members would fight. to
preserve their union and its har-
gaining rights, :
UF’s national leaflet stressed the
cconamie side of the negotiations
situation, sharply contrasting GE’s
huge protits with its pitiful peanut
proposal on wages.
Backing their appeal to UE,
asking for an NURB eleetion,
worker plant.
Mica Workers Appeal to UE |
A new appeal by Mica Insulator -Co. workers to UE has
spurred an organizing effort at the Broadway plant.
came last month when many Mica employees told union organizers
that they were fed up with company union conditions.
many of the workers signed eards
"The union already has more than
enough cards to petition for such a vote.
In an eleetion last year, UE eame close to winning the 700-
A shift of only 50 votes would have ousted the
company union. As it was, only an all-out intimidation
by the company saved the company union.
However, since then conditions - ul Mica have Krownh worse,
with every one of the company union's
workers broken, A sell-out contract ined shortly after the elec-
tion disgusted many who had. supported. the company. union..in_.-|-
“order tu “give it one last chance.”
In order to guarantee a crushing defeat tor the company union,
UE Local 301 members with relatives and Criends in Mica are
urged to tell them about UE conditions, and urge them to unite
with the 20,000 GE workers by signing WE cards.
The appei tl
campaign
ampaign promises to: the
by UE negotiators following *
national bargaining session in New
York City.
The progress was scored in the
drive to end discrimination against
women workers. | Actually, the
gains were not scored in the wage
talks themselves, but were made in
discussions of Schenectady griev-
anees at the management. level.
GE agrecd to raise the rates.on
60 jobs involving 300 women, The
increases ranged from. 3c to lhe
an hour, and brought thé rales on
many wonten’s jobs above ihe com-
mon labor level, a major naponal
demand of UE.
All of this was done wes, pe of
i survey of most women’s jobs de-
muanded by UE. ~'This survey is
continuing’ and is likely to bring
more increases before it is con-
eluded. .
Nasing of the company’s “no
bargaining” attitude was strongly
indicated in the talks.on UE de-
mands for a special wage increase
for skilled workers, However, at
the close of the bargaining’ session,
the problem of defining skilled: jobs
was still under discussion. A fur-
ther UN-GE meeting is slated for
noxt week. The exact date has not
yet been set,
UIE Local 801 is also fighting for
higher rates for skilled workers
‘through a mass’ grievance filed
with Schenectady works manage-
ment, Full details of this priev-
anee are reported in a separate
story on page 4. us
The definite improvement in the
rampany’s attitude. in negotiations,
au change marked by something ap-
proaching real collective bargain-
ing, undoubtedly results from the
show of united support for the UF
negotintors put forth by Schenec-
tady GE workers in their recent
demonstration walkout,
Slate AO & S Party
A combined meeting and social
will be held by union members in
the Aeronautics and Ordnanee di-
Vision one-week from -Wednesdays
The affair is slated for Wednes-
day, June 17 at 8 p.m, in the union
hall. ‘Tickets will eost 50e exch,
and cin be purchased from AO &
S shop, stewards.
UE Crushes Raids
in 5 More Shops
UE has“erushed CIO and AFL
raids in 5. more shops during re-
cent weeks, Workers in. these
plants voted by large margitis to
maintain UE as their union de:
spite intensive red-baiting attacks
in all of the locations.
UE's biggest victory wus scored
_in Chicago where Local 1150 ran
up better than 5-to:1 margins‘over
each of 2 raiding. outfits. This elec-
tion.was at the Cinch ‘Manufactur-
ing Co. plant, with both the TUE-
CLO and AFL autoworkers: making
the attempt to disrupt. The vote
was UE 580; LUE-C10: 122; UAW-
‘AFL 119; and no union 98,
Twd other big. victories were
scored in the Midwest. ‘UE Local
35 in, Cleveland crushed ‘an IUE
aid at Dicker X-ray by the one-
sided vote of 251 to 112. Complete
core of women workers was largely
responsible for the ‘margin,
In Sheboygan, Wisconsin, UE
crushed the AFL autoworkers by a
vote of 127 to 59.in a vote at the
Polar Ware Co. : ge FS
Two eastern victories were also
chalked up. At the North’ Bros.
plant in Philadelphia, an all-out
_red-baiting drive, featuring’ witch-
hunt hearings by, the House Un-
Americans, proved useless... UE
Local 155 won the shop by a vote
of 124 to 104 for the AFL' firemen
and oilers,
In New Bedford, Mass., UE re-
tained bargaining rights for Hast-
ern Electric workers in a unique
vote which saw the petitioning un-
ion, the” AFL building service
workers, fail to gain a single vote.
Field Day Prizes
(Continued from page !)
12—Hanor craft aluminium ware
($70); 18—GE floor circulator
(867); 14d—Red leather easy. rocker
($50). 2
15—Westinghouse. cleetrie’ oven
($50); 16-—53-piece dinner service
for..8 ($50); 17—Alcamatic deep
fryer ($40); 18—Brunswick bowl-
ing ball and bag ($31); 19—Fish-
ing tackle, glass rod and reel ($30);
20—GE radio alarm ($30); 21—
Winchell spinning reel ($29).
22—Arvin portable electric heat-
er ($22); 28—Double bed spread
($20); 24—Muatson G-piece’ vanity
set ($20); 25—Revere 7-piece cop-.
per bottom starter cooking set
($16); 26—West..Bend automatic
electric percolator.. ($14);..27-——Re-.
vere 3-piece mixing bowl! set ($10);
28—Detecto white bathroom scale
($7).
June 5, 1953
Bldg. 16: Car] Barkman, Michael
Tigliola, Royce Patterson and
Theodore Rucinski protest the com-
pletely inadequate $8.05 price ‘on
an engine lathe operation. The un-
ion demands that management in-
vestigate this price and make the
proper adjustment. « 8
Bldg. 17: Harold Schrader is
classified as a maintenance and re-
pair man working on adjusting and
modifying dies. This work belongs
strictly in the-B toolmaking classi-
fication. ‘The union demands that
Schrader be classified as a B tool-
maker with ‘proper rate adjust-
ment, : ‘
Group’ working under Foreman
Maliszewski protests unsafe condi-
tions created by presencé of No. 5
boxes next to high speed presses:
The steward has repeatedly taken
this matter up without getting any
satisfaction, Recently a worker
came within inches of receiving a
serious injury. In the light of this,
the union demands that’ manage-
ment immediately correct this -sit-
uation.
Bldg. 19: By oral agreement, all
blanking jobs on press 6 were given
a $1.60 per thousand rate because
of the age of the machine and the
difficulty in operating it. Recent-
ly, 2 drawings. were issued with a
$1.35 per thousand -price in .viola- .
tion of ugreement. The union de-
munds adjustment of these prices
sand future adherence to the agree-
ment,
Bldg. 26: “Battery truck opera-
tors under Foreman Sacco are per-
forming lifts of more than 6’. This
work is classified as high tiering
elsewhere. The union demands that
this group be given the ‘high tier-
ing classification and rate.
Bldg. 28: Group under. Foreman
Maliszewski objects to his perform-
ance of production and tapping ma-
chine work in violation of contract.
‘The union. demands that these jobs
be kept where they belong, in the
group under the barguining. unit.
Group under Maliszewski protest
his unjust methods of forcing op-
erators to account for the number
of pieces each produces daily. The
union demands that this practice be
stopped immediately. .
Groups under Foreman Abbot:
and Larsen protest unsafe. working
conditions in their areas. Trays are
piled high in the aisles; dollies are
left in the aisles and methods used
‘in cleaning solder pots constitute
safety. hazards. The union demands
management action to correct these
conditions,
Group assembling and connect-°
ing 5H6 stator special 38249009 pro-
test the $80 per hundred prices as
inadequate. The operators are suf-
fering losses in earnings. The un-
ion demands ‘a time study to estab-
lish a proper price on this job.
Bldg. 46: William, Russell, a B
drill ‘press operator, protested the
inadequate 2%¢ price on.a job. As
a result, supervision agreed to a
85c rate. However, subsequently
the same job was issued at 27ec,
with supervision forcing the use of
a torque wrench to justify the in-
adequate rate, The union demands
anormal time study without torque
wrench to arrive at the proper rate
for the job.
Thousands of grievances are handled by UE Local 301
each year at all levels from the steward up to final appeal
in New York City. To keep members posted, we shall
each week list some of the grievances that have not. been
settled at the steward-foreman level and have been re-
ferred to the executive board-inanagement level.
A Crystal Lake grinder was Te-
cently given an 8%e timing rate,
although the skills involved merit-
ed a much greater rate. The union
demands. that the job be moved 2
steps up to 97¢ T.R.
Bldg. 52: A. Colandra protests
the price changes on standards for
jobs 170-8710-195-BB-970-2 & 3.
These changes violated. contract ar-
ticle VI-5d. The union demands
management investigation and cor-
rection of this situation.
W. Harrington asks paytent for
3% hours lost when he was unable
to perform assigned work because
no surface grinder was available.
The union demands that manage-
ment pay waiting time.
Group of’chippers protests plans
to add new employees. This will
inevitably cause a loss in earnings.
In just 3 days of one week, chip-
pers from the group were farmed
out for a total of 88 hours, One
chipper has been working 6 days
as a crane follower. The- union de-
- mands that -these. workers be kept
intact without any additions to the
group, and. that supervision be in-
structed to assign them their own
work, while assigning new person-
nel to groups which are’ short, and
which have needed help from farm-
ed out workers.
Assembly group protests addi-
tion of new help when there is ,al-
ready a lack of work; lack of serv-
ice -help; safety hazards created
by this lack of porters; and safety
hazards growing out of lack of
floor space. A commitment to cor-
rect this lust situation in. the “near
future” was made in the “distant
past.” The union demands immed-
jate correction of all of these con-
ditions.
Bldg. 60: Paul Satterlee is class-
ified as an accumulator but is be-
ing used as a tallyman. The union
demands proper reclassification and
rate adjustment, 3 ;
Group of special welders protests
the addition of grinding to their
duties. This work properly belongs
to chippers and grinders, The un-
jon demands that it be so assigned.
Group of assemblers protests ad-
dition of new employees. to their
group although lack of work al-
ready exists; inadequate crane
service with only 1 crane to service
stacking and welding gtoup; crowd-
ing which creates safety hazards
and which could be corrected by
moving Bldg. 16 machines back to
that building; and failure to elim-
inate safety hazards of oily floors
and steel shavings in the floor slots
despite repeated protests. The un-
ion demands immediate correction
of these situations,
Bldg. 66: M, 0, Blanchard pro-
tests the inadequate price on stator
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE
WORKERS OF AMERICA (UE)
Lecal 301
Eb 2
Published by the Editorlal Committee
Prosidont.eeuenansnana-Jamos J, Cognatta
Vico Prosident
Treasurer
Recording Secretary 7 Moon
Ass't Recording Secrotary....Rudy Risstand
Chiof Shop Stoward....Wimmlan Mastrlanl
Businoss Agont-----annane--boo Jandroau
301 LIBERTY ST. SCHENECTADY 5, N. Y.
job 154-D-422, On the basis of. 1st
28 hours on the job, the indications
were that average earnings at this
price would be 60c an hout.” The
union demands that managemen,
immediately investigate .and , cor
rect this price.. ’
J. B.. Novak protest ‘inadequate
price for welding on 164-C-142.
After payment to 1st shift oper-
ator for-his time, only $13. re-
mains, making’ payment approxi-
mately 68¢ an hour. A time. study
was promised and adjustments,
made on 2 similar jobs. The union
demands that this..job be properly
adjusted. 2 .
Bldg. 69: Heler’ Capra has been
promised a permanent assignment
since January, but,none has -been.
made, ‘She is constantly being
moved from one job to another.
This is the first time she has been
a victim of such treatment in 23
years at GI,:The union demands
un immediate and permanent as-
signment for this worket .
Punch press group, under Fore-
man Regnier protest the, inade-
quate 8¢ timing rate ‘on B-1B-38.
All other punch press work in this
arca has an 87%e T.R, (The union
demands the 87c rate foi this job.
Bldg. 269: M. Dorsch is in
charge of an A stockroom on 2nd
shift. “However, he is only classi-
fied as a © stockroom keeper, The
union demands that he be upgraded.
Frank Smith and Henrik Morten-
sen do the specialized work of
metal spinners and should he classjrey,
fied as such. The union demani{
that they be given their proper job=”
rating. ;
Group asks the job definition for
exhaust operators under Foreman
IF, Carey. They also ask that Wil-
liam Edwards be rated as an A
exhaust operator since he.is doing
the work of this classification. He
had been promised the upgrade by
the previous foreman, but did not
receive it. The union demands
that management comply with both
of these requests.
Bldg. 273: Salvatore Macherone
is classified as a‘leader with a job
vate of $1.64%,. His group includes
laborers, special laborers and con-
erete finishers, The, latter have a
$1.64 job rate, Under contract ar-
ticle VI-7, the leader is ‘entitled to
a rate 2 steps-above workers in his
group. The union demands that
Macherone be given the $1.73%
rate to which he is entitled. —
Entire inspectors’ group protests
manner in which upgrading is be-
ing handled, that is without re-
gard to service. As an example,
one mait with 12 years service was -
by-passed for upgrading to A in
favor of a man with only 5 years.
The union demands adherence to
seniority provisions of the contract.
Bldg. 285: Group under Foreman
Lawrence protest utilization of day
and piece workers to operate tu
bler. This job should have a red) *
y
lar tumbler operator for safet
sake. The union demands assign-
ment of such an operator.
Racetrack: Assemblers protest
being ordered to do work belong-
_ing to electrical groups, This in-
cludes mounting of motors, switch °
boxes and transformers. The un-
ion demands that this work be as-
signed to electrical groups.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
\ Now THERE'S NOTHING To WORRY ABOUT... You'VE GoT
~ ALONG WITH HIM SO FAR! "
; ,
Stewards
‘Role and Union
-_Gains Aired over WTRY
A roundup of the.duties of a UE Local 301 shop steward,
and a comparison between conditions in the GE Schenectady
works before and since the union was organized were features
of this.week’s UE on the Air radio
broadcasts over WTRY.
The task of defining the duties
of the stewards for the public was .
undertaken Monday by Chief Shop
Steward Bill Mastriani. Mastriani
pointed out that a.5-minute broad-
cast only gave time to touch a few
of the high spots, such as the pro-
cessing of grievarices and the main*
taining of the ties between the un-
ion leadership and the. rank and
file in the shops. “Our shop stew-
ards are the heart of the union,”
Mastriani told his radio audience.
As for the contrast between open
shop and union conditions, this was
handled by Ben Gabriel of Build-
ing 40, a worker with 29 years of
service. Gubrie? told of how he had
come to GE in 1928, and received
40¢ an hour on his first job. “Then,”
Gabriel said, “everything from the
time you came into the shop until
ev) you left was favoritism—upgrad-
ww..2 ‘
Gabriel then described the tight
seniority guarantees which now
protect workers from this favorit-
a C Bay worker now'in Ellis Hos-
pital where doctors are fighting to
save his foot. The foot was crush-
ed under a 262 1b, stud which fell
from a'jib crane. Nine bones in the
worker’s foot were either broken
or crushed,
Grosse probably could have got-
ten out of the way of the falling
stud except for the crowded floor
conditions which made it impossi-
ble for him to step back. Shop
Steward James Brown had been
fighting unsuccessfully to force the
company to take care of this safety
hazard. In fact, the condition still:
has not been corrected.
However, unsafe overcrowding
wasn’t the whole story. Speedup
was equally responsible. Supervis-
ion recently converted the drilling
of deep hole stud job on which
sse worked from day work to
ce work, but the price had been
so tight that the workers couldn’t
make out,
Undoubtedly, this contributed
greatly to the faulty crane lift
which may cost, Hans Grosse, his
foot, But crushed feet don’t show
in the company profit statements.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
idg.273 Man May Lose Foot
Because of SpeedupAccident
Overcrowded conditions combined with a supervision
came to GE, making a complaint
about conditions was practically
signing your own discharge notice,
while now the UE grievance ma-
chinery is set up just to handle
workers’ complaints.
The programs are heard at 6:45
in the morning every day, Monday
through Friday.
joined the union he has gained around 35 head of livestock and
machine and a new stove, and me a bike.”
- Youngster Tells ‘What Union Means’
A 13-year-old son of a Uler, W. Va, oil worker won the $100
first prize in an essay contest sponsored by the Oil Workers Tut.
Union (CIO) for children of its members.
» Prize-winner Homer Lee Conley’s father is a member of Clen-
denin, W. Ya., Local 628 and is employed by U nited Fuel Gas Co.
“Let me tell you. what the union has done for my daddy,”
Homer wrote. “In 1940, the year I was born, Dad worked on WPA.
He got only three days work a week, $2.50 a day, $7.50 a week.
He had to walk better than six miles to his work and back home,
which made. better than 12 miles walking a day. He lived on
rented ground, He couldn’t even afford a imillk cow or a hog.
“In 1951 Dad joined the AFL union and he went to work on
a job at $60 a week, While working, Dad was able to buy. a farm
and four milk cows. When the job was finished, Dad was out of
work, His debts began to go up; he lost some of his cows. Because
Dad wasn’t a union man he was unable to stay on any job very
long at a time. e : :
“In 1947, Dad went to work for the United Fuel Gas Co. He
didn’t join the union, He only got around $60 every two weeks
because he wasn’t a union man. ‘
“He was called a pickup man and only got to work about nine
months out of a year.
“On Nov. 15, 1949, Dad joined the CIO“ Union Local 628 at
Clendenin and he went to work as a steady man for the United
Fuel Gas Co. and since Dad has joined, the union is heaven sent.
His pay check is over $160 for two weeks work and since he has
has bought three trucks and one car and mother a new washing
ing, good jobs, layoffs, everything.” ‘
ism. He also noted that when he |
UE Strikes Balk
Company Attacks
Strikes in 8 widely separated
ateas were being conducted by UE
locals against’ company attempts
to break the unions. _
In Seranton, GE workers remdin-
ed solid in the 2nd month of their
fight, to defend seniority rights
against. management assaults.
Wide community support was build-
ing up for the strikers.
In Northern New Jersey, mem-
bers of Ul Local 488 were picket-
ing 4 plants of the Tung-Sol Co. —
Three thousand workers are in-|
volved in this struggle which re-
volves around company refusal to
pay 2 decent wage increase, and in-
sistence on ‘maintaining discrimin-
ation against women workers. This
was the’ first strike at Tuing-Sol
during the 13 years that its work-
ers have been organized in UE. .
Third on the strike list was
Cleveland’s I. C. Russell plant;
manufacturers of Rusco storm win-
dows. This strike wags forced on
UE Local 785 members by the
company’s all-out campaign to
break UE in the shop, This cam-
paign had started with a manage-
ment-inspired -raid by the ATL.
This raid was beaten by the over-
whelming pro-UE vote of 127 to 27.
However, Russell “management
didn’t give up and tried to do a
job in ‘contract negotiations, com-
pletely refusing to grant any wage
boost.
Administration Double
Talks on Profits Levy
Treasury Secretary George M.
Humphrey presented the Misen-
hower administration’s demand to
the House ways and means com.
mittee June 1 that the excess prof-
its tax be continued another six
months by saying: “I dislike the
excess profits tax and think it is
a bad tax.”
Humphrey went through the mo-
tions of recommending the tax be
continued beyond June 80 to de-
fend America through = military
strength and against economic col-
lapse. He promised, however, that
if Congress extends the tax for an-
other half-year, it will then be
eliminated “once and for all.”
He said it is hoped individual in-
come taxes also cun be reduced aft-
er Jan. 1, i
Friday, June 5, 1953
oe SE 2
Ar SE are
Chicugo--UE Local 1150 mem-
bers have won wage increases of
Ge to lge an hour, and the straight-
ening out of inequities in a wage
reoperer settlement with Lhe Cioud-
w
ss mec emer mn Ay eS TEA SIBLE SEN
Local Files Mass Grievance Asking Higher
Pay and Better Conditions for Toolmakers
UE Local 301 this week filed a mass grievance on behalf of all .toolmakers in the GE
Schenectady works.’ The special grievance docket. filed with.works management stated that
the tool and die workers are “dissatisfied with their present wages and conditions,” and
man Co. The invprovements were
‘won after.the workers. walked. off
their jébs: on the final day ofthe
reopener period. Nepotiations with
Coeodman last year brought an 1 fe
hourly boost.
« &
kK ke Ok
San-Francisco-—Warehouse work-
ers belonging to the International
Longshore and Warehousemen’s:
Union have rejected an employers’
association offer of a Se inerease
and pension improvements. ‘The
action by San Francisco and Oak-
land workers was unanimous.
koko *
New York—A‘ major break-,
through against sex discriminition:
hag been won .by UL Local 1227.
The breakthrough was seored when
the Waldes-Kohinoor management
ugreed to put a trained woman
worker on-as. a maintenance’ ma-
chinist at $1.99 an hour. ‘he wom-
un had been working. as a. piece
worker with average carnings of
$1.60 .
xk ok
New York—CIO brewery work-
ers have approved a 7c to 17%e
hourly pay boost negotiated with
major beer companies in a re-
opener. Approximately 5,500 work-
ers will get the bigger paychecks.
kr ek *
St. Louis—Complete unity of
Fred Medurt workers during a 2-
week strike has paid off to the
tune of 9Ve to 12¢ hourly waye
hoost. The UJ members also got
a number of fringe improvements,
and completely blocked. company
allenipts to weaken the contract.
x we
San Branciseo — AFL bakery
workers have ended a d-day strike
in’ Northern California after the
companies agreed to reduce work-
ing hours from 37% a week to 35°
with no loss in pay. About 11,000
workers ratified the pact.
x * *
Viqua, Ohio--UIE Local 776 has
won an 8¢ wage inecrense for work-
ers ut the Acrovent Pan and Fab-
ricator Co, with an additional de
boost for skilled workers.
k kok
St, Louis—The AFL public. ein.
ployees union has Iaunched a drive
lo organize municipal workers din
this city. The union has assigned
6 organizers to handle the job.
a kar Y 2 4
“NEW STEWARDS, Eight new committeemen and women were sworn in
at the Monday meeting of shop stewards. Those to take the cath were
a
dohn Bailey, Bldg. 273; Stanley. Linder, 273; Raymond Pacifico, 60; Frank
Plominski, $1; Chester Podbielski, 40; George Smith, 49; Eva Van Hoesen,
28; and Sidney Wright, 49. Six of the new stewards are pietured above.
U.S. SURVEY REVEALS:
Work Forces Many Women
To Give Away Their Kids —
Many mothers, driven by ‘sheer economic nécessity into.
defense plants and other-employment, are being’ forced to
.give up their children because there aresno facilities to care
for the youngsters while the
mothers are on the job, a study by
the Labor Dept. Women’s. Bureau
revealed.
Adequate child care facilities for
working mothers was one of the
main points on the program draft+
ed by the reeent UE national wom-
en’s conference. :
The startling disclosure is made
in a booklet, Employed Mothers &
Child Care, based on a study of.
conditions in 28 industrial centers
in 12 stutes. The study said con-
ditions in these arenas are typical’
of defense production centers
throughout the country.
“In almost all areas,” the boolt-
let suid, “the existing agencies (Lor
day care of children) have waiting
sts sometimes two or three times
us great as the capacity for service,
Tn many places these centers are
always overerowded,
‘In some cities an increased de-
mand for foster home care of
children has been noted by. welfare
agencies, and this usually is at-
tributed to the fact that mothers
who have to work are unable to
find .suitable day care.”
The welfare agencies also noted
that increased’ living costs in 1951
und 1952. fareed many mothers who
formerly did-net-work to join: the
labor force. The report showed
. that.many mothers who have work-
4 © Friday, June 5, 1953
ed ure denied unemployment com-
pensation when a change in. hours
or location of work makes it im-
possible for them to continue.
“Mothers were. being disqualified
for unemployment compensation if
they refused to work because, due
to some change in family situation,
location or working hours, they no
longer could find suitable child care
to enable then to continue work-
ing, yet no account was taken of
how their famiiles could subsist
without their wares,” the report
said,
proposed a 5-point program to cor-
rect the situation.
‘The program was that adopt
by the: toolmakers’ meeting at UE
‘hall last week. It calls for a sub-
stantial wage increase; better op-
portunities for apprentice course
graduates; -chances for toolmakers
. not working at their trade to fill
ofenings; limitation of. the ratio of
apprentices to journeymen in the
tool rooms;, and faster upgrading
to the B classification for appren-
tice graduates. :
Presenting the grievance to man-
agement*was an 11-member nego-
tiating committee selected by the
toolmakers’ meeting. This group
consists of R. Alexander, Bldg. 28;
T. Bajer, 17; Neil Dube, 24; Ray
Ellis, 278; Anthony Esposito, 53;
Douglas Gray, 269; R. Keneston,
273; Rudy Kverek, 17; Joseph. —
Krone, 46; John Pettinger, 87; and
Robert Wilson, 28.
The filing of the grievance was
-part of .the’ two-pronged attack
launched by’ UE to raise the rates
of skilled workers. The other front
on which the union is fighting the
battle is the national negotiatin
sessions, One-of Ul’s main. ‘>
mands in current wage talks with
GE is for a special inerease for
skilled workers. ,
Such an increase would have the
effect of raising the low ceilings
on the day work rate structure,
UE’s case for increases for skill-
ed. workers has been greatly
strengthened by the recent 10¢
hourly boost negotiated for skilled
workers in the automobile indus-
try, as well as by increases won in
job shops by. UE Local 155 in
Philadelphia, and by UE and the
AIL machinists in Chieago, De-
troit and Seattle,
LISTENING.-CAREFULLY:-'Lhe back-part-ofthe UB Local 301 Ball during
Monday's shop stewards’ meeting is pictured above. ‘The stewards: are
shown listening attentively to a report on GE negotiations by President
J ames Cognetta,
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Spam maerities Ge eras GRETA
BSAYSTOGE
- $TOP THE SPEED-UP!
“| N THE SUMMER, girls fall out each and every day from exhaustion ... Several girls,
in our department have disabled arms and- had to be taken off the machines."
This indictment of today's speed up is made by a GE woman worker at the Cleve-
land GE Lamp Plant. This UE member was only one of several women from the plant who
spoke up at the UE National Women's Conference and bitterly attacked the speed-up.
Said another UE member:.
“We are expected to put out 8,000 to 9,000.lamps a day.
If you go to the washroom more than twice and if the boss
catches you he asks, 'Why are you taking so many rest peri-
ods? You're only allowed two a day.' We tell him ‘it's hot,'
and he says ‘It's all‘in your mind,'" .
The experience of these two GE workers in Cleveland _
is typical of men and women workers in GE plants across the |
_ country. It is GE policy carried out by its managers and fore-.
men to get the maximum work out of GE workers.’
GE Speed-Up Means GE Profits
There is no mystery why GE, like other companies, speeds
up workers. Speed-up: means profits. GE made $416,000,000 in 1952, almost $2,000 on
every employee and over $2,500 on every production worker. This is a lot of money and
explains why GE pays little attention to the health of its workers. The union is. the: only
defender against the company drive for speed-up and profits.
GE Exploits Our Productivity
Since 1939 productivity in General Electric has risen’78 per cent per worker. Our
real annual wages have increased only 21°% based upon the phony BLS index. Actually
UE estimatés a DECREASE in real annual wages. Here is the source of tremendaus pro-
fits. No wonder that since 1939 GE has increased its assets by 303%, and its sales by
562%. Next to Westinghouse GE has grown faster than any other corporation in Amer-
ica. GE assets and GE profits have come literally out of the life of the-workers.
Exhausting speedup is'a constant threat to our health. It is inexcusable.
Exhausting speedup for exorbitant profits is outrageous.
UE SAYS: STOP THE SPEED-UP!
{see other side)
issued by
UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO AND MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA (UE)
Eleven East 51 Street... “s : eae ow New-York 22,.N.-¥,
UE Publication No, 2596
wR 164 6SAt-5-53
Printed ia U.S, A,
