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 2205 I do not issue this as a challenge. I issue it as a goodwill invitation. And with it I ask this good Congress, and this good committee, to take note that the locked-out carpenters of Hollywood, as clean and wdiolesome and patriotic a body of citizens as exists in this, our good country, are ready, willing, and anxious to have their rights determined by th© proper constituted authorities and to be governed thereby. Now, Mr. Owens, at another point in the record, made a number of inquiries as to why the parties hadn't gone to court. I am sorry I cannot point to those particular questions now so as to quote the language of the good Congressman, but I will do so in the written brief to be filed. Wliy haven't the parties gone to court? Why hasn't industry permitted itself to be in the position that prevails today? Wliy has the lATSE permitted itself to be in the position it is in today? They haven't sought a court interpretation of the contracts; they haven't sought a court interpretation of the October 1945 directive, nor of the December 26, 1945, decision of the three-man committee, nor of the clarification by this committee of August 16, 1946, nor of the interpretation by the executive council, as I recall, of April 21, 1947. I am happ3' to inform the committee, however, that the law-abiding, locked-out carpenters of Hollywood do not hold themselves above the l?.w of their country. It was my privilege and honor to represent these wholesome workingmen in the first labor case of ni}^ life, Mr. Chairman. I have never been a labor lawyer, but for 45 years in the law practice I have had a sense of justice, a sense of right, a sense of respect for the laws of my country, and a belief that there is no wrong that cannot be righted by proceeding properly in the courts of the United States. Mr. Landis. Mr. Chairman, I wonder if the gentleman would yield at this point ? Mr. Cobb. Yes, indeed ; Mr. Landis. Mr. Laxdis. You have mentioned the locked-out carpenters several times. I understand there are some carpenters working on the job. I understand the carpenters gave an ultimatum they were not going to work on the "hot" sets and in order for the producers to keep in business the}^ went to another union to hire men and carpenters to do the work. I would like you to go into that lock-out business a little more, if you will, and tell me how it is a lock-out. I cannot see how it is a lock-out. Mr. Cobb. I thank you, Mr. Landis, and I will be happy to do so. May I ask that I come to that in an orderly way ? Mr. Landis. That will be all right. Mr. Cobb. I am not avoiding it; I appreciate the question by you, sir. Mr. Landis. That will be all right. Mr. Kearns. At tliat point, the thing to determine is whether the men working as carpenters were men of local 946. Mr. Cobb. I shall answer that, sir. Mr. Landis. I understand some of those carpenters can get a job if they go to the studio and make application for a job. Some of them have been taken off and some have not. Perhaps they have been thrown out of that carpenters' local after they have taken a job, but I would like to have that explained. I think it is very important. Mr. Cobb. I am very grateful to you for asking that question, because 67383 — 48 — vol. 3 45