Electrical Union News, 1948 November 26

6

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

November | 9,.1948

Schenectady Papers
Really Go to Town

As expected, the two, Schenec-
mady, daily papers this week went
all-out with untrue stories about
Local 301 membership actions. The

om tw papers obviously were engaged:

in a campaign in support of GE
and the so-called Democratic Ac-
tion group in their attacks on the
union.

Most brazen was the page one
story in the Gazette Wednesday,
headlined “400 UE Members Turn-
ed Away from Meeting, Get No
Vote.” The purpose obviously was
to stir up trouble among the mem-
bers who did not know the facts.
The fact of course was that none
were “turned away”. from the
meeting, Membeys arriving after
the main hall was filled were di-
rected by firemen to check in at
.. the rear-instead of the front, The
few who left, instead of waiting to
go to the rear where there was
ample room, may have become dis-
couraged, :

The Gazette could have’ yotten
the truth from the union office or
the firemen on duty. But it did not
want the facts. It simply printed
as a story the smear attacks by the
so-called Democratic Action group
on the democratic decision of the
membership,

The Union-Star Wednesday even-
ing carried the newspaper attack
further by saying that more than
1,000 members tried to enter the
hall. This was pure fiction. Both
papers also were equally inaccur-
ate in reporting the actions of the
meeting. They made it appear that
members in the rear rooms were
barred from voting for the election
committee. The opposite was true.

The previous day the Union-Star
made an “iron curtain” story out
of the membership’s overwhelming
decision in October to keep news-
papers out of future meetings. The
Union-Star went so far as to say
“Jandreau Says ‘Membership’ Vot-
ed Iron Curtain.” Of course he
said no such thing.

The Union-Star knows that the
overwhelming majority of member-
ship organizations, labor or other-
wise, hold their business meetings
closed, This includes the Bar As-
sociation and the American News-
paper Publishers’ Association, to
which the Union-Star belongs. But
if Local 801 does it, it becomes an
‘Gron curtain”.

Both the Gazette and the Union-
Star also showed once more that
they will give free space for “state-

ments” by individuals and self-ap- -

pointed “spokesmen” for this or
that group, no matter how  irres-
punsible, just as long as they are
attacking the policies of UR,

_ CONGRESSMAN DRIFP

aoe,

=

"SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE EX- CONGRESSMEN ”

cn lonten

Meeting in Offing
On Craft Rates

G. H. Pfeif, GE employee rela-
tions manager, in a letter to 301
Business Agent Leo Jandveaa last
week expressed willingness to
schedule a meeting on the recent
increases in the rates of skilled
mechanies at’ Watervliet Arsenal.

At the same time, he indicated
that he has already prejudged the
case. His letter stated he was still
of the opinion that not much is to
be gained by such a meeting.

Jandreau asked for the meeting
on the grounds that the. recent
Arsenal increases, ranging up to
20 cents an hour, should create a
“definite basis for an increase in
the Schenectady Works for craft
rates.” Pfeif said that as soon as
he straightens out his schedule he
will get in touch with Jandreau to
fix a date for the discussion.

Another UE Victory

After three weeks of organizing
and a six-hour strike, UE Local
475 has signed a contract with Pro-
duction Enterprises, New York
Ctiy. '

There’s a flat 10 cents an hour
raise, and through automatic pro-
#ression most workers will get 10
to 15 cents more in six months.
There are eight paid holidays.

Battery Workers Start
Fight on Lead Poisoning

A program to combat lead pois-
oning and other hazards caused by
lead dust in battery shops was dis-
cussed at a conference of battery
workers held at the UE District 1
office in Philadelphia recently.

This conference marked the open-
ing gun in a drive to make battery
plants safer places to work, and
to get proper treatment and com-
pensation for victims of lead pois-
oning and other afflictions caused
by improper control of lead.

Will Present Skit

Rehearsals will start soon for
“Out of Your Pocket”, a skit to be
presented by Local 801 members
under direction of Mrs. Dorothy
Perlin. Three parts still have to be
filled, the roles of a workingman,
a politician and a boss. Both men
and women are welcome to try out.
The skit will be pantomime, —no
spoken lines.

Notify: the union office or tele-
phone Mrs. Perlin at 2-0885 if you
are interested in taking part. A

‘former actress, Mrs. Perlin was

asked by the Activities Committee
to arrange dramatics and other en-
lertainment,

Is Your Shop 100 Per Cent Ul?

GE Doesn't Repeat
This FDR Statement

The General Electric Company
recently. quoted FDR in an article.
But here is one FDR ‘statement of
Oct. 26, 1944, that GE would pre-

--—-fer_its-employses-—to.forgat:..

. . » Beware of that pro-
found enemy of the free en-
terprise system who pays lip-
service to free competition—
but also labels every anti-trust.
prosecution as a ‘persecution’.”
This statement by FDR came

two days after the President of

GE complained that “the adminis-

tration of the anti-trust laws .. .

is one of the biggest obstacles to

post war recovery.”

Pensioner's Jobless Pay
At Issue in Appeal Filed

Local 301 has” filedan “appeal ~

from the decision of a State Un-

employment Insurance referee up(?

holding the effort of the General
Electric Company to keep a pen-
sioner from getting his unemploy-
ment insurance without a seven
weeks delay. “

Frederick Hemboldt, a metal
spinner in Building 19, went on a
voluntary pension in May at the
age of 60 because of bad working
conditions. GE claimed he left
“without cause” and shouldn't get
jobless pay without the extra wait.
The Unemployment Insurance of-
fice originally ruled he was eligible
for payment without such delay
but GE protested.

Elmira UE Board

Answers Company

The Executive Board of UE
Local 310 at the Elmira GE
Works has issued a statement
demanding that GE correct the
working conditions at the foun-
dry “to the extent that no more
workers develop silicosis” and
that GE ‘fulfill its obligations to
take care of the silicosis vic-
tims.

The statement was a reply to
the GE Works News attempt to
dismiss the silicosis exposure as
“misleading” and “inspired by
other than our Local Union fel-
low workmen.”

More than seven months ago
an Elmira UE officer complain-
ed about the dust conditions at
top level contract negotiations
in New York City, the Board
pointed out, Local 310 arrang-
ed for the X-rays and medical

|) examinations, with the help of
UB Distriet 8 and the national
UE.

THE VOICE OF LOCAL 301 - - + - U. ER. && MWA - - - - CLO.

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

November 26, 1948

UE NEWS seRVICt
Nrewiray

Union Fights to Get
Veteran Better Job

Local 301 has taken to the Huw-
elt level the case of a World War
TY veteran, with five vears service,
who is kept at a job as material
handler in Building 42 instead of
wetting a chance for advancement.
The union considers the case of
this veteran as typical of the
problem faced hy numerous veter-
ans of GE.

The veteran, a married man, has
had some machine experience and
has taken six months of vocational
training in machine shop practice
and blueprint reading.

At a gricvance sessiun Nov. 11
Charles Marcy, supervisor of per-
sonnel, admitted he had “eapacity

y advancement? Marey ehtvinied

hat the veteran showed a hick of

“inturest and efort in’ his present

Job, and said he won't he given op.
portunity for advancement: till he
dows better in his present work,
On the basis of his serviee, train
ing and initiative the. worker de-

Two Parties Planned
Tonight at 30! Hall

There will be two section night
parties tonight at 801 Hall.

At 7:80 pm. the section repre-
sented by Board Member Dewey
Brashear will have a yet-together,
It’s a repeat performance by pop-
ulay demand, as the group had one
several weeks ago.

Sevond shift workers from all
parts of the plant will have a see-
tion night after they finish work at
midnight tonight,

serves a better job, the union said.
It would be natural for him to show
diysatisfaction with being stuck as
material handler, the union repre-
sentatives pointed out. He had been
viven to understand that the job
was only a temporary assignment,
ull a better one was found, :

The union demanded that the
velerio be given one of the may
openings whieh are being filled by
new employees,

GE Called To Court
For Pay Day Change

The General Electric Company
has been summoned to appear in

Schenectady Police Court at 9 a.m.

Friday, Dec. 3, on a charge of vio-
lating the State Labor Law and
Penal Law by the change in pay
days made in late September at
the Schenectady plant.

Five workers in Building 73,
members of Local 801, signed the
information against GE as com-
plaining witnesses. Before the
change they used to be paid every
Friday for the work they perform-
ed Monday through Friday of the
preceding “week. Now’ they .don’t
get paid until the next . Monday.
This delay means their pay is held
up longer than the six days allowed

-by state law.

The summons was issued by Po-
lice Justice Charles G. Fryer and
was served on J. M. Howell, Works
manager Marshall Perlin, Local
301 attorney, represents the union
members.

The company notified the union
Sept. 14 that it planned to change
pay days from Thursday and Fri-
day to Friday and Monday. Busi-
ness Agent Leo Jandreau protested
to the company that large numbers
of workers found it a real incon-
venience to wait until after the
weekend to be paid. The com.
pany. refused to change its position,
however, aside from saying it
would try to accommodate individ-
ual groups with special problems.

Local 301 filed a complaint with
the State Lahor Department about
the law violation invalved in the
change of pay days, State officials
contacted GE on the complaint.
Pending the outcome of the state
investigation, the Police Court ac-
tion was started and the union con-
ferred with the district attorney's
district attorney’s office.

Auditing Committee

The Local 801 membership meet-
ing last week eleeted the following
auditing committee: George Sen-
genberger, Bldp. 16; Robert Fow-

ler, Bldg. 10, and Tom MeGrath,

Bldp. 62.
Pensioners to Meet

The Ul-801) Pension Organize
tion will meet ab 2 pom, Wednesday
at the union hall,

301 Election
Dec. 2 and 3
At Union Hall

Hlection af Local $01 officers for
iis will take pleee next week at
the union hall, Liberty St. and Eric
Blvd, from noon Thursday, Dee. 2,
to 6 pam. Friday. Dee. 3,

Announcement of the time, place
and other arrangements for the
around-the-clock voting was made

‘this week by the Election Commit--

wwe of 25 members elected by the
301 membership meeting last week.

“Voting in the local union elec-
tion will again be on voting ma-
chines at the union hall,” the com-
mittee stated,

“Last year’s experience confirm.
ud the belief that this would guar-
antee the complete accuracy of the
count, and a fair election free from
any outside interference in the
vicinity of the polls.”

The Election Committee chose
Morton Lewis, Building 46, as

(Continued on Page 2)

All Members Urged

To Yote in Election

The Election Committee urg-
vs all members to cast their
votes in the Loval $01. election,
Like citizenship, unidh member-
ship is not only a right, but a
duty, The UE is run by the
membership, and it is up to the
membership to carry out the job
by participating in all decisions.
Certainly every single member
should be ready to give the very
little time needed to cast his or
her vote in the annual electian
of officers, :

Arrangements completed by
the committee will make voting
fast and easy,

For members coming by ear,
the committee has arranged
with the City Bureau of Trattte
and Planning ta reserve all
parking space on Erie Boule-
vaurd und Wall Street outside the
union hall for union voters duy-
ing the hours the pulls are open.

Election Committee
Morton I, bewis, Chairman
Mary AL MeCartin, Secretary,

2 ‘ 1

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

November 26, 1948

301 Election
Dec. 2 and 3

(Continued from Page 1)
chairman and Mary MceCartin,
Bldg. 28, secretary, at its first
meeting Thursday of last week, It
Jecided on election arrangements |
and rules at a meeting Monday.

The committee has asked the
City Council for a dozen voting
machines to be used in the election.
The request was still to be acted
on by a City Council caucus by the
time this week’s issue of EU News
went to press. However, on the

Mary McCartin Morton Lewis
basis of last year’s experience and
informal information obtained by
the Election . Committee, it is a
foregone conclusion that the city
machines will be available.

The votes wili be tallied immed-
jately after the closing of the polls.
Members actually in line when the
polls close will be permitted to
vote,

Eligibility to Vote

All members in good standing as
of Nov. 12, date of the latest check-
off, will be eligible to vote. Names
of eligible members and their check
numbers will be on cards which
must be signed by the members be-
fore they vote. .

The committee provided for a
sub-committee to rule on the case
of any member whose eligibility
claim is at variance with the union
records,

Each presidential candidate will
be entitled to two watchers to be
present at all times while the polls

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
United Electrical, Radio & Machine
Workers of America, CIO
Scuzneorapy GE Loaat 301

Published by Editorial Committee
Mary McCartin, Secretary
Arthur RB, Bertini Clayton Pudney
John G. Grasso. - Victor Pasche

Editorial Office
ExectucaL Union News
301 Liberty St, Schenectady, N. Y.
Telephone 3-1386

_ List of Candidates

For Union Election

Recording Secretary Helen Quir-
ini has announced the following
list ‘of candidates who. sent -written

‘3

CONGRESSMAN DRIPP

acceptances of their nominations. |. _

For president.' Andrew Peter-
son, Frank C. Kriss and Stanley L.
Fisher,

For vice-president, William G.
Hodges and Martin J. Stanton.

For recording secretary. Helen
Quirini, John E. Briggs and Frank .
Fiorillo. i

For assistant recording secre-
tary, Thelma Willey Tiscione and

John P. Green.

For treasurer. Marshall White,
Michael Girgerck and William A.
Downs.

For chief shop steward. - Billy
Mastriani and Stephen A. Watts.

For business agent. Leo Jan-
dyeau and Raymond D., Flanigan.

For trustees (three to be elected).
Albert E. Davis, John R. Boyd,
George Quick, David Bambury,
Ralph Mirando and Edward A. Lu-
berda, ‘

For sergeant-at-arms, Harmon
Cartwright and Frank D. Civitello. :

Por guide. George A. Walker
and Stephen E, James.

Basketball Victories

The 301 basketball teams are do-
ing well to date. of

The girls’ team beat the Bowers,
81 to 18, at Central Park Junior
High School Monday night.

The men’s team defeated the
Webster Tavern players, 36 to 28,
Nov. 17 at Oneida High School.

are open. No electioneering or

loitering will be permitted in the

hall or on the stairways during vot-..
ing-hours.

Candidates for all offices were
invited to attend a special meet-
ing of the committee Wednesday at
which lots were to be drawn to de-
termine the order in which names
of candidates will appear on the
machine,

The constitution this year per-
mits two or more candidates to
agree among themselves to appear
on one line on the machine, and to
draw lots as one group.

“In order to avoid any: encour-
agement to the development of
permanent parties or factions with-
in the union”, the committee an-
nounced, “lines on the machines
will be designated by numbers on-
ly. No emblems, slogans, or other
designations will be allowed,”

Members can write-in names if
they want to. Written instructions
on how to vote and how to write-
in will be posted on each machine.

"/LL TELL MY UNCLE TO

COMMITTEE AFTER You.” ;

SEND THE THOMAS

Election Committee
issues Statement

The 301 Election Committee has
issued the following statement:

The Election Committee is shock-
ed that two Executive Board mem-
bers and a union trustee should go
to the anti-labor press with false
statements slandering the demo-
cratic procedures of the 301 mem-
bership and its constitution.

Apart from the brazen falsehood
about. members being“‘denied~the~~
right to vote” at the meeting last
week, the statement to the Gazette
by Brothers Kriss, Downs, Camp-
bell, Flanigan and Green suggests
that an elected committee of 801
shop stewards and rank-and-file
members is “controlled” by the
present officers.

Brother Kriss was the secretary
of last yeax’s election committee.
He participated in and voted for
all the arrangements at that time,
including the vote at the union hall,
Does he now say that last year he
was just a stooge for the officers?

Regardless of whom we support
individually, we were elected to
conduct the election in accordance
with the constitution of Local 301,

fairly and impartially. That is ex-
actly what we shall do.

In view of the repeated intention
expressed publicly by the company
this year to interfere in the union’s
internal affairs, the danger of the
company seeking to influence the
election is a real danger, The ar-
rvangements we have made guaran-
tee a fair and honest election free
from interference from any source
whatever.

After last year’s election there
was no criticism of the conduct of
the election from any candidates or
anyone else. We expect to estab-
lish the same record this year.

"Election Committee
MORTON F. LEWIS,
Chairman.
MARY M. McCARTIN,
Secretary.

State CIO Delegates

Delegates to the State CIO con-
vention, elected by the 801 mem-
bership meeting last week, were
William Stewart, Joseph Saccoccio,
William Templeton, Fred Pacelli
and Leo Jandreau,

Getting UE News?

Are you getting your national
UE News?

If not, give the union office your
name and address,

November 26, 1948

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

3

Rail Unions’ Paper
Hits Atomic Group

Two articles attacking the labor

policy of the Atomic Energy Com-'

mission were recently published by
Labor, the national weekly news-
paper of 15 railroad unions.

One story pointed out that at
the time David E. Lilienthal, chair-
man of the AEC, was being “wined
and dined by the civic leaders of
Cincinnati” in mid-November, the
convention of the AFL Metal
Trades Department in Cincinnati
condemned the Commission’s lanor
policy.

Officers reported that, during the
war AFL unions waived tradition-
al union standards to build atomic
plants, agreed not to press collec-
tive bargaining and gave up the
tight to strike,

Dictatorial Set-Up

“They did-so despite the fact
hat while the atom plants are
owned by the government, they are
operated. by private employers,”
the article stated.

“The unions hoped that, once the
war had ended, tne Commission
would provide for real collective
bargaining and establish machin-
ery by which disputes and. griev-
ances would be settled fairly and
squarely, particularly as the em-
ployees cannot strike,

“The Metal Trades chiefs point-
ed out, however, that the Commis-
sion has failed to act—and instead
has given the private operators dic-

. tatorial power over labor relations.
This set-up was strongly con-
demned.” -

The other article criticized the
Commission, for insisting on im-
posing a non-union. subcontractor
on a maintenance job in the town
of Oak Ridge, Tenn.

“ Fault of Commission

AFL electricians resigned their
jobs with the Roane-Anderson firm

_ and quit_in a group rather _ than.

work with non-union men brought
in by a sub-contractor. The
Roane-Anderson contract was for

nection with the atomic plant it-
self, but was under supervision of
AEC,

A Taft-Hartley referee ruled
that resigning in a group was
“striking” and ordered the union
men back to work. The railroad
newspaper quotes an AFL official
as protesting that “the situation

would never have arisen” if the

AEC. hadn’t insisted “on. imposing

a non-union subcontractor on the
job.”

ATTEND YOUR UNION
MEETINGS

CONGRESSMAN DRIPP

"YOU'D BETTER GET ACCIDENT INSURANCE —
’'M GOING TO QUOTE you."

BY YOMEN

Ree:

GE Pensioners’ Hospitalization Plan
Marks Victory for Part of UE Program

The new plan announced by GE for providing hospitalization bene-
fits for pensioners marks a victory in part of the UE fight to improve

conditions of retired workers.

During the last contract nego-
tiations UE asked the company for
hospitalization benefits for pen-
sioners, a $120 a month minimum
pension and other security provis-
ions. The union arranged for a
committee of pensioners, from var-
ious cities including Schenectady,
to meet with top GE officials in

New York City to press-for-these-

proposals.
Specific requests by the union in-

work in the town and had no con-.. “Mded:

That X-ray and dispensary
serviee at the dispensaries of the
company’s works be made available
to GE pensioners without cost,

That Mutual Benefit Association
coverage for GE pensioners be con-
tinued after retirement, the cost
to be borne by the company.

That the pensioners’ group in-
surance coverage be continued aft-

-er retirement in the full-amount—

the cost to be ‘borne by the com-
pany.

Although the new hospitalization
plan is inadequate and has been
deseribed as “experimental” by GH,

it is at least a step in the right di-
rection.

The plan allows $5 a day for
hospitalization, plus $25 for special
services given by a hospital, with
a total maximum of $250 for any
individual pensioner during his
lifetime. The benefits apply to pen-
sioners entering a hospital on or
sitide” Sept. 15,°1948. ~~

Schenectady newspapers gave
the impression that the hospital-
ization plan was a gift from the
company to its pensioners.

Actually the payments will be
made from $5,865,827 left over
from funds of the GE Employees
Securities Corporation which was
recently dissolved,

President Charles E. Wilson of
GE said the fund now available is

believed to be sufficient “to oper-

ate the plan for a few years.” He
stated thal “attempts will be made
to have Mutual Benefit Associa-
tion and insurance companies es-
tablish arrangements to provide
pensioned employees with hospital-
ization insurance.”

GE Tries to Whitewash
Facts in Carboley Case

Five weeks after the General
Electric Company was found guil-

“ty-in U. S. Federal Court of erim-

inal conspiracy with the Nazi
Krupp munitions. firm in the car-
boloy monopoly, the Works News
of Noy. 19 finally published an ar-
ticle about the conviction.

But the GE paper tried to pass
off the case as just “a suit” brought
by the Anti-Trust Division of the
Department of Justice, as though
only a civil violation was involved.

Criminal Conviction

Actually GE was tried on a crim-
inal indictment and found guilty,
along with two affiliated compan-
ies and three executives. To be
sure, the fines imposed were ridi--
culously small, in view of the huge
profits GE made through over.
charging the government for car-
boloy. And no fine could offset
what the bottleneck in carboloy
cost in American soldiers’ lives.
The agreement with Krupp contin-
ued into 1940, after Hitler started
World War II.

. Monopoly in U. 8. A.

GE President Charles E, Wilson
is quoted in the Works News as
claiming that there would have
been no American carboloy indus-
try at the start of World War II,
except for GE’s agreement with
Krupp. That’s a case of trying to
make patriotism out of swindling
the United States government,

In 1940 Hitler was getting 12
pounds of carboloy for the same
price that the United States gov-
ernment was paying for one pound
for our armed forees. If GE hadn’t
controlled the entire carboloy out-°
put in this country, dozens of
plants could have been using the
German patent.

_ Wage Boosts in Canada

The Canadian UE recently nego-
tiated wage increases for Westing-

‘house Company and Hoover Com-

pany workers at Hamilton, On-
tario.

At Westinghouse UE won a
raise of 18 cents an hour, retroac-
tive to Oct. 25, with three cents to
be added by Apr. 1. The Hoover
raise was 12 cents retroactive to
Oct, 28, plus two cents Apr. 1.

Speed Record

In two’ days UE‘ organized the ©
National Wire and Die Company,
New York City, 100 per cent.
Management promptly recognized
the union and after short negotia-
tions signed a contract.