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 2027 They don't like a lot of people, apparently. I might point out that the reference to the proposed legislation which Sorrell suggested, refers to suggestions made at the hearings in Los Angeles, so this opposition goes back to that date, as well as before, as we have indicated. Now I want to return to the record of BiofF and Browne up to the time of their conviction. I want to read from Variety of November 3, 1941, a leading article which refers to the organization of Conference of Studio Unions, at the time that Browne and Bioft" were on trial. The headline reads: "Unions launch united front — ■ Painters lead new set-up." [Reading :] The Confereuee of Studio Unions was launclied yesterday when tlie conference constitution was unanimously approved at a specially called membership meeting of Moving Picture Painters, Local 644. Studio Machinists Local 1185 already has instructed its business representative, D. T. Wayne, to participate in organization of the conference and to bring back the constitution for early consideration. It also will be acted upon at early meetings of the Screen Office Employees Guild, Screen Cartoonists Guild, and other American Federation of Labor crafts. Tbe organization is said to be looked upon favorably by officers of Film Technicians, Local 683, and that group, as well as other locals of tbe International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, are expected to affiliate. The conference, organized for the purpose of bringing about joint economic action and closer unity of the unions and to protect individual autonomy of the crafts, will establish ofHces in Hollywood to handle research, coordinating problems, etc. When the organization is completed it will be governed by a chairman, vice chairman, and a secretary-treasurer, to be elected by secret ballot and to hold office for 1 year. Any craft affiliated with the American Federation of Labor will be eligible to join the conference. The constitution states tlie purpose of the conference shall be "To unite the motion-picture unions for the protection of the autonomy and democracy of each'' and "to advance through joint consultation and action the economic welfare of the motion-picture unions and their members." Each conference member is to be represented by three accredited delegates, one of which shall be the business agent. Each union shall pay the conference treasurer a monthly per-capita tax of 5 cents per member to defray operating costs. Meetings will be held at least once a month. Special meetings may be called by the chairman upon written requests from 7 delegates. Standing committees or at least 3 persons will be appointed to liandle research, negotiations, coordination, and publicity. Other clauses in the constitution provide : In the event that any union a member of this conference calls a strike or taikes other economic action, after the sanction of the conference has been obtained, the members of the conference shall be bound to respect the action so taken and any picket lines established thereunder. Any member failing to respect such action and/or picket lines shall be automatically expelled from the conference. "This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the conference, provided written notice of such meeting specifying the amendment is mailed to the delegates thereto not less than 4 days prior to the date of said meeting. Before any such amendment is effective, however, it shall have been approved by not less than two-thirds of the unions which are members of the conference. "All action, unless otherwise specified in this constitution, shall be by a majority vote of the delegates present at any conference meeting. A quorum for any meeting of the conference shall consist of 25 percent of the delegates to such conference, provided that not less than .50 percent of the unions members of the conference are represented by one or more delegates." A two-thirds vote of delegates is required to expel any union from the conference. The painters, after approving the conference and its constitution yesterday, appointed Herbert Sorrell business representative of Local 644, Carl Head and William Ball to represent them as delegates to the conference.