———FACTS vs. FICTION
nonmannniston by
r
‘Women Rates’ Arguments Exploded
Why companies fight to keep
rate differentials between men and
women workers is easily explain-
ed. It means greater profits for
the companies.
wAnd the pay off isn’t a matter
of peanuts—it adds up to billions.
According to the 1950 census, the
average Wage of women was
$1,285 a year less than men.
Multiply this figure by the 4,-
208,000 women in factories and it
produces the staggering total of
$5.4 billlion—that’s $5.4 billion in
extra profits that U. 5, corpora-
tions, like GE, made out of pay- ,
ing women lower rates than men.
A GE company ‘representative
admitted to an investigator from
the Labor Department’s Women’s
Bureau in 1951 the real reason
for lower rates for women; .“be-
cause women's job opportunities
had been relatively limited in in-
dustry in the past; it. had -been
possible to get them to. work for
de than men, and employers
took advantage of this fact to un-
derpay women.”
A Frank Statement
This frank statement by GI's
representative isn’t typical of the
arguments that UE negotiators
get when they meet in bargain-
ing sessions with the company-—
arguments the Union has a ready
answer to, as was admitted by
i@ “G1--representative when he
“I'd hate to have to be the one’
to have to sit across the bargain-
ing table trying to justify differ-
entials.” i
‘Here are some of the argu-
ments the companies develop to
justify the lower rates for women
-—and the Union’s answers:
Company Argument
Companies: “Women are young *
temporary workers, They quit
after a few years to get married.
The greater turnover of women,
the special services they require
make it necessary to pay them
lower rates,”
The Facts Are: The U, 8. Cen-
sus Bureau reveils that one out
of every two women workers in
American industry is at least 3
years old, and most of these older
> workers have held ‘onto their
present jobs. for at least , five
years. , .
The World War Tl War Labor
Board rejected these company
aurguinents, laying down the prin-
ciple ‘that “intangible alleged cost
factors incident to the’ employ-—
ment of women could, not legiti-
mately be used to reduce the
rates to which the women would
otherwisé be entitled on the basis
of job content.” The WLB said
“no evidence of such costs was
introduced.”
Work for Pin Money?
Companies: ‘Women don't have
families to support. They. work
for pin money, General sociologi-
cal factors justify lower pay for
women.”
The Facts Are: According to
government figures, one out of
every four workers have children
“If men were to be substituted
for women on the so-called wom-
en’s jobs there would probably be
a very real loss in efficiency and
productivity, since it is recag- °
nized that men are not as well
adapted as women for light, repe-
titive work requiring finger dex-
terity.
“The productive.worth of wom-
en on thé jobs’ to which they are
customarily assigned, if fairly
weighed, might well offset any
added produetion costs resulting
from-such factors as absenteeism,
transient. character of service,
Ditorimination against women’ moant $6.4 billion
in EXTRA profits for corporations in 1950
"AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGES and SALARIES- 1950
manutacturing
under 18 wham they must sup-
port. One out of every five is
either widowed, divoreed or sep-
arated from her husband. Many
have to work heeause they are
war widows, wives of disabled
veterans, or of men now in the
army...
But most women work because
their husband’s pay is inudequate
to support the family needs. 93
percent of all women work be-
cause they have Lo support them-
selves or their families.
Women Worth Less?
Companies: “Women are sim-
ply worth less for purposes of
factory employment than men.”
The Facts Are: This attitude
on the part of GE management--
that women are somehow inferior
workers “worth less” to the com-
pany—was revealed by the gov-
ernment to be the greatest hoax
of ‘all.to justify wage. differen-. _
tials, “Stated. the National War
Labor Board: _
Even the National. Asociation
of Manufacturers stated, in May,
lod2: “There is little difference
between men and women as re-
gards their satisfactory perform.
anee in industry.”
Companies: “Women aren’t as
strong as men. They need extra
help for heavy lifting, ete.”
The ‘Physieal Effort’ Trick —
The Facts Are: The over em-
phasis ‘on physical effort is a
trick often used by companies tu
justify sex differentials. Actual-
ly, physical effort alone has little
to do with the value of a job on
the company’s. own scales, which
place common labor digging diteh-
es at the lower end and tool and
die maker at the top. But, inso-
far as physical effort is one fae-
tor in a job's value, the Women's
Bureau of the U. &. Department
of Labor, in a-survey in 1951. of |
the electrical industry, pointed
out: ak
“The constant arm and finger
movements involved in many
women’s jobs were, in the course
of a day, probably more wearing
in many cases than the occasional
lifting of a 30 or 40 pound box.”
The jobs done by, women “often
involve close attention to work
and concentration that is fatigu-
ing.” x
Companies; “Our rates for
women are in line with establish-
ed community practice. Industry
has always paid women less.
We're justified because every
company does. it.”
Government Opinion
' The'Facts Are: This argument
was rejected by the government
board in the GE and Westing-
“house case in 1945, as follows:
“Tf this contention were sound,
it would follow that no exploitta-
tion of uny group could be ended
“(save by voluntary action) if it”
constituted the common practice
ofthe employers in the locality.
The real question“is whether any
exploitation exists. If it. does. ex-
ist, as we believe that it does
from the evidence in this case, it
should be ended, and the fact that
others practice it ought not to.
stand as a bar.”
Correet the Injustice
“The claim of community and
industry practice cannot be ad-
yanced as a sound reason for do-
ing. nothing to correct an injus-
lice which patently exists,” the
War Labor Board stressed “More-
over, these companies as the
whole or dominant employer in
the community in many instances,
may have themselves initiated or
supported the practice.”
What’s To Be Done?
Through ULE’s effort in GE,
women’s straight time earnings,
which were only 70.3 of men’s in
‘April, 1945, were: raised to 78
percent of men’s earnings in
1952. But the differential is. still
substantial throughout the chain.
Is it any wonder there are such
things as the big women’s dem-
onstration at the Subway Gate in
Schenectady on May 72
‘UE backs up and fights to the
full. the fight of its women to™™
realize their demands for no rate
below common laborer, jobs on
the basis of content not sex, and
i single rate structure in GE. to
<achieve their demand for Equal
Pay for Equal Work.
4. © Friday, May 23, 1952
eel
pester mas nnn eu i Asta HORAN
ATL RETEVURY RT. ENA ANA aTMe TNEL ATER parapet pee
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK |
Thursday, May 29, 1952
nv0—Nearly 800 UE Loeal
1114 members have won a 17 cant
an hour wage increase package at
Minneapolis Honeywell and Scully
Jones companies. At Scully Jones,
a 15 cent general increase was won,
‘with an eight cent general increasee
at Minneapolis Honeywell. Remain-
der of the packnge went for im-
proved pensions, vacations, insur
ance and rate inequities.
x wk ok
Detroit—Over 15,000 AFL, ear.
penters have been out on strike
here sinee May 10 for a 15 cent
increase and 744 cents in fringe
benefits.
&
kt ke OO
Philadelphia--UF. Loeal 155 has
won a tO cent an hour wage in-
| Upstate Skilled Craftsmen
nite To Raise
Tool and die makers and skilled buildin,
cities and plants-—and from several unions—AFL,
Syracuse on Sunday, May 25, to map a co
crease and a health insurance plan ..
OV in full hy the employer in a
AW contract with the Philadelphia
Tool & Die Jobbing Shops Assacia-
tion . The edntract was won after
the threat of a strike by the 12
jobbing shops.
ko ok oO
Boston — The AFL executive
council warned May 20 that it will
quit’ the mobilization program if
Congress adopts a plan to replace
the present tri-partile Wage Sta-
hilization Board with a board con.
sisting entitely of public members
—and would stave a walkout if the
WSB is stripped of ‘ils power to
make recommendations in disputes
involving the union shop and other
hon-ceonomic issues. . ;
br,
Los Angeles—-UTS Local 1421 ad-
‘ded u new plant to the Union when
it wonun NLRB election at Jensen
Industries by a vote of 27 to 16.
x k *
Honolulu — The International
Longshoremen's & Warchousemen’s
Union (Ind) has signed a contract
“Nh the Hawaii Stevedore Co.
At provides an immediate 12 cent
hourly raise and six cents more on
Oct. 16. The eventual base pay will
be $1.94 an hour.
a.
Minneapolis — UM Loenl 1139
members at the St. Anthony Ma-
chine Products turned back by an
TIAM-AFL raid by a 42 to 19 ma-
jority.
UNITY IN SYRACUSE, ‘Indies
itive of the unity of skilled craftsmen
who met in Syracuse last Sunday was the elected chairman, William
rempleton, electrician of Ul. Local 301 and elected secretary, Fred
Cacehione, IAM-AFL toolmaker of. Remington-Rand, Elmira.
VUE ‘301 Daily Program
On WPTR At 5:05 p.m.
UE Local 301 took to the airwaves this last week to tell
the story of its women’s demands to the people of the Capitol
District. Every day from 5:05 to 5:15 on radio station WPTR,
Map Joint Fight
Mapping a strategy to mobil-
ize the maximum strength of
(ens of thousands of UE mem-
bers behind their wage demands,
a joint coordinating meeting of
: delegates from General Electric,
Westinghouse, International
Harvester, Sylvania and Gener-
“al Cable held their first meeting
in New York City on Monday,
May 26.
With. similar demands, ‘draft-
ed at the UE National Wage
the chains’ conference boards
yoted to move jointly ‘against
these giant corporations. Leo
Jandreau, ‘301’ business agent,
is a member of the GE commit-
tee.
. Conference” in’ Bullalo in’ Aprily
fight to communities. hg
Capito] residents have been heur-
ing news from the labor angle and
interviews with those who -know
best the “exploiting” business GU
conducts with its women workers
~—the women who work for GE,
The programs will continue
for the next two weeks, Mon-
day through Friday, at the -
5:05 p.m. time on WPTR. .
301? members have been urged
tu- let their neighbors and friends
know that UE is on the air and to
workers. r
The brondeasts are part of the
UE campaign locally and national-
ly to bring the facts of the wage
'caades
g trades craftsmen from many upstate. New York
» CIO and independent — met together in
fight: to. get the Wage Stabilization Board to
raise the ceilings for their wages.
Setting: aside all questions of
union. -jurisdiction, these skilled
workers united on the common pur-
pose of getting something done '
about their common problem.
Angered over the WSB’s rejec-
tion of its own panel’s* report last
October, which recommended skill-
ed rate ecilings 30 to 77 cents high-
er in various areas of the country,
the skilled craftsmen from 14 cities
adopted a program that calls for:
® A continuations. committee to
do everything ‘possible to acquaint
other tool-die-skilled craftsmen
with their program and to work
with them for higher skilled rates.
® To call another meeting in 30
alays’ to which, skilled craftsmen
from other areas of the country .
will be invited to work out a na-*
tional program and reconvene the
conference in August,
®@ To set-up committees to meet
with WSB officials, congressmen
and senatars,-county: and local of-
ficials, to win favorable action on
the WSB Tool and Die report.
* Urged nationwide demonstra-
tions of tool and die makers and
skilled building trades craftsmen
on an agreed upon day and to join
in calling upon their respective
managements to join with them in
insisting that the WSB put the”
recommendations of its punel into
immediate effect.
GE Wage Negotiations
Still Deadiocked
UE negotiations with GE 1e-
sumed on May 21, with.GE contin-
uing to say its one peréent wage
offer is all that is warraited, Leo
Jandreau, ‘301’ business agent, re-
ports, : eee
The UE ‘negotiating . committee
attacked GE’s act of facing two
ways at once, said Jandreau. GIt’s
public propaganda claims high pay
and. job security—in contrast. to
the reality of its one percent offer |
and its current layoff of thousands
of workers and short-weeks in its
consumer goods division.
Arrangements have been made
for another. meeting with GE, at a
~-ilate to be set Inter, |
Boulware Tips His Hand,
He's Against All Unions
The only way for a union to avoid being red-baited is for
it to‘stop acting like a union.
declaration by GE Vice President L.R. Boulware as he smeared
the IUE-CIO, the C10 United Auto
Workers and the AFL Machinists
and Electrical Workers Unions.
Boulware, writing in the com-
pany’s Employe Relations News
Letter, asserted that anti-Commun-
“Every Member Bring A Member"
UE LOCAL 301
JOINT
MEETING
Members & Stewards
2nd SHIFT
Monday, June 2, 1952
“ 1:30 P.M. (before work)
ist and 3rd SHIFTS
Monday, June 2, 1952
7:30 P.M,
Local 301 Hall
Erie Bivd. & Liberty St.
This was the substance of a
ist unions which fight for the union
shop and other conditions are “just
as much help to Joe (Stalin) as if
these union officials were, in fact,
Communist agents.”
And just to complete the cycle,
IUE-CIO President James Carey
took time out from his union-split-
ting work to red-bait GE,
Almost simultaneously with the
Boulware assault on the union
shop, the National Labor Relations
Board in Washington released a
report which showed that the big
‘companies, despite their current
propaganda campaign, had just
about accepted this condition by
ithe middle of last year. The re-
port revealed that 99.5 percent of
the 6,810 NLRB cases involving
this issue were settled without any
formal action by the government
agency. It was also revealed that
Big Steel, which is now shouting
loudly that the union shop “vio-
lates. its. principles,” actually.-has
such agreements with a number of
unions including the United Mine
Workers. 4
+eethe company's next objective isto train the
centipede..,
UE Schedules Two Day.
Washington Lobby
Three ‘301’ members will join
UE members from throughout the
country for a two day delegation
to Washington, D.C. on June 5, 6
to visit congressmen and senators
to urge an end of the Defense Pro-
duction Act, which undermines col-
lective bargaining and freezes wag’
es, defeat of the anti-labor, Smith
-bill, to secure fair employment leg-
islation and to urge a peace rather
than a war economy that will. ad-
vance the people’s welfare.
The delegation will also urge-an.
end to anti-labor and thought: con-
trol proposals of Senators Humph-
rey and McCarran.
Thousands of grievances are handled by UE Local 301
each year at all levels from.the steward up to final appeal
in’ New York City, To keep members. posted, we shall
each week list some of the grievances that have not been
rons
Bldg. 10C: A group of drill press
operators — pro the arbitrary
use-of table prices and demand an
investigation to see that procedure
during this transition are the same
as regular practice throughout the
Works,
Bernice Greco, working on a
class Bo job, although a class C
operator, demands. reclassification
and proper rate adjustment.
Bide. 14: L. Gralecki and A.
Smolinski demand a_ retroactive
rate adjustment bused on contract
article X-2-2 since they were ex-
perienced on their job. They’ve
been on job six months and not re-
ceived the job rate of winders,
which is $1.82.
Bldg. 16.. A group “working on
coils demands payment for work
they perform on damaged material
‘which is not their responsibility
end they are’ powerless to prevent.
The coils. they work on drive in
> OK, but sometimes wedge in tight
in slot when raising for jump. Re-
sulting damage to insulation caus-
es burn out and coils must then be
removed for replacement,
Bldw. 17: A lathe group demands
an open aisle from their area to,
the main aisle and a thorough in-
vestigation of the undesirable con-
ditions that create safety hazards,
. Bldg, 18: Thomas Borovicka
eharges that contract article VI, 5
(d) is violated because a previous
machine operation done in two op-
erations’ and reduced*to one by in-
stalling a new slotter makes it im-
possible to. maintain satisfactory
earnings.’ He demands a correction.
2. © Thursday, May 29, 1952
settled at the steward-foreman level and have been re-
ferred to the executive board-management level,
Bldg. 40: Genevieve Beloncik,
presently working on hand taping,
was hired for second shift and is
breaking in on first. Because of
domestic problems she requests she
be kept on first shift,
Bldg. 48: Mary Bonquisto, cafe-
teria, a cleaner at $1.28, devotes
2% to 6 hours daily as baker's
helper and demands reclassification
to baker’s helper, with a proper
rate adjustment and back pay for
previous amount of hours spent as
haker’s helper.
Bldg. 49: James E. Moore, trans-
ferred to boring mill vertical cl.
with a starting rate of $1.76 had
the rate reduced-two weeks later
to $1.6014. He insists $1.76 is
proper rate and demands a retro-
uctive rate adjustment, . f
Leo Searles, transferred fron
Bldg. 278 to 49 to the same type of
machine with a lower job rate, de-
mands a retroactive adjustment to
job rate according to contract ar-
ticle X, 8, 4.
M. Santora, and Leonard Gard-
ner, giving normal performance for
their jobs, claim they’re not get-
ting’ combination welder job rate
and demand upgrading. ‘
Ernest Daviero, grinder, demands
job rate based on his performance
and ability. His last inerease was
secured.on Feb, 12, 1952,
Bldg. 57: A group in the iron
foundry proposes as a sound and
practical training program for
coremakers that there be a mini-
mum breaking in period with a
class’ A coremaker for two -years
and then immediately be given a
classifiention of B coremaker, which
will qualify the worker to perform
any B core room job. At present,
the foreman reserves right to move
men anytime he sees fit from one
job to another—not giving the
worker the proper background for
each operation of the job.
Bldg. 68: A group in porcelain
had a change.of method introduced
in packing a part, which necessi-
tates extra work beyond that called
for under the old method of stand-
ard price, They demand payment
for this extra work.
A group of press operators de-
mand a proper rate adjustment
based on contract article VI, 5, d.
A change in method makes it im-
possible to maintain their same
hourly earnings and clay is now
piled into blunger instead of being
thrown on floor,
Bldg, 77: Howard Sperbeck,
chemical, demands 144 hours pay
for time lost puiiching in and out
to go on his regular job. He
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
UNITED ELECTRICAL, RADIO & MACHINE
WORKERS OF AMERICA (UE)
Local 301
rr
Publishod by the Editorial Committeo
Aas't Recording Sacratar:
Treasurer.
Vico-Prosid
Roy Schaffer
4, Cognetta
-William Mastriant
loo Jandroau
SCHENECTADY 5, N. Y.
Business Agent.
301 LIBERTY ST.
idy Rissland |
Globe Forge Strike
Wins 17c Boost
The strength of the united ac-
tion of 150 foundry workers at
Globe Forge in Syracuse paid off
last week. with a contract settle-
ment that netted a 17 cent wag
inerease package. *
These UE Local 328 members
achieved complete victory follow-
ing a walkout on May 16 when the
company refused to budge on a:
number of the workers’. demands.
Only 24 hours later Globe Forge
called UE, and asked for a meet-
ing the next day—on Sunday.
Within 48 hours after their show
of strength these UE members
won: .
® Tive cents an hour more on
top of the five cents already won on
Jan.*1, 1952.
® A company financed hospital
and medical program costing an
estimated 442 cents an hour.
® A guaranteed 36 hour week at
all times. Prior to this, Globe
Forge would only guarantee 82.
hours,
© Improved’ bonuses.
_® Three weeks vacation after 15
years,.with an extra day starting
after seven years, with a staggered
day addition up to 15 years.
“e A union shop contract,
cause he was tardy for lepitim:
reasons and foreman assigned hin:
to “Prepare to Paint,” while an-
euner worker was assigned to his
job.
Bldg. 81: A group under Fore-
man L. Cholewa demands the same
method in computing one price as
another, based on past practice in
conversions of jobs with two op-
erations, in which highest rate has
been used when job is done with
one opérator.
Women in the division demand
gloves with leather fingers for
harnessing cables. They charge
plo¥es now furnished are entirely
unsatisfactory.
A group protests the large cables
included in their work in harness-
ing cables because of the resulting
pain and disfigurement. of their
hands.
A. group in assembly and wire
question the advisability of hiring
so many new workers for their
group. -.This has been raised pre-
viously and the group demands as-
ences there will not be a repeti-
tion, .
A group demands that foreman
be instructed to explain the data
used in making up prices or tables,
according to the contract. Fore-
man has refused to do this on ta-
bles for making harness, looping,
ete, saying that they’ve been in
charges foreman discrimination a)
use five years and there is no 19"
son {or discussion,
Bldg. 89. William W. Bonezyk
charges violation of contract VI, 5
(d) and demands normal time stu-
dies be taken on a resistor job only
where the method was changed. He
charges that a new departure which. |
used a detailed motion time study
to establish a new set of standard
prices resulted in a loss of earn-
ngs. ;
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
30 Aids UE’s
Drive At Two
GE Plants
Two GE plants where. UE is con-
,ouducting organizing drives are get-
‘ fting an assist from UE Local 301.
One plant, recently opened in
Ludlow, Vermont, is expected to
have an NLRB election early: in
the month of June, with UE the
only Union on the ballot.:
Anthony Esposito, toolmaker, Ed
Marine, foundry, and ‘301’ Chief
Shop Steward William Mastvriani
have paid visits to this plant to ex-
plain the benefits of UK. -The plant
does aeronautics work for the gov-
ernment on precision instruments.
The other campaign is in Pitts-
field, Mass. The IUE-CIO is’ bar-
gaining representative for this GE
Works of 7,500.employees.
A full scale rank and file revolt
over mishandling of grievances and |
union affairs resulted in over’ 1,000
workers there joining UE in a
period of two weeks, with the cards
. continuing to roll in, Leader of
the local: is John Callahan, chair-
man of the IUE-CIO GE Confer-
ence Board.
'.. Mastriani told a Pittsfield mem-
bership meeting on;May 18 that~
in contrast to the IUE-CIO sell
,~gut on. grievances, in UE ‘801’ be-~
)veen 100 to 150 grievances are
“processed a week and settlements
aren’t hidden behind “locked doors,”
since the Union is having to buy
more filing cabinets to keep them
on record.
UE has revealed in recent weeks
the actual record of IUE-CIO
grievance sessions with GE. IUE-
CIO claims it’s “unfair” to reveal »
the written record of its sell-outs,
which it wanted to keep secret,
Pledging 801’s full support, Mas-
triani recalled that when in UE
Pittsfield workers used to get their
grievances settled, with Callahan
calling ‘301’ Business Agent Leo
Jandreau nearly every day for ad-
vice and help. .
“Grievances rate top importance
in UE,” declared Mastriani, “be-
cause each grievance concerns an
individual and his problem.”
Mica at ‘301’ Dance
‘301’? members are going to have
company at their dance to be held
on June 7 at Edison Club in Rex-
ford from 9 p.m.'to 1 a.m.
“\The very welcome company will
Gs) workers from the Mica Insula-
tor Co, where UE. has been con- -
ducting an organizing campaign
for some months—and will. soon
file for an NLREB election.
. At. the. Mica. membership -mect-
ing lnst"Monday, indieations were
that about 100 Mica workers will
join the fun at the ‘801? affair.
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Opinion Survey —
4ShowsGE Policies) |
Approved in Areal}
Soemmemearedd
An: area poll conducted. ‘by
the General Hlectric Co, re &
vealed that most persons ‘like.
ae GE, its policies and corimunity
services, - os,
» Forty-tive © per “cent. of. the.
more. than. 500 persons polled
thought GE. should hold ‘wages.
at the current.lével,. about, 24
per cent said. th:
Iso. revealéd “thay
GE yee
GE ‘POLL’, GE conducts a. poll
and gels the answers it wants.
It's a simple technique. Ask
only. questions that youll get
answers you want—and don’t ask °
too many people. Tt might fool
some people but GE’s workers
have their own “opinion”?—with
or without a poll. They know.
They work for GE.
18 Bidg. 28 Women
Win 7c Rate Hike
The total number of women win-
ning a seven cent an hour wage ad-
Justment in Bldg. 28 through Un-
ion grievance action mounted to 18
last week, as three additional work-
ers won the increase,
Previously, 15 women had won
the increase in a grievance filed by
Steward J. J. Mann, which pointed
out these women deserved a J
classification that would boost their
rates from $1.40 to $1.47 on the
basis of their inspection work sand
use of precision instruments.
GE ‘Public Opinion’ Poll
Gets Stacked Answers
GE recently asked GE what it thinks of GE and came up
with the news that GE loves GE!
This startling information
was gleaned from the report on the company “Public Opinion”
survey in the Schenectady Works
News. The poll allegedly was con-
ducted among all the residents of
Schenectady, regardless of whether
or not they worked for GE.
However, according to the Works
News, only about 500 persons were
approached by the company Gallup
pollsters. That’s less thdn one-
half of one percent of the popula-
tion of the city. Judging from the
«answers, all those who were ques-
tioned who were not company: su-
pervisors were company stockhold-
ers, . ‘
For example, GE reports that
less. than one-fourth of the
people questioned thought that
the company should raise wag-
es. Local 301 has done a little
questioning on this itself, and
is willing to bet that 99 ‘per-
cent of GE employees need’ and
want more money. In fact,
801? would be happy to cali a
meeting of its membership and |
take a vote on this issue, with
the company taking pictures?
The survey report also suggests
that the company should. better
publicize the sums of money it
spends to “improve working condi-
tions.” It doesn’t say however that
the company should reveal the
amount of cash it lays out to fight
its employees getting disability
compensation benefits. UE has a
backlog of 1,000 such cases, which
it retains a lawyer full-time to
handle.
Humphrey's Senate Buddy
Introduces Anti-Labor Bill
The Senate’s newest double play combination, Humphrey
and McCarran, is really beginning to click. The close collabor-
ation between the “liberal” Senator from. Minnesota and the
thought-control champion from Ne-
vada has been exposed by a new
anti-lnbor bill intvoduced in the
Senate by McCarran. This meas-
ure incorporates virtually all of the
union-busting devices Humphrey
has been plumping for through his
Senate labor relations sub-commit-
tee, “Included in the MeCarran
measure are:
1. Provisions to deprive’ the
workers of their right to freely
choose their own union for collec-
tive batgaining, These provisions
follow the line set forth by GE’s
L. R. Boulware and spelled out by
Humphrey and Secretary of Labor
Maurice Tobin.
2. The establishment. ofa. gov-..
ernment agency which would
““sereen candidates for union of-
fice and “approve or disapprove”
ake
m ‘
them regardless of the democratia
choice of the workers.
3. Steps to end the American
right to hold political opinions of
one’s own choosing and at the same
time hold a job. Under the bill
every worker would have to be
cleared by a government agency in
order to work.
4, Outright government machin-
ery to break strikes alleged: to be
“political.” With the MeCarrans
and the Humphreys acting as judg-
es, this would actually end the tra-
“ditional right to strike.
The bill's provisions have already
been sharply hit by both the APL
and CIO, as well as fy UE and
other. independent ....mions.
that there should be no government
control over unions.
The.
_UE?’s ‘consistent position has been
Wage Freeze Stays
As Prices Go Up
Shoppers are going to have to
dig even deeper to feed their fam-
ilies as a result of the latest ac-
tions of the so-called Office of
Price Stabilization. The govern-
ment control agency announced
last week a one to two ,cent boost
in the ceiling price of most canned
fruits and vegetables.
The OPS also predicted that
rises would shortly be forthcoming
for a host of other basic food prod-
ucts including instant coffees, dry
cereals, cookies and. canned meats.
The new boosts and the pending
ones go into effect under the con-
trol laws’ which guarantee manu-
facturers’ profits, wholesale mark-
ups and just about everything else
except wages. ,
However, there, was. one bright
note. ,.'Taxes will go down—if*you:
happet.to be a member of Con-
gress. The lawmakers are acting to
cut their own tax bill through a bill
permitting’ them to, deduct virtual-
ly all of theiy Washington living
costs as “business expenses.”
At the same time the nearly one-
million “workers whose leaders
signed “up and down” wage escal-
ator clauses are taking a one cent
an hour wage cut ever though the
latest BLS cost-of-living index
showed a vise. Reason: It wasn’t
cnough to offset “drops” in. two
previous months.
Red Cross Blood
Plan Recommended -~
The ‘301’? exceutive board last
Monday recommended for member-
ship approval a proposed Red Cross
plan for furnishing blood for resi-+
dents of the nine counties of Essex,
Montgomery, Warren, Saratoga,
Hamilton, Washington, Schenee-
tady, Green and Schoharie,
The plan. would’ provide after
June 2 that all residents would get’
free blood donations, paying only
‘the $7.50 to $10 hospital fee for
each transfusion, at local hospitals.
To funetion, it would require
5,000 pints for civilians and 2,500
far military, which would mean 125
pints donated each time the Red
Cross bloodmobile visits Sche-
neetady. ‘301’ would be responsi-
-ble--for. securing. donations. fron’:
GE production and maintenance
workers to, keep the plan operat-
ing.
Thursday, May 29, 1952 © 3
STAD Stay pS se
