International projectionist (Oct 1931-Sept 1933)

16 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST July-August 1933 'T'RIAL of what is expected to be one of the most sensational court cases in New Jersey union affairs got under way in Newark, N. J., July 25. Plaintiffs are eleven "junior" (permit men), members of the Newark projectionist I. A. unit against Local officers including Ray Cooper, president; Louis Kaufmann, B.A.; and Harry Oppenheimer, secretary. The I. A. also is named as a defendant. Case closely parallels recent Local 306 squabble, with first move by "juniors" being a request for immediate appointment of a receiver. Complaint generally recites the old, old story: officers enriching themselves at members' expense; "gifts" in the form of $5,000 cash every Christmas for several years; purchase of automobiles for ofcers; depletion of Local's funds; payment by theatre of salary direct to Union, with worker calling around collecting only 50% of pay; "grafting" on sound installations; illegal "taxation" of permit men, with boasting that no "junior" would ever become a "senior," and various other charges including one charging assessment against Local for dental work ordered by an officer, and another involving the inevitable purchase of "several" automobiles for officers. Newark projectionist Local dominates its territory, thus case is getting fine airing in newspapers, most of which are definitely antagonistic. Mystery element in the case involves source of permit men's financial backing, noted lawyers being retained, and a last-minute shift of attorneys by defendant officers who first engaged lawyers of own choosing and then shifted to Rubien & Bregoff, attorneys for the I. A. Most serious charge is that defendants forced falsification of members' income tax returns to cover up "gifts," thus injecting Federal men into case. I.B.E.W.—J.A. Fi^ht Causes Studio Walkout PRODUCTION was brought to a standstill in eleven West Coast studios by action of Richard ("Dick") Green, I. A. studio crafts boss, in calling a general strike of all I. A. studio workers. Call affected Sound Technicians, Local 695; Cameramen, Local 659; Film Technicians, Local 683; Projectionists, Local 150; Studio Mechanics, Local 37, and all lab workers, cutters and film editors. Green announced that unless a speedy settlement was effected all projectionists and stagehands working in theatres affiliated with studios would be called out. On its face strike was called in support of sound men who asked for 48hour week, time and one-half after 8 hours, and double time after 16 hours, with recognition in form of title credit. Real low-down on situation contained in direct advices from West Coast to I. P. is that I. B. E. W. (electricians) are trying to force the issue of juris N e w s diction and "muscle in" on I. A. studio control. Fight has been shaping for sometime, say I. A. men, with studios first fighting point and, if I. B. E. W. is successful, an extension of campaign to theatres. I. B. E. W. has never recognized I. A. control of picture work, with jurisdictional battle raging hot and heavy for five years now. I. B. E. W. claims A. F. of L. sanction of their control over picture work, studio and theatres. Green is confident I. A. will win, but plenty damage is expected as result of feud between I. B. E. W. and I. A. Unquestionably the A. P. of L. will have to settle this fight soon, as studio situation has been called directly to President Roosevelt's attention by active motion picture political workers. A check-up by International Projectionist of West Coast reports that I. B. E. W. secretly is girding for theatre field fight indicates that about 1,300 I. B. E. W. men hold projectionist licenses in New York City, and that similar condition exists in other key cities. I. A. units say that settlement was reached with studios but that Pat Casey, producer labor contact man, blocked it. Casey replied that he had no choice, being "between the devil and the deep blue sea" because of threat by I. B. E. W. to stop all power production if I. A. demands were recognized. Thus, jurisdictional battle was brought out into the open. Academy Code Based on ''Fair Competition" \ CADEMY of P. M. Arts & Sciences, "^ circularizing its membership relative to a picture industry code, bellows long and loudly that the solution of "all the problems" of the industry is "fair competition," under which, states the Academy, "no company can be stupid, can over-pay or over-build and remain in business." The influence of the Academy, codewise, in the theatre field is negligible, but it appears that the studio labor units will have to concern themselves about the Academy attitude. Servicing Not Included in Erpi Injunction SERVICING was not included in a temporary injunction signed by Federal Judge Nields in Wilmington, Del., in the case of Warner Bros., Duovac, and General Talking Pictures against A. T. & T., Western Electric and ERPI. Plaintiffs asked that ERPi be restrained from servicing theatre sound equipments and collecting payment therefor. Signed injunction pending trial was issued against erpi contract clauses which provide that the theatre shall obtain replacement parts exclusively from erpi and that erpi recorded sound pictures be distributed only to theatres having W. E. equipment. Case will now go to trial, and question of servicing will be tried on its merits along with other issues involved. Plaintiffs are asking triple damages in return for alleged monopolistic practices of defendants. Independent Supply Men Meet in Chicago 'T'HE Independent Theatre Supply Dealers Association met in Third Annual Convention at the Hotel Stevens, Chicago, July 28-31. The Association numbers among its members 20 independent supply houses in 17 key cities of the United States. J. E. Robin, well known projection engineer, is president, and Les Dolliver, of San Francisco, is vice-president. More than a score of manufacturer representatives attended the Chicago sessions, and most of them displayed their latest equipments. Business sessions were open to members only, but everybody who wished to address the dealers was permitted to do in a series of open forums, with no topics of interest to dealers barred. Brevities Herbert Griffin, sales manager of International Projector Corp., has just returned from a six weeks' stay in Europe. "Griff," as he is known to thousands of projectionists, visited all the principal cities in Eastern Europe, where he transacted business with Simplex dealers and investigated projection processes. Possibly — but not positively — "Griff" will set down some foreign projection facts for LP. readers. (Tentatively scheduled for our January, 1934, issue. — Ed.) RCA Victor Co., manufacturers of High Fidelity Photophone sound equipment, announces a 10 per cent increase in wages for all hourly rated and piecework employees. Action was taken preceding submission of code for radio industry. • Larry Strong, member of Local 110 and president of Essanay Electric Mfg. Co., Chicago, was a recent New York visitor. (Running away from the Century of Progress.) Essannay's new home is at 823 South Wabash Ave., Chicago. • The full executive board of the International Alliance convened early in July in New York City for the regular summer meeting. The usual business was transacted, with Messrs. Holmden and Nick staying over for consultations on codes for stagehands and projectionists.