ELECTRICAL
UNION NEWS
Friday, November 9, 1951"
AN OPEN LETTER
a
| Begley, UE Foe, Defeated
Now, Mayor Wemple:
-Ex-Mayor Begley was an
anti-UB mayor. It figured
that he was also anti-labor,
although all . union people
‘might not agree. Sufficient
that he interfered Viciously in
the affairs of UE Local 301,
‘attacked our organization
without cause, gave the sup-
port’ of his public ‘office to.a
company union, IUE-CIO.
At public hearings on civic
matters, he went out of his
way to be discourteous to-rep-
resentatives of our union, A
small thing? .Well,- small
things count. Your predeces-
“gor also tried to put across a
payroll tax, advocated addi-
tional incomes ‘taxes, support-
ed the wage freeze (although
‘not for himself) and backed
the Taft-Hartley Act.
Eix-Mayor Begley did little
for the city in the way. of
helping wage earners, small:
business, small (home owners,
small kids who. need more
parks.:and’ playgrounds arid
better houses to live in. -
Try to do better, Mr. May-
or. Try to do much better.
For: our organization, UE’
Leécal 301, we ask and want.
no favors. While we recom-
«mended the defeat of the. for-
‘mer mayor, we told no one for
-whom to vote. The election
returns say you're ‘it? e. ;
As* we said, try to do a
good. job for the city.
Pleasé-be assured that we
shall make our customary
contribution td everything
which “promotes the’ welfare
_of the community. —°
: ELECTRICAL .
UNION NEWS
UE Takes GE
in Silicosis Tragedy
UE lawyers are suing GE be-
>cause workers in Schenectady and
in the Elmira Foundry contracted a
lung disease (silicosis) during the
course of their employment. If the
“ UE lawyers are successful in this
court action, it may~cost the GE
‘. Company over $1, 000,000 which the
Company would have to divide up
‘among the injured workers. In‘a
few weeks, an Appellate Court in
New York City: will hear legal ar-
gument in Appeals Court between
UE and GE lawyers. - ae
Refuses. To Pay
Even after a summons was serv-
ed upon the Company by the UE
" lawyers, GE took the position that
- it Would not pay anything to these
workers even though they - con-
tracted a lung disease as a result
of their work, The ‘Company is
HIS FATHER
‘NEEDS BLOOD
Melvin. Matthews, ,. Executive
Board.member from Bldg. 85, says
his father, a past UE Shap Stew-
ard, needs 7 pints of. +hlood if he is
to survive his critical condition.
'_ Please contact Melvin’ or Union’
" Hall if you,can help.
Paul La Marta of Bldg.’ 78 ae
* snether union member who needs
blood, © Please contact Union Hall.
To Court
falling back “upon the argument
-that it is legally protected against
making any: payments to. these
workers because ‘the Workmeh’s
Compensation Law itself does not.
make any provision for eis pro-
tection.
The UE lawyers, « on the other ©
hand, argue that-if the Workmen's
Compensation Law, does not make
proyision’ for the protection of
these workers then the Company
ods only released from. the obliga-
tion’ of making weekly compensa-
tion payments to these workers:
for time lost from work or for the”
payment of medical bills. The UE
lawyers argue, that the Company
must pay’ these workers lump sums
as. legal .“damages” which’ these
workers have suffered not through
their own fault but through the
negligence of the GE Company.
A Vital Case
A Supreme Court Judge in New
York had issued a decision which,
in effect, held that these injured
workers had no legal right of any
kind until they become so disabled
as not to be able physically to go
to work. any, more—in other words
until they ave totally disabled. The
UE lawyers take the position,: and
are going to argue in court, that”
these, workers should’ be whl? to”
get protection now and not when
it will be too late. «
$D
It is an open. secret that such -
corporations as General Electric,
Westinghouse, General Motors,
etc. are not only soaking the con-
_ sumer - but, profiteering scandal-
ously on war. orders,at the ex-
pense . ‘of the individual taxpayer,
‘Even Economic Stabilizer Eric
Johnston has had. to take note of
the soak-the-government activities”
of the dollar. patriots. Johnston is
quoted by Joseph and Steward Al-
_ sop in the New York Tribune of!
June 25 as saying:
. “Almost. 5 billion defense dollars
fhikve gone down the drain because
of higher+ prices charged to the
Defense Department. “This cannot
possibly be accounted for wholly in
terms of higher costs ‘for many de-,
fense items. The Defense Depart-
“ment has in fact been subject toa:
bold holdup.”
It. appeais that the “emergency”
is rigged by the big corporations
and, according"to the rules of the
game, high prices and high taxes.
are patriotic while higher, wages
ollar Patriotism $
are un- -patriotic.
In a press conference on the eve
of‘the strike vote, Works Manage
.Louis F. Male wept over the effe
of a strike ‘‘on our men in Korea.
GE officials sheluld be, the- last to
_ weep over “oar boys” in ‘Korea: or
on any other battlefield. The Gen-
eral Electric Co. is first Among
those who profiteer in ‘the sale of
“war material .to the government.
its role in helping to build up the
Nazi war machine under which
tens of thousands of “our boys”
died has been, ‘proven time and
again® ‘before, ‘committees of Con- —
gress, GE came out of that war
with nearly three times . as many
plants as it went in with. And its
net profit ‘since the Korean’ War is
twice what it was in any year of
World War II.
The, world: would be-a. happier
place to live in and GE a better
place to work in without ‘dollar
patriotism which always seems to”
prepare.a rooking for the men who
come back from the wirs.
And District Delegates
Membership meetings on “Mon-
day, November 5, named an Elec-
tions Committee and elected dele-
gates to the UB District 8 Council.
Council delegates are:
Leo Jandreau, Business Avene,
William Mastriani Bldg. 73
Philip Cognetta ” 52
Joseph Kelly ” 6
Helen Quirini oe “81
Joseph Alois.
Members. of “the Elections Com-
_mittee’which sets the date for the
union election, passes on eligibility
of candidates and conduets the vote
arer os
Elizabeth DiNicola
Anthony -Navarretta
Emery Pesko
Joseph Hils
Bldg. 81
"107
"293
” 89
Yo
» 273.
Ivan Barnes!
Joseph. Saccocio . : 66
James DeMassio 49
Jack Kilmer : "298
Salvatore Maetta.” - 52
Hugh McMullen fue 85
Michael Riggi 60
Michael Rakvica 53°
Herald McLean . Campbell Ave,
Tom Walsh ; Blg. 23
_Brank Barba elt
Robert Armstrong 40
Karl Quirini 278
Stewart’ Campbell 46
Charles Doherty 52
George Freeland, 66
Donald Palmer: - 17
Patrick Lombardi 273
Lewis" Benton 273
Ralph Vitallo 273
Genevieve Clark 69
“A New Decision Can Be Made”
The statement unanimously adopted’ by membership meetings,
‘Monday, November 5:
The membership of UE Local 301 has decided
democratically: and by secret ballot not to strike ps
this time. This represents a postponement, nothihed
else; a decision on timing, not on issues.
If the Gen-
eral Electric Co. persists in its refusal to bargain on
wages or to settle local grievances, the situation re-
mains fluid and a new, decision can be made over-
night.
-
THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS OF AMERICA — LOCAL 301, UE.
Vol. 9 — No. 26
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
Friday November 16, 1951
GEM MEETS GE
“AGAIN ON PAY
The UE National Negotiating
. Committee was meeting with Gen:.
eral Electric yesterday in New
York City as we went to press. It-
-was known before the meeting that
the UE committee would not ac-
cept the 2% percent wage: offer.
“cooked up between GE and IUE¢
CIO. ‘The offer has been. turned
down by every UE local in the
chain because it does not begin to
_ meet the needs of GE workers and
their families. - a
Despite - erecord
thus far refuses to bargain. on its’
Next Thursday Is Thanksgiving
21% percent offer or even consider
the inequities of day workers,
skilled trades"and women. It also
refuses to take. up demands for
needed pension, insurance, vaca~
“tion. improvements. .
In a> pre-conference statement,
the UE-GE Conference Board
stated that UE ‘negotiators will
jeraint to the majority vote cast
(") jonally: in
employees. 8
Dissatisfaction with the GE of-
fer is -widespread in all of its
plants, UE and. IUE. Taken to-
gether with increased taxes and
prices the offer amounts to a sub-
stantial wage cut.
Following the meeting with: the.
company, the- UE-GI: Conference
Board will meet’ on Saturday, No-
vember 17, 1951, 10:00 A.M. at the .
Union's national headquarters in
New York City.
WESTINGHOUSE
VOTES STRIKE
AUTHORIZATION
Overwhelming authorization
came from UE's. Westinghouse
locals for a strike if the com-
pany does not improve its offer
which is similar to GE's. '
Headed by the large UE*loeal
Essington, Pa,, 14 locals have
oted strike authorization with
only one local of about 600 vot-
ing against. Four locals yet to
complete their balloting. :
. Should ‘negotiations fail, the
UE-Westinghouse — Conference
Board can set an opportune
strike date. ,
profits, GE ;
‘favor of a strike,
against General Electric if it con-,
tinues to flaunt: the needs: of its’
Executive Board Following Meeting with
‘Male Recommends Keeping Heat On...
It, was the heat of the 3- -day ‘Toahiie stoppage and the Union’s announced ©
schedule of weckly shutdowns which melted the company’s resistance to settling.
the Turbine grievance and the case of Shop Steward Josephine Riggi.
Following last Tuesday’s meeting with Works Manager, Lewis. J. Male, the
~ ERIE
Workers in the huge GE Erie plant are battling for wage in-
creases’ through stoppages and sacrifice of overtime. No wage in-
crease — mo overtime, say’ the men in the Locomotive Division. :
And they have been giving up overtime for a month as their share
in building a big.head of steam in UE's drive for 15 cents across
the board, 5 cents for inequities and, other benefits.
UB 301 Executive Board vot-
‘ed to cancel the November 19
“walkout but to keep the heat
on by scheduling the first
stoppage for November 26.
Grievance meetings, broken
off last ‘week, have been re-
sumed,
Management agreed ‘to pay
average earnings on repair
and’ return -work in ‘Turbine;
“to. pay Steward Riggi for her
lost time and, in ‘general, it
promised.to be good.
This proved once again that
the company respects noth-
ing more than the united re-
‘fusal of its employees to work
under unjust conditions and
rates of pay.
If ‘the Turbine workers
, Were right in demanding aver-
> age’ earnings on repair and re-
_ turn, if the union was right
in insisting the: ‘company may
not lay off a steward because
of union activity, why didn’t
oY management do the. right
thing in the first place? _
It Took Action ;
>» It took the.splendid action .
“of the Turbine workers who
understood that the’ proposed
30 cents an hour cut on repair
and return work affected the
entire plant’ and it took the
“plan of action” recommend-
ed by the executive board,
stewards and officers to make
‘the company knuckle under.
When the company saw that
Turbine workers were willing
to give -up Saturday's time-
-and- -a-half and Sunday’s dou-
ble-time to protect their
crates, it knew it was in trou-
ble. On Monday, :Mr.- Male
‘phoned Leo Jandreau request-
ing a meeting.
(Continued on Page 3)
es
ity a SRI
SEN
Friday, ‘November 16,. 1951
In the past three months the Sch enedtacil management
has condoned and encouraged foremen and wage rate men to
introduce: new departures on the job ‘affecting ‘piece work
standards and working conditions.
In many cases these ac-.
tions constituted violations of contract. In processing these
complaints through the grievance procedure, management has.
refused to, settle these cases: satisfactorily.
The cases involve the fol-
lowing type of complaints: .
1. Cutting standard prices.
2. Refusing to price piece.
work jobs, insisting -on ,.
day work at much lower
rate.
Refusal to pay proper
starting - ates as per,
contract:
. Refusal to live up to
-agreements reached be-
“tween shop steward and
foremen.
5. Disregard of seniority”
in upgrading.
6; “Refusal to’ increase any-
job rate regardless of
merit.”
. Penalizing «.shop stew-
-ards with lost time. due
to Union activities.
Removing shop stew-
ards. from their, regular
assignments _ and im-
pairing representation. .
», Adding duties to pres-
ent classifications and
refusing to reclassify. to:
higher rate.
10. Continual delay by man-
agement to give. final
answers to grievances.
Example cases of ‘the above we
categories are‘as follows: oe
CUTTING STANDARD ©
PRICES
In Bldg. 53 under Foreman Es>
tenes and Shop Steward Blanco, a
standard price of $4.40 per M was
reduced to $2.40 per M. Manage-
ment said standard’ price was a
typographical eror, The standard
price was in-etfect since 1949.
In Bldg. 18 under Foreman Cor-
ccoran and Shop Steward Metzger.
n-standard. price of 69¢ each for
driling plates was in effect for
years. ‘The. voucher now
out 29¢ each, special,
In Bldg. 69 under Foreman: Clark
and Shop. Steward’ Di. Lorenzo a
change in method (increasing feeds
atid speeds) reduced price from
$2.50 per C to $1.59 per C. The
Company applied the IU.E, con-
tract in this ease and says the op-
portunity is there to make same
earnings. The -operator cannot
make his former earnings.
REFUSING TO PRICE
PIECE WORK JOBS,
INSISTING ON DAY WORK.
AT MUCH LOWER RATE
In Bldg. 285 under Foreman Jan-
sen and Shop Steward , Landolfo
the foreman refused to price part
of'the job forcing the operators to
work day work ~ reducing — their
earnings 40¢ per hour.
In Bldg. 46 under Foreman Hess
and Shop Steward~ Sarnowski> the
foreman insists that piece workers
accept a day rate; which is three
steps below. the A.E.R, for doing *
s
‘received at least: the A,E.R,
job.
comes ,
part of the job. A> piece worker,
if he
was working. The three steps be-
low is paid for waiting time. The
management refused to move.
In Bldg. 53 under Foreman Cast-
or-and Shop Steward Close a group
of piece workers have been oblig-
ed to work P.W. D.W. for two
years. Management:says they will
not set a piece work price on the |
REFUSAL TO PAY
- PROPER STARTING.
RATES
In’ Bldg. 273 under Foreman Mc-
Lean and Shop Steward Gauvreau
members were transferred to’ a re-
lated job of higher, value at their
current rate, three steps below.
Contract provides two steps below
job rate under these conditions.
Management says they don’t agree ‘
with contract! Bring case to. New
York where it was negotiated.
At the Airport. an experienced
Aircraft Mechanic with license was
‘hired three steps below the job
rate, Contract provides that the
hiring rate under these conditions
shall he two steps below job rate.
Management claims do not agrec
with contract and will not change
rate, o
In Bldg. 49 under Foreman Beck
and Shop Steward. De Masseo two
. experienced ‘sheet metal workers
~were hired for Class: €- -work and
assigned to Class B work.and only
paid a starting rate of (1.46 per
hour, which is five steps below the
lars...
{A
po)
“She's on the warpath. |
1 | her a hot wage demand and cof’)
ws eggs for breakfast.”
iy
job rate.
rect this violation. of ‘contract,
REFUSAL TO LIVE UP TO
AGREEMENT REACHED
BETWEEN FOREMAN
AND SHOP STEWARD
In Bldg. 85 under Fer2man Far-
rell and. Shop Steward De Angelis
the steward. and. the members
reached an ‘agreement with su-
pei'vision to transfer an individual
to his: former job of battery truck,
- After the agreement. was reached,
which was satisfactory, the Supt.
of the Division reversed the agrec-
ment arbitrarily without any dis-
cussion with anybody, The man-
agement vefusés to ‘do. anything
about it.
In Bldg. 269 under . Foreman
Paige and Shop Steward Fernan-
dez the management agreed with
a.Union commitee to train for up-
grading three Class D Glass Work-
ers, Union checked the manage-
ment as to why it was not carried
out. Management claimed they
would only train one instead of
three. 4
In Bldg. 273° under
Held and Shop Steward Popowitz
management agreed’ with Union:
committee--to--upgrade - to- lagging
from the machine group. Agyree-
ment was reached on 7/10/51. On
- 8/10, violated agreement hiring
Company refused to core © *
Foreman -
man from outside of the group. On
10/25, Violated second time. On
11/2,: hired mew employee from
outside and violated ‘again.
DISREGARD OF
SENIORITLY ON
UPGRADING
In .Bldg.- 273 under Foreman
Strock and. Shop Steward De Celli
Material’ Movemen have requested
upgrading. New people are hired.
from the gate and given the higher
rated job.
In Bldg. 49 under Foreman An-
drews and Shop Steward De Mas-,
seo the foreman refuses to upgrade ©
inspectors to higher classifications.
They hire people from the gate to
fill openings on the higher rated
job openings.
In Bldg. 49 ander Foreman ‘Cos
ville and Shop Steward Flanigan :
the. management’ refuses to up-
grade_a shop steward to a higher
pe job, They upgrade employ-
ees with much. less service. | ‘
REFUSAL TO INCREAS!
ANY JOB RATE
REGARDLESS OF MERIT
In Bldg. 77 under Foreman Pug-
liese and Shop Steward. Murray. a..
Welder is. doing a job requiring the
same skills and ability as other
(Continued on Page 8)
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
7
Because of Managenient’s refusal to settle grievances, its in-
creasing attacks upon contract, wage Fates and conditions, the UE «
301 Executive Board at an emergency meeting on Thursday, No-
vember 8, drew up a plan of action which calls for one day a week
stoppages, through the week ending December 23.
The. action plan also calls for two work holidays a week in
January and increased pressure if grievances, are not settled satis- af
Upon adoption of ‘the plan by the stewards on Monday
factorily.
and its announcement in localnewspapers, Works Manager Male
asked for the Tuesday meeting where he made a number of prom. |
ises and satisfactorily settled two grievances.
Revised in the light of this union-management: meeting as to
the first stoppage daté and local negotiations, the plan is as fol-
lows:
Union members. will not with one day each week, (on Mon- ©
day), starting November 26 and. will
confine ‘that’ schedule
through the week ending Decémber 23rd. 2
2 Union members will not work one day each. week starting
Thursday, December 27th, and will continue that schedule through
the week ending* January 6th.
Union. members will not work two days each week ‘Gn
Monday and Tuesday. starting January 6th and 7th, and will con-
tinue that schedule through the week ending February 38rd.
> The sehedule of protest to be increased’ each month if
~grievances are not settled satisfactorily.
In view of the effect the mere announcement of this plan has *
had upon local management, it is clear that’ its overwhelming
q adoption would speed grievance settlements and ne Teens tational’
) Wage, negotiations.
(Continued from Page 2)
welders» receiving a higher rate.
Management refuses to increase
rate,
In Bldg. 46 under ‘Foreman
Woodruff’ and Shop Steward Hop-
king Assemblers are requested to
do work that’ is comparable with
“A” class. Management insists
that Assemblers receive the “B”
rate.
The Accumulators in the plant
have complained because addition-
al duties have been added to their
jobs since it was originally .evalu-
ated, The management vefuses to
inerease their rate from $1.51 per
hour, ©
PENALIZING SHOP’
STEWARDS WITH LOST
-TIME DUE TO UNION
ACTIVITIES
In Bldg. 89 under Foreman Lei-
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
UNITRD HNLECTRICAL, RADIO &
Jaco WORKERS OF AMIRICA
Schonectady GE Local 801 Ut
oe
‘ Published by the Editortal Com,
Ass't Recording Soerolary-sac Frank D'Amico
Treasurer - Honry Kaminski
Vico-President -.. Josanh Manglno
Recording Socretary’ John P. Groon
~ Prostdont 2 William Kolly -
Chlof Shop Steward = James Cognetta
Buslnoss Agont a+- Lao Jandreat
301 LIBERTY ST. SCHENECTADY, N.Y. |
. fels and--Shop Steward Josephine
Riggi the foreman ‘demanded to
know the outcome of the strike
vote. When she refused’ to give
the information, she was given a
three day layolf.
(To.Be Continued)
SOUTHERN LYNCH -
LAW STRIKES AT
ALBANY MAN
“Wesley Mallory of Albiiny, mar-
ried and the father of. three child-
ren, is wanted by the state of Ala-
bama to finish a sentence of 50
years for the alleged theft of $30.
A victim of a Jim Crow court, he
has already served 11 years of this
barbarie sentence,
The union's. Fair Employment
Practices Committee headed by
Board Member Larry.Gebo has in-
vestigated this case upon instrue-
tions from the, November 5 mem-
bership meeting’ Executive Board
of Local-301 joins with the FEPC
committee in urging that cards be
sent. to Governor Dewey telling _
him not to send this man back to
an Alabama chain gatig, even
death.
The."Why” Of Walkouts
At the neart of every «stoppage
is a grievance.
‘A week ago Thursday a job
price of $15. 70 in effect for 5 ‘years
in Bldg. 734° was arbitrarily slash-
ed to $9.50. The men walked off
uth€ job for the day at-12:30 P.M.
' Next morning, the foreman came
running, said he wanted to: settle.
‘By 11:00 A.M: there was no move
to restore, the cut sa work was
stopped again,
to talk individual workers into the
cut. -No soap. The price went
back to. $15.70.
Hit Speed-Up
The stoppage in’ Blig. 69 was
over a speed-up which would make
it difficult," if not impossible, to
make more than the AER.
This is one of the grievances Mr.
Male agreed on Monday to place
at the head of his tevasea™ agen-
"da,
When supervision from Bldg. 17
came over to Bldg. 59 last Satur-°
day to get out steel, load trailers
and do other. jobs in place of the
-men who were refused.-the over=
time, the men had no alternative
Hut to roll*down their’sleeves and
walk out. If itthappens again they
are sure to walk out again,
Examples could be , multiplied.
The company is out to reduce labor
costs and: increase profits. by ie
The foreman tried,
offs.”
slashes, speed-up and a hundred
other dodges.’ It recognizes no ex-
ceptions, no favored categories of
workers; it’ only recogiiizes firm
and united resistance.
The. company would have people
believe that. the recent stoppages
are the result of the Nov. 2 strike
vote aid not the fault of super-
vision. and . management at all:
* That’s company propaganda, On
October 19, "in an. “open letter to -
management on the catses of work .
stoppages,” Leo Jandreau, UE Lo-
cal 301 Business. Agent, warned
that management and its repre-
sentatives’ are provoking stop-
pages. Citing piece price cuts,
overloading of day workers, ignor-
ing of safety, precautions, he said,’
“all this is bound fo result in trou-
ble.”
. The company chose to interpret
the *November 2° vote as a green.
- light to step up attacks. on rates
and conditions and the Electrical.
Union News warned on November
9 that the company will'try té
make it a, “dreary Christmas and
an ‘anhappy: New Year, for many ~
through rate cuts, speed-up, lay-=
The same issue Warned that
“unless we fight to get what we
need (higher: wages) the company
will. foree“us onto the streets to
keep what we have.”
‘That’s it, in a nutshell,
it’s The H-at— Keep It Up!
(Continued from Page 1)
The Company hopes -that -
two concessions and some
promises to speed grievance
settlements will lull the work-
ers, into giving up wage de-
mands. Here again, the com-
pany is off base. Schencctady -
will never agree that protect-
ing a rate in Turbine and
compensating a steward for
days lost time is an adequate
substitute for the millions of
dollars of wage increases in-
volved in U’s wage de-
mands. On the contrary, the
success of the week’s develop-
menis is spurring the de-
mand. for an all-out fight on
wages, pensions, insurance,
vacations and the correction
of pay inequities affecting day
‘workers and others.
Turbine-Down .
Turbine. went down on Fri-
day following an’ arinounce-
ment that the Union had_
broken off negotiations with
the company over the “last
ystraw” lay-off of a steward
“for refusing to hand over toa
foreman the result of the No-
“vember strike vate. Manage-
ment had tried to get Turbine
workers to do repair and re-
turn work for $1.70 an hour
instead of the $2 and $2.10:
average earning.
Before and during the stop-
page, the Union tried to per-
suade management to leave
average earnings alone. It
was only when the stoppage
entered its third day and the
union announced its “plan of
action” that the company
wealkened..
The Union Ss " Executive.
Board decided to give the’.
company a chance to clean up -
a good number of grievances
before November 26, the next
plant-wide stoppage ‘date. The
Board will meet with Mr. °
Male before November 26 to ;
check on progress, if any.
On a -national scale, the
need for more money, at least.
enough to get an equal break
with taxes and _ prices, his
the grievance agenda,
‘Meanwhile,
like GE profits — are at, an
all-time record.
grievances — ~
