Electrical Union News, 1947 April 25

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS _

April 18, 1947_

Turbine Division
To Meet Tuesday
About Speed-Up

The prolonged deadlock over the pro-
posed carboloy tool speed-up in the Tur-
bine Division will be placed before a
special meeting of the membership of
the entire division Tuesday, Apr. 22, at

-the union-hall.. The.meeting--will-_be_held.
in two parts, at 1 p.m. and 4:15 p.m,, to
“make attendance possible for all shifts..

Division committeemen had an emerg-
ency session Apr. 11 at which they un-
animously agreed on a resolution to rec-
ommend to next Tuesday’s meeting. This
resolution would serve notice that the
Turbine Division workers “will refuse to
perform any of the disputed work at re-
duced prices until the price-setting for-
mula is revised satisfactorily.” It would
pledge “the full backing of the entire
force in the Turbine Division to the ma-
chine operators in refusing to perform
any work at reduced prices until this is
settled.” ‘

What specific form the support of the
Turbine Division. workers would take
was left for discussion at the special
meeting.

Threat to Whole Division

Committeemen, in their session Apr,

Il, pointed out that a speed-up without
inereased earnings would be a threat to
all day workers as well as piece workers
in the division.

The resolution declares;

“The General Electric Co. proposes to
‘establish a speed-up in the Turbine Di-
vision in connection with the use of car-
boloy tools on machine operations, and
this speed-up will greatly increase pro-
duction as. well as increase the strain of
machine operation upon the workers. It
also will virtually remove any incentive
feature from. the work.

_Union Proposals

“Local 301, through the Turbine Di-
vision representatives, has asked that,
as a very moderate and partial compen-
sation for this speed-up and increased
production, when carboloy tool speed-ups
are introduced, the company either put
the jobs on day work at present aver-
age earnings, or restore the incentive by
revising the price-setting formula so as
to allow the possibility of a reasonable
increase in earnings. The company has
refused to discuss such a revision, and
this case has now been discussed all the
way through the grievance procedure of
the contract without progress.”

MAKE THE GE PLANT
100 PER CENT UNION

Dancing at First Section N ight Party at 301 Hall

There will be a scene like this every Friday night at 301 Hall, during the series of
weekly: section. night programs arranged by the Activities Committee. This picture
was taken at the first affair, for niembers in Bldgs. 18, 18A, 40 and 40B. The parties
have beiin shifted from Wednesday to Friday. Tonight’s event will be for workers
in Anthony Villano’s section, Bldgs. 5 and 7, and in Albert Davis’, Bldgs. 2, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10, 11, 12, 22, 28, 24, 25, 26 and 28. The program will include movies and refresh-

ments.

Organizing Drive

New applications for membership

handed in during the organizing drive .

totaled 408 as of Wednesday.

Richard A. Nielson, Bldg. 69, is still
No. 1 man in the campaign with 20 mem-
berships to his credit. There’s-a three-
man tie for second place, among George
Judway, Bldg. 18, Francis Hiller, Bldg.
285 and Martin J. Stanton, . Bldg. 69.
Each of the three has signed up 10 per-
sons.

Four committeemen were added to the
honor roll for having 100 per cent union
membership in the groups they repre-
sent: Neilson, Bldg. .69; Peter Nowicki,
Bldg. 40; Anthony J, Esposito, Bldg. 53;
and Cecil Haskel, Bldg. 73.

Good News

Albert E, Davis, trustee and Board
member, has recovered from a serious
illness.

Still No Money Talk
From GE Company

General Electric Co. has still made no
offer on “money” questions, Leo Jand-
reau’s latest report on 1947 GE-UE con-
tract negotiations disclosed.

Because Jandreau had to be in New
York City to negotiate, his written re-
port was read to the Tuesday night
membership meeting by President And-
rew Peterson.

‘The GE Conference Board, represent-
ing all GE locals in the country, will be
called into session Wednesday, April 23,
in New York while negotiations con-
tinue. The group will stay in session
through the end of the week to receive

daily reports on the contract sessions.

Jandreau reported that GE has made
no offer on a general wage increase, paid
holidays, extra week’s vacation for long
service men, or a minimum pension
guarantee. Progress hag been: made in
clearing up some lesser points,

ci ta

T

HE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL,

RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA—LOCAL 301 CIO

Vol. 5—No. 2

SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK

NOW! rest rime.

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es The 600,000 Men
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UNITED ELECTRICAL RADIO
& MACHINE WORKERS of
_ AMERICA, CIO -

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€) Cancer Drive

The Local 301 committee in charge of
the cancer fund drive reported Tuesday
night that 90 of the 400 collection cans
have been turned over to. the Schenee-:
tady County campaign group.

April 25, 1947

301 Campaign Against Hartley Bill

Turns To Senate: Wires Sent ives

_, rhe drive of Local 301 and other unions to kill the anti-labor Hartley Bill -has
shifted from the House of Representatives, which passed this Omnibus Bill by an
overwhelming vote last week, to the Senate.

Telegrams, postals and letters are pouring into Washington from Schenectady
demanding that U. S. Senator Irving M. Ives (Republican) vote against the Hart-

ley Bill when it comes up in the Senate.

The attack. is also directed against the

Senate Taft Bill, which is ballyhooed as “milder” but has the same underlying
purpose as the Hartley Bill — to destroy labor unions, a 8

The third step in the fight against the

vicious anti-labor legislation is to urge

President Truman to veto these specific
bills and all other anti-union measures,
First reports from Board members
show that over 1,000 members of Local
301 have already signed their names and
addresses to telegrams of protest against
the bills, and given a ‘dime toward the
cost of having their shop committeemen
send the group wires. . 3
Condemn Kearney

The Schenectady C10 Coordinating
Committee condemned a statement is-
sued by Representative Bernard Kear-
ney in support of the Hartley Bill. Con-
gressmen Kearney of Gloversville and
Dean Taylor of Troy, both Republicans,
voted for the bill. Representative Wil-
liam T, Byrne of Albany, Democ Mat,
elected with ALP support, opposed it.

Plans are underway for a community
rally as a demonstration against _the
anti-labor bills. The special planning
comsrittee, named by Local 301 for the

nt legislative emergency, and the

Coordinating Committee huve dis-
cussed arrangements for the meeting
with AFL and railway union officials
and with citizen’s groups, The meeting
will be at 7:30 pm. Tuesday at PNA
Hall, 747 Crane St

United Labor Action

A request has been made of Station
WGY by CIO, AFL and railway union
officials for free time to present labor's
point of view in a joint program.

The letter was signed by Robert
Northrop, secretary-treasurer of the
Capital Districts CIO Council; Joseph
Keefe, president of Albany Central Fed-
eration of Labor, and Frank Columbus,
legislative director of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers.

At least 200 GE pensioners attended
a special meeting of the UE-CIO 301
Pension Organization Monday to map a

Organizing ‘Drive

William Stewart, chairman of the Lo- *.

cal 801 organizing drive, addressed sev--,
eral section committeemen’s meeting's
recently on the need of continuing the
membership campaign past May 1, He
pointed out that complete, plantwide or- .
ganization is vital if grievances are to
be settled satisfactorily and wage ad-
justments made,

Membership applications up to Tues-
day night totaled 441. Richard A. Niel-
son, Bldg. 69, still. had the outstanding
individual vecord for signing up work-
ers, With 21 cards to his credit. George
Judway, Bldg...18, was second with 15
and Francis Hiller, Bldg, 285, and Mar-
tin J. Stanton, Bldg. 69, were tied for
third place with 10 each.

I. C. Kriss, Bldgs. 98 and 97, is the

- latest addition to the honor roll for 100%

union membership in the groups he rep-
resents.

Section Night May 16

The next section night program at 301
Hall will be May 16 for members in
RLM, 1-C., Tube and Welded Products.
The Activities’ Committee has planned
dancing, refreshments, movies of Joe
Louis’ championship fights and other en-
tertainment,

campaign to fight the anti-labor legis-
lation. They are’ concerned about. the
threat to their pension rights and claims.
The mecting sent telegrams to Wash-
ington on the bills.

William Mastriani and Milo Lathrop,
representing UL District 8, went to
Washington Tuesday’ to take” part ih a
national CIO legislative campaign, ~

2

ELECTRICAL UNION. NEWS

April 25, 1947

GE Contract Talks
Still In Progress

As GE contract negotiations were re-
sumed this week in New York City,
James M. Matles, UE director of or-
ganization, declared the union’s recent
settlements with Westinghouse Electric
Corp and the electrical division of Gen-
eral Motors Corp. set the pattern for
the country.

These agreements won wage ‘increases

--of 15> eents an hour for-UE.-workers. In
both cases, there is a general increase
of 11% cents and the remainder is used
to cover six paid holidays and other
gains. The Westinghouse agreement
eovering 75,000 employes, is retroactive
to April 1. Westinghouse workers will
get a third week of vacation after 20
years service.

U. S. Steel, which like GE is part of
the Morgan financial set-up, this week
reached a settlement with the United
Steelworkers--of- America, GIO, on the
same 15 cent an hour basis. There is a
flat raise of 12% cents and the 2% cents
remaining is spread over various other
items. — F

The General Electric Conference Board -
of UE was summoned to New York.
Wednesday to ‘remain in _ session
throughout the rest of the week. Presi-
dent Andrew Peterson and Treasurer
Marshall White went from Schenectady.
Leo Jandreau, the third 301 representa-
tive, was already in New York as a
member of the national UE negotiating

. committee.

GE President Charles E. Wilson, in
addressing a stockholders meeting re-
cently, overlooked the company’s record
‘of trailing behind other employers.

He said that “as a by-product of our
traditional policy of paying equal or
better wages on the average for a given
-classification’ of work in any community;
on which we have a plant, we necessarily
become subject to a national wage pat-
tern.”

MAKE YOUR SHOP
100 PER CENT UE

‘ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

Unirep EvectricaL, Rapio & Macuing
Workers or America, CIO
Scrunvatapy GE Locan 301

= GP
Published by the Editorial Committee

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

Editorial Office - Blectrical Union News

301 Liberty St - Schenectady, N. Y.
SCHENECTADY PRINTING CO INC.

aaa

4

Paraplegic Fund Drive
Collects Over $1,237

Local 301 had collected $1,237.91 by
Wednesday for the Schenectady Para-
plegie Fund. ; :

-The largest amount turned in by any
section was $272.85 by Alfred Pelrah’s.
Sections of the following Board mem-
bers contributed as follows: Willard Ku-
schel, $202; James Cognetta, $199; Le-
land Sisto, “$145.80; “Eugene LeMoine,
$187.25;. Henry Busse, $129.16; William
Stewart, $141.10, and Albert Davis,
$1125.

Some sections had made no report yet
and several of those listed have many
committeemen still to report.

Third Shift Grievance
Heads Toward New York

The deadlocked dispute over working
hours of the third shift in the Turbine

Division will be sent to-the-New-York~

level, along with the carboloy-tool speed-
up controversy.

Workers of the Turbine Division voted
in favor of this action Tuesday and
passed a vesolution supporting the com-
plaint of the third shift about having to
work five hours Saturday mornings be-
yond their usual quitting time.

Leland Stowe Program

To Be Heard on WSNY

Local “801 has arranged for Station
WSNY to carry the Leland Stowe broad-

“cost sponsored by national UE and

‘scheduled for 7:30 p.m. every Wednes-
day. Otherwise many thousands: of
Schenectady listeners, who don’t get
WABY clearly on their radios, would
miss out on the famous liberal com-
mentator’s news analysis. The first
broadcast was to be Wednesday, after
this week’s issue of BU News went to
press:

Thursday Payday -

All second. shift switchboard operators
in Bldg, 18F and all other second shift
workers under Foreman Eckert now get
their pay checks Thursday instead of
Friday. The change ‘was made as the re-
sult of a grievance case brought by the
union,

To Represent 301

President Andrew. Peterson has ap-
pointed Lorna Engst, Bldg. 24, to rep-
resent Local 801 on the board of the
Schenectady Family. Service.Bureau.

Protest Is Renewed —
On Farmed Out Work

During a grievance meeting with
General Superintendent Louis Male,
President Andrew Peterson of Local
301 last Friday renewed his protest

against GE farming out work normally

done in Svhenectady to other plants.
Male had not answered a letter Peterson
wrote him.on the subject. °

GE lets out work if room is not avail-

sable. in Schenectady or necessary ma-

terial is not here, Male told the griev-
ance committee, headed by Peterson.

Male insisted that GE. doesn’t send
work elsewhere unless management feels
there is enough work for the Schenec-
tady employes to do.

Lost time is sometimes necessary be-
cause of lack of materials, according to
Male, but such a situation has “nothing

to do” with sending work out of Sche-..

nectady. Male said he could not give the
assurance Peterson asked that present

practices of farming out work would be |

ended-

Peterson warned Male that when
workers aie sent home because of lack
of work, and they know work has been
sent out of Schenectady, a bad condition
exists and the company, must expect
protests. He declared that the company
has sent home worke1's and at the same
time farmed out the type work these
employes are in the habit of doing.

Disruptive Faction
Ordered to Disband
The General Executive Board of UE
recently went on record as condemning
the “disruptive activity” of the so-called
“UE Committee for Democratic Action”
and calling on the group to dissolve.
The GEB called the “Committee for
Democratic Action” a “dual movement
organized by people. outside of the: UE
for the purpose of carrying on disrup-
tive activity within the UE.” The GEB

pointed out that the group ignores local -

union district and international UE con-
stitutions and “defies decisions of the
international convention.”

Workers Okay Offer

In Machinists' Case
Machinists and toolmakers in a big

meeting last week voted to accept
the company’s offer in the machinists’
wage case. The raises will take effect
as soon as the company completes the
details.

Covered in the case are the machinists
in Machine Repair and the machine oper-
‘ators and machinists in tool rooms.

April 25, 1947

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

*

Appeals Committee Hears Complaints on Handli

—

Here’s a picture snapped at a weekly session of the Local 301
Grievance Committee, the union’s court for hearing the com-
plaint of any member dissatisfied with the way a -grievaice
has been handled. A member with a complaint is standing in
front of the group, while two others await their turn. Serv-
ing on the committee are, left to right, Board Member Albert
Davis, President Andrew Peterson, Chief Shop Steward Wil-

involved, at 1 pm.

liam Mastriani and Board Member Alfred Pelrah. The. presi-
dent, chief shop steward and recording secretary are perman-
ent members of the committee and two-other Board ‘members
are named each week. Helen Quirini, recording secretary, was
unable to be present "for this pieture. The comnittee hears
appeals at 4 p.m. every Friday and if a second shift worker is

First to Report
Sending Wires

Here is an incomplete list of com-
mitteemen who have sent group tele-
grams for the workers they represent
to oppose the Hartley Bill. The names
were the first handed in by-Board mem-
bers. Next week's EU News will carry
others. . tate

Catherine Van Wert and Anthony
Esposito, Bldg. 53, both reported by
Board Member Esposito.

Henry Busse’s section: Busse, Arthur
Bertini and Gerald DiSorbo, Bldg. 68;
William Hodges, Bldg. 72; H. Kaminski,
Bldg. 76 and ‘Woodrow J. Elting, Bldg.
84.

Willard Kuschel’s section: Frank
Emspak, Bldg. 46 and most committee-
men of Bldgs. 42 and 46.

William Stewart’s section: Stewart,
Fred Sefcovic, Ralph Pigeon, Roy Ry-
chick, Roy Lash, A. McNally and Robert
Schulenburg, Bldg. 60, and Leland Bell-
inger, W. Spellman, J. Hay and Ernest
Fainelli, Bldg. 49. ‘

Albert Davis’ section: Davis, Bldg.
28, and Vincent Iovinella, Bldg. 10.

Leland Sisto’s section: Sisto, Stanley

Dewey Gives Millions
To Largest Employers

Governor Dewey last week signed the
Young-Demo Dill handing 118 million
dollars from the Unemployment Insur-
ance Fund to large companies as tax
rebates. .

Big Business has tried for years to
get its fingers on the fund: through a

“merit-rating” bill like the one..Dewey.

i
i

okayed.

Southern Drive

There are now 14 full-time and part-
time representatives of UE organizing
in the south. Their work is an import-
ant part of the whole CIO Operation
Dixie.
Aldhous, Norman Fink
Fernandez, Bldg. 269.

and Manuel

A. J. Spears’ section: Fred Pacelli, .

Bldg. 101, a

Alfred Pelrah’s section: William Mas-
triani, Bldg. 73.

James Cognetta’s section: Cognetta,
and Hugh Mackey, Bldg. 52, and Henry
Fazzone, Bide. 66.

Stanley Bishop’s

section: Joseph
Whitbeck, Bldg. 69. :

GE Profits High
In First Quarter

General Wlectrie Co. has yveportéd’
$16,763,650 net profit for the ~three
months ending Mar.-31. This figure is
unusually high, far above all estimates
published in advance by the ‘eompany.

President Charles I. Wilson of. GE
told stockholders the company’s per-
formance in the first quarter of 1947 is
evidence “ot the dynamic pattern for
the year.” In other words, he expects
the profits to keep mounting.

He said that in January and Febru-
ary the sales of products made in the
company's largest manufacturing de-
partment were two and three-quarter
times those for the same two months in
1910. Turbine sales ‘for those two
months were more than twice those for
the same period in 1940 and sales of .
other transportation. equipment were
nearly three times as large:

Only in refrigerators does GE lack “a
few percentage” points of equalling the
pre-war figure,” according to Wilson.
He blamed the steel shortage for keep-
ing down production. of refrigerators,