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1982 * MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES
to take care of them. But the men did not get the money from the union, Mr. SorrelL
Mr, SoRRELL. Now, let me explain that. The union is not a rich organization. You can take a union of 1,000 men, and if they have $100,000, that still is not a rich union, because when you divide $100,000 up between 1,000 men, it is not going to carry them very far. Mr. Kearns. That is true.
Mr. SoRRELL. So the union must have mone}^ coming in, in order to disburse money. You can't sell two glasses of water out of one glass.
In our union, we have a committee that examines the people, the same as charity does. If they come up to us and say they are going to lose their home unless they make a payment or something, they scrape it up. They try to give to the people who need it the most. Mr. Kearxs. They have a welfare committee ?
Mr. SoRRELL. Yes, it is a welfare committee. They try to take care of the people who are in the worst need.
Now, naturally, the man does not get money as if he was working. You understand that.
Mr. Landis. But you give them supplies? Flour? Mr. SoRRELL. No. Our union neyer gives a man supplies or flour. We give him money. But if he is a drinking man, we give it to his wife. We refuse to give a man who comes in with liquor on his breath — that is, I know that onr committee refuses to give a man who drinks, money, but they send it to his wife. Now, that is just one of the little peculiarities of our union. We don't advocate drinking people. When a boss can fire a man for drinking, believe me he gets no question from the union. We even go so far in that line that we have recommended that when a foreman finds a drunken painter, he .has the shop steward take him off the job, because, you know, painters are noted for being drunks.
Mr. Kearns. Are you still convinced after all these years that being with the union and having leadership in the union, that after all you have gone through, that strikes and picket lines are the answer to obtaining objectives in labor? I mean, in view of what you have gone through now ?
Mr. SoRRELL. Mr, Kearns, I think that strikes and picket lines, if eliminated, eliminates democratic unions. Mr. Kearxs. That is your honest belief ?
Mr, Sorrell. That is my honest belief. I think that is the supreme— that is the farthest you go. When you take away the right to strike and put on picket lines, you tell your people, "You work as slaves."
Mr. Landis, Now, excuse me for interrupting you, Mr, Kearns, Yes, Go ahead.
Mr. Landis, But I was talking about picket lines. Of course, a picket line, according to the Constitution, is one sort of free speech. Of course, we have State laws that are supposed to take care of the violence and destruction of property. But State laws are not always enforced. Now, there might be something proposed or that has been proposed in the Taft-Hartley Act to stop violence and destruction of property, and to allow peaceful picketing.
Mr. Sorrell. Let me tell you. Congressman
Mr. Landis, I mean, you don't believe in that?