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 2029 New York, November 23. — Considerable resentment has been aronsed amony International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees over the fact that the organization will pay around $12o,000 legal fees for the defense of George Browne, ex-president, and Willie Bioff, his personal representative, who were convicted of racketeering and sentenced to 8 and 10 years, respectively, Federal penitentiary. Richard F. Walsh, new prexy of the lATSE, made it known on Friday that the organization would stand the legal expenses of the duo up to the time of their conviction but tliat it will not pay any attorney fees subsequent to that, including the appeal now pending in their behalf. Walsh said that witli Browne resigned from the lA, and since neither he or Bioff are any longer officers of the union, they would have to shift for themselves to provide coin for their future legal maneuvers. It is reported that authorization for the union to pay the legal freight was in the hands of Browne while he was president of the lA, since an amendment to the international bylaws was forced through by him to cover such contingencies in case of legal complications for international officers. * * * In view of the nature of the indictments against l>rowne and Bioff, and the evidence adduced in some union quarters, it is felt that the lA could have contested any payments at all to the attorneys for the two convicted racketeers. Now, I want to retiti-n for a moment to the lA convention proceedings which occnrred Jnne 8 to June 6, 1940, at a time after the extradition proceedings against Bioff had been brought and after his indictment for income-tax evasion in Los Angeles. I want to read certain matters into the record which will indicate that this cry of communism raised against Mr. Sorrell was a smolve screen that was raised to protect the lA officials in their racketeering activities. These quotations are from the president's report of President George E. Browne at the 1940 convention of the lATSE. He makes reference to a meeting of the board of the lA and then says this : At this same board meeting, my personal representative, William Bioff, tendered his resignation, which your executive board unanimously refused to accept, knowing the tremendous strain he had been forced to work under and the brutal, slanderous attacks being continuously heaped upon him, which, as we all know, was only done because he was successful in furthei'ing the closed-shop conditions for our studio local members. Although the board members tried collectively and individually to get him to reconsider, he refused to alter his decision. There being nothing else to do, his resignation was reluctantly accepted, with the understanding that continued efforts be made to have him return to his post. The letter of acceptance of the esignation follows : Mr. William Bioff, Personal Representative, International President Browne, Bismarck Hotel, Chicago, III. Dear Sir and Bkothfr: The general executive board of the lATSE and MPMO of U. S. and C, in session in Chicago, September 10, 1938, was indeed shocked to have ])laced before it your letter of resignation from the organization activities of tlie lA. Your work for this organization in years gone by has been outstanding, not only in the results obtained but also in the quiet, businesslike, and efficient manner in which you have gone about your work and the high integrity and honesty .vou have displayed in all your dealings. We have discussed the subject of the resignation fully in our session today and are of the unanimous opinion that the welfare of the lA as a whole wcmld be advanced if it were possible to persuade you to withdraw that resignation. Please give consideration to this request that you continue in active participation in our affairs. Should you find, however, that it is not possible to comply with our request and withdraw your resignation, the general executive board has unanimously voted that there is now and always will be a place in our ranks for you and. 67.383— 48— vol. 3 34