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And Now They Tell Us with Colored Funnies...
| pnts RT —
You ARE A DANGEROUS
RADICAL AND A THREAT To
QUR NATIONAL SECURITY!
[A“THE PLANT WILL HAVE To
SHUT DOWN AND You'LL Lose
Your Jo if THE MINIMUM WAGE
AND CQClIAL SECURITY LAWS
ARE PASSE
fu
KOEND PRICE CONTROL AND
ye WILL SOON ADJUST
AWEMSELVES** 7
S EN im
Koy
THE TART-HARTLEY
LAW (S THE WORKERS
BEST FRIEND!
Jaruary 30, 1948
Local 301, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, CIO
Z
LECTRICAL
THE VOICE OFLOCAL 301 - - - UER&MWAA - - - CLO.
Vol. 6 — No. 6
February 6, 1948
Company Violates
Seniority Rights
Business Agent Leo Jandreau has
taken up with J, M. Howell, works man-
ager, a complaint that the company is.
violating the contract, provision on seni-
ority, in the current lay-offs in the Con-
trol Division, In letters to Howell, Jan-
dreau cited four such lay-offs.
The Executive Board has voted that
the full board will go in on the dispute
when discussed with Howell.
—In-RBlde.-81,-assemblers--with-sight-and——
seven years’ service were given lay-off
notices. while men with less than one
year’s service were retained in closely-
yelated work. The lay-off of these two
assemblers was postponed for one week
pending further discussion, after the
union’s protest.
In Bldg. 89 a resistor winder with
seven years was forced to take a punch
press job in Bldg. 17, under protest,
while a man with seven months stayed
on a similar job. The union has demand-
ed his return. to his former work.
Jandreau’s letter pointed out that the
contract “does provide for placing em-
ployees with longer service on like jobs
by displacing other employees with
shorter service.”
The company has defended its action
by arguing the exact classification of
work, even though the union showed the:
jobs in dispute were very similar.
In the fourth case, involving a Class
G test operator in Bldg, 69, supervision
limited information on seniority to oper-
ators in that classification in Control. —
As a’ result, the woman took a piece
work spot weld job in Punch Press.
Jandreau ‘pointed out that proper ap-
plication of. seniority would require con-
sideration of Class G operators in the
whole Test department. Howell in his
written reply claimed the’ company was
justified in applying seniority only with
the Control Test section.
Benefit Dance
Local 159, Transport Workers Union,
CIO, will give a Valentine dance at 8
pan. Saturday, Feb. 14, at Stanford
Heights Fire. Department Hall, Stop 8,
Albany-Schenectady Rd., for the benefit
of Garry Waldron, crippled in the war.
Waldron is a 801 member. Tickets at 60
vents each may be obtained from bus
drivers, .
SCHENECTADY, NEW_YORK
301 Organizing Drive Planned;
Stewards Pledge All-Out Effort
Vt Mbeh tence
a
Appoint Committee
To Study Blood Bank
The first union member to respond to
the appeal for blood donors in last
-week’s EU News was. Donald A. Ding-
man of Bldg. 84. He contacted the un-
ion office immediately and made a date
to report at Ellis Hospital. His blood
donation will be credited to a-union mem-
ber who was operated on during the
strike and who-has been pres#éd ‘te repay
the hospital’s‘ blood bank.
A committee has been appointed by
the Executive Board to investigate the
possibilities of setting up a blood bank
at the hospital for the use of 301 mem-
bers. The committee members, Helen
Quirini, Albert Davis, William Stewart
and J. A. Mele, will meet at 2 p.m. to-
day at 301 hall.
Meanwhile the hospital has agreed to
provide the union with a list of all mem-
bers who owe blood repuyments there.
The Stewards’ Council voted approval
Tuesday of establishing the committee.
“be adniitted” without “payi
The Stewards’ Council voted approval
Tuesday of Executive Board’ proposals
for a 301 organization drive, to back
the 1948 contract negotiations with the
greatest strength in the shops. Contract
sessions are expected to start this
month. :
During the period of the drive, set as
Feb. 9 to Mar, 15, new members are to
fees. The program will be presented to
the membership meeting Feb. 17. and 18.
The Executive Board has ordered 15,-
000 union buttons to give out during the
campaign. Shop stewards pledged they
would start immediately on their job
of seeing their groups are 100 per cent
union. The_union office will provide lists
of non-members for the stewards.
Moving Day Near
For Food Center
The 801 Food Center’s last day’ at its
present location, 1027 State St., will be
Saturday, Feb. 14. The Food Committee
is following up every possible lead in
searching for new quarters.
Even if a new building is rented by
Feb. 14 there will have. to be at least
a week’s shut-down of the Center, and
probably two weeks, to allow time for
moving and for preparing the new place.
Last week union families bought $7,-:
419.48 worth of food and supplies at the
Center: $1,894.97 Thursday; $2,977.62 °
Friday and $2,546.89 Saturday.
$400 Awarded for Injury
A Workman’s Compensation referee. ,.
has awarded $400 to Peter B. Husty, 301 °
member, against GE for an injury which
left an inch sear on his lip. Husty, a
cabinet maker, was hurt July, 1946 when
he was hit by a piece of wood which fell
out of a chuck.
Michel Perlin, 801° attorney, handled
the .case.
Transfers
“The Executive Board has asked the
Constitution Committee to draft provi-
sions to regulate the transfer of mem-
_ bes into 801 from other unions.
sy
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eh
dios
Yarra
TRH NT
aise
2
. ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
GE Turns Down
Veterans Cases
‘The company has turned down the
union’s request that World:War II vet-
erans completing the machinists’ ap-
rentice_course..be...graduated_at_$1.45
an hour, instead of having to wait a
year to progress to that rate.
At present anyone completing the ap-
prentice course gets the lowest C rate,
$1.85 and by automatie progression of
5 cents each six months reaches the top
C rate, $1.45, at the end of a year.
Business Agent Leo Jandreau, who
argued the case at the New York level
last week, pointed out that many of
the veterans involved are doing day
work equivalent to B class. Allowance
—-2-—-should_he_made for. -time_they. spent_in__
military service, he said. The company
insisted that it “can't do more for one
veteran than for another” or for one
group of veterans than another.
In reporting the case tothe Executive
Board, Jandreau said it was just an-
other instance of GE’s refusal to do any-
thing for veterans that ‘would cost
money.
Those CE Price Cuts
Here’s what a GE competitor thinks of
those GE price cuts on -television sets
and ‘electric .blankets. Westinghouse
News, the Westinghouse Electric Com-
pany’s paper, said:
“While price reductions in any event
are something to be thankful for, cases
such as these are somewhat like a lady
making a fuss over the fact that she
has lost 10 pounds this winter — and
forgetting the fact that. she put on “15
pounds last summer.
“Her sister, who avoided putting on
so much weight to begin with, can’t un-
derstand what the shouting is all about.”
BACK THE CONTRACT COMMITTEE
WITH — 100 PER CENT UE SHOP
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
Unrrep Exeerricat, Ranio & MacHine
Worxerrs or America, C10
Scuenscrapy GE Loca 301
“a> cans
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
Lies SCHENECTADY PRINTING GO. ING.
February 6, 1948
U
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se,
UE MEWS SERVICE
‘ee wet the man | need te explain the benefits
ee he Matt -Hartley law To my employees:
On
Stewards and Board Approve
Stand Taken by UE Officers
The 801 Executive Board and the Shop
Stewards’ Council this week approved
a statement issued by UE representa-
tives on the National CIO Executive
Board pointing out the right of any
CIO union to support or not support any
candidate, under the CIO constitution.
The matter will also come before the
“membership meeting Feb. 17 and 18.
President Albert J, Fitzgerald and
Secretary -Treasurer Julius Emspak
stated:
“In the past, full and complete free-
dom of political action and expression”
on the part of the various CIO unions
contributed to the “unity and fighting
strength of the CIO”.
The UE representatives opposed the
position taken by. the National CIO
Board last week against a third party
presidential candidate. Fitzgerald and
Emspak said that “without entering at
this time into a discussion on the merits
of the third party” they felt compelled
to register their dissent from the
Board’s action.
“Tt is most desirable for the CIO to
be united in its political activity in sup-
port of generally progressive. candi-
dates,” they stated. ‘“Tlowever, when dif-
fering viewpoints on candidates, parties
and issues makes this unanimity unat-
tainable,'CIO should not widen division
in our ranks.”
They also said: “The CIO-PAC must
continue to function effectively and can
do so under present circumstances in
Congressional and Senatorial elections.”
Taylor Tries to Curb
‘Galloping Inflation’:
Idaho’s hot potato, Senator Glen Tay-
lor, doesn’t believe “voluntary” agree-
ments among business men will stop
what he calls “galloping inflation.” He
said recently, ~-
‘Tf industry had a mind to bring
down ‘prices voluntarily, they’ve had 18
months to do it.”
Taylor has introduced a strong bill to
‘slow inflation down to a walk. It pro-
vides for a‘roll-back of food prices to
the lowest point in 1947; roll-back of
prices. on manufactured goods; ration-
ing; strong enforcement powers; no Ca
wage controls. .
But its chances of passing are hardly
worth mentioning!
THE STRONGER THE UNION
THE BETTER THE. CONTRACT
February 6; 1948
ELECTRICAL UNION NEWS
3
Local Will Vote
Several amendments to the Local 301
constitution will be proposed by the
Constitution Committee at the member-
of them are technical changes.
As requested by the Executive Board,
the committee will, present an amiend-
ment concerning the
election of shop
stewards,.and of Ex-
ecutive Board mem-
bers. The amend-
ment provides for
the election of. all
shop stewards, un-
der the supervision
of the 801 Election
~~~ Conn thee; Tat
December, instead
of during October,
and the election of
Board members ear-
ly in January.
’ The full text of the amendments was
to be mailed this week to shop stewards,
in accordance with the constitution, so
that the proposals can be voted on at
the membership meeting this month.
Frank Emspak was elected. acting
chairman at the committee’s. meeting
Frank Emspak
Monday.. He declined to be permanent -
chairman,
Attending Monday’s meeting were
Imspak, George Walker, Roy Lash and
Anthony Campriello. Edward Walling-
ford, who also had been named to the
committee, has declined to serve. The
Executive Board will appoint a sub-
stitute.
Job Hunting Tough
For. Older Workers -
Age has become an increasing ob-
stacle to getting a job, according to the
annual report of Milton 0, Loysen, ex-
ecutive director of the State Division of
Placement and Unemployment Insur-
ance.
The majority of workers who received
their full 26 weekly payments and ex-
hausted their unemployment insurance
benefit rights for the year without find-
ing work were men over 60 and women
over 40. Improved pensions are a major
UE demand in the approaching GE con-
tract negotiations.
20 Cent Raise
Wage increases averaging 20 cents an
hour mark the first UE contract with
the Canadian Landis Machine Company
at Welland, Ontario, Canada. :
V-J Day Was Signal for Weakening of Price Controls;
It Didn't Take Long to Complete Destruction of OPA
This report of the steps ‘by which price control was killed is summarized from
an analysis by Russ Nixon, UE Washington representative. -
Immediately after V-J Day, President Truman called for “a swift and orderly
-Ship-mesting.-Peb;-17-and-Febs-18. "Most" transition irom war to peace.” Emphasis was entirely on the “swift”. Direct
controls on production which helped stabilize prices—allocations, priorities, limita-
tion of orders—were lifted. Business men were free to ‘bid for materials by rais-
ing prices and prices rose! =“
Sabotage Inside OPA
The Administration promptly put into
effect a series of price adjustment meas-
‘ures which drastically weakened price
control:
1. Reconversion price increases. Man-—
ufacturers were allowed to get recon-
version price increases which guaranteed
prewar profit rates on a much larger ex-
pected. volume-of business.--Lhe-commar-.
ations supplied their own information
on costs. Labor was never let in on the
secret of how these increases were fig-
ured.
2. Industry-wide increases.. Price con-
trol was further undermined by the
vapid spread of industry-wide price in-
creases.
3. Wage-price policy. President Tru-
man announced in August; 1945, that a
wage increase without a general price
-increase was “imperative” to protect liv-
ing ‘standards and maintain purchasing
power and employment. But no sooner
was this statement made than the Ad-
ministration began to run for cover. It
yielded first to the steel industry and
then to other industries in granting sub-
stantial price increases,
4. Decontrol. The final step in kill.
ing OPA was decontrol. In the seven
months following V-J Day, a total of 566
products, including thousands of items,
were released from control. By the end
of June, 1946, when al) controls were
suspended for 25 days after the veto of
the price control bill, 14 billion. dollars
worth of goods had been decontrolled.
Drive in Congress
The Republican and Democratic repre-
sentatives of the National Association of
Manufacturers in Congress started their
drive in the spring and summer of 1946
to complete the killing of price control
by amendments, permitting various price
increases. Although President Truman
vetoed the first amended price control
bill, the Democratic Party failed to fol-
low up this action with an uncompromis-
ing fight for a/ real bill to continue price
controls.
Senator Barkley, Democratic Senate
leader, agreed to a compromise amend-
ment very little different from the Taft
amendment which President Truman. at-
tacked. And so, through action of both
parties, the inflationary “price control”
act of 1946 was passed.
Price Control Scrapped
In the summer and fall of 1946 the
Administration’s own agencies, the Price
Decontrol Board and the Secretary. of
Agriculture, failed to use the powers
they had to control prices. Dairy prod-
duets, poultry and eggs, tobacco and pe-
troleun: -vere--permanently-decontroelled=
The decontrol of grains made” meat
control meaningless. In spite of a°12
per cent increase in meat. ceilings over
June, 1946, the packing trust refused to
slaughter and process meat. President
Truman knuckled under to this black-
mail and decontrolled meat Oct. 14, 1946. ,
As of Oct. 6, 1946, there were 50 indus- _
try committees in OPA bombarding the
Administration with decontrol petitions.
Nov. 10, 1946, President Truman decon-
trolled all items except rents, rice and
sugar.
Gaeth Program
The national UE broadcast by Arthur.
Gaeth can be heard at 7:80 p.m. every
Wednesday over WSNY and WROW. It
is no longer carried on the FM station,
WBCA, because the station is no longer
affiliated with Mutual.
Reelected
Templeton” McCartin
William Templeton will serve again
this year us chaixman of the 3801 Edi-
torial Committee and Mary MeCartin
as secretary. They were elected at the
committee meeting Tuesday.
