International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1947)

contracts expiring at a later date. Louis Williamson, business agent of Springfield Local 186. reported that he had negotiated a new contract running to 1950, which calls for yearly pay increases plus two-weeks vacation with pay for each man. • William Taylor, member of Toronto Local 173 and projectionist at Loew's Yonge Street Theatre for more than 31 years, received a diamond-studded memento pin awarded to all employes of Loew's, Inc. with 30 years or more of continued service. Wm. Covert, International Vice-President and business agent of the Toronto Local, presented the pin to Taylor. Earl Winslow and Charlie Hallett, also members of Local 173, received similar awards. • Another fighting old-timer has passed on. Roger McKelvey, long a stormy petrel of Pittsburgh Local 171, died last month after a lingering illness. He was a former business agent of the Local and for many years served as editor-in-chief of the Pittsburgh Labor News. He was a delegate to the Central Labor Union, and took an active part in the proceedings of many I. A. Conventions. An ardent unionist. McKelvey always fought to further the welfare of his men. He is survived by his mother, wife, four children, a sister and a brother, the latter, incidentally, also being a member of Local 171. • After several unsuccessful attempts, the Kansas State Association of the I. A. is now officially organized. A State association was formed in 1930, but due to the lack of cooperation from the various Kansas local unions it was soon disbanded. In 1942, however, the need for such an association Jhh was recognized and : JH tlie groundwork was laid. At the 1946 I. A. Convention in J| Chicago the Kansas I. A. locals voted Charles Gresty unanimously in its favor and the first meeting of the group was held the latter part of August. International Vice-President Felix Snow presided at the first meeting, and Charles Gresty, secretary and business agent of Local 641. Arkansas City, was elected secretary of the Association. • Clarence W. (Pat) Offer, former business agent of Hollywood Local 165, is now the chief projectionist at Monogram Studios. • We learned recently that the Queen Elizabeth ( Cunard-White Star Line), the largest ship afloat, is equipped with two beautifully decorated theatres, including film projection facilities. What we are interested in primarily is whether natke (National Association of Theatrical & Kine Employees) has placed any of its men on this boat; or are the ship's officers and crew members running the projection machines? How about it, NATKE? • Aiming at becoming the outstanding Local Union in the I. A., Chicago Local 110 under the guiding hand of its business manager, Eugene Atkinson, has built up an enviable record of consistent gains for its membership in terms of increased wages, improved working conditions and prestige in the Alliance. From a Local Union that for many years was synonomous with the evils of misguided labor leaders, Local 110 Eugene Atkinson is now looked upon as a model of efficient and reliable management, and has regained the respect of the entire industry. ' It might be well at this time to summarize briefly a few of the outstanding gains recorded by this Local for 1946 : 1. Members received wage increases, plus paid vacation and pay for preparatory and overtime. 2. Local 110 men placed with various Chicago supply houses to supervise installation of projection equipment at $150 per week. 3. Eliminated the unsanitary conditions that prevailed in many projection rooms. With very few exceptions, practically all exhibitors have complied with the Local's insistence upon proper sanitary facilities for projectionists. 4. Signed contract with the B & K Television Station, WBKB, placing a Local 110 man on the job at $132 per week. Other television stations will follow as soon as they ■ are ready for operation. 5. Exclusive contract with race track for employment of union projectionists. 6. Established road-scale for projectionists working at theatres showing pictures at higher than usual admittance prices. 7. Obtained many extra jobs for the members — 1071 16-mm jobs at $12.50 per show, 22 16-mm arc jobs at $40, and 67 35-portable jobs at $40.82 for each show. 8. Made generous contributions to various worthy organizations — $6500 to the American Red Cross, $208 to Boystown, $100 to the Community Fund, etc. We doubt that one could find a harder working and more zealous union official than Gene Atkinson. The man is a human dynamo, hitting on all cylinders, and just a step or two ahead of the other fellow, as some of the slick exhibitors in Chicago found out to their sorrow. Gene's passion for perfection in all matters was clearly demonstrated at the I. A. Convention in Chicago last summer. The Convention Arrangements Committee, of which he was the chairman, was an example of the precision planning and execution typical of Gene and his able assistants. His election as delegate to the A. F. of L. Convention was an honor shared in by the entire membership of the Local. Gene attributes the fine record compiled by Local 110 to the whole-hearted support of the entire union membership, and he particularly expressed his appreciation for the grand support rendered him by Clarence Jalas, the genial and efficient secretary-treasurer of Local 110. • Bruce Kercher, projectionist at the Century Theatre, Parramatta, N. S. W., Australia, would like to correspond with an American or Canadian projectionist. • The I. A. General Executive Board will hold its mid-winter 'sessions in Seattle, Wash., commencing Monday, January 27. • International Representative Al Johnstone acted for the I. A. at the meeting of motion picture executives who gathered in New Orleans last month to lay plans for the Motion Picture Foundation, designed to provide aid to needy workers in the industry. An initial fund of $10,000,000 is sought, and means for raising this sum were discussed at the meeting. Among the methods suggested were special midnight shows, with films, theatres, and labor donated free; certain days set aside for theatre activities, and an all-industry dues-paying membership setup. This seems to us to be a worthy cause, and one sorely needed in the industry. • William D. Lang, known to almost every old-timer in the I. A. as the manager of the Adjustment and Claim Department of the General Office during the regime of Bill Canavan, former I. A. prexy, died recently at the age of 76. In his younger days Lang was active in organizing New York Local 306, and was the business agent of the original Local (Continued on page 29) Al Johnstone INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST January 1947 19