The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

October 1956 CINE TECHNICIAN 153 PIONEERS REMEMBER— Stories of the early days of recruiting and organisation in the Laboratories were exchanged at an informal gathering of some of A.C.T.T.'s pioneers held last month to talk over the twenty-one years' life of the Laboratories Section. Bert Craik, at that time himself a laboratory worker, set many memories working when he told how recruiting started at Elstree with a meeting in the boiler-house at which Sid Cole chatted about the Union's aims. " As a result of that chat we were convinced it was a good idea," said Bert, " and from that time the thing never looked back. Thirty per cent joined on that occasion and in a short period we were fully organised." On the Grapevine Then Syd Bremson took up the story, telling how things were started at Olympic. " We had a message come through on the ' grapevine ' that a certain George Elvin would be prepared to meet anyone willing to join the Union," he said. "About fifteen of us, including Ted Hansner, Bill Hobbs, Les Prior and Jack Pethwick, went along to the Castle, which was our meeting place after hours, to meet Elvin. " Imagine our surprise when we looked at this tall thin man, his real size hidden by a huge teddybear coat! Incidentally, with George's permission, I can reveal that that coat, after years of service, is now keeping warm two rabbits and a guinea-pig! " Well George told us there was a Trade Union and outlined its aims and objects, and we thought it would be a good thing to join, and most of us filled up forms there and then. We were impressed with George. " There was a sequel next morning at the Castle when Jack Pethwick remarked: 'Well, I don't know whether it is a good thing to have joined. If this fellow can afford a coat like that he must be well off.' Little did we know that George was going round to collect the sixpences for the Union subs himself! " Jim Ritchie, whose membership number is 86, told how he started organising at Kay. " I was the first A.C.T. shop steward there," he said, " I've been shop steward five or six times, and I've taken the can back two or three times, too! " I'm now helping the younger members, coaching them along in the Union, in the background all the time, protesting about points I don't like." Bill Sharp, taking up the story from the Pathe angle, told of a meeting of about twelve people with George Elvin, Ralph Bond and Ken Gordon. " George told us about the Society to be formed. There were so many societies at that time we were wary, so I said to collect the sixpences to George, ' Is this a Trade Union ? ' He said it was, so I replied, ' Here you are, take my money.' That was the beginning." Then Bill Sharp turned to A.C.T.'s story in the Coronation year. " We were not very strong," he said, " and the management refused to meet A.C.T., so we told them that if they refused to meet us there would be no Coronation pictures! " Sid Etherington, who was working at B.I. P. Studios, Shepherds Bush, in 1933, filled in details of the picture: " By 1936 we were 60 to 70 per cent organised," he said, " and there was talk about an Agreement. In fact the prospective agreement had been drawn up and we were trying to get recognition from the employers. As they refused to recognise us we refused to process Coronation film unless they would agree to discuss things with us. After that there were discussions and the negotiating bodies did meet, with the result that in 1939 we got our Agreement. After that trade unionism at the Bush grew in strength. Everyone knew we had a fine agreement which was bettering their conditions. A.C.T. had come to stay." Leo Cass remembered the early recruiting days at Humphries. " There was one chap trying to get people interested in A.C.T.," he said. " He had a handful of propaganda and he made it his business to throw bills all over the place!" After that memories awoke of the fourteen-week strike and lockout at Humphries in 1945. " We had wonderful support from the Studios and Shorts members," said Bert Craik. " They banded together to see that no work went to Humphries and this played a large part in our success." Leo Cass recalled how Eric Pask came along with a poster telling about the dispute. He was walking in the gutter. " He let me have the poster," said Leo Cass, " and I knew I was all right while I walked in the gutter. This really caused consternation and they went to the police! A member of the management came out and asked me, ' Do you consider you are in the right, then?'. I said ' Definitely we are in the right. If not would we be out here fighting?'." Alf Cooper told how, during the course of organising at Technicolor, A.C.T. got questions asked in the House of Commons. " Here was an American company," he said, " refusing to recognise the fair wages clause ". Alf's Arithmetic Turning to the negotiations for the Agreement, Alf recalled how his slightly shaky arithmetic came to his aid. " I told the management," he said, " that we had seventy-five per cent membership. My arithmetic was not very good, I'm afraid, because if they had cared to examine the figures they would have found I was a bit out, it was seventy-five members out of four hundred, not seventy-five per cent! Anyway, ultimately, after a lot of trouble we did get the agreement. " I did not realise at the time that this was the first agreement. Had I realised that A.C.T. was so young a union and that we were (Continued on page 154)