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 2193 Exhibit H Chicago, Illinois, December 20, 19'f5. In conformity with the Executive Council directive handed down during the Cincinnati meeting, October 15-24, 1945, the special committee arrived in Hollywood, California, early in December. The directive carried specific instructions, reading : "International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada — Brotherhood of Painters. Decorators and I'aperhangers of America — United' Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, et cetera. Hollywood studio union strike and jurisdiction controversy : "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 thirty days the International Unions affected make every attempt to settle the jurisdictional questions involved in the dispute. "4. That after the expiration of thirty days a committee of three members of the Executive Council of the American I'ederation of Labor shall investigate and determine within thirty days all jurisdictional questions still involved. "5. That all parties concerned, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, the International Association of Machinists, the United Association of Plumbers and Steam P^'itters of the United States and Canada, the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Work ers of America, and the Building Service Employees' International Union, accept as final and binding such decisions and determinations as the Executive Council committee of three may finally render." All parties agreed to accept the decision of the committee and to be bound thereb}'. Through committee arrangements made prior to arrival all organizations involved in the dispute participated in the initial meeting held Monday, December 3, 1945. A definite method of procedure was agreed upon and there was unanimity of opinion on the plan established. Exhaustive hearings were conducted by the committee and a complete transcript, together with various exhil)its w^re included in the record. Representatives of the Unions involved adhered to the following schedule: Tuesday morning, December 4, 1945 — Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America. Tuesday afternoon, December 4, 1915 — International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers of America. ^^'ednesday morning, December 5, 194.5 — United Association of Pluml>ers and Steam Fitters of the United States and Canada. Wednesday afternoon, December 5, 1945 — Building Service Employees' International Union. Thursday morning, December 6, 194.5 — International Association of ^Machinists. Thursday afternoon, December 6, 194.5 — United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Friday, December 7 and Saturday afternoon, December 8, 1945 — International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada. On Saturday morning, December 8, the committee, along with one representative of each International Union listed in the Executive Council directive, visited the Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The committee investigated and insiiected all phases of the work jurisdiction in dispute through questioning the participants and reviewing completed work and items in the process of development. The investigation revealed that a large poi-tion of the work has been in dispute over a long period of years. Records supplied from the files of the American Federation of Labor, including numerous agreements previously entered into, were made the subject of committee examination and study. A number of International Unions not included in the Executive Council's directive requested permission to set forth their jurisdictional claims in the Motion Picture Industry. All such requests were denied and only those Unions listed in the original directive were included in the committee explorations and findings.