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)

MOTIOX-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES 1055 Mr. McCaxx. Mr. Johnston. T want to call your attention to the fact that there ai'e more than 100 paj>es of evidence before our hear- in<!: in Hollywood, starting- out with the statement by Mr. William K. Walsh, industrial-relations manager of INIetro-GoIdwyn-Mayer, and going through the other major studios, and that that record is replete with statements to the effect that there was jurisdictional strife on such and such an occasion in such and .such a pictur(- and that the lATSE demanded that they should be given the work or they would close the production. And then the industrial-relations managers stated that although tliis work had previously been done by the carpenters, although this work had been previously done by the lAM, although this work had previously been done by the electricians, we had to yield to the lA and permit the work to be done by the lA or have the studios closed. Did you know that evidence was in the i-ecord ? Mr. JoiixsTox. I did not know that evidence was in the record but I think it is unquestionably correct that nuich of that has happened. I think also there should be and .pi'obably is evidence in the record— at least there should be—that this has not been one-sided completely. Mr. McCaxn. Mr. Johnston, I want to inform you from having read this record—and I may be in error—I have found many, perhaps 50, illustrations of the lATSE encroaching upon the other unions and not once, so far as I recall, do your own managers say that any of these unions were encroaching upon the lATSE. ]\Ir. JoiixsTox. Well, when I was in Hollywood in the fall of 1945 a dispute came to my attention between the carpenters and the lATSE, in which the lATSE accused Cambiano of imposing and trying to get some of their work. Then wanted me to try to settle that at that time. So there have been, I think, on both sides—I am not attemping in any way to defend the actions of the lATSE or the actions of any other union. All I want to say to you is that there has been constant jurisdictional conflict in Hollywood since I have been connected with it. and that I believe there have been encroachments from both sides and fi'om all sides. I should say. Mr. McCaxx. ]Mr. Johnston, the only reason I have called your attention to this particular statement is that; you are the first witness and I want to know if you have any facts to substantiate the statement that the carpenters were attempting to encroach on the lA. Now I w ant prooi of it if you have it. Mr. JoHxsTox. Over and over again I was told in Hollywood of the deep jurisdictional disputes which went back into the twenties, in which the carpenters secured some work from the I A, then the lA got it from the car])enters in the thirties. That was a source of considerable dissatisfaction on the part of the Mr. Hutcheson. Mr. Hutcheson himself has told me of the fact he had lost work and had regained it, so I think the dispute went much deeper than simply the 4() set decorators. Mr. McCanx. The oidy })oint Avas this, that you attributed to the cari)enters the motive in supporting the set decorators of seeking to <'X))an(l their jui-isdiction at the expense of lA and I w^anted you, if you could, to substantiate that. Mr. JoHXSTOx. Well, I think it is easily substantiated. In fact, Mr. Hutcheson himself told me that he would have to have back the work which he had previously lost to the lA.