International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1946)

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Hi ' By HARRY SHERMAN MANY city officials in an attempt to curry favor with returning war veterans and with their eyes focused on the coming elections, are resorting to the old flag-waving, union-baiting tactics. They have suddenly emerged as champions of war veterans, demanding that unions open their membership books to all discharged war veterans, waive seniority laws, and push their old members around so as to make room for discharged veterans, regardless of their qualifications. Taking care of our war veterans is our duty and as we have stated, time and time again, means should be devised whereby these men will be able to follow their chosen professions. But, we think it ill behooves our worthy city fathers to point at labor unions and denounce them for their seeming unwillingness to open their membership rolls to all and any who may apply, when they themselves fail to give special consideration to the exservicemen who apply for licenses at the various city departments. To illustrate a case in point, we refer to an item that appeared in the New York Times on December 1, 1945, "Jobless Veteran Wonders Why He Fought; Quit Union Post, Now Denied Cab License." A discharged war veteran who, because of injuries received overseas was unable to return to his old trade as sheet metal worker, applied for a license to operate a taxicab. The Police Department turned his application down because "permits are issued only to men who sold their cabs to enter the service." The same city officials who are so vociferous in their denunciations of labor unions are strangely silent in this and other similar cases. Manpower Lift Would Help Thad C. Barrows, president of Boston Local No. 182, in the September 1943 issue of I. P., hit the nail on the head in the following statements: "Facts must be faced. We know that thousands of men have been trained as motion picture projectionists by the Army and Navy, and no small number of them will seek employment in our craft. I feel that it is our duty to take care of as many of these men as possible by admitting them 18 to membership in I. A. In my opinion the first and most important step is the abolition of one-man operation in the projection room. This can be done if we agr^e to place in the projection room of every theatre now having a one-man shift a returned service man who will work together with the regular projectionist on the job. In doing so we will not only give the ex-soldier or exsailor a chance to rehabilitate himself but we also will assure the patrons of these theatres a greater measure of safety." • Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the motion picture. Francis Doublier, honorary member of the 25-30 Club, showed the first motion pictures ever presented to the public in Paris in 1895. and several months later he went to Russia where he filmed the coronation of Czar Nicholas II. Today the filming of world events forms an integral part of our historical documentary files. Motion pictures play an important role in almost every aspect of our modern way of life — as a medium of entertainment and as a recognized factor in the world of education, science and industry. A Revitalized I. A. Local • We had occasion recently to check on the progress made by various I. A. local unions during the past few years and we were much impressed with the rapid strides made by one of our larger locals in regaining for its membership the prestige and goodwill it once enjoyed but later forfeited due to improper management. We refer, of course, to Chicago Local No. 110. The handicaps which faced the present administration when it first took over the management of the local's affairs in February, 1944, were many, and not a few of the practices inherited from former administrations presented pretty tough obstacles to overcome. Cracking tough nuts, however, is a dish much to the liking of Gene Atkinson, business manager of Local 110, and during his two years in office he has played a leading role in securing for the membership Gene Atkinson the many benefits they now enjoy — such as improved working conditions and salary increases, in addition to restoring to the local its former high standing in the community. For the benefit of our readers we will summarize briefly the benefits mentioned above. 1. For the first time in its history all theatres in the jurisdiction of Local JNo. 110 are 100% unionized. 2. Shortly after taking office in 1944, business manager Atkinson signed oneyear contracts with Chicago exhibitors calling for salary increases, vacations with pay, and extra pay for preparatory time. These contracts were recently renewed on a three-year basis and call for additional increases totalling 10%. 3. Collected and paid back pay due members. 4. Organized special television classes which are attended by more than half the membership. 5. Contracts have been signed with major supply companies calling for the employment of Local 110 men in the installation and inspection of all motion picture and television equipment within a radius of 150 miles of local's jurisdiction. Contracts with National Theatre Supply Company and Motiograph, effective January 1, 1946, call for Local 110 man to inspect installations at $150 per week each man, plus expenses when outside of local's jurisdiction, and two week's vacation with pay. 6. Contracts for the showing of 16-mm pictures. Salaries of men operating 16-mm machines increased 33-1/3% in 1944, and an additional 10% in 1945 — a total of 43-1/3%. Signed up race tracks for showing 16-mm film. Organized drive-in-theatres. 7. Unsanitary conditions in projection rooms corrected; adequate ventilation installed where necessary. 8. All returned service men placed in jobs. Veterans returned to positions held prior to service, or given choice of new ones. 9. The city of Chicago appropriated the sum of $13,416 for 1946 covering the salaries of two Local 110 projectionists employed by the police department. An additional $518 was appropriated for the vacation relief man for the two INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST