Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 48, Number 208, Decatur, Adams County, 5 September 1950 — Page 2

PAGE TWO

DOES THIS STRIKE MAKE SENSE

In last week’s negotiations, the Company offered to all General Electric hourly employees a still further wage increase averaging 5c an hour, to begin on September 1. THUS. THE COMPANY’S GENERAL WAGE OFFm MADE IN THE LAST 60 DAYS NOW TOTAL AN AVERAGE OF 10c PER HOUR. THIS, OF COURSE. IS RIGHT UP WITH CHRYSLERS 10c AND WITH GENERAL MOTORS' 4c IN JUNE AND 5c LAST WEEK „ In addition, General Electric has made a further wage Increase for certain skilled trades, tust as did Chrysler and General Motors. And General Electric has offered, further, to re-open the wage issue in only 6 months. Also, the Company has offered another holiday — Election Day. Hew Official Is Thia "General Strike?" As you now know, despite these ample and timely offers, the IUE announced last Friday night that it was calling a “General Strike" for all GE pjants and offices. * - Many of you must wonder how official such a call can be, coming from a Union which at the moment represents less than 13 of ail General Electric employees. Thus a Union representing 57,000 employees is seeking to call out on strike some 123.<mm> employees whom it does not represent. Two weeks ago, an earlier company-wide strike call was expected, but IUE headquarters apparently didn't get the necessary support and. instead, called on the locals to take strike votes • and engage in local strikes. At only three locations are these strikes in effect, and at one of ........... these 1.500 employees are going through' the picket line. > This new “General Strike” was ordered by the IL’E top command from New York before our employees had been told of our new wage and holiday offers of last Thursday. The Company has, of course, a standing offer at all locations to iiermit a strike vote by secret ballot on Company premises. Why l-abor Day While Gaining Election Day? Perhaps the Tuesday strike was ordered, rather than let the question go to a rank and file vote,,.

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because employee* may be considering the strike “call” for Tuesday in light of the necessity to work that day in order to get Labor Day holiday pay. It doesn't seem to make much sense to gain a new paid holiday — Election Day during negotiations and then throw away an old paid holiday—Labor Day. Who Is Patriotic And Who Is Not? General Electric is doing and has been doing military work right along since the last war. We are being asked right now by the U. S. Government to increase our production on current and past items and on new war goods. Fortunately, most of these new and old orders are not too likely to l»e affected greatly by the TUE's call for a "General Strike/’ Up till now, however. IL’E has been attempting —by bringing concentrated pressure on those few General Electric plants which are currently working on Defense production —to bring the entire Company “to hC6l.”' The IUE even boasts that it has, since last January, been advising the Government about possible embarassment from giving General Electric war goods orders. Is It Good Sense To Strike Against 3 Wage Increases? The “General Strike” is lieing called in the face of these three wage increase offers which are equal to or better than the recent Chrysler. General Motors, and other representative raises: 5c to 5< jc increase to certain skilled trades in June. " A 5c average general wage increase for all employees in July. An additional 5c average general wage increase offered last Thursday. Is || Good Sense To Strike Against $125 A Month Guaranteed Retirement Incomes? This call for a "General Strike” is in the face of • the best retirement income plan of any major company in industry. General Electric's contributory pension program—which provides a guaranteed minimum income of $125 a montlj. (including social security) for employees at

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normal retirement age with 25 years of credited service—is on a par with other leading plans on the Company contribution alone. Adding the employee’s own investment (which most employees elsewhere cannot make) puts the average GE employee far out in front. The $125 is a minimum and not a maximum. Pensions go up as pay and length of service increase. For instance, an employee averaging $75 a week for 25 years would, with present social security, get about $153 a month; for 30 years, $167; for 40 years, $166. Is It Good Sense To Strike Against A New Improved Insurance And Health Benefit' Program? The call for the “General Strike" is in the face of a new improved benefit program including life insurance, new insurance on sickness and accident, new hospitalization, surgical, and maternity benefits, and many other features. These pensions and benefits have a real value to th individual employed of 15c to 28c an hour. . Is It (Jood Sense To Strike Against All The Above On The Mere Chance Os Getting Another 2%? / . / / At the Wednesday and Thursday meetings the sole remaining issue was a final extra 2'• demanded at the end by lUE—in addition to all the various increases in wages, holidays, |»ensions, and insurance to which the Company had agreed. This final 2’< demand took the form of LUE s_ insistence that/employees not continue their present 2'< divestment in higher pensions for themselves anil that this 2'. be absorbed as extra expense by the Company in addition to all the other new lienefits. So. the IUE seems- to be leading its new members into a strike attempt on a basis of just another 2'l, after getting wage increases of 10c to 15 l-jc and having the insurance and pensions freshly built up to where they are worth still another 15c to 28c—plus the new holiday. IUE offered to settle for that 2'< —but warned us that the Union would make it look to its members and the public like it was striking for much more, if it called a strike. UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. DOES. THIS STRIKE MAKE SENSE?

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