We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES 1053 National Labor Relations Board could render a decision and while the matter was still under discussion by them, the Studio of Confer- ence Unions struck. Mr. McCann. Then you do not know wliat tlie contract was in the first place, Mr, Jolmston, between the studios and the set decorators? ]Mr. Johnston. I am not familiar with it; no. Mr. McCann. If I tell you it was testified before our committee in Hollywood that there was an obligation upon the studios either to bar<Tain witli tliose men when they chanoed their affiliation from an independent to the CSU, or else an oblif];;ation upon them to cancel the contract and that they did neither, it would seem that the producers were guihy of laches in that case, would it not? Mr. Johnston. No; I do not agree to that. As I understood the situation there was a controyersy between these two groups as to whom they belonged. I thought that the producers exercised good judgment b}' referring it to the National Labor Relations Board for a decision. Mr. McCann. Mr. Johnston, let us get back to the fact that the set decorators had never been identified with the lATSE. You knew that, didn't you? Mr. Johnston. Yes, I knew that. Mr. McCann. And 3'ou knew after the set decorators, with their contract with the producers, had gone to the CSU, the lATSE organ- ized a union called the Set Decorators Union, did you know that ? Mr. Johnston. I knew that there was considerable controyersy, Mr. McCann. I made it a point not to try to engage in the controversies between the two groups. I felt that as a newcomer in the industry with none of the background of dissention which had existed in the industry for some time, that perhaps I could get these two warring groups together to settle their problems, and I do not think that we discussed at any length or any detail-—in fact, I do not remember dis- cussing at all—problems that you are bringing up. Mr. McCann. Mr. Johnston, I am trying to inform you of the evidence which has been received by this committee to the effect that throughout the period that the set decorators were an independent union, there was no trouble in the studios, but when the set decorators became identified with the CSU, the lATSE then created a union of set decorators and resisted the request of the old union to be recognized by the producers. Mr. Johnston. And botli claimed jurisdiction, so was not the logi- cal place to resolve that difference with the National Labor Relations Board? Mr. McCann. Except that I do not believe the producers acted either with courage or with honor, when they refused to cancel the contract on the one hand, or to accept the transfer of the set decorators when they went to the CSU. Mr. Johnston. I think you should discuss that with people who were in authority before I came in because I had nothing to do with that. Mr. McCann. Now there is on page 3 of your statement a very definite allegation which I have not heard from anyone else during our investigation, and whicli I would like to examine you about. 67383—48—vol. 2 2