Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

Film Industry in Grip of Newly Revived and Popular Labor Cause By WALTER BARUSCH San Francisco — While the film industry is having its labor troubles in Hollywood, the industry here is beginning to be buffeted around like the two well-known orphans of the storm. And that’s not altogether figurative either. The labor movement in the last few months in this region has suddenly bounded upward and outward, sweeping into every class of employes until today it appears rapidly to be embracing almost the entire working population of San Francisco, Tremendous Union Revival Never in the history of the labor movement has there been such a tremendous revival of union growth and union organizing, and of general union activity as has marked the past several months. Those familiar with the labor movement here and who have viewed the situation calmly from a detached perspective are astonished at the magnitude of this revival. San Francisco a year ago had a total union population of some 58,000. Today it is closer to 100,000. And the theatre industry has been directly and most intricately affected by this growth. The revival dates back to the days of the 1934 general strike in San Francisco. Capital and labor were sharply divided. Several men were shot, two killed by police in waterfront riots. The governor called out the militia. Organized labor answered with the general strike, a strike called over the heads of the old established labor leaders. But while the strike was of short duration it left in its aftermath the seeds of such a shake-up as organized labor had never before experienced. In the first place it taught union workers a new sense of solidarity, a rank and file control. Old leaders were kicked out, badly defeated. A new kind of leadership emerged, leaders elected from the rank and file. Popular Leaders Typical of the new leadership was John Shelley, elected president of the San Francisco Labor Council. Shelley, member of the Bakery Wagon Drivers Union, had studied law, passed the bar examination, athletic, (he is well over six feet in height) a naturally-gifted speaker with a continuingly smiling countenance. Today at the age of 31 he is not only the most popular man in the local labor movement, but the most powerful. So great is his personal popularity that in the opinion of many astute politicians he could easily be elected mayor were he but four years older, in accordance with San Francisco charter requirements. While opposed to extreme radicalism Shelley is fearless in his championship of the labor movement. Under his regime these are some of the startling things, particularly vital to the local theatre in Thealre Picketing Looms in SF San Francisco — Officials of the viiliiant CIO group ivere due hi San Francisco this week for the purpose of organizing actual union picketing operations against local theatres in sympathy with the strike of film crafts in Hollywood. This is the startling admittance today by leading exhibitors who had received such information from the south. Though declining to permit the use of their names the exhibitors were planning conferences shortly to discuss the disturbing situation. Heads of the theatrical crafts, ivhen interviewed by Boxoffice, admittedly aware of the situation, appeared to be not in the least sympathetic with the idea. The crafts all have definite agreements effective and could not be officially drawn into any dispute. In that event, projectionists and stage hands, it was said, would not be reluctant to pass through picketing lines. dustry, which have occurred or are occurring now: Film exchange employes are organizing. Their membership is said to be close to 100 per cent ol all film employes on the Row and a charter from the AFL is in process of being granted. The movement to organize “front of the house" employes is being revived. Meetings are being held regularly. Three years ago such a union did actually get started, the membership running well into three figures. Negotiations were begun with the principal exhibitors, but difficulties were encountered in obtaining a charter and the movement died aborning. The ordinance against picketing by striking union workers, which for 21 years, was the law of San Francisco, was repealed as the result of a terrific election campaign directed by the San Francisco Labor Council. How this can affect theatre operation in the event of labor disturbances can vividly be imagined. Hotel Strike Tieup Sixteen of San Francisco’s major hotels including such world-famous hosteleries as the Palace Hotel, the St. Francis and the Sir Francis Drake, are strike-bound and are being picketed. Guests of these hotels were among the most consistent theatre patrons. The strike is now in its tenth day, as this article is written. Thousands of guests have practically all “checked-out” because of lack of hotel service. Not only is theatre patronage suf fering as a result, but prospective visitors to San Francisco are hesitating. While San Francisco has still plentiful hotel accommodations, hotel employes have begun negotiations with the class “B” hotels and the situation is pregnant with dire possibilities. Office Building Employes Unite Office Building Service Employes, composed of elevator operators, janitors and engineers have demanded union recognition, increased wages and shorter hours. The demands are being resisted and a strike, which would tie up practically every office building in San Francisco, is imminent. In the past few months department store employes have formed a union and today, 4.000 strong, are drafting general demands for improvement of working conditions. The San Francisco Newspaper Guild, with practically 100 per cent of the editorial employes, is today 400 strong and one of the powerful unions in San Francisco, though also one of the youngest. At the Guild’s annual “Front Page Frolic” in Scottish Rite auditorium, which was addressed briefly by Jack Shelley, more than 2.000 persons attended. It was reported that over 5,000 tickets were sold to the affair. Another newspaper union is in the making . . . that of newspaper advertising solicitors. The groups have been holding regular meetings and are rapidly increasing their numbers. CIO and AFL Compete Projectionists, stage hands and musicians will soon be negotiating for new agreements. However, on the surface there appears little likelihood of any strained relations between exhibitors and these crafts. In the meantime San Francisco is becoming one of the big battle grounds between CIO organizers and the old AFL, both sides putting on frantic campaigns for the formation of new unions. Whether this sudden boom in the revival here of the labor movement will harm the theatre industry or help it is a mooted question. The “for” argument is that the general increase in wages and improvement in working conditions will be reflected in boxoffice receipts. The “against” argument is that the increased wages and shorter hours, if granted, will be too great a strain on the profits of industry. It is something that has to be carefully weighed and computed. And in the meantime Mr. Exhibitor and Mr. Distributor here continue to be the sad little orphans of the economic storm now raging. 48 BOXOFFICE :: May 15, 1937.