The motion picture projectionist (Nov 1931-Jan 1933)

October, 1932 Motion Picture Projectionist 23 Will Dual Unionism Survive? THERE are other industries besides motion pictures in which dual unionism has got a foothold. But whereas it. is a recent development in the film industry other industries have had to cope with it for many years. It is gratifying to know however that nowhere have unofficial unions become strongly established and their existence has always been precarious and short-lived. If the lessons of the past are to be taken as an indication of the future, then dual unionism in the projection field will wane as rapidly as it waxed to its present position. As a matter of fact much of the alleged strength of these unrecognized "unions" is exaggerated. They live chiefly in the newspapers and in conversation. Except for several large cities they are practically unknown throughout the country. They come to life and eke out their brief existences chiefly in days of economic depression. Very little is known of them in periods of prosperity. For the same reason they die off quickly as soon as economic well-being makes itself felt again. They are mushroom growths that cling feebly to loose soil and are ripped out with little exertion. Hysteria brings them to the fore; calmness shoves them aside. Will Not Live Long Their birth, full-grown, so to speak, is the cause of their rapid decline. They lack the firm foundation, the will to live, the accumulation of experience, the feeling of loyalty to their class that comes from long sacrifice and suffering in the attainment of an ideal. Laboring men who have never sensed their common cause with others who toil in the factories and shops and theatres, too, cannot be depended on to cling long to any association. They are not too individualistic, they are merely drifters, mentally and physically, and in the passage of their lives they will be found in many trades and many professions, gleaning no more than a moderate livelihood at any time. Directly contrasted with this type is the union member who joined to reap the advantages which numbers and solidarity alone can give him. In payment for these advantages he is prepared to make many personal sacrifices. He gives willingly a portion of his pay to support the organization which works for his welfare. He is prepared to suffer with it in bad times because he expects to benefit by it in good. He is prepared to go long stretches without work if necessary. But above all else he has a strong feeling for official unionism. Some call it class consciousness. Whatever its name it is certainly an appreciation of his position in the economic system in which he lives and a readiness to wage a life-long fight to achieve and maintain better working conditions and better remuneration for his work — both for himself and for those who will follow after him. It is a silly business at this time to offer an apology for unionism as we By FOLGER STUART understand it today. Long before our times it came to be accepted as a fixture in the economic world. There are employers the world over who will employ only union labor. It is not an exaggeration to say that should unionism be dissolved overnight, industry would be in chaos in twenty-four hours. That is true because competence is as much a requisite of union membership as any other qualification. I know of no A. F. of L. union for example that does not count among its members the most experienced and the keenest workers in its field. These members are not new to the organization. They have worked long in their professions and can be depended on to work efficiently and expeditiously. New members go through long apprenticeships before they are qualified for full membership and are sent out to do responsible work. The most outstanding examples of this are the typographical unions. They have their own schools where young men are trained carefully for the jobs in which they are ultimately to supplant their elders. As a result you will find many print shops which employ union labor and pay the union scale or even higher despite the fact that they do not carry the union label. Conversely, unaffiliated unions spring up only in those trades where competence and skill is not necessary. While I have no record of any unofficial unions among teamsters or chauffeurs, it is easy to see that they would gravitate into such occupations first. Yet even here they are at a decided disadvantage in the minds of many employers. Men who belong to recognized organizations are responsible people. The organization assumes a responsibility for them, vouching for their character and honesty. Employers have a feeling of confidence in such employees. Projection Needs Skill Now in the projection field competence and skill are necessary to a very high degree. In addition the work requires men who have resourcfulness, initiative and a calmness in the face of danger. Such qualifications are imperative, for example, in case of fire. Again, reverting to the need for skill and competence, it needs those who have a thorough understanding of projection equipment because it is costly and delicate. Railroads entrust passenger trains only to engineers who have spent years in training in the service. That is why most of them are generally men around middle age or past. It is not the strength of the railroad unions alone that has made them so fixed in the railroading world. Imagine any railroad system entrusting its passengers to untrained men ! Projectionists, while they are in the projection room, have the fate of millions of people in their hands nightly. They are handling equipment that costs many thousands of dollars. A sudden breakdown, even without seri ous injury to audience or equipment, paralyzes the show and cuts out all revenue. That this fact is recognized is seen in the policy of all the big theatre circuits which employ only members of the regular A. F. of L. projection unions, because in these theatres skill and competence is at a premium. A projectionist who exhibits the slightest unfamiliarity with his work has short shrift in these big enterprises. It is therefore a phenomenon of singular importance that the motion picture industry has offered a field of operation for these unofficial organizations. It can be explained of course by the times. In the first place almost all sections of the picture field have attracted people of all kinds because of the reputedly high salaries. Projection has been no exception, though any impartial and thorough nation-wide survey would reveal a general wage scale no higher than is in force in any other industry that demands skilled workers. In fact the wage scale as a whole is lower than it should be. Strength in Unionism It is an axiom of unionism that its life and strength depends on keeping the greatest portion of its membership working — and thereby content. Obviously, it must limit its size to the absorbing capacity of the industry in which it exists. To enlarge its membership to include all applicants would soon result in most of its members being unemployed and that way lies the breakdown of the organization. A union must refuse to take in more than it can reasonably keep employed, just as employers cannot employ more than they need to function efficiently and continue to thrive. In good times those who have applied to projection unions for membership and have been turned away have generally found employment in other fields. But today with the hue and cry for more economy, salaries have borne the brunt of all economy moves until they have reached the level below which lies inefficiency and incompetence. Theatre managers have taken advantage of the depression to insist on such low salaries as to make the employment of regular union men impossible. It is in such a situation that non-union men have found easy going at the moment. But this situation cannot long survive. Dual unionism is doomed today as it always has been. Future issues of the Motion Picture Projectionist will carry a more detailed analysis of dual unionism.