International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1947)

cently accused producers of giving fabulous contracts to many overrated stars at "inflationary" salaries, in addition to many concessions such as percentages of the box-office take and authorization to select their own stories and directors. He stated that in many cases the drawing power at the box office of many of these overpaid stars did not justify their tremendous salaries. For once we are in complete agreement with Mr. Brandt, but we don't think he went far enough. These very same producers who squander hundreds of thousands of dollars on high-priced stars, costly sets, etc., very often raise the roof when it comes to paying a skilled mechanic a few extra dollars. We have in mind a particular producer and his general manager, who, while looking at one of their features in a preview room, told the projectionists on duty to stop the picture in the middle of reel two and continue with the showing the next morning. This was done so as to avoid paying the projectionists one hour overtime. Yet this very producer spares no expense in lining up high-priced stars for his studios. 25 Years Ago — August 1922 A quarter of a century ago Charlie Shay, then I. A. president, appointed yours truly an International representative, or organizer, as it was then called. Later, when William F. Canavan became the new I. A. president, we were appointed to the office of assistant president, a post we held for several years. During our affiliation with the General Office we spent most of our time traveling about the country serving the various I. A. Local Unions in one capacity or another and we made many friendships that have endured to the present day. We hope to continue to be of service to our hundreds of friends in the Alliance and we are happy in the knowledge that our efforts are appreciated . . . Dick Green, second vice president, ill in his Chicago home, was visited by I. A. president Shay . . . British theatrical unions rumored to be planning to amalgamate . . . Wayne B. Wheeler, counsel for the Anti-Saloon League took a crack at theatres with the statement that "theatre and moving picture houses are being used as liquor propagandists" . . . Will Hays returned from a visit to the Hollywood studios much impressed with the magnitude of the industry . . . Vice president Bill Canavan was assigned to investigate troublesome situations in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and St. Louis . . . J. C. Walton, member of Oklahoma City Local 112, received the Democratic nomination for governor of Oklahoma . . . San Bernardino, Calif, application for I. A. charter turned down . . . The "Labor Review" charged that U. S. Commissioner C. J. Skinner, of Augusta, Ga., rendered a guilty decision in the case of striking railway shopmen before he heard the testimony. He was accused of having prepared a typewritten statement in which he declared that the "facts" of the case warranted his decision before the evidence was even presented. • The I. A. General Executive Board met in Boston August 18, immediately THE PROJECTIONIST'S STATUS UNDER THE T-H BILL U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WAGE AND HOUR AND PUBLIC CONTRACTS DIVISIONS f 765 Market Street San Franoisoo 3, California February 11, 1947 . COMMUNICATION* TO, Mr. Hilton A. Taylor Industrial & Labor Relations Counselors Ino. 206 South Beverly Drive Beverly Hills, California Dear Mr. Taylor: This is in response to your letter of February 7th asking for an opinion on whether the Fair Labor Standards Aot applies to moving picture projectionists. The projectionist employed in what we commonly oall 15ie movie theater is exempt from the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Act under seotion 13(a)(2). This section provides the exemption for "any employee engaged in any retail or servioe establishment the greater part of whose selling or servicing is in intrastate commerce". However, projectionists may be engaged in other types of employment which would make the above exemption inapplicable. For example, projectionists showing safety films, production method films, and other types of industrial educational pictures related to the production of joods for commerce for employee educational purposes, would be oovered by the Act and nonexanpt by reason of being engaged in an occupation necessary to the production of goods for commerce. In case the foregoing fails to adequately answer the question you have in mind, please write me again giving me more details oonoerning the employment of the type of projectionists in question. Bearing on the highly controversial issue as to whether projectionists are subject to the provisions of the TaftHartley bill is the accompanying reproduction of an official letter from the San Francisco office of the U. S. Dept. of Labor. By and large, it would appear that projectionists are exempt from the Law; although the letter emphasizes that the type of picture shown may determine the worker's status. With neither Labor nor employers in the film field anxious to press for final determination of this question, the issue may be left in doubt for a considerable period of time. Nat Doragoff Bhn R. Dille Regional Director following the 3rd District assembly on Sunday, the 17th. Boston Locals 11 and 182 were hosts at a series of entertainments for the visiting officials. Eddie Miller, I. A. representative and business agent of Houston Local 279, and Gene Atkinson, business agent of Chicago Local 110 and I. A. delegate to the American Federation of Labor, stopped off in New York for a short visit prior to attending the board meeting. • We congratulate Nat Doragoff, recording secretary for the past several years for New York Local 306, on his recent appointment as referee to the Workmen's Compensation Board, replacing Alexander J. Gompers, son of the late president of the A. F. of L. Although Mary Donlan, chairman of the board officially appointed him, Doragoff announced that it was due in great measure to the efforts of Tom Murtha, business agent of Brooklyn Local 4 and chairman of the 10th District, and H. Paul Shay, the 10th District secretary. We shall look forward to seeing Doragoff, who is a lawyer by profession, cover himself with honors in his new post. To this end he has the best wishes of his many friends in and out of Local 306. • We were saddened to learn of the death of Oscar Moody, business agent for many years for Local 433, Rock Island, 111. Oscar was another of the "regulars" attending I. A. Conventions, having missed but two since 1920. We extend our sympathy to his survivors. • Ward LaBarr, former president of Local 521, Long Beach, Calif., has some excellent ideas on projection room planning which he explained to us during his recent visit to New York. We shall present these ideas to our readers in the near future. • The Taft-Hartley law was the chief topic of discussion at the 10th District (N. Y. State) meeting which was held in Utica, N. Y., July 26. Representatives from 54 Local Unions attended the conference which was in continuous session from 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m Jimmy Brennan, I. A. vice president, presided, and Tom Shea, assistant I. A. president, was the guest speaker. Shea advised the Local Unions to go along as usual in the negotiations for new contracts, and suggested that they contact the General Office when stymied or in need of assistance. Charlie Sinnigan, of the Union (Continued on page 38) 28 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST • August 1947