3. Strikes called without vote of the membership.
4. Strikes called off without vote of the membership.
5. Demands given up and settlements accepted without the membership even knowing what's in
the settlement, Like the 1949 $600-package demand which-was given up for a pension plan which will
benefit very few steelworkers, and give very little to these few. (GE workers rejected GE's offer based on
the steel pattern", because GE’s inadequate pension plan is better than the steel settlement).
6. Seniority which applies ONLY if ‘physical fitness'’ and “ability” are ‘relatively equal’.
7. Holidays off WITHOUT PAY. ,
8. Shift premium of 4 cents for 2nd shift—6 cents for third—to UE’s 10 percent for both.
9. . No double time at all. Time and one half for work on holidays. To get time and a half on sixth
or seventh day, you must have worked the first five days in the week.
10. Speed-up with official backing of the: union,
11. Only one shop steward for every 500 workers.
12. President's salary of $25,000 and expenses. (UE general president's salary is $7,500).
13. Officers elected for 4 years.
14. Conventions only once in every two years.
15. No local autonomy. Charters of locals “‘lifted" for fighting to win grievances.
16. Entire vote of locals opposing Murray are thrown out byzruling of Murray's office.
17. Opponents of national: officers beaten up by national office payrollers. This happened at the
Boston convention of the Steelworkers, to the one delegate who dared suggest a fight for higher wages.
18. Dues are checked off by the companies and are paid directly to the international union, in-
stead of to the local.
“The Iran Age,’ newspaper of the steel employers, summed up the Murray record recently. It said
that steel alrselusfrye leaders did not want to beat Murray too badly in the recent strike, because they need
Murray's “‘power to hold the membership in line.”
Yes—Murray walks the Steelworkers on a leash.
GE workers don't want to be walked on a leash—neither by Murray nor by his office boy Carey,
nor by their self-appointed local leaders.
GE workers want to continue to run their own union, to make their-own decisions. They want a union
that will fight for them and protect their standards. @
“That is Shy GE worksis: ‘will
THE VOICE OF LOCAL 301
INION
U. E.R. & M. Wi A,
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
May 12, 1950
UE Leads the Field
in Wage Increases
Now the IUE-CIO is trying to
get GE workers to believe that CIO
unions won a “fourth round” wage
increase in 1949. They actually
id_that_in_a_greenand_maroon—.
‘leaflet handed ‘out last week,
The fact is that the Steelworkers,
Auto Workers, and other major
CIO unions gave up a fourth round
increase for 1949, and also for
1950. They settled: for miserable
pension plans. UE locals not ham-
pered by IUE disruption won a
fourth round,
The rest of the leaflet, claiming
that UE wage levels are lower
than CIO industries, is just as un-
Cee as the “fourth round” state-
ent. Here are the facts:
_UE Rates Higher
Job for job, rates are higher in
UE. The figures quoted by the
IUE simply cover up the number
of light jobs and women’s jobs. For
example, the basic steel industry,
with a claimed” hourly average ©
“$1.61, employes only men. The’
heaely average for men in the
Schenectady GE Works is $1.78.
The UE, Steel and Auto unions
won the same wage increases from
1946 to 1949, with these changes
in detail: in 1947 UE set the pat-
tern of 11% cents and paid hoii-
days, while Steel received 1244
cents, no holidays, certain minor
rate adjustments, and a promise of
insurance which did not come
through until 1950. In 1948 UE
won an 8 percent raise, averaging
over 11- cents an hour. Later in
the year Steel obtained a 9.5 cent
raise and adjustments.
Government Figures
Government figures, from the
pel Fact-Finding Board report,
ow ‘that UE raised real wages
most since 1939.
And on top of this, UE contracts
-are by far the best in all conditions
in addition to wages — holidays,
vacations, seniority, grievance con-
ditions, The GE pension plan, in-
adequate as it is, is much superior
to the ones negotiated by Philip
Membership Meeting
A big turn-out of UE-3801 mem-
bers is expected for the member-
ship’ meeting .and election rally
at the union hall the week of the
NLRB election. Loud speakers will
be installed on the sides’ of the
building, .
workers will meet
ter worl Monday
2 (at 12:45 a.m,
Tuesday, May 28), and first and
third shift workers at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 238.
Murray and Walter Reuther after
strikes in steel and at Chrysler,
and for which they gave up wage
increases for-two' years,
These pension plans did not take
effect until 1950, but Reuther calls
even the Chrysler deal a 1949 “vic.
tory”
ANY RAM EE
Aue
UE on Right Hand
Side of NLRB Ballot
UE will be on the right hand side
of the ballot in the NLRB vote
“May 25,
Keep this in mind, because IUE
is still showing its imitation char-
acter by going on the ballot with
“Local 301” after its initials,
It also tried to steal “UE” as
part of its name, but a Federal
Court order forbid it, IUE spends
its ‘time attacking UE, but as a
method of getting votes it wants
the workers to believe it is UE.
IUE even tried to make its local
literature look like this UE paper’
in outward appearance, in the hope
that more people will accent at
the gates,
Iv’s a strictly imitation’ uhion
that hasn’t organized a single un-
ay 25
Very Heavy
Support for
UE Reported
Final arrangements are being
made for the National Labor Rela-
tions Board election May 25 at GE
in Schenectady and throughout ue
chain,
A conference was schedulé i
yesterday on the company’s list: of
eligible voters for the whole Sche-
nectady plant. UE, IUE, AFL
Teamsters and IAM were to be.
represented at the meeting, with
GE and NLRB officials,
Mail Ballots for Drivers
Ballots for the Schenectady elec-
tion were to be mailed Wednesday
of this week to 34 over-the-road
truck drivers, loaders and relief
drivers,
Reports every day indicate that
the 125,000 GE workers will vote
overwhelmingly for UE. The big
Erie Works is solidly UE and even
the New York Times admitted Sun-
day that IUE is worried stiff about
the Lynn vote. With Schenectady,
these are the biggest plants of the
GE system. In 28 GE plants IUE
hasn't even been able to set up a
paper local,
UE Strong at Lynn
The Times article reported that
1UE organizers “expressed appre-
hension” over the UE’s “substan-
tial gains among the rank-and-file
workers” at Lynn,
“The TUE apparently has been.
losing ground,” the Times» com-
mented.
Vrederick M. Kelley, former bus-
iness agent of UE Local 201 at
Lynn, is on the top policy commit-
tee of IUE and has been trying to
(Continued on page two)
organized. shop. It just. tries to
steal members from UE in-raids.
GE workers won't be fooled by
the imitation union. They want the
real thing,
VOTE UE. The right hand side
of the ballot.
|... A, 6 00..ta_-Stave..G
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
May 12; 1950.
$4,992 Compensation
Award Heads New List
Workmen's compensation awards
made recently in cases handled for
UE-301 members through the un-
ion include:
$4,992 to Edward Hasbrouck,
Building 85 machine repair, for 50
per cent loss of use of his right
arm as the result of an accident
Apr. 28, 1949,
$2,498 to Louis Pasquariello,
Rldg. 40 sprayer, for 20 per cent
loss of the use of his right leg in
an accident Sept. 1, 1944.
$1,561 to Frank Miano, Bldg. 40
sweeper, for 20 per cent loss of the
use of his right hand in an aeci-
dent July 26, 1948.
97 salvage, for facial disfigurement
resulting from burns May 9, 1949.
$1,382.40 to John Farrell, Bldg.
60 helper on truck, for 15 per cent
loss of the use of his left leg in an
aceident last July 19.
$600 to James 1D, MeKiever,
Bldg. 61 cleaner, for a facial scar
resulting from an accident last
June 30. :
$350 to Patsy Maruiello, Bldg. G0
assembler, for injuries to his right
thumb. July 16, 1948.
Making Final Plans
For NLRB Election
(Continued from page one)
work himself into James B. Carey’s
* job as president.
Arrangenients for the mail bal.
lot for the truck group were made
Monday at a conference of repre-
sentatives of UE, Teamsters, IUE,
the company and the NLRB.
The mail voters must return their
ballots to the New York City office
of the NLRB by May 22. The seal-
ed envelopes will be brought to
Schenectady to be opened on elec-
tion day, May 26, and counted at
the same time as the rest of the
votes. _
There. are only 21 other GE
truckers here and they are em-
ployed on Atomic Energy Com-
mission work. They will vote May
26 at the plant.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
UNITED RLECTRICAL, RADIO AND
| MACHINI. WOREHRS OF AMHRICA
SCHENECTADY Gi LOCAL 801
<g>
Pablishod by Mditarial Committee
Mary McCartin, Chairman
Adam Kolaalenakt, Soearetary
Robert Armatrong Prank D'Amico
Victor Pasche. George. Quick.
George Reodo Troy Snipes
Halterial Ufftos
WLECTRICAL UNION NOW!
401 Yiboerty St., Schonoctady, N. ¥.
Telephones §-1886
one
CONGRESSMAN DRIPP
ramory,--Bldg..-- 4
by YOMEN
" Cheer up, darling. if the unions beat you next No-
vember maybe GE will hire you as a lobbyist like
Kersten."
Don’t Be Sidetracked from Main Issue
Of Election, Matles Tells Stewards
“Stick to the record of UT for 14 years. Don’t be sidetracked from
the real issue which is bread and butter.”
This campaign advice on the
NLRB election was given to the
UB-301..shop stewards! meeting
last week by James J. Matles, na-
tional UL director of organization.
He warned against “chasing every
piece of IUE propaganda”,
GE workers will decide May 25
whether to keep UE, which is run
by the membership, or pick a un-
ion that is dictated to by Philip
Murray, Matles pointed out.
“To walk with Philip Murray
means walking baékw:
Inferior Steel itions
Matles reminded ‘the stewards
that. Murray. orders Steelworkers.
out on strike without giving them
a chance to vote, and that he or-
ders them back to work without
giving them a.chanee to vote on
the “settlenient, He‘ also pointed
out that major steel contracts have
‘no paid holidays, no time-and-a-
half for Saturday or” double-time
for Sunday, and are inferlor to UE
contracts in suniientty and many
other provisions.
Bread and Butter Issue
“The leadership of CIO refuses
to fight for the people,” Matles
declared.
“Murray is trying to please the
bosses. The Steelworkers are in
revolt against his deals.”
The red-baiting by IUE is an ef-
fart to distract the. workers’ at-
tention from the real issue, Matles
“After theelection GE will
; with the same
customers at the‘same stand. We
don't talk about Stalin at negotia-
tions and neither. do they. We
don’t talk about Moscow or Russia.
“All we talk about. is, ‘You have
the money. We need some of it.’
Matles predicted that IU “will
take the most terrific beating in
‘their lives in GE.”
Workers in the electrical indus-
try;a8.a whole are: overwhelming. -
ly UL, he reported.: IUE hasn’t
even made a dent in 1,200 of the
Lest We Forget
GE is mainly responsible for the
fact that GI workers have been
that it is necessary to have a
election to clear TUE out of the
picture,
Let’s not forget this record:
IUE petitioned the NLRB in No-
vember for an election at GE
plants without showing any mem-
bership. At Schenectady and most
other GE plants it didn’t have
enough membership to justify an
election.
About Dec. 1 GE withdrew its
pension and insurance offer and
suspended contract negotiations
without a contract since Apr. 1 and 1
with UE, using the TUE claims as
an excuse,
~="GE filed a NLRB election peti-.
tion in December, coming to the
rescue of IUE which couldn’t have
gotten on the ballot at the great
majority of GE plants otherwise.
Both GE and IUE refused a con- |
sent election after UE proposed a
speedy election on Carey's terms,”
At the hearing GE asked for
changes in some bargaining: units
and IUE in others. Both stalled
proceedings.
GE terminated the UE contract
Apr 1. r)
' Here’s the record on the ‘holdin us
up of dues check-off money.
GE held up dues check-off money
for November and December on the
excuse of being “in doubt” about
whom the money belonged to. GE
turned the money over to Federal
Court for a ruling.
In January UE produced new
check-off cards for the overwhelm-
ing majority of workers at Sche-
nectady and other plants. On the
basis of GE’s statement about be-
ing “in doubt,” IUE got a court.
order restraining GE from paying
check-off money to GE.
A series of GE and IUE maneu-
vers followed to keep the money
tied up. UE offered to settle the
matter either by turning the
money back to the individual work-
ers, or giving it at each plant to
the union that wins the election at
the Plant.
1,500 UE plants. covering over
300,000 workers, ;
UE Strong ‘Throughout Industry
“We have taken on the bosses,
the CIO officials. and the reactio
ary politicians in this fight, Th
have failed to break our 8,000 mile
“front.”
.UE will do-a “mopping up job”
later in ‘the seattered plants where
TUE won NLRB elections, Matles
saldy
“We will reunite those plants -
with the rest of the union.”
.
May 12, 1950
Sellout by Reuther
Ends Chrysler Strike
After 100 days on the picket
yc, 89,000 Chrysler workers were
It back to work by UAW Presi-
‘dent Walter Reuther with a settle-
ment that was offered them before
they started the strike. There was
no wage increase, .
The Chrysler workers put up a
magnificent fight, but they couldn’t
win, because Reuther and Philip
Murray had already sold out their
strike, before it began, by the Ford
and Steel settlements.
Reuther settled the Chrysler
strike for:
The Ford pension plan which
Chrysler workers had turned down
earlier,
oe, Oar en So RS Ee Ue
tl INSUPaNCe Bnd” NOSPLLalZavion
plan which costs the company
8 cents an hour, according to
UAW, and toward which each
worker pays $4.48 a month.
Three cents an hour for about
6,000 workers in Indiana to reduce
a 9 cent differential between In-
diuna and Detroit plants. The other
88,000 got nothing on wages.
Pro-rata vacation payments be-
tween three and ‘five years’ service,
- Check-off of dues.
Jmonth. pensions, including So-
cial Security, for workers retiring
at 65 with«25 years’ service. All
future improvements in’S ;
curity will go toward cut
the company’s payments, not. to
the workers. Chrysler refused to
yield on the strikers’ basic demand
that it pay a guaranteed amount
into the pension fund.
The Chrysler strikers didn’t get
relief payments or unemployment
insurance while out. But of. the
$8,000,000 collected by UAW in
strike assessments levied on UAW
members, only $2,000,000 was
turned over for the strikers. UAW
has used its strike assessments to
finance raids on UE.
(Yns pension plan provides $100
_ Greiner Starts Fight;
Then Runs to Police
Here are the facts about the as-
sault charges made against each
other by Mario Bagnato of Build-
inge62, UE-3801 Executive.: Board,
member, and Raymond. ‘Greiner, .
IUE agent.
agnato was coming ‘to. work °
ugh the subway gate Wednes-
day of last week, when Greiner be-
gan to abuse him from a sound
truck,
Bagnato asked: Greiner to stop,
ee unary CRIS qe,
Even Riesel Admits
CIO Membership Drop
IUE leaflets are always boast-
ing about how big and strong the
CIO is. So the Carey boys must’
_-~have...heen..no_end__ annonyed_._the—
other day when their favorite
newspaper columnist, Victor Riesel,
let a little truth ereep into his col-
umn on the matter of the huge
drop in CIO membership.
Riesel has been gladly printing
all the IUE smears against UE.
He runs Frank Fiorillo’s propa-
ganda against UE-301 as facts and
pals around with Fiorillo and the
other Carey boys when he is in
Schenectady.
But even Riesel, in his column in
the Sunday Mirror Apr. 80, said:
“The AFL high command vacil-
lates on merging with the CIO,
Some executive council members
say the CIO is down to 8,500,000
members and will have to come in-
to the AFL, which has close to
9,000,000 dues-payers.”
The 3,500,000 figure is still way
too high, for CIO has actually
dropped to 3,000,000 or lower. The
New York Times on Dee. 18, 1949,
pointed out that for the year ended
Sept. 30 the CIO received in ‘per
' capita from its national unions and
organizing committees $3,540,815.
“With a tax rate of 8 cents per
member per month, this figures out
to about 8,688,350 members,” the
Times stated.
And that figure was back last
‘Sept..30 before the CIO started ex-
pelling UE and other unions.
Thereupon Greiner, who was fol-
lowed by several IUE henchmen,
-attacked Bugnato physically. Bag-
nato defended himself,
Although Greiner is at least 20
pounds heavier than Bagnato, he
went running to the police with a
complaint after the fight,
Then Bagnato filed a counter-
charge,
Reuther Policies
Swell GM Profits
The New York Herald Tribune
recently reported that officers
and directors of General Motors
Corporation would receive more
than $7,500,000 in cash and stock
as bonuses over their salaries, for
their work in’ 1949,
This completes an interesting ex-
ample of the new CIO “labor
statesmanship.”
In ‘1948 Walter Reuther, presi-
dent of the CIO: Auto Workers,
signed the two-year agreement
with its up-and-down wage clause.
This contract brought GM a
“productivity rate’ unequaled by
any other company,” according to
GM, _ (And speed- -up_was terrific
dustry).
‘This jumped GM’s net profit for
1949 by almost one-half over 1948,
This made it possible for GM to
‘pay its officers fancy bonuses. For
example, GM’s president received
a bonus of $885,000 in addition to
his salary of $201,1000. =
And in return GM workers, mem-
bers of CIO, found their pay at the
end of the contract cut 2 cents be-
low what it was at the start.
Also, Walter Reuther was given
an honorary degree at Boston Uni-
' versity, along with the president of
the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.
Whatever GE was able to do to
GX workers with the help of IUE
disruption, GM did several times
over to GM workers, painlessly,
with the approval of CIO’s Reuther.
Any one still wonder why GE
petitioned to get TUE-CIO on the
NLRB ballot?
UE-301 on Television
‘Don’t miss the UE-801 tele-
vision programs on WRGB.
4:45 p.m. to 5 p.m, Monday,
May 15.
4:45 p.m. to 6 pm. Monday,
May 22.
On the first program Robert
Dunn, rank-and-file UE member
pensioned off at Westinghouse
Airbrake, Wilmerding, Pa., will
-speak on the -record-making
pension plan UWE negotiated
there. }
Wins Television Set
Winner of the television set
awarded at the UE Woman's Club
dance Apr. 29 was Willard B. Hell- .
wig of Building 278.
UE-301 Leaflets
From now until the NLRB
election May 25 UE-801 . will
distribute leaflets frequently at
the gates as a means of clear-
ing up issues that may be in
doubt in people’s minds.
‘The union has been opposed
to swamping people with leaf-
lets and until recently limited
itself to the weekly EU News
and occasional leaflets,
But to spike IUE’s last-min-
ute campaign of confusion, UE
feels the workers will welcome
short leafl
facts on issués of importance to
them. After the election, UE
will return to its regular prac-
tice’ of using only the weekly
anion” pe paper except on special
occasions.
Executive Board members
and shop stewards are distri-
buting leaflets and the union
paper, along with rank-and-file
members,
Seems IVE Doesn't Know
Pay Raise from Pay Cut -
Does any welder, in Turbine or
elsewhere, remember getting an 11-
cents-an-hour cut in rate?
Of course not. No. welder’s rate
was ever cut. There were a number
of grievances processed by UE-301
for day work welders in the past
two years. They resulted in raises
for’ more than 90 men, Every dis-
puted case was settled in favor of
~ the man-ox men involved. Several
cases brought back pay_on starting
rates. One of those who received
back pay through UE action was
John Marshall, the proud author
of the piece about Turbine eriev-
ances in: last Friday's “Imitation
UE” leaflet.
Whoever got the sheet together
accidentally let the cat out of the
bag when he wrote “Tales from
Turbine” over the’ piece. Fairy
tales is what they were. All the
tales told in the piece were just as
far fromthe truth as the one about
the welders.
Falsehood still is the IUE’s only
program. -
Contract Improvements
UE’s new contract: with the Lin-
coln Machine Company, New York
City, provides a general wage in-
crease of.’5 cents an hour}.
cents to ‘the hiring-in..
adds an eighth paid holid
- Blue. Cross. ‘plan. ‘pai
employer,
VOTE UE — for a Union Run by Its
me "mommy a3. Liege rere
R : ue :
4 _ ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
May 12; 1950_
; Carey Signs at Philco
To Be Run-off Vote With No Wage Increase
at East Pittsbur gh James B. Carey has “negotiated”
A run-off election is assured at 2nother of his famous Philco con-
the big home East Pittsburgh ‘racts without a wage increase. He
Westinghouse plant. personally handled the final nego-
The regional NLRB director
found that 85 of the challenged
ballots were cast by people not en- . .
titled to vote and that the remain- The Philco contract is the same
ing 62 ballots couldn’t affect the 98 last year, with no wage in-
outcome of the election. crease whatsoever. This means
the. NLRB that there has been no wage raise since
neither UE nor [UE received a ma- a ee “ a ie Pauls
jority of the total votes in the “ers Tecelve e Ss .
election and recommended a run- The only changes in the Phileo
off, The next step is for the Board contract are three week's vacation
to set the date, pay for 15 years’ service and the
UE has been urging an immedi. C™PAnY payment of the difference
ate run-off, but IUE has stalled. in jury service. UE at RCA has
‘he three -weeks vacation for 10 years
was rushed through a 15-minute
membership meetnig..
tiations Apr. 27.and the contract -
Even Big Business Admits UE Wage Gains
Status of 576 Union Contracts Renegotiated
or Reopened for Wages
January 1, 1949, to December 91, 1949
Increases have predominated among the following
unions: United Electrical, Radio and Machine Work-
ers, formerly CIO, and the Cement, Lime arid Gyp-
sum Workers, Printing Pressmen and Teamsters, all
AFL unions. No wage increases have been the rule
for the CIO Textile Workers and Oil Workers and for
the AFL Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers.
James J. Bamarick, Jr.
Division of Personnel Administration
me jury pay guarantee.
eran ‘eae me 19 “Wasting. Nothi : ve ae fi the
house plants in 18 cities, including OLAMI WAS TEpOr ° . "
the South Philadelphia (Essington) mysterious pension agreement that
plant which is the second largest Gorey mavourced las; December,
in the Westinghouse system, with Final details atippoxedly were be-
a normal working force of 7,500. ing worked out auting the past
It is the only turbine plant in West- TOILE Up to "the ‘tite of ne
inghouse. Certification’ at two meeting no one had yet, zeagived
other plants won by UE has been ° Pension.
held up temporarily because of . .
technicalities raised by IUR. Pensioners: Meeting
The national UE has. been press- The UH-301 Pension Organiza-
ing Westinghouse by letter and tion will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday in
telegram to reinstate the’ con- the union hall. Robert Dunn, a
tract and open negotiations im- Westinghouse Airbrake pensioner,
mediately on improvements. The will speak on the outstanding pen-
company has stalled. sion plan UE won there.
UE-Local 301 on Air
UB-301 Business Agent Leo Jandreau and former Vice:Presi-
dent William Hodges, retired from GE, were speakers this week
on the first of a series of twice-a-day radio programs of the union
on WPTR.
- Chief Shop Steward James Cognetta and Executive Board
Member Helen Quirini were on the next program and President
William. Kelly on the third.
The union also will have broadcasts Sundays, May 14 and
May 21 on WSNY.and avait be on television on WRGB Mondays,
May 15 and May 22.
Here are the sehedaldas
WPTR (1540 on dial)h—
Every day except Saturdays and STAT
ren am. to 11:45 a.m.
6:30 p.m. to “6:45 p.m.
WSNY {1240 on dial) —
Sundays, May. 14 and 21.
2:20- pam. to 2:25 p.m.
a 250 p.m. to 7:55 p.m.
WRGB TELEVISION—.
Mondays, May 15 and May 22.
4:45 P. m. to.5 200 p.m.
Statistical Division
Above is reproduced part of the recent report of the National Industrial
Conference Board, a research agency for Big Business, Even that outfit
had to admit the outstanding record of UE.
‘Board of GE locals, including:
These are the demands which
UE will place before the General
Electric Company on May 26:
1. Immediate extension of the
expired éontract.
2. Negotiation on the changes
proposed by the GE Conference
in
A. Shorter work week with
40 hours pay, to provide jobs,
and also to solve the third
shift problem,
B. 10-cents per hour raise
over and above what is needed
to maintain take-home on a
shorter work week.
C. A pension plan guaran-
teeing $125 a month, to in-
crease as Social Security is
improved.
D. Company-paid hospitali-
UE Bargaining Program for GE
zation and insurance plan.
iE. A separate wage adjust-
ment to correct the skiee{”)
craft rates. :
F, Removal of remaining
discrimination in women’s
rates.
G. Improved eievaria pro- ,
cedure,
H. Sunday double time to
apply’to continuous operations,
I.. Union shop. ;
“J. Anti-discrimination clause.
And. improvénient’ in-various con-
tract. provisions, including: strong-
er seniority and piece. work puar-
antees, better provisions on holt!
days and _vacations, promotion:.op=
portunities, transfers, and’ service
breaks, and removal, of geographi-
cal differentials.
IUE and Gazette
The information that the Gazette
job shop was printing the local
IUE literature must have hit a
very. touchy spot. Note the loud
and abusive squeals in the IUE
leaflet handed. out last Friday,
A careful-check shows that the
Gazette job shop was indeed print-
ing the IUE stuff. The IUE moved
its printing elsewhere, in time to
protest. that the Gazette “does not’
now do the Carey-Kriss-Fiorillo
printing, Po
Eviction $.0.S.
A woman member of the union
who is. being evicted is in urgent
need of a four or five room flat
for herself and “hasband. Anyone
who can help heris asked to con-
tact the union. office. © lel
Jandreau at Fort Edware
Business Agent Leo Jandredu
UE-301 addressed a membership
meeting of UE Local 832 at the
_ Port Edward _.GE plant ‘Tuesday
night, The plant is solidly UL..
VOTE { UE — Don’t Let GE Have Its Company Union!
A Statement on the NLRB Election
By the Women’s Committee of UE
Like the men workers at GE, but even more so, women workers at GE have a clear choice on May 25. We
_can continue to go forward with UE, or we can go backward with the IUE-CIO.
UE has shown by its record that it practices as well as preaches the principle of equal rights —- for the
common good of men as well as women workers.
UE’s fight for equal pay for equal work has brought us wage rates and earnings among the highest in
industry, while major CIO unions were ignoring the issue. The differentials between our rates and those of
“men on similar jobs have been whittled down steadily. UE has kept up the fight, so that we can see the time
soon when GH’s traditional discrimination against women will be completely wiped out.
In doing this, UE has not just recognized that women in industry have the same needs and problems as men.
It also has realized that removal of discrimination against women protects the Jobs and working standards
of the men.
UE Protects Our Piece Work Earnings
UE piece work guarantees have been of special importance to us — as our jobs are more subject to quick
changes. Enforcement of these guarantees depends upon the kind of leadership given by UE. We need only
look at the Syracuse GE plant to see the results of IUE leadership. The entrenched company union leaders
there have allowed the company to play fast and loose with standards, so the women in Syracuse’ are on a
treadmill trying to make earnings 30 to 50 cents an hour lower than ours.
We have received job protection in UE — through enforcement of seniority, over constant obstruction by
supervision. We don’t want to trade this for the CIO policy of letting the boss decide that a short service
worker has more “ability and physical fitness” than a long service woman, and shall be kept on instead.
Our gains through UE have not just been handed to us. They have come because there are no second
class citizens in UE —- women Mayes been involved directly in the leadership of the union and the handling of
grievances. . ; _
VE Represents True American Democracy
Because most of us have been in industry for shorter years than the men, the outside forces controlling the
JUE-CIO have concentrated much of their lying propaganda on us. They have come to us with their endless
talk of “Communism”.: We are not fooled, We can tell real Americanism. For UE. practices democracy, it
practices equal rights, it does the job for the people. That is the expression of. true American democracy.
