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 1679 I was wondering why counsel wasted your time in taking it up here. I could not understand it. Mr. Kearns. We would be glad to hear that. j\Ir. Walsh. This agreement drawn up between the lATSE local soundmen out there and local 40 of the IBEW, is an agreement which settles a dispute that lias been going on between our organizations since 1933. If it was the cause of the 1933 strike. The local union through its representative out there sat down with the representatives of local 40 of IBEW and they drew up this agreement as to who should work on what in the sound department. After the ofiicials of the organizations has drawn up the agreement they took it to the membership of the Organization and read it to them. The memberehip of the organization agreed that that was a workable agreement. After that had been done it had been taken up with the international representatives out there. Brother Brewer and Brother Mulkey of the IBEW and Brother Brewer of the lATSE. They signed it and agreed to it. After that was done it was brought to the international president, Brother Tracy, of the IBEW, and myself of the lATSE. We approved it. Now I understand that is the method of procedure Congress would like to have us carry out, to have it done at the local level and then approved by the officials. Mr. Kearns. Local arbitration, if you want to call it that. Mr. Wai^h. It was not arbitration, it was an agreement. Now I got the impression from counsel this morning that we were doing something wrong, that he was kind of peeved about it. If that impression is going to be left to stand here that that is wrong, regardless of which side loses jurisdiction, whether I lose membership or the other side loses membership, if that is going to be left to stand I don't know how I am going to be able to settle with the painters and carpenters if I ever get them to sit down. Mr. Chairman, I thought counsel's remarks have been not settled and I know he has brought people into his office and has tried to take out of them the fact that the lATSE is stealing this and stealing that. I am a little peeved at counsel and I want you to know it. Mr. Owens. The committee is the one that has to decide this. I made a statement, and I believe it was agreed upon by the other members, that it appeai-ed like a very good method of settling matters. Mr. Walsh. I hope that counsel will let that sink in. Mr. Kearns. I personally feel, Mr. Walsh — naturally you know my stand — that I don't think anyone has tried harder than I have to try to get you together. When you gentlemen can sit down to a table and bargain and decide this, that, and the other thing, that is the very thing I want to see done within the American Federation of Labor. Mr. Walsh. I have no doubt that is the opinion of the committee and your opinion as chairman. I will not be so much afraid to sit down and make an agreement along those lines, because I was a little confused this morning as to what that agreement was doing in here. Mr. Kearns. You will recall out in Los Angeles on October 21, where I even sent you and Maurice Hutcheson up to another room to