Variety (May 1937)

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VARIETY PICtURES Wednesday, May 5, 193-7 Holywood Peace Foreseen Tins Week; Players-Studios in Accord (Continued from page 1) far as wbrkirig conditions and. wages, for bit pliayers go, but will balk at declairirig Unloh-shop for' the actors. Protiucers. take the stand- that they %ill big glad, to arbi- trate any differences but could hpt grant' the closed shop as they have a contract with the Acaderiiy, which has another year to riin, and that they v^ould under no circumstances walk out on the con'tractuai agree- ment, feeling that th? Academy con- tract 5(ow in use by studios js an. okay talent .deal. Studio tJtility Employees joined' the strike Monday (3) but their pliaces had been filled by men- with lATSE cards before- the walkout' actuialiy becalne'' effective. M&ny of the Wqrkersi^were 'recruited from the ranks .of the SUE, All picket; lines at studios' ^ar« noticeably thi.' Ing, tefiectihg' 9 falterinig attitude"* ol thd strikers; Offifcials of the Lite?ftation^l, A1-. liahce'b^^tlieatS■i(ial^S^ge Empi^^ Busy ' passing'^'ouf* caifds ■ to inters, scenic artists, niakeup men and have se^'ved hptice''.on studio . utility. employeis to h&vie the catrds. by Thursday (6) or they will not be allowed . to worlc'.. MoSt-workers oU fered the lA; cards are .reported ac:- cepting^'them. The strikers committee " has: called a mass • meeting - to -which the pOblic has been, inyited "folr tonight (4) in the American Legion stadium, in HoHywood. Move 'is seen as a id fo^ public Sii^port, , "- . Early end to the walking was seen. when carpenters and actors refused to stHke, Abe Mliilr, cJirpenters '* + ternatiohal v-p; ibid members that their ideal and the interniational of-' fleers: had. negotiated and signed: a contract with .the producers. He said members: should . adcept. this agreement^, and tjiat if they were not satisfied with it, :Ui<^y should ask the international to reopen, negotiations with ,the .. producers and < sei^^ to aihehd the existing, .cphtract. tTnderstanding is that the-interna^: tional will be petitioned to alter the present arrahgements. with pro- ducei;s and that carpenters Will iseek tp ieclaiiA a 10% wage, boost, they Ipjst, last year when; pay of pther (brafts in basic.agreement was hiked. 'Shortage of manpower and finances were repprted. making it di icult for strikers to throw out eif- fective picket lines. Strike leaders expected moiral . and mphetary id from .aptprs and carpenters. When.it was npt fprthcpming they were at a loss to s^clirer funds. In the nxean^ time the IATSE ipxpai^(j(ed itis juris- diction in the ind^^&ry, iiisujihg Vork cards to laborers, painters, miake-rup and scenic artists. Strike vote by the Screen Actors' Guild 'was delayed oiie week fplr lowihg the meeting Sunday niftht in Hollywood Legion Stadium, attended by 2,500 film players. Resolution for- bidding members to replace striking makeup artists and hair dressers was adPpted.. Crpssing of jpicket lines was lef t'_ td the discretion' pf . individuals. Leaders, we^^e directed to, wash up nejgbtiatip.ns with producers for rec- ognition and union shop by May d^, MaJPrity of, members favored not crossing picket li although ho vote was taken. Meinbers were, read a letter from Pat''.Casey announcing fprmatioh. of a cpmmittee to negotiate with the Guild hot later. than 5 p;m. Wednes- day (5).. Meihbers gave unanimous apptPyal tp the Giilld's-demainds for fecdgriitipn, union .shop, wiige in- creeise; iot[ extras, bit ^players, small comract players;: revisioh ^pf single pictur^] contracts, ' 12 hours'' notice of cancellation studio calls« improved working conditions and hbiirs . for contract , players, free-lanici and extras. Activities of assistant .directors eame in for considerable discussion atid curbing their authprity ..will be ■ demanded^ Another geheral memr bei-ship; meeting scheduled fbr May'9, ]'n; the Legion Stadium, wheh the final report' Will be maide to the'member- ship. Vbte will then be taken whether strike actibri will become necessary and oii (jiiestion of affiliat- ing; with the Federated Motion Pic-, ture CfaftSk Any- jstrlke pi'd^r would requii^e' a 75^ vote, and a 60% vbte necessary lor FMFG alignment Th« senior;'Screen Actors'^ Gull^^hbs a mertibeirship ht 1,200, with a junioi' rositer'wellinff the total' to 5i.«00. JS^tdi bailot is required under -thiB-' CrUild Constitution Several leaders cautioned against any hasty :strike call, as such action at this time wPuid. allow them no appeal, tp the" National Labor Relations Board should the negbtiatipns eoUiapsei, Robert Mohtgomery presided at the meeting Suhday and addressed , the membership from the platform. .Other speakers were Frank Morgaiii and Kenneth Thpmspn, executive secre- tary of the S.A;G. Strike Stymies Avdish HbllywpPd^ May 4. Parampunt's special tialeht ; review ran iptp the strike—and folded be- fore opening. . ♦ Sixty flash and specialty acts were to be runoff, before studio execs, on 9, spiecially built stage* BRIT7W"MEN .Strike call for the Brotherhood Pf Painters, DecPratprs , & Paperhang- ers.. of America : was issued by Charles Lessing at 2;20: p.m; last Friday (30), effective at the end of the .6 p.rn, shifts, and nearly two and a half hourS: irfter the'12 o'clock deadline given producers in which to grant recognition and union shop to the crafts.. Painters, make-up artists, hair dressers; draftsmen and scenic artists were -notified by tele- phone to, quit, at 6 pjn, awd to report to headquarters, for pieket assign- ments'. The 'walkout ojfdeX. Was^ mjsunder-' stbpc^ at -United .: Artists and braft. members quit . imiriediately. Th6 other eight major studios/where walkout order wajS.'no.5ted^ are Hal Roach, -Wjlrnersj ■ Universal, • Paria-i mount, Metro, , RK6> 20tb-Fox and ColUmbi Picket lines; were tetablished: In f ronti 6.1. the- studios .at -6" a jn. Satuc-. day (1)' krtd members of -various crafts affiliated with the new Fed- erated Mbti6n Picture .CraftSj organ-, ized by tessi were requested not to cross the'pickbt lines. Memljers of $tudio .Utility Employes, Local 724, were ordered by their business representative, I'f'C. Helm, not to cross the. lines.. Statiphary engineers, plumbers .and cpbks^also .refused, to cross the lines. Several volunteered for picket dufy» While, the stri. . order applied Only to .studip painters, makerup artists, hairdressers' and scenic- ar tists, . leaders - claimed nearly -3,000 were idle, including. Uhionvmen who would hot cross picket lines. This niimber was disputed by the produc- ers, who "said many pf the workers had refused to heed the strike order and had crossed the picket lines tp report for work. Extra!s As Hairdressers Studios dispatched calls for aux: iliary. make-up , artists and extra girls were. enlisted: as haiirdressers. Producers claime.d .the situation was well in. hand and that the strike would liot'interfere with production schedules. iStrike leaders said it would re- quire several days to get the picket lines firmly established; that pickets would be placed in .froht of all the- atres, and that productiPn wpuld be at a standstill in less than a week if the strike continued that long. Members on locatipn . were wired transportation, by uhioii leaders Sat- urday and instructed to return at once. Paramount- postponed a loca- tion trip to Catalina Island Saturday (1),. but' the p'rodubtioA manager said delay was npt caused by the strike. Extra police were on duty S)t.all studios, but, the early picketing, was orderly. The strike order had hardly reached the studios when the inter hatibnai Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, member of the producer, labor, basic agreement; moved in and offered work cards, and. free initia tlort to strikers who preferred tp re main at work. ■ More than 300 iaborers, a^liated with the SUE, Local 72i4, were initi- ated and given wage boosts frpm 60 cents per hbur'to'82%« cents. They were iven rating of Class B jgri lATSE Steps In lATSE also offered work permits and immediate wager boost to paint- ers, make-Ups' and haiirdressers Who Would join brganization immediately instead of heeding strike call. Many were signed up before leaving lots, especially iat 20th-Fo;c and Metro. lATfiE leaders indicated their men would ignpre the picket lines and said prganization Was ready to take oyer all wotk done by the strikers. Painters were;-offered bbost from $7 tP $7.70' per day^ With, similar hikes for 'other drafts. lAT'SE was; co- operating With producers to keep production movinjgi ; Strike followed demands of crafts afiRliated With FMPcJ tbr immediate recognition and union, shop. ' The' producers, through Pat Casey, 'Wbor Lpndpri, April 26. Strike action is threiateniwi by film printing and laboratory employees through their labpr. union, ^he Asso- ciation bf Cine^Technici ; i^PVi*^ has been in progress several months ph general cpnditipns 'and hburs pf wprki but . r the companies have col.iecti\^ely agreed to refuse hego-! tiations of any ' Repeated requests by'A-C./T;. have i^et wit^ either 'profcraktinatlbh or blank refiiisal, iand' f'ecii'ritly'relatib^s' were additipnalll^' sti^lhed" by''far- ther pTpposals "Of piWdudeYs; labbra^ tpry cpmpanieS'ahd .others, tb form a trade - associatiPh fp^ pirptection of their interestsi A. C. T. reply to this is a definite threat of .Withdrawal of labor and a manifesto now'issued states: 'The as- sociatibn will not hesitate to enforce any mandate frpm its members if. emplpyers insist bn theiir present un- fortunate attitude: It sincerely tirusts, however, the laboratory companies will not fbrce a labor dispute, upon the' film industry, but will foUoW the. "example of emplpyers of- labor in aimpst aU other important indus- tries and recognize' and negotiate with the tride Union representatives pf their .eniployees.' Reference to a maindate indicates a resolution passed by ballot of members with a 90% majprity sup- porting strike . action, if necessary. Strength of A. C. T. threat may set immediate testing, as all heWsreel units, with the Cprohation immedi- ately ahead, are processed by af- fected cpmpanies. A stoppage of woi:k at this time might prov^ disas- trous from that point bl view. General deriiands of employees , in- ' elude 44-hour Week pf five and, pne- half days, with adequate nieal breaks and limitatibn bf continuous Work- ing, adjustment of salary rates on general:basic Wage bf $17>50.a week, together .with recogni^^ed overtime and night work rates.;- ' ' H^i^lits of fa H w ood Strike Collapse of the FMPC walkout was foreseen late last night as picketing dwindlcA and lack of support by tbe lATSE and the SAG further weakened the FMFC eauie^ Laat niffht was ler* hour for the meeting between » producers' ooinnilttee, ehalrmfthcd by Joe Schenck and Including Eddie Manhix, Hal Wallls and Sam Brlskln; to m^^^ with the Scrieen Actors' Giiild Committee, consisting of Robert MOntgoiUery'* Kenneth Thomson, Franohot Tone and Anhrey Blair. Screen Actors Guild's vote on a walliout with, and kctlve support •f^ the Federation of iaotion Picture Crafts? demands, has been post> -poned until next Sunday^ (9). In the. Holly wood Legion Stadium where the first SAG meet was held this past Sunday; Fat Casey, labor conoiliator for the producers, opines the situation Is 'satisfaetory* and doesn't think the Walkout threat Will spread. /on distribution Warner Bros; and lOthrFox alone haVe. any appre* elable advance alignment of pictures.. Others, due to this past wiii-' . ter's Holly wood epidemic of colds, etc.; are behind In. their contracted delivery of product. An average of 35% of promised pictures imust yet be delivered* Theatre operators are faced' With heeessHy of reverting: Immedi- ately to single-billing Of features if Hollywood labor troubles curtail releases. Film exchanges, are dusting oif single reels, long idle for lack of playing tiime; In case .fll^^^ CONVENTIONS FORCED' BACK TO N.Y. BY STRIKE? . Repbrts to home, off ices, of picture (Companies planning, to hold .annual sales, conventions ,in Los Angeles- werfe that any spread :of San Fr'ah-, ^isco's: hbtel: strike to, L. A. itiight (jauSe several ' c'bmpaiiiesi" lb*' me'et elsewhere. If so, sessions would shift from .L.-A. tb:N. 'Y^:.' ' ^■:-' '- GiHihore DidnH Make H'wood Hop After All rank Gillmore was scheduled to plane to Hollywood. Saturday . (1) to address Equity members there, many of Whpm belpng tp the .Streen Actprs Guild. After talking by' teler phPne tp the Cbiast Friday night, the trip Was called because of the SAG sessibh Sunday; General -Equity, meeti the Coast for discussion, purposes was set back for about two weeks. Gillmore may attend then'although he will be present .'during the American Theatre Council convention dated for May 24. Costumers on Own HpliywPbd, May 4; Associated Motion^ Picture Cos- turners' local has delayed fpr one. Week a vote ..of its members on af- filiatipn With the FMPC. Costumers opened sepiarate hego- tiatibns Tuesday With Pat Casey for ■producer recognition and approval of Wage scale wprkifijg?^<St)ndit^ons, 'etc. '- ' " "''i k ' Labor la An Slow Biz contact; offered to negotiate these demands, but asked that wage scales and' working conditions be debated, at the same time.. Union leaders re- fused, stati wages and working conditions would be negotiated lifter the producers had recognized the, crafts and granted a union shop. Casey's Persuasion Fails Casey called Lessing and other strike leaders to his office .at 5 p.m. Friday in ah effort to halt the threatened strike, but the men marched out after one niinute and a half, refusing to call :off the strike unless their demands w^re met ini- mediately. While br seven small crafts have . officially aligned with the federiation, others ha.ve not sub- mitted the question to a -membei'ship ■vote. ^ '■ Uhdeif the constitution pf the FMPC each prgahizatibn Would re-, tain its autonomy but would hot. ne- gbti contract that w.puld be detrimehtal to the other- or^ahiza- tion. The FMPC would act in a supervisory capacity and in ah emergency, could call for united ac- tion by all: thember crafts. Constitution adopted by the affili-r ated'crafts wo^ld invest the execu- tive secretary with the authority to function as cpptdinatPr and solie rep- resentati've of the FMPC in all busi- hess relations with the producers^ A provision has also been made in the setup for each' local-union-to paiy into the treasury each month a per capita tax, computed on basis of ac- tual expense in maintaining the. or^ ganization and $100 esich month for an emergency fund. Charles Lessing has been, installed as the tentative head pf the *grotip. Voting power in the FMPC would be on the basis of. bne delegate for each 100 membership up tp 1,000, ^ith an additibnal delegate 'fpr each .250 members after that Officers WPuld 'be elected for one" year," with excep tion of the executive secretary, who Would serve for. twq years.. Lessing has . already been tentatively se- lected for the post of executive sec- retary, rganizatiPns Which have either jpined or signified their intention, to align with the FMPC are the paint- ers, makeup artists,, hair dressers, scenic artists, draftsmen, machin- ists, plumbers, cooks, stationary en- gineers, molders, sheet metal work- ers, laborers, blacksmiths, sheet iron wprkers and riggers and Screen Actprs Guild. 18,000 Workers Unaffected All of the crafts are outside the basic agreement, and have npt been recognized by the producers^ Nearly 18,000 studio' workers in the . basic agreement are not affected by the strike order. These organizations include the carpenters, lATSE, elec- tricians, musicians, arid chauflfeurs and truck driyersi ' The paintei-s Wera invited tb join the basic agreement, but refused be- ciaiuse offer did not include makeup artists, hair dressers .and scenic art- ists. Producers, also offered to in- clude the SUE, Local 724, in the basic agreement, but gave this union 30 days to adjust the jbb dispute with the lATSE. The lATSE claimed Work done by laborers on film productions should be handled by grips. When line of demarcation . could nbt be agreed upon, the lATSE an nbunced it .Would take over all the Wbrk done by. SUE members and started : issuing Class 1^ work cards. The SUE, Lpcal 724, appealed tp the National Labpr Relations Board but 'Dn Towne. Nylander, regional di; rectpr, refused to entertairi 'a juris diction dispute unless speciflcially directed to do so by the NLRB members in Washington. Charges bf SUE leaders that men were "being coerced into joining the LATSE "have been forwarded to Washington tor decision. .•, Paris, ^P'"^!. Soiling poi of Jkipr trpu^ies ha^ bubbled Pver plenty causie lossiSf incpnyeni.entes and un- eertaintyi tarting .with a strike .which tied up cinemas and music halls .for twb days,., causing . an- estlmated loss .bf $65,000, the musicians union pulled a lohg-facfe effectively enough to get all the night clubs closed for night' a W^l^ and how Wiaiters i cafes and, restaurants and hotel em- ployees kre threatening to walk, out -H)r sit. in-r-imless. they get a 40- hour week. .Settlement pf the flirst strike is-go- ing tp cut down profits to a still thinner margi for theatres and cinemas, already bperating under an alrnoist overburdensome tax. Agree- nient with the musicians is going to. shut out one night's profits entirely and if the waiters get what they Want cpsts of operation WiU take an- other jump. On the other hand, the Union bf Hotel Managers has cbuntered with the threat that, if they are forced to grant a 40-hour week to aU em- ployeesj 'they will close their estab-. lishments. This tensity, which threatens .flare into open conflict in .the near future, is heightened by a threat by cinema, mahagers to close their doors just before the/-expo opens, unless the government grants them relief froni high taxes. Westmare's lOG Pamage Hollywood, May 4*. Major strike violence pccurred Monday ' night . ; when , five . men slugged the watchman of thje West- mbre beauty salpn in, HPllyWood and poured creosote over rugs, drapes and other, furnishings for a Ipss estims^ted at arpund $10,000. Westmbre brpthers said they re- ceived threats because of refusal, jpin walkout bf ihakeup artistis. Another act bf, sabptage .detected.; by the pplice during the union squabbles Was the evidence pf sugai' having been pPured intb gas tanks pf cars located around RKO studios; Mixture fprms a corroding acid and just about wrecks motpps. lemands. Denver, May With 24 new members, the hew Denver Filnf" Emj^lbyes Union, is now 66 strongs Organizers plan to organize emplbyes iU: theatres. Memberis, pf the linibn ha:ve met with miahiagers of the ejcchanges,-and terms were discussed. Wages asked by the union include head shippers, $35; assistants, $25; head inspectors, $22; other inspebtPrs, $20, Wellesley's Union OK ' London, April 20, Letter from'Gordon Wellesley. of Fanfare Pictures, to the Association of Cine-Technicians states produc- tion creW of 'The High Command; fejTiurin^ Lionel Atwill, was alrrio.st li)0% union.