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)

1520 MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES This was during wartime. When I say we could have made a deal, I know that certain concessions were in the offing. Maybe we couldn't have gotten all that we wanted, but at least they said they were willing to make a deal if we were willing to return to work. Well, knowing the picture industry and knowing the background and knowing what the lA had in mind, namely, the entire motion-picture industry, I personally felt that it was about high time to clean the thing up once and for all times. What Mr. Cambiano said, when he said that, was that if it were necessary in order to obtain the jurisdiction which tlie carpenters felt the lA had had and were operating under, to go out on strike himself or to utilize the painters-set decorators strike as made to order for him, he was going to do it, wartime or no wartime, because there was a manpower shortage there and they felt they could close the studios. If they closed the studios during the war as the result of the manpower shortage then they would be in a position to dictate the terms upon which they were going to come back. I think I should point out to you, sir Mr. Landis. Your organization respects the picket line but this happened to be in wartime ; is that the point ? Mr. Levy. Our organization respects a picket line which is determined to be a valid picket line on the basis of our organization's resjwnsibility. Let me explain to you in a moment what I mean by that. With my knowledge of the labor movement and the legal phases of it, I think I can give you an answer. Organization A is out on strike. Organization B also works in the shop. Now before Organization A can expect Organization B not to cross the picket line, unless there was some arrangement between them, Organization A has to do several things. In the first place, Organization A must get the approval of its own international head. In the second place, if it is in a city where there is a central labor union or a central labor council, the central labor union or central labor council must approve the establishment of that picket line. The reason for that is obvious. In a trade such as the motion-picture industry when there are scores of crafts working under contract those crafts should not be placed in the position of violating either their contracts or their no-strike pledge on any subterfuge of refusing to recognize the picket line, unless at the outset they have an opportunity of discussing the nature of that picket line and the reason for it within the councils of organized labor. I say to you, sir, that the lATSE will recognize a legitimate picket line as determined by that organization, but it does not consider a picket line established to squeeze the lATSE out of the studios on a jurisdictional strike, as a legitimate picket line. On February 10, 194,5, Mr. William L. Hutcheson, the general president of the LTnited Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America wrote to Mr. Pat Casey a letter which I think is illuminating and ought to be presented to you now in full. It is short but to the point. In support of the proposition that the strike in March 194.5 was not even a bona fide set decorators' strike, but was, to use Mr. Cambiano's language, made to order for the carpenters : Dear Pat: This will acknowledge receipt of your communication of February 9.