4
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
‘February 20, 1948
Canned Food, Soap
Are Still on Sale
Local 801 members and their families
can buy the Food Center’s remaining
canned goods, soap and soap flakes to-
day and tomorrow at 1027 State St. The
place will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
today and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomor-
row. '
The Food Committee has been unable
to find any place to move yet and ‘is fol-
lowing every possible lead to locate a
suitable building. Last week the com-
mittee thought the problem was_ solved
but the arrangements fell through at
the last minute. ‘ .
Even when a new location is: found,
there will be additional delay preparing
the place for opening. There should be
“very little’ stock” to nove; “after “union
members do their shopping this week-
end.
The 301 membership meeting this
week approved the Food Committee re-
port, submitted by Chairman James
Cognetta, All union members were
urged to notify the committee about any
suitable building they hear of. :
Last week ‘union members bought, $5;- “
722.27 worth of food and supplies at the
Center: $1,811.76 Thursday; $2,086.85,
Friday and $1,873.66, Saturday.
Aldhous Appointed
The Executive Board appointed Stan-
..ley. Aldhous of Bldg, 269 Monday to the
Constitution Committee, to replace Ed- .
ward Wallingford who declined to serve.
Aldhous is a shop steward.
New Job Handed
To GE Foremen
GE foremen-are about to embark
on a personal mission to sell “anti-
inflation” to the workers in the
plant.
A. C, Stevens, assistant to the
general superintendent, so notified
Leo Jandreau on Wednesday. Jan-
dreau asked for specific details as
to the foremen’s message, but
Stevens declined to be specific.
Of course, GH foremen have
been receiving schooling in the
Boulware brand of “anti-inflation,”
which favors low wages, record
profits, speed-up, and the supposed
“benefits” of the Taft-Hartley act.
Jandreau pointed out to Stevens
that workers would object to be-
ing buttonholed by foremen at the
expense of ‘their earnings,
C
| Planning Social Program for 301
Meeting of the Activities-Committee. Front row, left.to right, Edward J. La Bom-
bard, Jr., Bldg. 97, co-chairman; Gordon Belgrave, Bldg. 17, chairman; and Ann
Koval, Bidg. 46, secretary. Standing, James Cognetta, Bldg. 52; Helen Quirini,
Bldg. 81; Jean Schwartz, Bldg. 81, assistant secretary, and Louis Durrer, Bldg. 85.
Several members were not present. .Ann Koval and Jean Schwartz were added to
the committee recently by the Executive Board. ,
Employers Rush to Use T-H Board Against Workers;
Unions That ‘Submit’ to Board Are Under Attack
Statistics issued by the Taft-Hartley Board as of Jan. 1 show the widespread
use that employers have made of the Board already.
As David ‘Scribner, UE general counsel, puts it, “employers have rushed to
the Board in droves to get the Board to do their dirty work for them.”.
There were 164 company petitions for
elections filed. While such petitions .
waited Board action, all the companies
refused to bargain with the unions in-
volved. _.
Company stooges have alféady filed
196 petitions to decertify — or kick out
—~ unions that have had contracts. °
Employers have filed 242 unfair labor
practice charges against unions, These
include charges of coercion and refusal
to bargain. Meanwhile the companies
won't bargain till the board disposes of
the charges. There were 80 charges
filed against .unions by individuals, —
chiefly by company stooges.
Lawsuits for more than $15,000,000
have been filed by employers against
unions under the Taft-Hartley Law.
Numerous injunctions against unions
have been sought by the Board and em-
ployers.
Seribnur said it) is significant that
~many ~ ofthese: -actions were taken
against unions that “have submitted’ to
the Taft-Hartley Board. -
“Such unions are now waking up to
the fact.that they didnot buy any im-
munity whatsoever from. the employer
attack by submission to the Board,” he
pointed out. a is
Seribner declared UE has been less
involved in this kind of employer attack
than unions which “submitted” to the
Board. ;
“And the reason is simply that UE
workers, through their organizational
strength and unity, are in most cases
successfully resisting and fighting back
rany employer attempts to use the Taft-
Hartley Law to deprive them of their
union and the gains they have made in
wages and working conditions.”
301 Broadcast
The Loeal 801 radio program is at 7:30
pam. every Monday over WSNY,
THE VOICE‘OF LOCAL 301. ~ - - ULE.R.&M.W.A.
NION
« oo GEO,
Vol. 6 —— No. 9
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
February 27, 1948
Local 301 Officers and Board Are Installed
Installation of officers and Executive Board of Local 361 at the membership meeting Feb. 17. Charles. Rivers, executive sec-
retary of UE District 3, is shown administering the oath of office. Frontzrow, left to right, Charles Ferris, Willard Kuschel,
and Frank C. Kriss, Board members; Edmund Tanski, trustee; Marshall/White, treasurer; Helen Quirini, recording secretary;
Leo Jandreau, business agent; William Stewart, Board member; George W'
alker, guide; William Hodges, vice-president; Law-
rence F. Schilling Board member, and Andrew Peterson, president. Second ow, Sam Scott, Henry Busse and James Cognetta,
Board members;: William A. Downs, trustee; Albert Davis, trustee and Board member; Fred Pacelli, Joseph A. Mangino and
John P. Brauneisen, Board members. Not present when the picture was taken: Alfred J. Pelrah, assistant recording secretary ;
William Mastriani, chief shop steward; Harmon Cartwright,.sergeant at. arms_and the following Board_members, Anthony
Villano, Michael Tedisco, Anthony Esposito, Stanley Bishop, C.E. Groesbeck, Dewey Brashear, Edward J. La Bombard, Jr.,
Leland Sisto and Mary McCartin.
Hopes to Find New Quarters
For Local 301 Food Center
‘James Cognetta, chairman of the 301
Food Committee, says he hopes to have
good news to report next week. The
committee has been searching for many
weeks for a new location for the Food
Center.
After selling. some left-over canned
foods and soap last week, the Food
Center is now“closed until it reopens ir
new quarters. Irving, Yulman, manager,
is taking inventory.
Bonus Applications
The Veterans’ Bonus Bureau in Al-
bany has returned some bonus applica-
tion forms with the explanation that a
notary’s seal or the notation “City of
Schenectady” was required. Legal coun-
sel to the Bureau agreed with Marshall
Perlin, 801 attorney, that. both rulings
were wrong and the applications should
have been processed. Instructions were
given accordingly to the bureau staff. If
any 801 members had forms returned,
they should bring them to the 301 hall
instead of sending them back direct, in
order to insure speedy processing.
MAKE YOUR SHOP 100% UE
Tacome Tax Help
Because the Internal Revenue of-
fice at the Post Office is open only
Monday through Friday for people
wanting help in making out their
income tax returns, Local 301 will
have its’ own tax experts at 301
Hall tomorrow (Saturday) and the
next two Saturdays, Mar. 6 and
. Mar. 18. The hours will be 9 a.m.
to L p.m
There was considerable demand
by union members for this Satur-
day help on income ‘tax. The serv-
ice is principally for those who
can’t get to the Post Office dur-
ing, the Monday through Friday
period, 8:30 a.m to°6 pan. & |
People going to the Post Office
or 301 Hall should take along the
company statement of their with-
liolding tax. ” :
Other years federal men haye
becn assigned to 801 Hall, but Ed-
ward J. Connolly, Schenectady di-
vision chief, turned down the un-
ion’s request this year on the
grounds that-his staff is now. too
small.
UE-GE Contract
Negotiations —
Start Tuesday
Wage and contract bargaining for
1948 will start next Tuesday morning
in the General Electric Company’s office
in -New York...The union. bargaining.
committee will hold a preliminary meet-
ing Monday at the national UE office to
review the union’s and company’s pro-
posals. :
Joseph Dermody, secretary of the un-
ion’s GE Conference Board, heads the
negotiators. Local 301 Business Agent
Leo Jandreau is a member of the com-
mittee as in past years. .
The union’s proposals have been pub-
lished in summary form in this paper.
They will be discussed in more detail as
the negotiations. develop. \ :
The company also has submitted many
proposed changes. The principal ones
include: :
Changes which would weaken the
standard price protection of the agree-
ment and the provision on rates to be
(Continued on Page 2)
2
ELECTRICAL UNION
February 27, 1948
GE Finally Recognizes _
State Rule on Waivers
Reports reeeived this week at the un-
ion office indicate that the Schenectady
GE plant is now giving waivers to in-
jured’ workers to sign, as provided for
by the Workmen's “Compensation Law,
before they are treated by a company
doctor ‘or a doctor selected by, the com-
pany.
Local 301 had complained to the State
Workmen’s Compensation Board about
GE irregularities in this connection. GE
had failed to inform workers of their
right to choose their own physicians and
had neglected to get waivers of» this
right from workers before sending’ them
to doctors for treatment.
In emergency cases, workers may be
doctors without
they “are not saps
doctors selected by
the company unless they sign waivers
of their right to choose their own doc-
tors. Even if they sign such waivers,
they can always change to their own
doctors, The union advises workers to
see their own. physicians.
Another complaint the union made to
the state was that the company doesn't
post enough notices about the Work-
men’s Compensation rights of workers.
As far as the union knows, the number
has not yet been increased.
Conditions reported by the union were
confirmed recently by state investigat-
ors, but their report was not made pub-
lic. Local 801 plans to keep a continu-
ous and close check on GE practices in
connection with cases of illness and in-
jury.
Get Higher Rate
Reclassification of four workers in
Bldg. 783A won them a 5 cent rate in-
crease, retroactive to Jan, 28.” Manage-
ment agreed this week to change them
from the $1.40 classification of sheet
metal «worker to the repair and adjust
classification, $1.45, after a shop investi-
gation, "The written grievances were
filed by Shop Stewards Carl Fuchs and
Albert A. Dorries for the four,
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Unirep Exererrica,, Rapto & Macuine
Workers or America, CIO
Scnznectapy GE Locat 301
= Gp
Published by the Editorial Committee
William Templeton, Chairman
Mary McCartin, Secretary
William Landau Victor Pasche
Clayton Pudney
Editorial Office - Electrical Union News
301 Liberty St. - Schenectady, N. Y.
Telephone 3-1386 | ee
Lemons SCHENEGTADY PRINTING CO. INC,
— —_VENTWS SERVICE
Aphabet soup Barkins.-.and have the UE’S removed... .
Polio Collection
Nears Completion
Michael Tedisco, Board member rep-
recenting Bldgs. 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 and
19, has turned in the largest collection,
$418.71, for the March-of-Dimes drive.
Next highest are: William “ Stewart,
Board member for Bldg. 60, with
$281.62; Sam Scott, Bldgs, 278 and 285,
with $229,22;--Anthony Esposito, Bldg.
53, $190.47, and Stanley Bishop, Bldg.
65 and 69, with $188.85. be
A total of $8,054.33 had been handed
in as of Wednesday. The union office
has asked shop stewards to complete.
their collections immediately and give
the money to the Board members to turn”
in. The deadline for getting the contvi-
butions to the union office is Monday.
Jib Crane Installed
As the result of a grievance taken up
by Shop Steward Roy Lash, Foreman Bar-
ney Gardenier, Bldg. 60, has had a jib
erane installed next to the Milwaukee
milling machine in the west gallery of
his department. Gardinier has agreed
that the largest nut that the operator
will be’ required to lift on the machine
would ‘be 83° pounds. ~
UE-GE Negotiations
Will Start Tuesday
(Continued from Page :1)
paid an upgraded worker. Another
change would weaken the system of job
classifications, by weakening the appli-
cation of job’ definitions;
Weakening the general seniority pro-
vision (the union’s position is that the
provision is too weak now); and com-
pletely eliminating the present top sen-
jority for shop stewards}:
Making it compulsory for workers to
accept overtime, except as prevented by
illness or unusual personal inconven-
ience}
Weakening the provision for arbitra-
tion of unsettled grievances. The union
argues the provision is already too weak,
in view of the company’s frequent re-
fusal to submit grievances to arbitra-
tion when requested by the union.
Red Cross Drive
The Executive Board has recommend-
ed that Local 301 cooperate again this
year with the Red Cross drive. The
Board named Vicepresident ‘William
Hodges to represent the union in the
campaign. : ws
February 27, 1948
GE Fights Payment
For Injured Woman
The General Electric Company is still
fighting against paying a. Workmen's
Compensation award to Mrs. Nellie Vai-
tulis, now of Brooklyn, who was injured:
Apr. 5, 1944 at the Schenectady plant. °
‘The company has appealed.to the Appel-
late Division, from a Workmen’s Com-
pensation Board decision in favor of the .
injured woman. The award totals over
$3,000 disability~pay. ;
Mrs. Vaitulis, who was 48 at the time
of the accident, was a member of Local
301 employed as a porter. She was push-
ing a loaded hand truck weighing over
1,000 pounds when the truck: became
stuck in a hole. While pushing and
-pulling the :truck; she felt pain~in her
abdomen and chest. She was treated
that day at the plant hospital. . Three
days later she had to quit work because
of the pain. :
Although she saw several physicians
her condition was not correctly diag-
nosed for three,..years. A Schenectady
surgeon July 7,.1944 performed an “ex-
-ploratory operation’ which did not locate
the trouble. Finally an Amsterdam sur-
geon operated Jan. 24, 1947,.and dis-
covered she was suffering from a hernia.
He operated again Feb. 6, 1947 to cor-
rect this condition.
Last September a Workmen’s. Com. —
ELECTRICAL UNION: NEWS
Challenge GE Secrecy
Local 301 has challenged at the higher
grievance levels the company’s refusal
to permit Board Member Anthony Vil-
lano to visit a shop steward at the
. Campbell Avenue race track on the job.
The company based the refusal on the
claim that a manufacturing process was
being developed which must be kept
secret from possible competitors. It said
that Villano must meet. the. steward.at
the gate house. The: union contends
that the contract gives the board mem-
ber the right to visit the stewards at
their place of work, for necessary con-
sultation on problems.
Bldg. 76 Skid Gang
Grievance Settled
Changes in group sharing“ rates of the
skid gang in Bldg. 76, so that the com-
pany now makes up part of the wages of
men less than two months .in the group,
have been negotiated through grievance
action. Previously the new men re-
ceived their piece work earnings out of
the total pool.
A general grievance on behalf of the
group of 50 men corrected this, and also
resulted in additional crane service on
the first shift, and payment of neces-
sary waiting time. The men claim that
crane service still is inadequate on the
pensation referee decided that Mrs. Vai- second shift,
tulis, whose pay had‘averaged $86 a
week, should receive $24.06 a week dis-
ability pay for. about two months after
the first operation and for about five
months after she was first treated by
the Amsterdam surgeon. After an ap-
peal by Mrs. Vaitulis, the Workmen's
Compensation Board liberalized the
award by making it continuous, from
Apr. 8, 1944, the date she had to leave
work, through June 30, 1947. The Board
also directed that the case remain open
so that.a claim can be considered for dis-
ability after June. 30, 1947.
GE is “self-insured” in the matter of
paying Workmen’s Compensation claims,
Instead of carrying a policy with an in-
surance company to cover accident cases
the way many corporations do, GE pays
thé damages from its own funds.
-Under these circumstances, it’s easy
to see why GE looks on injury claims
with the attitude “This means money
out of our pockets,”
20 Cent Pay Raise
UE recently won a pay raise of 20
‘vents an hour at the Ontario Marble
Works, “Peterboro, Canada.
The grievance was handled by Shop
Steward Henry Kaminski, assisted by a
shop committee of Vie Cicero, Barney
Vandenberg, Ed Mooney, and John Ser-
anack, and by Board Member Henry
Busse and the union grievance commit-
tee.
Union Fights Cut
In Standard Price
On the excuse that the drawing num-
ber was different and therefore the job
was “new,” the company recently in-
sisted on cutting a standard price of
$18.44 on a core diaphragm job in the
Steel Foundry, Bldg. 57, to $18.58. The
union has moved the case to the Howell
level in the grievance procedure.
“The company argued that application
of the piece rate table resulted in the
lower price. Frank Schaaff of the labor
relations office admitted the job was
identical with one carrying the higher
standard price. He said it was “a stand-
ard price that is off the table, and should
be adjusted to the table”? The union
pointed out this was. price-culting ‘in vio- ,
lation of the contract,
Steamfitters Local .
Seeks Separate Unit
Local 128 Steamfitters and Plumbers
Union, AFL, has petitioned the Taft-
Hartley Board to set up a separate unit
of steamfitters, plumbers and helpers at
the Schenectady GE plant.
Since 1987 these workers have been
represented in collective bargaining by
Local 801, at their own. request.
Leon Novak, attorney for UE at the
heaving Tuesday before a trial examiner
in Schenectady, stated that UE opposes
this effort to carve out a section of the
plant, on the basis of the collective bar-
gaining ‘history. ,
GE opposed"the AFL petition.
George Pfeif, GE executive; testified
that there had been other unions at the
plant before Local 301- became-bargaine-------:
ing agent in 1986, but that no union
had asked for a general wage increase
until UE did. He said UE at once
sought a general raise.
Keith Rockwell, business agent for
Local 128 of the AFL union, testified to
the effect that whatever increases the
steamfitiers obtained were through their
own efforts and representation. Even
the attorney for the AFL union didn’t
try to back up that claim, however, He
at once told the trial examiner that the
AFL group is not claiming that UE did
not negotiate for the plumbers ana |
steamfitters.
The case has gone to the T-H Board
fox decision.
Lost Time, Lay-offs
Protested by Union
The Local 301 grievance committee
last week continued discussions with the
company on the recent difficulties in the
Control Division, which have involved a
considerable amount of lost time and
temporary lay-offs for workers. While
agreeing that better planning was need-
ed, the company did not offer any specific
assurances. Frank Schaaff of the works
manager’s office said that considerable
effort was being made by supervision to
improve the situation. However, com-
plaints to the union over lost time and
unsatisfactory conditions have increas-
ed, particularly from Bldg. 69,
Board members William Stewart and
Sam Scott pointed out that in cases
where available work was dropping,
supervision in some buildings still was
refusing to give workers transfers on
their request.
301 Program
Lo¢al 801 presents its radio program
at 7:80. p.m. every Monday over WSNY.
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