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 1407 Just a moment. Mr, Cobb has just called it to my attention. It is in tlie first paragraph, but it was m such fine print I had not noticed it [reading] : This agreement entered into tliis 5th day of February 102;")— That is right. Mr. Chairman, that was signed by the recording secretary and the president of our then local 1692. It was also signed by the business agent of local 884 of the brotherhood and signed by William Donohue, S. B. Newman, John B. liiley, and Cleve Beck of'the lATSE. When that agreement came to the general office, Mr. Chairman, for consideration and approval, approval was refused. The local was told to abrogate the agreement, it would not be approved by the general oUice. They were obstinate in reference to it and their charter was revoked because of that and the present local 940 w^as instituted and took their place. Now, Mr. Chairman, I understand a question asked me this morn- ing was: Was that agreement recognized and in eft'ect from 1925 to 1933, and I said it was not. Following in sequence, Mr. Chairman, in the year 1926, on November 29, 1926, the original I am reading from, which is the original basic studio agreement dated November 29, 1926: Agreement made this 29th day of November 1926, between such persons, firms, or corporations engaged in the production of motion pictures as may become parties hereto by signing this agreement or a copy hereof, liereinafter called producers and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the International Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators, and Paperhangers of America, the United Brotherliood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the American Federation of Musicians, hereinafter called the unions: Witnesseth, 1. The union shall select a committee of five members who shall be presidents of international or national unions, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, referred to hereafter as the international committee, which shall repre- sent the unions in questions arising between the unions and the producers at the several studios of the latter. 2. The producers shall appoint a committee of five members, hereinafter called the producers committee, to meet with the international committee at regular intervals and otherwise at the joint call of the chairman. 3. The international committee and the producers committee shall jointly hear or consider all requests or grievances or other questions affecting wages, liours of labor, or working conditions in the studios of the producers which have failed of local adjustment, and any other matters as to which such joint con- sideration will tend to avoid misunderstandings or will tend to improve the condition of the industry and of its employees. Any officer representing a union or any producer shall have the right to be present at a ht^iring, the subject matter of which the interests of the organiza- tion or especially concerned, are to bring before the committees sitting" jointly any question which may in his judgment require consideration or adjustment. 4. The international committee and the producers committee acting jointly may make rules for the local adjustment of requests or grievances for arbitra- tion of or hearing of request or grievance before or after they are acted on by the international's committee and the producer's committee, or similar matters of procedure. Any union or any producer may withdraw from this agreement upon duplicate written notice mailed to the chairman of the international's committee and also to the chairman of the producers' committee; as to parties herelo not so withdrawing, this agreement shall terminate at the expiration of 2 years from its date unless sooner renewed. In witness whereof, the parties hereto have caused these presents to be signed by their duly authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.