The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1948-11-04

leENNlEWICK {
the nine elements employees de-
sire mosk namely, good pay,
good working conditions, good
bsses. a chance to get ahead,
steady work, to be treated with
respect, to get the facts, to be i'm
portant in he picture, and to like
the job.
According to Muir, the "eee
the facts" point calls for all pos
sible Information to employees on
matters that affect their jobs.
their relations with the company.
and the economic framework
which shapes the opportunities
and limitations within which Cen
eral Electric must work In trying
to provide the best jobs It knows
how.
I'VE believe firmly and sincere
" that joining or not joining q
union should be entirely the choice
Of the employees as individuals, y
Muir said. "But, above all, we
want them to have the opportun-
ity to make that choice based on
the truth and not on any misin.
formation or misconceptions they
may be offered"
He added that "the company
always IS most reluctant to ap-
pear to be- entering controversies
Of this kind, because we feel this
is strictly a matter between the
union organizers and the en-
ployees. We are moved to speak
only when employees ask ques-
tons or when our responsibility
to them requires us to give full
facts on which they can make
their decisions. Jour only In
terest, then, Is In watching from
the sidelines to be sure they are
getting the truth.
"A Misrepresentation to our en-
ployees recently came to our at
tention, so we sent a letter to all
employees on October % merely
to correct what facts showed Us
was wrong information. We feel
that our employees deserve ac-
curate facts on which to base their
own decisions"
The text Of the letter follows:
TO ALL EMPLOYEES AT TIE
HANFoRD WORKS
General Electric's 9-point Job
improvement program calls for
giving employees facts which at
feet their jobs and their rela-
tionship with their company, ev-
en- if those facts are not at times
too pleasant or not calculated e
be popular with everyone.
You are aware, as we can't
help but be, Of the union organ
izing efforts being put forth here
on our operating employees.
General Electric's policy as to
union organizing efforts Is, tina,
Of q bystander. Our employees
are free to join or not join unions
just as they individually please,
General Electric will intrude in
an organizing attempt only when
there IS Misrepresentation Of facts
or there Is other action that may
obviously result in damage to en-
ployees' interests II they are not
advised Of the truth.
In connection with one partic-
ular Misrepresentation we feel
duty bound to give you the facts,
because we would become part
to your being deceived to your
possible harm II we knew the
facts and didn't furnish them %
you.
You have been told, according
to newspaper reports, that the
Atomic Metal Trades Council at
the Oak Ridge atomic energy pro.
ject represents about 5000 EN-.
ployees In 30 separate unions and
that all Of these permanent en-
ployees are covered by one con-
tract. This claim is untrue. &C.
cording to the facts as we hav.,
been able to get them from an
unbiased public source and as we
believe you will see.
The best information available
indicates the following: There are
more than 10000 permanent OBJ
Grating employees on regular
atomic energy work at Oak
Ridge. The project is divided into
three units. One plant (X-1O has
the ALL unions, but there are
only IL Of them instead Of 80 as
claimed. This unit has $500
permanent employees, bn+ fewer
Ian $50 are In the AL boR.
gaining unit. (Anv