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 1347 appeal to President Walsh, stated—if they settle with the carpenters and the other organizations, then they can all unite against the CIO, and the CIO is done. President Green stated that President Walsh should agree to get around the table with tlie other representatives and settle these jurisdictional disputes and tell these men to go back to work. President Walsh stated he is willing to carry out the agreement that he signed. President Green stated to President Walsh that he is under obligations to try to make it good and effective. President Walsh replied that he is doing that and will continue to do it. President Martin Durkin of the plumbers made a brief statement and said the plumbers appointed their committee and informed Mr. Walsh and also Presi- dent Green and also called Mr. Brewer, but up to this time they have not been able to meet with the conimittee from the lATSE to iron out their differences. I^resident Durkin stated the plumbers are anxious to have their people sit down and probably clear up tliis situation if and when Mr. Walsh's organization's com- mittee is ready to meet. Secretary-Treasurer Meany made some observations in the case. Referring to the agreement he stated that tlie agreement is all right except one thing, that if they could find some way to put into the agreement that pending these negotia- tions there would be a return to work. He contended that there is an element in there that has not the interest of the motion-picture industry nor the A. F. of L. nor any international of the A. F. of L. and they are determined to keep this pot boiling because that is where they "make hay" in this sort of situation. He expressed the opinion that he does not think this plan is going to settle it. Secretary Meany stated he believes if the international unictn heads present here could sit down and work out a formula, put it into effect by returning the men to work and then take up those questions of jurisdiction, it would help to settle the trouble. He stated the international representatives involved should sit down and work out a formula for settling it. President Walsh stated he made proposition to Eric Johnston, knowing that he would have trouble with Ins people. He stated however, the lATSE has enough control over their local unions out there that they will do what they are asked to do. President Walsh stated he made the proposition to bring everybody into the studios; the carpenters, the painters, the electrical workers, come in and in 60 days they take steps to straighten out this jurisdiction whatever it was, and if they did not straighten it out in 00 days they agree to submit it to arbitration. President Walsh stated he has agreed to do that; that is, bringing botli forces in. He stated that Eric Johnston expressed the opinion that this would cost the producers $10,000,000, and President Walsh stated that he told Mr. Johnston that this is cheap because of what can come out of this figlit. Mr. Johnston stated the proposition made by Mr. Walsh would mean the re- placement of 3,258 men. The average pay of these men is a little over $100 a week. He explained that the motion-picture industry pays a higher scale than others and it would mean approximately .$325,000 to $350,000 a week. Mr. Johnston stated he knows it would not be settled in 60 days, and therefore he gave another .30 days for arbitration which makes a total of 90 days, and if you multiply the number of weeks involved $325,000 to $350,000 a week you arrive at approximately $7,000,000. Mr. Johnston stated the other group, IMr. Walsh's opponents, would not agree to tiiat because they said there would be violence in the studios and they could not cmtrol their men. He stated the superintendents, the foremen, would be Mr. Walsh's men and the workers would be ojiposition men except in one or two instances where there would be snix'rintendents of both sides and who would superintend Mr. Walsh's men or the opposition men—that is one of the problems they face. Mr. Johnston stated the proposition he lastly made he believes is fair and the other side accepted it: namely, the strike would be called off immediately and there would be a period of 2 weeks to settle these disputes. He stated in his opinion it would be settled in the 2 weeks. Mr. Johnston stated he believes if a committee of the presidents of one, two or three or more organizations, qualified repi'esentalives, would go out there the thing could be settled in a few days. In the meantime the strikers would agree to call off the strike and do nothing for a period of 2 weeks. Mr. Lindelof of the painters stated that on the Saturday morning after the meeting adjourned in Washington he immediately telephoned his San Francisco