University of Virginia Library

U. E. Local President
To Speak On G.E. Strike

William Freeman, President of
United Electrical Workers, Local
124 of Waynesboro, and Hugh
Harley, International Representative
with U.E., will talk on the
national General Electric strike and
the efforts of the U.E. Local 124 in
Waynesboro, Monday night, December
15, at 7:00 p.m. in the
South Meeting Room of Newcomb
Hall at the University.

Since October 27, an estimated
132,000 workers have been off the
job in support of a multi-union
strike against General Electric Company.
Negotiations between union
negotiators and General Electric
took a set back on December 11
when the union officials walked out
labeling the talks a hoax and
charging that General Electric was
not interested in bargaining. General
Electric's bargaining philosophy
of refusing to consider union
requests unless new evidence supporting
their demands is produced
by the union has previously been
declared a "take-it-or-leave-it" policy
and a "refusal to bargain in
good faith" in a decision by the
National Labor Relations Board the
G.E. was acting in violation of the
National Labor Relations Act. This
decision was upheld by the Second
Circuit Court of Appeals.

The thirteen unions on strike
against G.E. demand a 90-cent wage
boost, an improved cost-of-living
protective clause, increased pension
allotments, and increased company
contribution to employee health
insurance. The U.E. has also asked
for elimination of wage differentials
between women and men and
between northern and southern
workers. According to a spokesman
for U.E. Local 124, "G.E. continues
to pay southern workers less
than northern workers. G.E.'s
prices, however, are equally high in
all parts of the country."

The company has offered a
20-cent increase for the first year of
a three-year contract.