Jurisdictional disputes in the motion-picture Industry : hearings before a special subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Eightieth Congress, first-session, pursuant to H. Res. 111 (1948)

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MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES 7 ing of sets which could be claimed to be within the jurisdiction of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The lATSE sound technicians perform work in connection with the electrical sound equipment which also could be claimed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The property men fabricate machine parts out of metal in the manufacture and operation of props and special effects and thus perform work which could be claimed to be within the jurisdiction of the International Association of Machinists. Many other examples could be given. There has traditionally existed a shaky and uncertain line of demarcation between the lATSE collective bargaining unit and the collective bargaining units reprseented by the traditional A. F. of L. craft unions. The A. F. of L. executive council committee appointed to resolve jurisdictional questions in the motion-picture industry in 1945 referred to the establishment of jurisdictional lines between the lATSE and the traditional A. F. of L. craft unions as presenting "a most difficult and complex problem." Traditionally there have been substantial areas of disputed work. Dissension and dissatisfaction have for many years been the rule rather than the exception. The A. F. of L, executive council committee stated that "a large portion of the work has been in dispute over a long period of years." The Confernece of Studio Unions — hereinafter referred to as the CSU — is an association of unions which act in unison. During recent months there have been some withdrawals from the CSU, but during most of the period referred to herein the CSU has been composed of five locals of the International Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America, which I will describe in a moment, and also local 40 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Association of ^Machinists, Cinema Lodge 1185, the officers and guards' local of the Building Service Employees International Union, the janitors' local of the Building Service Employees International Union, local 374 of the International Molders and Foundry Workers of North America, local 946 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and local (u of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association. All but the machinists are affiliated with the A. F. of L. ♦• The five locals of the painters' union are local 644, which includes the employees who paint; local 1489, which includes studio publicity agents; local 1488, which includes employees who analyze and make synopses of stories and books ; local 852, w^hich includes cartoonists ; and local 1421, which includes draftsmen and illustrators. One of the many jurisdictional disputes between the lATSE and the member unions of the CSU was the direct cause of the strike which occurred in the motion-picture industry on March 12, 1945, and terminated October 31, 1945. The strike was initially called by local 1421 of the painters' union in an attempt to gain jurisdiction over a classification of employees sometimes called set dressers and sometimes called set decorators. The lATSE claimed jurisdiction over set dressers and had issuecl a charter to local 44 of the lATSE covering, among other classifications, the classification known as set dressers. Mr. McCann. Just one moment, please, sir. When did they issue this charter to local 44 of the lATSE ?