Electrical Union News, 1952 November 14

VETERAN SPEAKS:

Andy Peterson, .who was president of UE Local 301

during the 1946 strike, takes:the microphone to speak at Monday’s mem-
bership meeting. The veteran union leader drew enthusiastic applause
as he rose to speak, me

“women in Schenectady.

Office Workers Make Big
Gains Under VE Contracts

UE has won major ‘improvements in wages and working
conditions for office and salaried workers in the Westinghouse
and General Electric chains throughout the country.

A survey~made by the union
shows that most. workers in these_..ut bringing’ these’ workers the fu
benefits ‘of UE representation is
now being negotiated.

froups are under union contracts,
with the most important exception

being the unorganized men and . : ae ‘ :
§ 8 ae situations exist in organized shops.

Office and salaried workers~ have

For the salaried workers, union- gotten exact job classifications,
ization has meant the'end of sub- which has meant upgrading and
standard conditions and universal salary increases for thousands of
favoritism.. Just recently GE them. Whereas formerly manage-

draftsmen in the Fort Edward and ent and supervision were able to

Hudson Falls plants were brought
into UE. As a result they now
have a grievance machinery which
they are using to the fullest ex-
tent. A supplement which is aimed

to upgrade, fire and layoff com-

keep wages down, now the office
groups have full seniority’ protec-
tions, '

Expose Crude Frameup
Of Harvester Striker

The real story behind the frame-
up on a murder charge of Harold
Ward, union leader of striking ‘Intl.
Harvester. workers, is told in a 29-
page document issued here by thé
Natl Committee to Free Harold
Ward. * ;

Ward, financial secretary of Mc-
Cormick Local 108, United Electri-
cal Radio & Machine Workers, is
being held in Cook county jail on
a charge of murdering William

Poster, a Harvester non-striker. ,

Foster was beaten near his home,
five miles from the plant where he
worked, ~ ;

The document points out that
“the underlying motives for pur-
suing such a frameup go far be-
yond the strike itself, Any champ-
ion of a better life for workers
earns a bitter and unrelenting op-
position from a powerful corpora-
tion.”

The exposure shows how. the
murder of a Harvester worker and
the indietment of Ward came after
the company had tried unsuecess-
fully for six weeks to break the
strike.’ It shows how the Chicago
police foree lent itself to the
frameup plot. Tt recalls a state-
ment in the Kefauver crime report
which declared: “Everywhere we
went the committee found a cer-
tain amount of police immorality,
but in Chicago the rawness of this

sort of thing was particularly.

shocking.”

The case history shows some of
the discrepancies already visible in
the frameup and points out the

conflicting “statements about the.

time, place and circumstances sur-
rounding the murder of Foster,

cartier

Friday, November 7, 1952

Strong Fight on Anti-Union —
Laws Vital in New Congress

With a strongly anti-labor Congress likely to take over
national legislation next year, a renewed fight by the entire
labor movement against Taft-Hartiey and other. proposals to

eripple unions loomed ds'more vital
than ever. ; ,

As this issue of the EU News
went to press, it appeared likely
that the Republican Party would
control both houses of Congress.
This would probably mean that the
post of chairman of the Senate La-
bor Committee would go to Sen.
Robert Taft, the senior GOP mem-
ber of the group.

In this position, Taft would have
a big’ say on all labor legislation,
‘Undoubtedly this, would produce
more schemes to bust organized la-
bor by the man who co-authored
the Taft-Hartley law. Labor’s only
hope to prevent -passage’ of such
laws is through a united fight for
repeal of Taft-Hartley, as well as
for repeal of the other measures
aimed at limiting the rights of In
bor and of the entire American
people, such as the Smith Act, the
McCarran Act and the McCarran-
Walter immigration law,

UE will continue to press for
legislation. in: the interests of the
American working men and women
regardless of who controls the Con-
gress. The union’s position of
fighting for the economic well-
being of labor will not be changed
by the election, If the CIO and
AFL realize that the rights of or-
ganized labor exn not be protected

Right now an office worker in
Schenectady who has a grievance
‘ean only depend on the good will
of supervision to settle it. Since

Same supervision, it’s not much to
“ depend on. 2 ‘
UE: Local 301 stewards have al-
ready received many union appli-
cations signed by. Schenectady of-

‘chines ‘of any party, an effective,

-fice and salaried workers. They
have been -authorized to take an
such applications so that if the d
united fight against the wage mand is big enough, full organi-
freeze and against union-busting zation of: the groups can ‘be under.
laws can be developed successfully. — talcen.

by tying unions to political. ma-

THAT'S )
\NFLATIONaRY,

ss

DON'T YOU
~RNOW THERE'S
A WAR ON?

Throughout the country similar

play’ one worker against another, ;

pletely outside of seniority and: to,

the beef is usually against this‘

4 ‘Na 10 -— No. 45

Facts of Union Life We A
weekly $5 food basket for tw

thrown in for each dependent.
In exchange for this, the

Sometime within the next few days you will be approached
by your shop steward and asked to. contribute to help sup-
port the 40,000 UE members now on strike against Interna-
tional Harvester, General Cable and several other corpora-
tions. ; . . :

Never before has any member of this: union been called

4 on to make a moxe important contribution to his or her own

future. The economic well-being of each of us is tied un-
breakably to the success or failure of the strikes now in
progress. This simple fact can not be stressed too often.

- UB's national organization has poured out tens of thous-
ands of dollars a week to support these strikes in the past

few weeks.. Despite the Cleveland. convention pledge of $1."

per member per month for the duration of the strikes, ‘only
a small amount of this money ‘has come back to the union as
contributions from the local membership.

This can’t continue for very long without bringing about
a serious financial crisis for our union, a crisis which will
weaken us in the face of increasing company attacks and more
splitting raids. The job must be done by the'men and women

of UE Local 301 and their union brothers and sisters across

the country. : ;
The Harvester strikers.don’t ask for much. | Although

they are not receiving and will not receive any unemployment.
‘insurance, the only aid they are getting is in the form of a

ust Face
persons, With an additional $1

y have given up'12 weeks of
_wages; they have fought against vicious police frameups and

company and CIO strikebreaking efforts; they have withstood
violence and intimidations, injunctions and evictions from their

homes. \.4

Let’s not forget for one moment that this gallant struggle
is being waged for one reason and one reason alone—the
profit-swollen International Harvester Corporation tried to cut
wages and destroy all contract conditions won by Harvester

workers over the years.

If UE loses in Harvester, then it is an almost absolute cer-
tainty that General Electric will try: to follow the same path
next year. A defeat now would mean that GEE would come
back next fall with dozens of demands to cut wages, end sen-

‘fority protections, establish piece work ceilings way below

current earnings and cripple the grievance machinery—all

things demanded by Harvester.

But we can prevent this by giving the right kind of sup-
port to the strikers. A dollar a month is not much to ask.
In exchange for your contributions, you will be given a strike
support card to carry. Keep it with you at all times. Make
Sure everyone you're working with has one. This is every-

body’s fight!

“ SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK

Friday, November 14, 1952

Join the “$5 Club’’

A special “$35 Club” made up
of UE Local 301 members who
have contributed $5 or more to
help the International Harvester
and General Cable strikers is
springing up ‘throughout the

UE Local 301 will ballot for its 1953 office
according to a decision made last Friday by the
works, also set up procedures to. be followed in these e

Names of the men and wom-
en who qualify for the club will
be printed in the EU News
every week.

The club got off to a flying
start Monday when all mem-
bers of the local exccutixe board
voted to turn their $5 contribu-
tions to the defense fund over
to the strike collection:

Strike Support
FOR VICTORY!

(General Cable—Since June 1
Local 301 Harvester—Since Aug. 22

‘Fight to Save
WAGES AND CONTRACT.

GOT YOUR CARD? Pictured above is the Strike Support contribution
ecard which will be issued to all UE Local 301 members who contribute

' to the collection being taken up to aid 40,000 UE members on strike.

contributions to the fund bein
national Harvester and General Cable strikers have been

prepared by UE Loeul 301,
_ The cards indicating the amount
of the donation will.be given out
each time a man or woman gives
money to the shop steward, In
addition, the contributors will get
regular receipts, '
The card system was devised by
the local because of the tremen-
dous importance of the strikes to
the future of GE workers. The

‘union is seeking to get as close to

its quota of $1 per member per
month as possible. This.quota was
fixed by the union’s national con-

Mention.

Thus far, Local 301 .has | con-
tributed $4,000 to the strike fund

since Oct. 1, Of this, $2,500 is -

an advance toa tide the strikers
over in the current emergency.

Officer Elections Set for December 4 & 5
With Stewards Ballot on December 15 & 16

rs on Thursday, Dec. 4, and Friday, Dec. 5,
union’s elections committee. The committee
lections and in the voting for shop stewards,

Cards to Identify Strike
Supporters in 301 Drive

Special blue cards to identify all those who Have made
g raised to support the Inter-

which was, scheduled’ for Monday,
Dec, 15 and Tuesday, Dee. 16. .
All voting will be by means of
secret ballots as required under
the union constitution. The elec
tion of officers will be conducted
on voting machines. borrowed from
the city and set up in the union
hall. © Polls will be ‘open continu.

“ously from noon on Thursday un-

til 6 pm. on Friday, a stretch of
80 hours. All of the voting will
be supervised by two custodians
appointed by the city elections
commission,

At stake in the Thursday and.
Friday voting will be seven key
offices and five other posts. With
the deadline for declinations past,
it appears as if the contest for the
local presidency will be a three-

comered race. President James

Cognetta will be opposed in his:
bid for reelection’ by Dewey Bra-
shear ‘of Building 81, and John
Glune of 278 me
Two hats are in the ring for the -
vice presidency, those of Joe Alois
und Bill McColl, both of 273. The
present vice president, Roy Schaf-
(Continued on Page 4)

cece pa ent aA. ETS TRE RI AOL ENC oe erent

Honor Roll -

The following ‘Loeal..301 mem-
hers have joined the “85 Club” by
turning over the money they con-
tributed to the defense fund to aid
UE strikers who are fighting for
our union on the pieket lings:

Vince Di Lorenzo, Bldg. 73
William Linka, 273
Anthony Villano, Knolls
P. Rosa, 60

William Stewart, 278
I. Hildreth, 57

A, Christiansen, 273
Sadie Tovinelli, 81

J. Parisi, 89 .

John Oberties, 16

L. Gebo, 278

K. Marine, 57

R. Slocum, 18

R. Vittalo, 273

John Succocio, 66

Sam De Cesare

Mla De Massio, 46

W. Templeton; 63

Fred Paeelli, 46

Sam Seott, 285

Sid Friedlander, 17
Miles Moen, 85°

H. MeClean, Racetrack
Joc Alois, 273

H. Simpson, 28

ed La, Bombard, 97
Rossiter Lighthall, 46
Vinee Palazeke, 60
F.-D’Amico, 40

R. Schaffer, 60

J. Caynetta, 52
William Mastriani, 734
Helen. Quirini, 81

Leo Jandreau, office

S. Pita, office

M. White, office

Fred Sheehan, office
Leon Novak, office

Pian to Hold Big Xmas
Party in Mt. Pleasant

UE Local 301’s Christmas Party
will be helt at Mont Pleasant High
School in order to assure that a
maximum number of union mem-
bers and their children will be ac-
comimoadated.

An exact date has not yet been
selected for the big affalr, nor has
the method of distributing tickets
heen completely worked out. How-
ever, aside from these points, al-
most all plans have been completed
by the activities committee.

The membership last week ap-
propriated $2,500. for the party
Gartons of toys have already
started piling up in the union hall.
These toys will be used as pitts
which will be, given ta every child
who attends, mo

“The “Christinis® affair will” eti-
max acyenr of highly successful
work hy the activities committee.

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

UE LOCAL 301

STEWARDS _
MEETING

2nd SHIFT
Monday, Nov. 17, 1952
1:00 P.M. (before work) ;

Ast and 3rd SHIFTS
Monday, Nov. 17, 1952
7:30 PM.

Local 301 Hall
Erie Blvd. & Liberty St.

Strikers’ Sacrifice

If youw’re making $2 an hour one
day of strike would cost you $16
in wages. International Hurvester
strikers have been on the picket
lines for 12 weeks.

Have you met your quota of $1
a month to help the strikers who
are fighting to save their wages
and contract—and to protect ours?

mn

GE, Westinghouse Com
‘For Pension Steal Honors

The big corporations work closely together, even when |
it comes to chiseling a few dollars from the meager pensions

cf elderly, retired workers.

This fact became obvious this
week when it was revealed that
UE members in the Westinghouse
chain are fighting exactly the same
kind of ;pension steal as has been
perpetrated by General Eleétric.

Both giants of the electrical. in-
dustry saw fit to cut the $5 to $8
monthly increase’ recently granted
under social security from the pen-
sions being paid to retired work-
ers. Only difference is that pen-
sions in Westinghouse are lower
than GE’s to begin with.

In’ both cases the corporations
ure saving what to them is a pid-
dling amount, but which is to the
individual retired worker trying to
serupe along in these days of high
prices an important sum.

Here in, Schenectady, the pen-
sioners are reportedly organizing
for an all-out fight with: two ob-
jectives, The first is to force the

company to restore the cut, w
the second is to outlaw this kin&
of chiseling in the future. The
national and local unions have
pledged full support for the old-
timers. Y

The problem of obtaining a law
which will forbid companies to cut
pensions because of increases in
social security is one which will
occupy an important position in
the UE legislative program for the
1953 congressional session. It is
felt that even many anti-labor
congressmen will be ‘forced to line
up behind such a proposal because.
of the strong sentiment existing’
on behalf. of retired men and
women in their districts.

Rep. Bernard Kearney, who

‘yepresents the Schenectady area.in

Congress, has already made a
vague promise to give sympathetic
consideration to the problem.

Bldg. 10C: A group of women

whose job classification calls for
simple drill press work have a tim-
ing rate of 60¢ and an AER of
$1.40. They are now doing work
which requires extremely close tol-
erances and which therefore quali-
fies them for a 78e timing rute and
an AER of $1.60%. The union

demands the 3 step increase neces- ,

sury to-correct this inequity.

Bldg. 14: Frank W. Horton, B.
1. Glaser, C. E. Kazmierezyk and
Rk. Hertzel demand investigation
and correction of the failure of
supervision to grant them merit
increases when they were justified,
the failure to pay them for the
performance of work in a classifi-
‘ation higher than they are rated
for, and the failure to reevaluate
their -clussifications to conform
with the general inspection duties
they are performing,

Bldg. 28: M. H. Frisconi is class-
ified as a B intermediate cutter
grinder. His work includes grind-
ing all types of cutters, grinding
irrepular shapes, angles and. con-
tours of all deseriptions.and work-
ing from blueprints while main-
taining very close tolerances: This
is strietly A work and the union
demands proper reclassification
and rate adjustment.

Bldg. 49: A 8rd shift welders
group protests the hiring of a new
man on ist shift although they had
requested transfers to days. One

of the eligible members of this -

group should have been trans-
ferred and the union demands that
this be done in accordance with the
contract and past practice.
James Swisher is classified as a

“C mechanical inspector with a rate

of $1.87%, For the past 7 months,
he has devoted 75% of his time to

Uhousanas of grievances ate nandiea oy UE Local 301
euch year at all levels from the steward up to final appeal
in New: York City. T'o keep members posted, we shall
each week list some of the grievances that have not been
iettled at the steward-foreman level and have been re-
ferred to the executive board-management level. ;

the operation of a comparator pro-
jector with va B rating. The union
demands veclassifiention and rate
adjustment retroactive to Febru-
ary, 1952.

Bldy. 50: John Wager protests
ugainst the failure of supervision
to give him proper consideration
for B packing work when he was
transferred from 81 because of
luck of work, He was considered
only for C work despite his” long

‘service in the B cateyory as well

usin A. At the present time there

are very short service people whonr

Wager could replace without in-
volving other long Service workers.
The union demands fair treatment
for this worker.

Bldg, 52: Rowland G. Brown is
a B material moveman, His work
includes maintaining all records
and directing the activities of bat-
tery truck operators. These, along
with other’of his activities, qualify
him for the A classification.” The
union demands that Brown be up-
graded and given the $1.65 hourly

‘ate to which he is entitled,

‘Bidg. 60: An A assembler has
been assigned to do major repairs
and trouble shooting on the 8” 60
train and elevation gear train jobs.

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS

UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE
WORKERS OF AMERICA (1/E}

Local 301 >

Published by tho Editorial Commitiee

Prosidant—.._.__...-.-—James J. Cognatta
Vico-Prastd@nt 2 nnn Roy Schaffar
Troasuretin nn wna wneenenenHelan Quirtni

Ass't Recording Secretary—...Frank D'Amico
Chlof Shop Stoward____ William Mastriant
Business Agont. Lee Jandreau

30] LIBERTY ST, © SCHENECTADY 5, N. ¥.

Recording, Secretary---.-.-- Rudy Rissland_ |.

These jobs belong to general ©
sembly. The union demands this
reclassification and the assignment
of a general instrument assembler
to do the work,

The TG 190 main valve unit is
being converted from day work to
piece work. This job has been de-
veloped for the past 2 years with
all of. the defects taken out, Spe-
cial prices ure being issued and

“the steward has not -been notified

of the piece work conversion, The
union demands that proper timing
rutes be negotiated before any
prices are issued,

W. R. Willingham is classified as
a welder-hand are, with a $1.82.
job rate. Mowever he is required
to do all around welding work and
deserves the classification of spe-
chal welder, with a rate of $1.93.
The union demands proper classi-
fication and rate adjustment.

Bldg. 66: J, B. Novak demands
an increase in price on his job in
line with the rate on a Similar job
for which a time study was made.

John Saccovio is protesting the

_ attitude of supervision in regard

to payment for extra work to
which he is entitled. On his. oil
deflector job, Saccocio was asked
to build up a part to drawing re-
quirements in order to make up
for defects in machining. Ag
that was done, he was asked id)
further build up work. He is ef- ;
titled to payment of $2.00 for this
extra build up. The union demands
that this payment be made.
Changes in planning have been
made in sub-assemblies_of bases in...

Miolation of contract article VI-5-d.

Group demands payment under old
method until proper adjustments
are made,

Friday, November 14, 1952

pete -

Scranton, Pa—UE Local 122
_ has administered one of the most
stushing defeats in.NLRB election
story to the CIO furniture work-
evs, Who were raiding the Harris
Hub Bed and Spring Co. «The vote
for UE over the ClO union was
149 to 9 Another 43 votes were
east for no union. These ballots
resulted fron. a campaign by the
United Mine Workers District 50,
which assigned -5 orgunizers. to
build up the no union vote as an
expression of support for the
UMW. However, even counting
these votes, the Ul! victory ratio
over its combined opposition was
3 to 1.
2, a oe
San Franciseo—The AFL Sail-
ors Union of the Pacific has start-
ed a new strike against west coast
shippers in protest over the Wage
Stabilization Board’s long delay in
approving -a- contract won in July
after a 62-day strike. The pend-
ing pact provides a ‘$4.50 monthly
wage ‘inerease .and substantial
fringe improvements.
. wk ok ok.
Bulfalo—UE. Local 826 has won
a new one-year contract from the
Buffalo Wire ‘Works Co. providing

m"\100 hourly wage incrense. The

Jntract also includes a non-dis-
crimination. clause and a_ third
weck’s vacation for employees
with 15 years of service.

xk *k *

New York-—More than 300 mem-
bers of the AFL flight engincers
union ended their strike against
United Airlines this week follow-
ing personal intervention by Presi-
dent Truman, The chief executive
sel up a fact finding board to in-
vestigate the union’s demands for
a wage scale pegeed to the size

of planes they fly, The pilots. al- .

readychave this arrangement.
x * *
Ashtabula, Ohio—UL Loeal 732
was celebrating this week follow-
ing the hiring of two Negro work-
evs at the Ward Products Co.,
which was previously’ lily-white.
The hiring came as the result of
an intensive campaign by the un-
ion, and was vepnrded as the first
step in a drive for completely fair
employment practices in the aren
: Jk kk O*
Pittsburgh—Speeulation-on who
would succeed Philip Murray as
( Foidart of the CIO mounted
ttiroughout the week following the
death of the 66-year-old” labor
leader, Among those ‘mentioned
most prominently were UAW
President Walter. Reuther, CIO

Viee President’ Alan Hayavood, and”

Steelworkers Vied President David
MacDonald,

Friday, November 14, 1952

prermeanacenarret atta Reh MEAN AALS TF SUMANIES ORO NT an

.

They Give $14 a Day

Tf. you're’ making $1.75 an
hour, one day of strike would
cost you $14 in wages. Interna-
‘Honal Harvester strikers have
been on the picket lines for 12
weeks.

Have you met your. quota of
$1 a month to help the strikers
who are fighting to save their
wages and contract — and. to
protect ours? i

Labor Foe Martin
AtNew HouseHelm

Republican control of Congress
in the next session’ will rmean that
the key job of Speaker of the
House of "Representatives will re-
turn to Joseph Martin of Massa-
chusetts, a man, who has spent

most of his legislative career seek-'

ing new restrictions on organized
‘labor.

Martin will make a good ‘team
mate for Sen, Robert Taft, who is
slated to head the upper chamber’s
labor committee. In fact, it. Was
under just this combination that

.the Taft-Hartley law passed the
GOP-eontrolled 80th Congress in
1947,

The return of these two foes of
the American working people will
mean tough sledding ahead for all
unions, especially if they fail to de-
velop ‘a desperately needed pro-
gram of united political action.
Such a program could stem the
tide of reaction, and continue the
fight to repeal T-H.

Pat Denato’s Son
Killed in Crash

The Local 301 executive board
Monday sent. a wreath in an ex-
pression of its deepest sympathy

to Board Member Pat Donato and.

Mrs. Donato, on the tragie death
of their 22-year-old son, Pfe.
Anthony Donato.

Young Donato, who had been
married only two weeks, was killed
in an automobile accident early
Sunday niorning., He was home on
leave from the Air Force at the
time of the fatal accident,

DOING THEIR PART.

‘guarantee that ULE

Nixon Urges Pressure on GE
To Assure WSB Increase OK

A petition campaign in the locals to pressure the Wage

Stabilization Board to end its stalling on approval of the wage

increase negotiated between UE and GE was urged this week

by Russ’ Nixon, Washington repre-
sentative of the union. *

Nixon emphasized that the most
effective form of pressure would
be that originating in the shops
and aimed, at the company. He
pointed out that GE. pressure on
the WSB for a quick decision on

the boost would assure. such, action. -

The UE legislative expert
stressed that the anti-labor char-
acter of the wage freeze apparatus

-made approval of the increase by"

no means automatic even though
the negotiated, increases fall with-
in previously established and ap-
proved patterns. '

’ He declared that prompt and
widespread action was the only
members in
GE, Westinghouse and Sylvania
would get their increases before
Christmas. As negotiated, the
hikes are effective on Sept. 15,

. with retroactive pay being given

to all workers when WSB approval
is handed down, : ,

“The text ‘of the Nixon com-_

inunication to UE locals follows:

The GE, Westinghouse and
Sylvania WSB cases for approval
of the annuak:productivity increase
of 244 percent in effect will be
handled as a single package by the
WSB. .The GE case which was
filed first will be the lead case
which when determined) will vir-
tually automatically result in ap-
proval of the Westinghouse and
Sylvania cases. All of the em-
ployees in these three chains are
involved, totalling perhaps 300,000
persons,

The date of the original filing of
the Gl: petition in Washington is
September 9th and that should be
considered the effective date for
initiation of consideration by WSB
of the issue involved in the cases
of all three chains.

The UE Local 301 executive board met in a special

session Monday to diseuss aid for-UE strikers, particularly those on the

picket: -tines: around General Cable: and: International “Harvester” plants.

The hoard members showed their recognition of the importance of the

strike collection by unanimously voting to turn over their $5 contribu-
. tions from the defense fund to the strike collection.”

I cheeked the Wage Stabilization
Board Friday, November 7, and
was informed that the GE, West-
inghouse and Sylvania cases were
being handled in an entirely rou-
tine fashion. They are now await-
ing analysis by the Review and
Analysis Division of the WSB.

These cases will be analyzed on
the basis of chronological order of
all other cases, with all such cases
predating the GE case to be
handled first regardless of size or
importance. As of today there are
numerous cases to be analyzed in
the particular WSB Analysis Sec-
tion handling the GE, Westing-
house and Sylvania cases. —Al-
though there is virtually no actual
analysis required in these cases in
view of the simplicity of the issue,
I have been- informed by Mr.
Vernoff, the analyst in charge at
WSB, that there is'no guarantee
ns to how soon these cases: will be
unalyzed: .

As.-matters now stand, after
analysis the cases would be sent
to the Review and Appeals Com-
mittee, put on their agenda to
await their turn for consideration
by that unit of WSB. Thereafter,
it is highly probable they would
be sent to the Productivity Sub-
Committee of the WSB for its
consideration, and thereafter to
the full WSB for final decision.
This process could well take
several months,

It must be emphasized that

‘there is no guarantee of approval

of the 24: percent by WSB. The
UL has asked that these cases be
upproved administratively on a
virtually automatie basis in view

of the previous year’s decision on

the same issue. This has been
refused by WSB which states there
iy a major policy question involved
in the continuation of the annual
productivity increase allowance.
Although a general policy on this
issue Was promised by WSB. in
dune 1951, nothing has resulted
und the issue is being handled on
wu purely case by cause basis,

This is a result of a bitter fight
by the companies and their repre-
sentatives on the Board against
any generalized application of the
annual productivity increase prin-
ciple. Public members .of the
Board, particularly the present
Board Chairman, Archibald Cox,
has indicated a lack of sympathy
with the productivity principle and
it is obvious that a real fight has

“to be mide to assure approval of

this 214 pereent factor in the GE,.

~ Westinghouse and Sylvania cases.

ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS