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)

MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES 1173 Mr. Balaban. I clo not know what he means by the efficiency expert unless it is ]\Ir. Casey's department. One of Mr. Freeman's many duties is the handling of labor negotiations and labor matters. He was for man}' years president of the producers' association. Directly under him, handling labor, was Mr. Charles Boren, in the room here, a very, very, able boy. We thought enough of him to give him the job of heading our labor activities on the coast. I do not think it applies to Hollywood; I know it does not apply to our company. So far as these labor men stirring up any activity between the companies, there is so much of it on the upper level I do not think they have to. It is a very highly competitive business. It is a case of dog eats dog out there. I am surprised some of them are not scrapping in here. They have been in here for 2 days. I am very proud of our own operation. I have worked with a num- ber of the men. I haf e sat in some meetings with them. I think there were several meetings in New Jersey where Mr. Hutcheson presided some 3'ears ago. The basis agreement was discussed there. They are very able, really. They are not efficienc}^ experts, they are just our labor-relations managers. Their job is to keep peace, and not to stir up any difficulty. I would not keep a man very long if he was not qualified to keep things on a fairly quiet level. Mr. Laxdis. So far as you know, did not your organization follow the directive handed down by the three-man board? Mr. Balabax. I am sure they did; so far as I know they did. We had no other choice, sir. We were so advised by our counsel, Mr. Kehoe, general counsel for our company, who is in the room. Mr. Laxdis. There was some doubt about acting on the clarification procedure, or do you recall what happened when the clarification came out months later ? Mr. Balabax. There was some question at that time; yes, sir. I recall that Mr. Kehoe was present at such a meeting where we were advised there was no other course for us to pursue but to follow that directive. If I am not mistaken, the men have a copy of a brief that one of the lawyers prepared on that score. I do not know whose brief it was. We were guided by that legal opinion. Mr. Laxdis. That is all. Mr. OwExs. Mr. Balaban, to get right to the heart of the questions that Mr. McCann was asking, did you have a contract with these various unions, including the carpenters? Mr. Balabax^. I presume there were contracts, Congressman, but I do not know. We do not handle those in the home office. Mr. OwExs. Do you know what day of the year you have those contracts ? 'Mr. Balabax. Xo, sir; because the few times I have sat in labor negotiations with the unions comprising the basic agreement, it was always months before or months after some dead line. I think it was months after because I know there were checks always going through for retroactive adjustments. I do not recall the date. Mr. Oavexs. For instance, when you had your meeting in Sep- tember did you have running contracts with the various unions at that time ? Mr. Balabax. I wish I could answer that question. I do not know, sir.