The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

I Ml THE CINE] -TECHNICIAN November, 1953 LAB TOPICS by Alf Cooper TO talk about the meeting held at "The Gaumont," Hammersmith, is to so many of you, not news. Very large support was given by the boys, and girls, to that meeting, but to unfortunate members who were not able to get along, let me say how great was the success of the gathering. Firstly, it proved, if any proof was needed, how solid is the membership behind the negotiating committee in its present endeavour to get what we all firmly believe to be our just due, apart from necessary, share of the monies earned in this great profit-making section of our industry. The facts and figures which George Elvin gave to the meeting did, I think, clear any doubts in the minds of all present as to the real ability of the Labs to meet our demands. It was a great tonic to some of us to hear that our industry was not running quite on a shoe string and that large numbers of people had, in fact, been doing very well financially for a very long time, and incidentally, on the black and white side of life as well as the colour. Now if that section of the community which receives the profits of the labs are just and fair, which I believe in the main they are, their consciences and sense of fair play must oblige them to see reason in the requirements of us, the people who. by our efforts on the job, make the profits possible for them to enjoy. Profits from one or two of the very small labs, of course, could not be obtained, but it is interesting to learn that from each and every one of us working in laboratories today the owners of these labs earn, on average, after all directors' fees, overheads and what have you, including our own wages, have been paid out, £10 per employee per week. We have always co-operated with every company to increase its output and increase its earning power, thus we are entitled to our fair share of the results of that co-operation and increased output per man hour. Another very welcome thing that came out of the meeting was the promises of complete support from the other sections of the industry within our Association given by the Vice-Presidents of these sections on behalf of the members they represent. Bro. Wheeler thanked us of the labs for the very real help that we had given the studio members in the past to help solve some of their problems and stated how only too happy would he and his colleagues be to have the opportunity of displaying the real Trade Union spirit and teachings if our problem of the moment should require such support. Bro. Bond also spoke to the meeting along the same lines, at the same time stating that as always our Brothers of the Shorts and Documentary side would not be found wanting should we need help in any way to overcome any difficulty we may come up against. To those sections of our brother members I, as one of the lab representatives, say Thank You. I sincerely hope we do not have to call to you. but we will certainly come post haste should the occasion arise. You will all be very pleased to know that the first meeting to discuss The Agreement has now taken place between the F.L.A. and A.C.T., and although I cannot tell you the date of the next meeting it will not, I feel sure, be very far ahead. In the next issue of the journal I will tell you as much of the progress we are making as is possible without causing any embarrassment to either side. There is one important item connected with the Agreement that all lab members must know. Unlike the past in which we have obtained consent from the shops via meetings at shop level to sign the agreement as per the results of our joint A.C.T.F.L.A. negotiations, on this occasion, when the time arrives that is, in view of it being one document to cover all labs the consent to sign will be by a Mass Meeting of all lab members. This was agreed at the Hammersmith meeting, thus all members must attend when this meeting is called. To shop stewards at afl labs, may I remind you that if you are not fixed up with a journal reporter on your local committee to keep me supplied with items from your shop for " Lab Topics " it was agreed at the Lab Committee that you yourselves would provide this stuff from your shop until such a person was appointed. In the October issue of " Lab Topics " will you please insert the word new before employees in the last but one line of paragraph eight. TO our brothers at Olympic Labs I, as Lab Chairman, would like to let you know that we of the Lab Committee feel very deeply about the particular problem laying on your plate at this moment. The Lab Committee has always tried to solve the problems of our shops to the best advantage of ALL our members. Remember the old cry, United we ALL stand, Divided we ALL fall. Whilst I am writing to you, brothers at Olympic, may I congratulate you on your choice of Shop Steward. Peter, apart from working well for you in attending meetings at H.O., etc., is nothing if not loyal to you folks that he represents. Support him with all you've got. The Tool Room at Technicolor contains a collection of blokes with very varied tastes, for example, some are A.C.T. and some are A.E.U., if vou know what these letters stand for, and they Leading A.C.T. members Charles Wheeler, Alf Cooper, Frank Fuller <mtsi<i< Gaumont, Hammersmith, when Lab nu mbers held mass meeting.