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 1063 -Mr. McCaxx. Did you answer tlie wire? Mr. JoiixsToN. Yes; 1 answered the wire, and I also went to see Mr. Brown Avitli Mr. Byron Price and Mr. O'Hara. Mr. McCann. How "did yon settle that situation? Mr. JoiixSTOx. I went to Mr. Green, president of the A. F. of L. I explained the situation to him. 1 told him it was unfortunate that further diffieulty was occurring. Mr. Green told uie tliese people were not in the A. F. of L.; that when they came back into the A. F. of L. j)erhaps somethino- could be done, but in the meantime nothing could be done on that j)roblem; that we had an A. F. of L. organization in Hollywood. Were we going to try to disrupt that A. F. of L. organ- ization and have labor problems in Hollywood merely to take back machinists? In other words, because they were not members of the A. F. of L., Mr. Gi-een would have nothing to do.with the problem. Mr. ^IcCax'x*. In other words, as developed in our hearing out there, the members of the union of the lAM. the International Association of Machinists, virtually got nothing out of the settlement Mr. JoHXSTOX. Oh, yes; they did. They received their jobs. I don't think any men who were put back to work were ever discharged or let go. Every man who had had a job in the studio when the award was tinally made—whatever the date was in March when the strike occurred—all those machinists were put back on the job and had their jobs at the time this particular complaint arose. Xone of them had been discharged, as I understand it. Mr. McCax'x. Do you know anything about the condition—I don't Avant to ask you questions that you are not acquainted with—but do you know what the status of the contract between the machinists and the producers at the time of their return to work there ? Mr. JoiixsTox. I do not recall what it was. I don't think I ever saw it. Mr. iVIcCann. Mr. McCaxx. You don't know whether there was a contract in force and effect with respect to the machinists? That it was a closed-shop arrangement between the lAM and the producers, or not? Mr. JoiixsTox. I do not recall. I remember there was very violent argument by the A. F. of L. that we should not employ new or addi- tional machinists over and above those who had secured their previous emjdoyment as a result of the strike. Mr. McCaxx'. In other words, Mr. Green was trying to ]:)rotect those who had identified themselves with an A. F. of L. organization as against the lAM members? Mr. Joiix'STOX'. Right. Mr. McCanx. Did you have any other meetings ot the presidents in New York on the Hollywood strike in 1046? Mr, JoiixsTox. I think. Mr. McCann, there were several meetings on this i)roblem. but they were mainly meetings of progress. In other Avords. Ave had meetings on other subjects, then the question of the Hollywood strike obviously Avould ahvays come up—what progress was being made, and so forth and so on. Mr. McCaxn. :Mr. Johnston, will you furnish us Avith a complete copy of your minutes of your meetings Avith the presidents in New York from August 1 to October 1, 1946? Mr. JoHXSTON. All right, sir, I Avould be happy to. Mr. McCaxx. Thank vou very much.