4
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
December 5, 1946
GE Refuses to Raise Low Piece Work Rates;
‘Committee to Discuss Next Step This Week.
The special committee of representatives of workers on low-rated piece work
jobs will meet this week at the union hall to consider the company’s attitude in
refusing to raise-the AER's of these jobs.
While making minor concessions on piece work day rates, A. C, Stevens, «
agsistant to the general superintendent, said the company ‘did not recognize the
———-production=workers'- hourly..rate—minimum..as..applying._to_piece work: H
admitted that the plant minimum for experienced hourly production workers
was 894% cents, but-said the piece workers’ jobs were. different.
The union committee charged that,
“the AER's of 8914 cents and 95% cents
discriminated against the women on
these jobs by failing to apply the 15
percent incentive factor.in favor of
these piece workers.’ Stevens claimed
the lower-rated piece work jobs did not
bear the same relation to hourly-paid
jobs as in the more skilled brackets.
It is the union’s contention that the
company has in fact recognized an
hourly job rate of 89% cents for the
lowest-skilled production’ job. Stevens
said that for an AER of 8914 cents, the
company considered there was a ‘‘the-
oretical” hourly rate of 80% cents, but
— would actually maintain this on waiting
time only, and would pay 86% and 89%
cents as piece work day work. He
also said the company was “consider-
ing” vaising the piece work hiring-in
rate from 75 cents to 77% cents for
the lowest-rated jobs, which. would
mean a “breaking-in” rate of 87% cents
instead of the present 85 cents for per-
sons transferred for lack of work.
Stevens said that when a committee-
man Showed that the breaking-in per-
iod was inadequate for a certain job,
it would -be lengthened.
The union was represented by Anth-
ony Esposito, Grace Friello, Virginia
Murphy, Lucy Zeppetelli, Betty Roberts,
-Lucy Swatling, and Albert Raymond,
Bldg. 58; Stanley Bishop, Martin Stan-
ton, and Peter Miller, of 69; Helen:
Quirini, of 81; Lucy De Carlo, Con-
stance Wrex, and Stella Stankavich, of
89; and Leland F, Sisto and Frances
Manna, of 269. They were assisted by
President Andrew Peterson and Victor
Pasche, assistant to the business agent.
Four members “of the committee were
unable to attend.
National ClO Radio Program
The national CIO is back on the air
with a series of broadcasts from 1 to
1:80 p.m, every Sunday. over the NBC.
network. ,
Future, programs aow being planned
will include roundtable discussions of
housing, wages and prices.
Trustees for 1947
; Edward Tanski_
Albert Davia
Brothers
Davis and Kelly
were reelected
trustees of.
Local 301
and Brother Tanski
willbe
installed for
the first time
in J .
James Kelly iy fanaary
Union Wins Raises
For 7 Steelworkers
Raises of five cents each were
won for seven men through a re-
cent grievance action, bringing
them to the Class A Steelworker
job rate of $1.3885. They were
represented by Committeemen
John Keeler and Philip I. Bubb,
assisted by Board Member A. J.
Spears.
The men had been classed for
months as A steelworkers, but
were paid five cents an hour less
because they were assigned chief-
ly to welding work. The union
insisted on their right to be paid
for their classification,
Similar. grievance cases are be-
ing pressed by the union for nine
other men. ‘
if These Are Low Profits
Then What is Prosperity?
GE’s undistributed profits are up from
$169,000,000 in 1939 to $258,000,000
today — but company advertisements
and Works News statements complain
of low profits.
—Government-reports_say_workers
wages are dropping, but GI says work- .
ers’ wages are up higher than the cost of
living.
What's the explanation of all these
contradictory statements?
it Hes in the remarkable way GE
propaganaa uses figures in its drive to
mislead the workers and the rest of the
public in the current discussion of wag-
es and living costs.
That was a very pretty chart the
Works News ran, and many readers
probably got the impression that GE
was actually losing money. The GE's
statement as to profits for a short per-
iod depends on all kinds of factors that
are—hard-to~cheek;such~as~inventory"-——"
figures, construction figures, the hold-
back by the company during the fight
on OPA, tax refunds under the carry-
back law, ete. But even the company’s
own claim is that it is making 5 per-
cent as much profit as in 1940, and in
1940 the company made better than
16.5 percent on total investment. Even
half of that is a very handsome return,
by any business man’s standards.
Take the company’s other claims—
Says GE -— average wages have gone
up 55 percent since 1940. The fact is
that total wages increases, including
group adjustments such as those for the
toolmakers, average 38 cents.. That is
a whole lot less than 55 percent.
Says GE — cost of living has gone
up only 45.7 percent. A visit to the
store will tell any worker that is non-°
sense. The actual increase is well over
60 pereent, =
The GE statement that wages have
gone up faster than the cost of living
is the exact opposite of the truth.
Statisticians are paid to make figures
show what their employers want, GI’s
profit figures are considered in relation
to investment, And behind all the talk
of wanting a “fair profit,” is the fact
that over the years GE manages to get
a rate of profit, after all taxes, of more
than 13 percent.
The: prettiest fairy tale of all is tha
GI's “246,687 owners.” Yes, it has
that many stockholders, But GE is
nicely controlled by the House of Mor-
gan and its high-salaried representa-
tives in the GE management,
THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA—LOCAL 301 CIO
VOL. III—No. 35
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
December 12, 1946
The Local 301 Election Committee at its all-night job of sort-
Whatajob;and No Overtime! Pay! Election Commi ittee. Works.Long Hours-
ate
committee which was elected at a 301 Membership meeting
ing and counting ballots at 301 Hall in the annual union Nov. 17. The group represented the interests of all candi-
election of general officers. They took a few minutes off
now and then for coffee and sandwiches and to answer tele-
phone calls from their wives.. William Stewart headed the
dates on both slates and came from all parts of the plant.
See Page 3 for the committee's unanimous statement on the
orderly, democratic way in which. the election was conducted.
Slight Progress Reported
in Building Trades Case
Discussion of the building trades dis-
pute at the national level made slight
progress here last’ week, when J. W.
Burnison, of the national management
labor relations staff, refused to grant
the 10-cent raise won for the electric-
ians and steamfitters to the other trades,
but improved the previous offer a. lit-
tle. He said the five-cent offer would
be paid to B mechanics as well as those
at the top, and that it would include the,
pipe coverers and machine tool fitters,
previously excluded. He still refused to
inelude the glaziers.
_The ‘union committee picked by the
building trades representatives to meet
with Burnison in Building 2 stood on
the 10-cent demand, and also demanded
arate of $1.14% for helpers when in-
vestigation showed that was the rate
paid helpers in the Pittsfield and Lynn
plants. Burnison said he wanted to
look into that question. He flatly op-
" (Continued oti Page 2)
settee const late imp nt
Children's Xmas Party
At Union Hall Dec. 22
A Christmas party for children
will be given at the Union hall,
301 Liberty St. from 3 p.m, to
G6 pm. Sunday, Dec. 22. The
party continues a union custom
which was dropped temporarily
during the war,
Miss Belle Baxter will have
charge of the entertainment pro-
gram. There will be gifts and re-
freshments for the young guests.
The Activities Committee of which
Lanson L. Cole is chairman has
charge of the affair. Detailed
plans for the party will be made
at a meeting of the committee at’
~8 pam ‘Monday night at the union
hall.
301 On Air
Don’t forget the weekly union radio
program, the Local 301 broadeast every
Monday at 7:15>p.m: over WSNY,
Executive Board
Chosen for1947
Voting conducted this month among
Local 801 shop committeemen for Board
members to serve during 1947 resulted
in the election of five new Board mem-
‘bers and the reelection of 11 now serv-
ing. The Board will also include seven
recently elected general. officers of the
union.
James Cognetta defeated John Sac-
cocio, present Board member, as Board
representative of Bldgs. 52, 64 and 66.
Brother Cognetta is a Bldg. 62 commit-
teeman,
Alfred J. Pelrah, a Bldg. 64 commit-
teeman for five years, won the Board
‘seat now held by John Boyle, represent-
‘ing Bldgs. 64 front end, 67, 71, 78, 76,
77, 79, 234 and 29, Brother Pelrah
is chairman of the Local 301 Price Con-
trol Committee.
George Judway, committeeman in
Bldg. 18 for three years, carried the
(Continued on Page. 2) :
é
~ ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS)
December 12, 1946
Executive Board
Chosen for 1947
(Continued from Page 1)
election against John (Myers, Board
member, to represent Bldgs. 18, 18A, 40
and 40B. Brother Judway has served
on the Local 301 Election. Committee
for the past two years.
_.._Mary McCartin, committeewoman in
Bldg. 28 and formerly committeewoman
in Bldg. 89, was elected representative
to the Board for women at large,
: The fifth new Board member is Anth-
~ ony Villano, who has been an acting
Board member and shop chairman of
Bldgs. 5 and 37. He will represent
these buildings and the Campbell Ave.
Plant.
Reelected Board members are: Anth-
ony Esposito, representing Bldgs. 53,
65 and 69, Dewey Brashear, Bldgs. 81
and 89; Leland Sisto, Bldgs. 59, 269,
278 and 285; Charles Ferris, Bldgs. 13,
18F, 61, 68, 259, 265, 52 Patrol, 11
Electric; A. 8. Spears, Bldgs, 57, 87, 91,
‘96; 9845-B;-C; _D;-99:4;-By-101;'105;-107--~
Also Henry Busse, Bldgs. 68, 70J, 72,
76, 80, 84, 227, 288, 241; Willard Ku- .
schel, Bldgs. 42, 46, 48, 50; Michael
Tedisco, Bldgs. 14, 15, 16, 17, 19; Al-
bert Davis, Bldgs. 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,
12, 22, 23, 24, 26, 26, 28; William Stew-
art, 49 and 60, and Eugene Le Moine,
85, 98, 97, 109.
No Immediate Relief
Seen for GE Lay-Offs
Approximately 3500 GE workers were
still laid-off at the Schenectady plant
because of the ban on industrial gas
when EU News went to press this week,
Reports from the New York Power
and Light Corporation indicated that
the utility may-not. declare the indus-
trial gas emergency at an end for a
week or 10 days.
The brown-out order on electricity
has been lifted but the New: York Pow-
er and Light has entire authority to
say how long the industrial gas restric-
tions will be in effect, under an order
of the Civil Production Administration,
‘ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Unrrep Exvecrricat, Rapio & Macwint
Workers or America, CIO
Scurenreorapy GE Loaan 301
p>
Published by the Editorial Committee -
Dewey Brashear Ray Flanigan —
William Mastriani
Editorial Office ~ Electrical Union News
801 Liberty St. - Schenectady, N.Y.
SCHENECTADY PRINTING COs tN cere
Why Not Appoint Him
U.S. Secretary of Labor?
President Charles E. Wilson of
General Electric is chairman of
the new Civil Rights Committee
appointed: by President Truman to
fight intolerance and recommend
laws to strengthen civil liberties!
|—....-Perhans..his—interest— in. civil
rights is something he developed
since last winter, when UE mem-
bers were ‘clubbed by Philadelphia
police for peacefully parading in
protest against an anti-strike in-
junction obtained by GE.
Slight Progress Reported
In, Building Trades Case
(Continued from Page 11)
posed any apprenticeship system’ for
the helpers.
Union Suggests Arbitration
The union committee suggested arbi-
trating the whole dispute, to which
Burnison said he would give a definite
reply later, but that he thought the
company would refuse, even though he
realized that failure to settle the dis-
pute might mean trouble. He also said’
the company would refuse to meet with
a conciliator. He said he thought he
could work out a solution to the question
of regulating outside contracts.
The union committee in the negotia-
tions included Albert Spears, Ernest
Hill, Bennie Ford, Keith Rockwell,
Charles Nitsche, Charles Danes, John
Keeler, and Ernest Johnson, all commit-
teemen, International Representatives
Joseph ‘Dermody and Joseph Turkowski,
Leo Jandreau, business agent, and Vic-
tor Pasche, assistant.
“The whole building trades committee
was prepared to meet again as soon as
there was a definite reply from the com-
pany on the arbitration issue.
The tinsmiths’ group met Monday
night and voted to withhold taking a
stand pending a definite reply. They
voted also to reject a proposed Class C
for tinsmiths and demand that helpers
doing some mechanics’ work be given
the starting rate for B tinsmiths and
classed as such.
$200 Donation
A donation of $200 was voted by the
« Dee. 8 membership meeting of Local
801 to the CIO United Furniture Work-
ers at Granville, who have won a six-
week strike against the Telescope Fold-
ing Furniture Co, :
New Committeemen
Sworn Into Office
A total of 51 men and women recent-
ly took their oaths of office as shop
committeemen of Local 301. Nine were
sworn in at the committeemen’s and
membership meeting Dec. 3 and 42 at
the Nov. 12 committeemen’s meeting.
---——Those-sworn-last-week-were:——--—--—---__--—----
J. C. Richtmeyer .. ..Bldg. 738A
Mary Garcia Bldg. 58
Pauline Freeman... -Bldg. 285
John E. Epting .... Bldg. 84
Joseph T. O'Connor ... Bldg. 285
J. M. Hart .
John. R. Mott .
Kenneth Hale
John Terry ......
The November group was:
_W. Tyndall :
Matthew Shearer .....
Wesley Alexander ...
Joseph Mangino ....
Theodore Griffith ...Bldg. 60
Fred Sefcovie .. ...Bldg. 60
F. Colomarino .. Bldg. 60
Mrs, Jean LuBrant ... Bldg. 285
Joseph Whitbeck —.....
D. F. Devereaux . eB:
L, C. Shannon .. .Bldg. 285
Louis Hofer ... ~Bldg. 285
Lawrence Parker : 10
Martin S. Burgess ...
Ralph D. Pipe ‘ 52
Raymond DeWire 66
Arthur Bertini ... 68
A. J. Batkiewiez . 52
James Lucarello .... a 81
Ralph Pigeon
I. H. Brennan ..
Edward Drevs ..
Helen Nichols ..
Naney Madonna .
Donald Siskind ...
Alan H. .Seward ..
Audna M. Pitcher
Anthony Pivacek ..
William Przezdiecki .
Carl FP. Ossenfort ..
George A. Pelletier ..
Clifford J, Leger ...
Roubine J. Leger
_ Morton L, Milkins .
Joseph A. Hils ...:
S. Dinardo
Leon Jeroszko .
Edwin G. Coon Bldg. 49
N. Capozucco .. Bldg. 86
Paul J. Landolfo -Bldg, 285
John L. Glunz .... Bldg. 89
IM. Picoazi no... ceesssessseneeesees Bldg..78
On Activities Committee
Gordon Belgrade is a new member of
the Local 801 Activities Committee,
Bldg. 89
Bldg. 67
Bldg. 57
Bldg. 16
Bldg. 42
Bldg. 89
eeasezeaaess Bldg. 60
.Bldg. 81
...Bldg. 60.
“<1 December 12, 1946
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Local 301 Election
Orderly, Democratic,
Committee Declares
The entire Election Committee sign-
_ed the following statement to the mem-
bership of Local..801 after making the
official report on election results.
1947 Assistant Secretary
Has Active Union Record
Lillian Bliss, who was elected assist-
ant recording secretary of Local 301
at the general election Dec. 2, has been
a committeewoman for several years in
Bldg. 68. During the strike last win-
ter she had an outstanding record for
picket duty and for her work on the
“The Election Committee wishes to
thank the members of Local 801 ‘for
their active participation in making the
election a fine expression of union loy-
alty and interest.
“Despite the turmoil caused by sud-
rden lay-offs, the 7,812 votes set an all-
time record vote, exceeding by a wide
margin the.votes cast in wartime when
the working force was double the pres-
ent time. It is clear that the many
problems faced by the union since the
end of the war have brought increased
interest in the union by the ‘member-
ship. :
Orderly Election :
“The election was orderly throughout.
It set an example of living union democ-
racy:
“The Election Committee consisted of
active supporters of both slates of can-
didates, about equally divided between
the two. This. year, the Committee-
men’s meeting accepted all Election
Committee members nominated by sup-
porters of both sides. The Election
Committee report was unanimous. Re-
gardiess of individual feelings as to the
outcome, all members of the committee
are happy over the conduct of the elec-
tion and the big vote cast,
Full Committee Signs
“John Pasquarella, Bldg. 285; Sam-
uel Scott, Bldg. 285; Lawrence L. Gébo,
Bldg. 89; Peter A. Sorenson, Bldg. 49;
“Martin S. Burgess, Bldg, 52; Pred Pa-
celli, Bldg. 101; Mary M. McCartin,
Bldg. 28; Raymond F. Wagner, Bldg.
28; William G. Weber, Bldg. 5; G. D.
Judway, Bldg, 18; W. A. Fisher, Bldg.
81; L. F. Sisto, Bldg. 269; John Kasitch,
Bldg. 58; Frank Emspak, Bldg. 46;
Ralph Pannone, Bldg. 269; J. J. Cognet-
ta, Bldg. 52; John Green, Bldg. 66;
Dewey Brashear, Bldg. 89; Jack Wou-
tila, ‘Bldg, 28; Rudolph Ellis, Bldg. 46;
Walter I, Plummer, Bldg. 60; Enoch
Wassell, Bldg. 77; Anthony J. Esposito,
Bldg. 58; William O. Young, Bldg. 273;
William A. Stewart (Chairman), Bldg.
60; Fred W. Cameron, Bldg. 49; Audna
M. Pitcher, Bldg. 89; Donald Palmer,
Bldg. 17; Clifford J. Leger, Bldg. 50;
William A. Downs, Bldg. 15; Stephen
Lasak, Bldg. 28, and Joseph Rotunda,
Bldg. 78.”
~aganda’ in “Works News.
‘national UE News gives facts and fig-
She aided in the Red Cross blood don-
or drive during the war and has taken
on part in many union
and civic activities,
Her job is running
a glazing machine
in the Porcelain De-
partment and she is
a member of the
board of directors
of the Porcelain De-
partment Federal
Credit Union.
Her picture was
not received by EU
News last week in-
time to be run with
Lillian Bliss that of Helen Quir-
ini, newly elected recording secretary.
,HU News next week will run the pic-
ture of, William Hodges, vice-president-
elect, which was not available in time
for this week’s issue. .
GE Spreads Misinformation
On Profits, Wages, Prices
The General Electric Co. continues to
give out phony figures on prices, profits
and wages to mislead the public into
thinking the company can’t afford to
grant any new wage increase.
Last week’s copy of EU News expos-
ed-the falseness of the wage-price prop-
This week's
ures GH can’t possibly laugh off.
But again this week GE took adver-
tising space in Schenectady papers to
publish its misinformation.
Local 801 has distributed to “all its
shop committeemen accurate and up-to-
date information on GE profits and
earnings. If workers haven't been
shown this material by their committee-
men they ought to ask to see it.
Meeting on Wage Policy
Leo Jandreau, business agent of Local
801, will attend the General Executive
Board ‘meeting of UE next Tuesday
and Wednesday at Pittsburgh. The un-
ion’s wage policy will be the principal
business. :
‘Welfare-Committee-—-—--
Union Gathers Facts
On Overtime at GE
The office of Local 801 is collecting
information to see what groups of
workers are entitled to overtime pay
for time they have to spend inside the
plant in addition to their regular 40
hour work week. ,
“—"The United States Supreme Court re-
cently ruled.in the Mt. Clemens Pottery.......
case that time spent by employees walk-
ing to work on the employer's property,
after punching the timeclock, was work-
ing time.:, ——
According to UE attorneys, this de-
cision opens the way for workers to col-
lect overtime pay for time spent at a
plant in preparing for work, collecting
tools, changing clothes, receiving in--
structions before the start of a shift,
and any time spent on the premises aft-
er regular shift hours for the conven-
ience of the employer. :
The information.on practices at the
_.Schenectady—plant—will-be-sent to the
national UE office in answer to detail-
ed questionnaires. The UE legal staff
believes that thousands of workers in
“the electrical industry throughout the
country have overtime pay due them
and will take the necessary legal steps
to collect it. ‘
Union Challenges State .
On Call-In Pay Ruling
Local 301 plans to fight a State Un-
‘employment Insurance ruling under
which the two hours call-in pay pro-
vided under the UE-GE contract is re-
corded as a day worked.
In some cases this ruling deprives the
laid-off worker of: more unemployment
insurance money. than_the amount of
call-in pay collected, .
The union claims that any day when
an employee is called in and then laid-off
without work must be listed as a day
of unemployment. The fact that the
contract guarantees the worker two
hours compensation for being called
in and sent home without work doesn’t
make a jobless day a work day.
Laid-off persons should make their
claims for full unemployment insurance
benefits regardless of call-in pay. The
union will appeal through several test
cases.
ClO Broadcast Tonight
“Prices, Profits and Wages” will be
the subject of the Capital District CIO
Council broadcast at 7 p.m. tonight
“" (Dee, 12). over WIRY.
