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)

2174 MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES of the House Committee on Education and Labor, on March 8, 1947, at page 2856, and in his testimony before the special subcommittee of tlie H6use Committee on Education and Labor, at its liearings at Los Angeles, on August 30, 1947, at page 3175. That said major motion-picture companies and producers association, acting by and through Nicholas Schenck, accepted said proposition and agreed to it. That said agreement was thereafter ratified by the lATSE and by each and all of said major motion-picture companies, and producers association. lATSE USED ILLEGAL CARPENTERS' CHARTER That on April 14, 1945, the lATSE granted an illegal charter to, and organized, its purported carpenters union, 787, to take over said carpenters' work, and on April 14, 1945, acting through said Walsh, directed a letter to all members of said Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 946, and other crafts, confirming said agreement, as follows : "First of all, I want you to know that the International Alliance has reached an agreement with the producers association by which the lATSE will supply all labor to the studios, not only in our crafts which were recognized before the strike, but also in those classifications which have been vacated by the striking unions. The lA assumed this re.sponsibility only after we were certain that it was impossible to reach an honorable settlement with those persons who are conducting this strike against the lATSE. "On Tuesday night of this week a carpenters' local was chartered and is now known as Local No. 787 of the lATSE. On Thursday night the Motion Picture Studio Painters Local No. 788, of the lATSB, was chartered. In addition to these locals, there will be a local charter for machinists and, if necessary, for other crafts. We are proceeding in accordance with our agreement with the producers to man the studios. "As the international president of the lATSE, I assure you that having assumed this jurisdiction, we will stake the entire strength of the international alliance on our efforts to retain it." That a copy of said letter is hereto attached, as exhibit F, and made a part hereof. That pursuant to said conspiracy said major motion-picture companies gave carpenters' work, belonging to the carpentei's of local 946, under their said contracts, to members of said lATSE, and its said illegal local 787. That on or about July 22, 1946, said Walsh admitted that said charter and local 787 were illegal. In his report to the convention of the said lATSE he stated : "We had to issue charters to take care of the work which nobody would take over out there. So in issuing the charters, we got in trouble with the American Federation of Labor. "The executive council of the American Federation of Labor met in the city of Chicago, and they ordered us there because of the fact that we had not complied with their mandate to cease and desist what we were doing in Hdllywood. * * * They again told us to withdraw the charter of the carpenter and the painter, and any other charters that we had illegally issued. "I called an executive board meeting of your executive board, and we decided to comply with that." The above quotations are from said March 8, 1947, Washington hearing of the House Committee on Education and Labor, at page 2857. CINCINNATI AGREEMENT That because of the aggressions of the lATSE against various crafts, and tlie strikes in Hollywood, arising out of tlie conspiracy between the major motionpicture companies and the lATSE against the carpenters and other crafts, and the confusion caused thereby in the industry, it became necessary for the said major motion-picture companies, and producers association, the lATSE, and the Brotherhood of Carpenters, to meet with the executive council of the American Federation of Labor, at Cincinnati, between October 15 and 25, 1945. In that meeting it was agreed, as follows : "1. The council directs that the Hollywood strike be terminated immediately. "2. That all employees return to work immediately. "3. That for a period of 30 days the international unions affected make every attempt to settle the jurisdictional questions involved in the dispute.