Jurisdictional disputes in the motion-picture Industry : hearings before a special subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Eightieth Congress, first-session, pursuant to H. Res. 111 (1948)

496 MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES the 194fi strike eommencecl, and IBEW went on strike, the studio reassigned an lA man and has not since replaced liini witli an IKEW man altliough IBEW quit striking and came back into the studio. No specific claim has been made by IBEW for this work until about 2 weeks ago when Mr. Huges, on behalf of local 40, requested a meeting with Republic representative to discuss the sound department situation. As yet such discussion has not been held. 2J,. Fehruanj J, 1946~8et models Under this date, a letter from Mussa of local 1421, set designers, set up a claim for set model building. Republic had been building its few set models using local 44 lA property men, l)ut when the strike of 1946 started, it elected to use the replacement set designers. It found that it was impractical and wasteful for a 44 man to travel about a half block to the art department from the shop every time he wanted to check on a change or on a design made in connection with the set model he was building. There was no dispute between the studio and local 44 when this change was made as a sister lA local was assigned to the work. 23. February 11, 19-'f6 — Set decorators and hand props A letter bearing this date from Brewer claims local 1421 set decorators were assembling hand props, foodstuffs, etc., and objected on the grounds that such articles were not to be used for set dressin-g. There was no actual disi)Ute at Republic on this matter. 26. April 29, 1946 — Pullman cars The work of repairing, altering, moving, and setting up a railroad car has been disputed both before and after the December 26, 194."), award. Just prior to April 29, 1946, Mr. Skelton, business agent of £46, served notice on Republic that unless local 946 men handled alterations and repairs. Painters" Local 644 would refuse to work on them. The problem not being acute at the moment, it was referred to Mr. Brewer, lA vice president, by letter with the request that he come to some settlement with 946 and advise us because work of this nature was to come up in a few days. No answer came from Mr. Brewer and work continued but without work stoppages as threatened. 27. July 16, 1946 — Bark slabs on set walls The application of slabs of bark on flats of walls of sets was claimed both by local 946 carpenters and set erectors 46S lA. In the absence of an agreement between the parties, the studio assigned the work to local 946 men, believing it was more akin to trim than to erection of units ; 468 objected and said they would refer it to the international union. However, nothing ever came of it. 28. July 16, 19'i6 — Setting beams and columns Set erectors 468, lA, and local 946, carpenters, both claimed erection and setting of thits type of unit. Unable to obtain an agreement between the unions, the studio ordered the w(n'k done by local 468 set erectors. Local 946 protested and there were several later disputes but no work stoppages until September 13, 1946, as mentioned in item 29 below. 29. July 19, 19J,6— Built-in. seats There were booths with circular seats built in against a circular wall. Back of the booths was a ledge <m whk'h were placed potted plants. These sets were built by locjil 946 carpenters in accordance with past practices, being considei-ed part of the set, not props. They were placed in position by Set Erectors' Local 468, lA. The business agent of 468 phoned to say that the work belonged to local 44 lA propmen because the sets were props. The studio elected that the sets Were part of the set until the set was struck and they were salvaged and turned over to the prop department to be used as props thereafter. There was no work stoppage, but much argument and confusion ensued. Tlie dispute has never been reviewed or ruled upon by the Internationals to our knowledge. 30. September 13, 1946 — Beams and columns Prior to this date, dispute arose between local 946 carpenters and local 468 lA set erectors regarding the jurisdiction of a built-up beam and its supporting posts or columns. The studio assigned the construction work to local 946 carpenters in the mill and advised Bill Wright, 946 steward and Ted Pugh, 468 steward, that it intended to assign local 468 men to erect the units when completed. When it became known to local 946 men that set erectors were