NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1948)

“John L. Lewis didn’t want to stop the production of mine machinery,” said Rep. Landis. “He knew it was raising the standards of working and living for his miners.” “It’s not the same thing,” Petrillo said. “A young man studies the violin. Then he joins the union to get a job and better wages. But he don’t know until he joins the ^mion what a sad business he got into. If the public knew the plight of the musician, public senti¬ ment would change. We’re planning a campaign now to tell them about it — the finest campaign. No vilifica¬ tion of the National Association of Bi’oadcasters — we can’t compare with their kind of vilification. The NAB is the most powerful propaganda organization in the history of the world!” Rep. Samuel K. McConnell (R-Pa.) asked about union methods of disciplining members. Petrillo described the system of fines, suspensions, and expulsions, add¬ ing that the Taft-Hartley Act forbids expulsions ex¬ cept for non-payment of dues. Rep. McConnell in¬ quired as to the usual amounts of fines. “The biggest one I remember,” said Petrillo, “was a $500 fine. The musician appealed to the convention — and what do you suppose happened?” He paused for dramatic effect. “The convention overruled the local and threw out the fine !” he cried. Question on Frequency. “How many times has that happened?” asked Rep. McConnell. “First time I can remember,” the AFM president beamed. Rep. Gwinn interrogated Petrillo on democratic pro¬ cedures in the AFM elections. Introducing as an ex¬ hibit a ballot of the latest election of Local No. 10, Chicago, he asked the AFM leader to identify it. Without looking at it, Petrillo said: “If there’s no opposition on it, that’s the ballot.” Rep. Ellsworth Buck (R-N. Y.) asked Petrillo whether he believed in monopolies or not, and received a negative answer. “Is the American Federation of Musicians a monop¬ oly?” asked the Congressmen. “Yes,” said Petrillo. “A legal monopoly. I believe in labor monopolies, as long as the laws of the land allow us to have them.” Rep. Buck then inquired into the AFM head’s power to make laws for the union, and in emergencies to set aside laws. “I’ve used that power only twice,” Petrillo told him. “Once when the management of the Boston Symphony asked me to unionize that orchestra, and once during the war when we exempted servicemen from dues.” “Isn’t that a dictatorship?” asked Rep. Buck. “Well,” said Petrillo, “under a bad leader it wouldn’t be so good.” Rep. Owens interrogated him on FM music and duplication. He asked whether Petrillo had listened to FM or not. Petrillo said he had not, because “be¬ tween going to court and attending hearings and making wage scales, I’m a pretty busy man.” Asked whether he had refused to talk with FM representatives, he said they were “men I never met before, men who were not spending a dime on music. The AM people were spending about $23,000,000 on music. They were the proper people to talk to.” Agrees on Wages. Asked whether he disagreed or agreed with President Truman’s figures on generally higher wages for workers, Petrillo laughed. “I’m not going to contradict the President,” he said. “After all, he’s a potential member of the union. He’s a piano player.” His reference to his optimism as to settlement with the networks came when Rep. Kearns questioned him as to whether he had refused to talk with networks about duplication of AM programs on FM. “You mean that you think an agreement is near on AM, FM, and television?” asked Rep. Kearns. “Yes,” said the union head, “I’m very optimistic.” “That’s the best news we’ve heard in a long time,” replied Rep. Kearns. “Wait a minute,” Petrillo added. “Don’t grab so fast.” Mr. Kearns proceeded to ask about proposals for amendments to the copyright laws that would limit records to home use. Petrillo said he would favor such a change, if it would allow the AFM to “fight it out with the industry” on commercial uses. “Not fight,” admonished Rep. Kearns. “Do busi¬ ness.” “It just depends on what you call it,” Petrillo laughed. “You should hear what we call each other in the negotiations.” In later interrogation. Rep. Ray J. Madden (D-Ind.) asked the AFM leader how the Taft-Hartley Act had hampered his operations. The reply cited the prohibi¬ tion against secondary boycotts. “I cannot any more talk to NBC and pull the chain on one of their affiliates when they have disputes with the local,” Petrillo said. Salaries Revealed. In closing interrogation. Chair¬ man Hartley drew from the AFM president a summary of his total salary and other remuneration as head of the international organization and the Chicago local: $20,000 a year from the AFM, $26,000 a year from local No. 10, and free quarters at the hotel. During this questioning, Petrillo made his sug¬ gestion that the union membership be polled as to whether they back his stand on recording or not. Chairman Hartley accepted the challenge, specifying that he and Petrillo would conduct the referendum, limiting it to musicians actually making records. The AFM head objected that it should be extended to all 225,000 union members, whether they record or not. Chairman Hartley said: “We’ll ask everybody who’s ever made a record.” “Mr. Congressman,” said Petrillo, “we can’t dig up the dead ones.” Thursday morning’s session began with the reading of a 42-page statement by Milton Diamond, AFM general counsel. In it, the attorney; Reviewed the history of technological unemploy¬ ment by reason of sound motion pictures. Objected that stations using disc-jockey programs (Continued on next page) JANUARY 26, 1948-68