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 27 Mr. Kahane. Other unions which were members of the CSU supported the carpenters' position. The painters also clechired "hot" and refused to work on any sets which had been erected by members of the lATSE and were simihirly requested to leave the premises for failure to do assijuned work. On September 18, 1946, the CSU officially declared itself as the spokesman for its member unions in support of the carpenters' stand and so notified the producers. Mr. McCann. Who so notified you? Mr. Kahane. I would say it was Mr. Sorrell. Mr. McCann. Do you have it in writing or did he do it orally? Mr. Kahane. I think it is in writing. Mr. McCann. If you have his notification in writing, will you produce it at this time? Mr. Kahane. Yes; will somebody look through the files for that notification ? Mr. McCann. You don't have to wait for it. Mr. Kahane. I don't think we have it right now, INIr. McCann, Please produce that. Go on. Mr. Kahane. On September 25, 1946, an open meeting, sponsored by the carpenters' and painters' unions, to which all members of CSU unions were invited, was held ; and at this meeting the painters' and carpenters' unions announced that they had voted to establish picket lines around the studios and asked the members of other CSU unions to support their position. Beginning September 26, 1946, the first mass picket lines were established around several of the major studios, and on subsequent dates mass picketing commenced at the rest of the studios. Mr. Kearns. On that picketing, what do you term mass picketing? Mr. Kahane. Well, sir, they had hundreds of men in front of the entrances. Mr. Kearns. Hundreds of men ? Mr. Kahane. Yes ; no means of ingress or egress, Mr. Kearns, All right. Mr. Kahane. The early days of the current strike were marked with violence. Employees of the studios were beaten, some of their houses were bombed, and it was necessary for the producers to seek and obtain court orders against mass picketing so as to permit ingress and egress from their studios. Again, as in 1945, the lATSE has found it to its interest to keep its members at work, and has furnished employees to keep the studios in operation. It was and is to the economic interest of the producers, and an obligation to their stockholders, to continue their studios in operation. When the carpenters and painters refused to do the work required for that purpose, the producers were compelled to, and did, replace them with those who would. They have accordingly filled most of the positions vacated by the strikers and are continuing, and fully intend to continue, to keep their studios open and in operation. The producers have found, and still find, themselves unable to terminate the controversy. Various organizations, notably the Interfaith Council of Churches and the Screen Actors Guild, have attempted in vain to solve the problem by using their good offices as mediators.