THE VOICE OF THE UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO &.. _
i MACHINE "WORKERS OF AMERICA—Local 901—C10" :
SCHENECTADY, N. ¥. — APRIL 15, 1944
"SIGNERS OF THE CALL (Continued)
Michael J. Quill - ns ~ Washingto.
. m Ind
Pres., ‘Transport Workers of America oa Washliatan, dD, e veal Enis Councit
Rev. Bryon Reynolds © * .°'. Morris’ Watson
Chicago, Llinois . _ i : é Vice-Pres., American Newspaper Guild
Reid Robinson ea Rey. Max Webster
Pres., Mine, Mil & Smelter Workers, v -C., APM Burlington, Vt:
Joséph Selly , frm * 4 ‘ _Rey, Charles Wellman
Pres., American Communications Assn, Dorchester, Mass.
Mason Smith week Professor Doxey Wilkerson
: Editor, Waco Messenger, exas a . ’. Howard University
Rev. F, Hastings Smyth Bs * Rey. Charles Wilson |
‘Society of Catholic Commonwealth - ‘St, Louis, Missouri
cae ed cotati LNDL fos, 7 United. Blectrical, Radio..& Machine. Workers
> : ; of America, Local an ,
Leon Strauss : - New York, ve
Intl, Pur & Leather Workers Union, Local 126 : .
: Dr. Max Tengen : i 96
Katherine Terrill, Vice Chairman, APM ;
Eda Lou Walton oe _ Organizations Listed for ‘Identification Only, Bucepe”
Columbi« University, . Where Uheir Names Stand Alone as Endorsers
“REGISTRATION E BLANK
mapper etesebeipenesss ‘
I will '
Please engioggs $1 Haeleltution fee ud mail immediately, AdVance registrations will ie ered-
ited oniy when received by the National. Office of the American. Peace Mobilization, 1133. Broad-
BBY, we ork City. New York Registration opens April 4 at 10 a.m. and closes noon April 5.
An Hour |
“The General Electitic Corporation had a net ‘profit of ‘fifty-
five million dollars on 65,000 employees.
If the G, E. had given its employees 10 Cents an hour more
during 1940 — it would ‘still have had a profit of $88,480.000.00.
Each employee earned a net ‘profit of $826.00 for the General
‘Electric during 1940.
The net profits of the Company for 1941 ‘wall be much greater
than in 1940.
Can the. General Electric afford to pay its aainiayadd 10 Cents
an hour or $208.00 a year more?
Based on the pr ofits of General Electric for 1940 this will mean
that each G. E. Worker mal earn only $618.00 a year for the G. E.
Corporation. < -
. PROFITS OF SIX OF AMERICA’S OUTSTANDING CORPORA-
TIONS FOR THE YEAR 1940
The General Motors: Corporation gave’employment to some
“200,000; the General Motors Corporation profited to the extent of |
$195, 500, 000 on those 200,000 employees during the year 1940. _
The American’ Telegraph and Telephone, $137,200, 000; 260,000
employes.
Standard of New J ersey—Standard Oil Company, netted a pro-
fit of $110,000,000 on some. 55,000 employes. :
The United States Steel Corporation netted a profit of $102,-
180,000 on. employes.
mt Corporation had a’ net profit ‘of $9, 9000, 000 on
some 45,000 employes.
The General Electric Corporation included above.
And the cea protits ot nee six corporations for the year
Now, you might ask, “what is this all: about? It my
That the General “Motors Corpor “emp é year
1940 had a net profit of $977 per amploye, a staggering figure, a
figure based upon the average employment of the employes of Gen.
-eral Motors Corporation of 250 days a year, a profit of approximate-
ly $4 per day to each employe.
. The American Telegraph. & Telephone Company netted $528
‘per employe; the Standard of New Jersey netted $2,000 per em-
ploye; the U. 8. Steel Corporation netted something approximating
$420 per employe; the DuPont Corporation netted $2,220 per em-
ECONOMIC CLAUSES.
. Dloye.
: Can- General. Electric-Afford. To Pay+t
ae lore To Their Employees? _
SW
NITED ELECTRIC
Be
SS
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SSS
ie
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THE F “FREE RIDER ©
san old_pictur
’
ENDORSER» BLANK
* (Cheek one)
‘7 1 as an individual, endorse the Call to-the American-People’s Meeting.
CJ “My organizauén endorses the Calf to the the American People’s Meeting. —
APRIL §-6 IN New 2Uds CLLy
SS
Jf Organizational (Name of organization........
Endorsement (Number of members....
* Please mail immediately to
Broadway, New York City.
Ce eo es
: ‘
i a
We ask any y intelligent people, is this a fair economic syaten 2 ?
_* Does this kind of system provide for workers employed in Amer-
ican industry an equitable distribution of the profits derived from
individual effort and initiative in American industry?
Unfortunately, the attitude of American industry today is one
of absolute, positive refusal to make wage concessions of any de-
scription. They contend that if the wage structure is improved; if
men and women are. given move money, it might result in some-
thing they call “inflation,” that there might be an inflationary
eater and the country might go haywire under the impact of
inflation.
So, they ‘suggest, these distinguished leaders of American in--
dustry, very boldly, very bluntly, very brutally, in fact, that noth-
ing should be done in the United States of America during the period
of national defense to improve living standards, to increase wages,
and that at the same time nothing*should be done in the United
States by government, labor, or industry to- dist: urb the profit-mak- :
ing opportunities of American industry.
CREATING CONFLICT:
It is these attitudes on the part of the mighty, important: busi-
nessmen, that create conflict. It is these economic disturbances that
not only cause strikes and spilling of blood, but they ofttimes throw
the world into what we have now, inteimational convulsions.
We are talking about breeding better world relations. We are
talking in the United States today of supporting the enactment of
“legislation which will tend to promote democracy, and yet we have
employers: of labor in the United States. of America, even today -
that refuse to recognize their.labor when their labor is organized in- -
to.labor unions.
We have'’a law upon the statute books that in substance is a
virtual command to employers throughout the nation: Thou shalt
not interfere with the right of labor to join organizations of its own
choosing for the purpose of collective bargaining, And yet we have
a number’ of very substantial employers ‘in the United States: of
America: who violate that law—and they are quite frank and quite
candid about it.
They defy the law. They use fig age-old systems of espionage,
discrimination, discharge, eviction; they incarcerate people in pris-
ons, because those individuals seek the protection of the law, the
right to join an organization of their own choosing.
— FORD IS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE ~~
problem ‘Of the Freo Riders is still with us.
The réal self-supporting workers have exercised patience for
a. long time with the Free Riders. These Union Members have
been financially and morally supporting the issues of higher
wages and better working conditions; and also have been paying
the freight for the Free Rider or non-member,
The pressure from the ‘Membership on the officers of the
Union is gaining momentum on this question. The ery is—Why
‘can’t we do something about it?
The Officers feel that the cartoon heading this column should
be sufficient to all those who have a conscience and any self pride.
Just--stop-for-a-moment-and- think. this question..over | -
The majority in. a community. vote a. measure that is. good
for the community as a whole—certaiily. all of the taxpayers must
pay for the improvements, the minority just can’t stand on the
side linés and enjoy the improvements and not ‘pay. ‘Things happen! .
“This “is“Democracy in Action! : free
You may say this, is not comparable, but it is. You are enjoy-
ing all the benefits on your job that ayers have voted and paid
for to establish.
FREE RIDERS CAUSE OF UNREST AND GENERAL
LABOR TROUBLE!
* The minority not belonging to the Union and not being familiar
. with the general agreements betiveen the Company and the Union
ae (which-is-the--sole-bargainine-ageney-for.all.the ernnloyess)-are.._.
constantly infringing on these’ agreements. : ‘The Company Fore-
man fully appreciates the friction caused by the non-members, ‘but
is in no position to tell the workers to join the Union.
Most of the labor trouble in this country can ‘be attributed
to those workers avho refuse to join unions where there is one in
existence. This minority in a Union Shop is a constant source of
‘trouble’ and friction. Unsciypulous ‘management often use this
minority to stir trouble among: the workers.
Now that we are in the midst of a National Defense effort
and the utmost unity is needed in our Country, these non-members
are actually playing the role of “sabatouers” of our Defense,
FLAUNT GAINS IN: UNION’S FACE! Most of these non-
members take the attitude of “Why should we join the Union and
pay dues, when increases go through, we get them too! .
This subversive and un-American attitude on the part of the
(Continued on Page 4)
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
April 15, 1941
... ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS . . «~~
1 Published ‘by: © : ,
UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE WORKERS.
. OF. AMERICA, LOCAL 201
00 chibory. Strest;-Scheneciady,-Ni¥eutans
iad ba ene Aj een are BT
“EDITOR BOARD
: « Seymour Schreiter :
Sidney Webb, Secretary
nn AM wey gay eT rar -.
“Michael-Tedisee:
Fred Matern, Chairman
[-JANDREAU
William Tumbull
Caulfield
in Geersen™~
__.. Fred Schoeffler
Editor
| “STRIKES
Placing the Blame
_Who is to blame. for the present and recent industrial stop-
pages? And how can they be ended? The facts are so plain, so sim-
ple and so clear-cut that all the hysterical ravings of the anti-labor
press and union-baiting politicians cannot conceal nor long confuse
them. _
COAL : Ccoars
The bituminous: coal stoppage is a lockout, for which the Unie
ted Mine Workers of America is in no way responsible and which
it did everything humanly possible to avert.
. The union agreement expired on March 31, but the UMWA
offered to continué working under previously existing conditions
* until a: new agreement should be reached.
“The union’s ‘concern about the speediest possible negotiation
of a new contract was further shown by the usual and wholly rea-
sonable proviso that any wage increases in, the new agyveement
should be retroactive to April 1,.If this proviso were not made, ob-
viously the ‘operators would consider each day’s delay that much
more money saved, ;
’ Coal production could be resumed immediately, and never
should have stopped, if public pressure compelled the operators to
“end their lockout and to keep the mines working during negotia-
tions. _
7 ALLIS-CHALMERS . °
The continued stoppage
ane
comply. ¢ ; :
Instead, ‘William Knudsen and Secretary Knox of the OPM
suddenly issued an order to the strikers to return to work on the
VIOLENCE—FORD MODEL
April 15, 1941
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
THE UPPER CRUST
Be
Ford goons, in a sortie.on striking members of the United Auto-
mobile Workers. (C1O),, attack from the gates of the River Rouge
plant. The daily newspapers described them as “loyal workers”.
An Editorial from “PM”
LENTEN SERMON FROM AND TO FORD
The sanctimonious. W! J. Cameron, voice of Henry Ford, took
the air again on the’Ford Sunday Evening Hour. Many people who
would not otherwise- have listened, including me, tuned in to see
if he had anything to say about the Ford strike. Although Mr.
ameron did not use.t Ist!
“what he was driving at.
. “We will now hear a brief talk by Mr. W. J. Cameron of the
Ford. Motor Co.” «
- Lent, said Mr. Cameron earnestly, “is a loud alarm call to re-
pentance and self examination.” Like a revivalist preacher (he is
a former minister), he railed at. “vibald speech,” at some of the
indecent things the papers have been printing, and at the low
moral level to which the nation in general has sunk. Then he got
—company’s.terms.___..
The Allis-Chalmers lockout could have been ended long’ ago,
and can be ended now, by a simple act of governmental good faith
in compelling the company to open up on the terms which the gov-
eynment representatives promised to insist upon. we
FORD if : ay’:
The shutdown of the huge, Ford plant at River Rouge 1s an
event of historical importance in the age-long struggle for labor's
rights. It reveals the degree of CIO organization in a citadel of anti-
unionism employing 80,000 workers that never was penetiated by
labor before. ; . :
- entirely by the Ford Motor Co. ~ “OY
This company has for years arrogantly defied not only union
labor but the United States Government itself, Its records of labor
law violations and. anti-union intimidation would fill books. Yet
it has been coddled in its lawbreaking and encouraged in its ar-
~"""-Rogance by the-fattest-of- government.contracts....
But this stoppage need never have occured and was provoked .
All the Ford workers and their union,: the UAW-CIO have -
. ever asked is that this company be required to observe the National
Labor Relations Act, cease its unfair labor practices, agree to a
Labor Board election,’and negotiate with the union. thus legally
chosen by the workers to represent them. ,
The Ford stoppage would not have happened, and could be
comply with the law of the land:
BETHLEHEM ; ; _
The history of. Bethlehem Steel is similar to that of Ford,
with the additional fact that its law-deliance provoked the 1937
strike. Here too, ‘all that the Steel Workers Organizing Committee
asks is its collective bargaining rights under the Labor Act.
Typical of this company’s attitude is the fact that while its
insistence on conducting illegal company union elections created
stoppages at two of its plants, it was at the same time seeking an
injunction to prevent the holding of a legal Labor Board election
_ at its Lackawanna plant. -
In the-face of all the above facts, is it not the rankest injustice
and dishonesty for any writer or speaker to blame labor, or to de-
ended at. once, by the simple requirement that the Ford Company,
mand any other action than a cracking down on the employers
who‘are wholly vesponsihle for current sloppages?
-going: ~~
People in a land “honeycombed with movements to rule or ruin
their neighbors” are headed for an awakening. Mr. Cameron de-
clared. And to make his point, he cited a Paris newspaper article
which harked back to “the crimes of the French Revolution” and
the “free-thinking vomit of the Popular Front’-—as if to say: Look -
at what has happened to France; beware lest the same thing happen
"here.
During the Lenten period, we'd better examine ourselves—
politically as well as morally, My, Cameron concluded.
Ford, Mr. Cameron? ° a
Starting from nothing, Henry Ford took advantage of the op-
portunities offered, and-became one‘of its most powerful citizens.
Why does he not now respect its laws—particularly its labor laws?
_ France, Mr. Cameron, why have you and Mr. Ford helped build a
domestic Fascism ‘in this country by your anti-Semitism? Why Mx.
_Ford’s unreasoning opposition to democratic unionism, his resort
to violence in fighting unionism, his thorough-going contempt for
the vights and desires of his own employes? These are all Fasict
acts, Mr, Cameron. E
Mr. Ford has made a prodigious fortune through. the skill-ane. -
industry of these American workingmen, Why don’t he pay them
workersl0 cents an hour more—not to bring their wages above—
but to bring them up to the wages of unionized auto workers?
Mr, Ford is about to make a new fortune through his $150,-
000,000 worth of defense contracts. Will you ask him, Mr. Gameron,
how about a little respect for the institutions these defense ma-
terials will be used to protect? ‘
‘Until we see some soul-searching on your boss’s part, Mr. Ca-
‘meron, and some reformation of his ways’as a result, that Lenten ”
sermon of yours is going to go on sounding the way it sounded over
the air, like pure, simple, unmitigated hypocrisy. ;
; : —Aimos Landman
strike! ov.labou.he. made Abe.
-How..about. xecommending:a. little self-examination._for Mre.... —
Jf genuinely concerned about the rise of Fascism in-once-free _
“Don’t ask ‘for more onions, dear . «. Papa ‘thinks
you’re saying unions.”
ATT,
(Elevesasivsassascenrravsevssecoenuapoeoeasevsuteeeesvssceessveonsnveon aissenensosenssaosesosssassurentasccsessaccansnosedesssesnscestsuorsascanessenprascesne fe]
\
*Here and .
There in: .
Bldg. 12
Monsnerstonvponsuesneuessneeoaneny
__The_ outstanding bit of news
in Bldg. 12 is the recent an-
nouncement ‘by..Mr. and Mrs.
Adelbert Waddell on the birth of -
a son named Kent Douglas. This
youngster arrived via St. Mary’s
Hospital, Amsterdam, and tip-—
.ped the’ scales at 5 lbs. 18 ozs.
“Del”. the proud. Daddy, is em-
ployed on the 1st shift in charge
of experimental repairs.
One’ of ‘our popular’ young
ladies on C. F. Line, (the girl
with the ‘Irium Smile’) recently
had a letter from our former co-
worker, Arnold Von Stetina. Ar-
. nold ‘reports that. he-likes army
(PP Cartoon by Redfield)
_. LaFollette Committee Reports:
LITTLE STEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR 1987 STRIKE.
“Little Steel” was solely re-
sponsible for the strike of sever-
al thousand workers in 1937, the
Senate Civil Liberties Commit-
companies poli-
cy of flouting the federal labor
law. } .
The report, based on months
of hearings, is the fourth pub-
lished by the LaFollette Com-
mittee on the role of employers’
associations in labor. disputes. It
enter into a signed bargaining,
and any employer association
which supports and. assists it in
“such a position, are endangering
the..national-security.-—---—
3 on by a company -of
raini he.
democratic concept that a man’s
rights are not to be measured by
his economic status. ee
‘It goes without saying that
a nation cannot arm itself in the
name of democracy and make
pulled_no_punches.in-its-condem-—total-defense-
“ nation of the.policies of Bethle-
hem Steel, Republic Steel and
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co.,
whose plants were struck by the
CIO Steel, Workers Organizing
Committee during the summer
of 19387.
"While the press and propa-
ganda forces of the nation were
then doing the same sort of
“smear job’ on labor that* is
prevalent today, the Senate Com-
mittee placed the blame for the
.._-Strike,.and for its accompanying
violence, directly on the com-
panies.
“The bloodshed, bitterness
and economic disorganization of
communities resulting from the.
. ‘Little-Steel’. strike. might easil;
have been avoided had the com-
panies conformed to: the laws of
the United States,” the report
asserted, “instead “of ranging
their combined economic
-strength and prestige and influ-
ence of their employer associa-
tions in oppositién to collective
bargaining. ;
“Their determination to floul
the law, and their efforts, thru
a careful campaign of propagian-
da, to enlist local communities
to assist them, must be’ con-
demned as dangerous to lawful
government.”
Policies Menace U. S.
After determining that resis-
tance by the companies to collec-:
tive bargaining was the primary
cause of the 1937 wallout, the
Senate Committee warned:
“Any company. which today
stands up and flatly refuses to
eis ort DALAT scat
democratic ideal-to be defaced
by. the refusal of certain employ-
ers to accord their workmen the
dignity and equality of treat-
ment which they give to their
colleagues and competitors.”
In reviewing the 1937 strike
situation, the committee found
the companies had insisted that
they need not and would not sign
written contracts, though main-
taining they were willing to bar-
gain collectively. But the Su-
preme Court, in the Heinz de-_.
cision this winter, knocked this
argument out from under the
companies.
‘3, Antiquated Ideas
‘Pointing out that collective
bargaining was required by law;
nd that in the case of the U.S.
‘Steel Co. it was working out
well, the Senate Committee said:
“Little can be said for the con-
duct of the independent stedl
producers in rejecting them (the
principles of collective bargain-
ing), except that they were mis-
taken committed to an. antiquat-
ed concept of industrial absolut-
ism.”
In carrying out their law of
the jungle labor’ policies, the
three Little Steel companies en-
gaged labor spies, bought bulg-”
ing arsenals: of industrial muni-
tions to use on theix employes
and worked together on anti-
union propaganda campaigns.
The National’ Association of
Manufacturers lent a helping
hand, especially in developing
“citizens’ committees”, which
were ‘itothing more than phony
'. His-addvess is: © *
life and has now been advanced
to Sergeant. Why not drop him
‘acard? He is always glad to hear
from his friends in Bldg. No. 12.
Sgt. A.-Von Stétina, Co. H
105th Inf.-Rifle Division
Fort McClellan, Anniston, Ala,
We still hear inquiries such as
“Where is Billi?” Of course most
every one knows. this refers .to...
Bill Jansen. Well, Bill has been.
‘transferred to Bldg. 11-Balcony,
in charge of production second
shift, Bill’s many friends in Bldg
12 wish him much: success in his
new position, and as a token of
friendship, his many friends. in
—12,-presented—the--Barror
beautiful gold pen and
pencil set. Bill was superceeded
Houck. =
’ We haven't had a Bldg. 12-col.
out of late, as it has been rather
difficult to pick up news. items.
All one hears: these days is the
discussions about the 10c¢ per
The fellow most likely to-suc-
ceed is the one who recently be-
came a Daddy and.then offered
to, name his baby after the Fore-
man. One of. our older. fellows.
was heard ‘to remark, “If my
wife ever has a little one, Tl
‘name him after the Manager”.
The outstanding squeeler of
the month in Bldg. 12 is that
cute little darling on first shift
BY “BERNARD GEIGKS EN
paint line, The fellow who thinks ©
eaaveancuacartaccescave nny
hé is a big important executive”
and has his nose in everybody’s. |
business. You are’ right! Local ~
No. 301 hasn’t any tattlers in its
Membership like him.--
Wonder if the married woman
downstairs thinks she is kidding
anyone. Hear she has been hitch-
ed a long time and he is working
too. Why not give a single girl
a break, .
The four people in Bldg. 12
who are shouting the loudest for
10c mone per hour are, the fellow
in the Test who wears a dirty :
hat and glassés; the one at the.
Welder’s tank-2nd shift, known .
as the first man. who hangs:
around the Office Thurs.-morn-
ings waiting for his pay. check,
and the two girl inspectors on.
the tray assembly. If these peo-
ple work near you,-why not ask '
_them to join the union and keep
the 10c hour demand hot! Of
course, these people all want and
feel they should have more pay
but. they will not-spend approxi-...-......
mately two cents a day to get it.
Who is the relief man that
takes all the relief?
- he Executive Board has
received several complaints
from our.responsible mem-
bers in reference to the
in washrooms.
When this privilege was
granted .us, it was deeply
appreciated by, us-all, We
greatly deplore this abuse.
_ The least that we can do
is to use company property
‘and privileges as carefully
as we would our own.
Certainly, we cannot ex-
pect to maintain these priv-
ileges by abusing them,
~—~Lixecutive Board
Local 301
‘SOD FO EDIE GE ESE DC EC RHO,
LOCAL 301 MEMBERSHIP IS GAINING RAPIDLY
The report of the Financial
Secretary showed over 2500 new
members have joined the Union
during the past three months.
Notwithstanding this increase
PRP POND PIE ETRE HR NENT OER TE
front organizations to sugar coat
the corporations’ drastic poli-
cies. : '
In examining the four most
serious riots of the 1937 strike,
the Committee found that the
pressure from the fake citizens’
committees and from company-
paid deputies was a major factor
in provoking violence.
~ “The companies had them-
selves to blame in large. part for,..°
the feeling of distruct and bit-
terness which existed among the
strikers,” the report declared.
“Continued interference with the
right of organization through
espionage, company unions and
coercion inevitably generated an
utmosphere of bitterness,””
t
in Membership, there are still
hundreds of G.E. employees who
are not members of the Union,
but should be.
Union members should know
who the non-members are. It is
the duty of every Shop Commit-
teeman to keep his group con-
stantly informed of the status
of the Organization in his sec-
tion; the number of members in
the Union, the number of mem-
bers.in arrears in their dues, and.”
the non-members. It is to the
best interest of. every Union
Member to help keep the depart-
ment up-to-date in dues pay-
ments and in good union shape.
Every Union member, has the
perfect right to question the
union standing of any other
member. ;
The Union Headquarters will:
send delinquent lists to all Dues
Collectors during thé “week of
April 14th,—ask your Dues Col-
lector to shaw you the list.
