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)

1084 MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES Following careful consideration of my report the council directed me to call a conference of the representatives of the national and international unions whose members are employed in the motion-picture-producing industry at Hollywood for the purpose of setting up machinery for the settlement of jurisdictional disputes which arise in the motion-picture-producing industry by peaceful means and without resort of strike. I therefore request that you and such representatives as you may wish t*o bring with you come to Washington for the purpose of attend- ing such conference at 10: 30 Tuesday morning, May 6, in the executive council room of the American Federation of Labor headquarters. Because of the importance of this meeting I urgently request that you arrange your engagements and your work so as to be in attendance at that meeting as herein requested. That letter was followed by a telegram which reads: Regret I im compelled to change date for conference of A. F. of L council to which you were invited May 6 to Tuesday, May 13, therefore disregard invitation sent you for May 6. Accept this invitation to attend conference at headquarters of American Federation of Labor as set forth in letter sent you April 28 for Tuesday morning. May 13, at 10: 30 a. m. Well, Mr. Chairman and Mr. McCann, the invitation extended to the international presidents by Brother Green was better than well attended. I have no recollection when there was such a response. Something like 26 international presidents from all over the United States went to the A. F. of L. headquarters for this conference and this meeting, and the person that should have been there, above all others, first vice president at that time, Bill Hutcheson, did not show up. So the conference was kind of stymied. And after efforts were made to contact Brother Hutcheson and bring him into this con- ference to see what could be done, to see what suggestions he might make, to see what ideas he might have in mind, we just simply could not get Bill Hutcheson into Washington, so the conference broke up. We all went home. We all went about our business and we have been going about our business ever since, except with the exception of what is going on in the Hollywood studios. Mr. McCann. Was it not possible for the American Federation of Labor and its executive council to proceed to set up that machinery in the absence of Mr. Hutcheson ? Mr. DuLLZELL. Well, I don't know, Mr. McCann, if I am competent to reply to that question, but it was my understanding that the execu- tive council as such at that time—of course you understand because of the Taft-Hartley law there is no executive council now, because it was all composed of officers Mr. McCann. I understand that. Mr. DuLLZELL. My understanding is that as the governing body of the A. F. of L., certainly they must have had some authority, and if they had no authority I do not know why they were ever established. Mr. McCann. Is it not a fact that with the 26 presidents present and with the resolution which was adopted at this convention in Chi- cago, that the American Federation of Labor could, in the meeting on May 13, 1947, have established arbitration machinery to take care of the Hollywood situation ? Mr. DuLLZELL. I would say, Mr. JNIcCann, in answer to that ques- tion, that that was the best opportunity that has ever come to the A. F. of L. to do something. But it must be understood, of course, that, anything decided on would have to be approved by the international