Boxoffice-August.19.1950

:
okay Given fo Walsh
On Local 244 Policy
DETROIT—The lATSE convention gave
unanimous support of the handling of
the Newark Local 244 situation my President
Richard F. Walsh. The problem in
Newark was detailed by Thomas J. Shea,
assistant president. Two members of 244,
Charles Strong and J. Gilligan, took to
the floor to present their side of the
arguments. However, Walsh made it
clear that lATSE will have nothing to do
with the local while it is under superior
court receiver.
At the meeting a recommendation that
delegations from any one local be limited
to ten members at future meetings without
cutting the voting power of the locals was
voted down. This was a recommendation
of the executive board and its reasons
were that the limited delegations would
make it easier to obtain adequate hotel
facilities and help cut convention expense.
Nine large locals, principally in
New York and Hollywood, and about 70
delegates would have been affected by
such a step.
25-Cent Warner Dividend
NEW YORK—Warner Bros, has declared
a dividend of 25 cents a share on its common
stock, payable September 25.
Name Second Arbitrator
In Bridgeport Dispute
NEW YORK—Jay Emanuel of Philadelphia
will be arbitrator in the Bridgeport, Conn.,
clearance dispute which has had its ups and
downs since S. H. Fabian consented to act
as arbitrator early in April and then withdrew
May 3 when two interveners dropped
out of the case.
Now all the other interveners are out, for
reasons which they refuse to state, and the
case boils down to one of the Elmwood Theatre
Corp. operators of the Hy-Way and
Beverly theatres, against Loew's Paramount,
20th Century-Fox, Warner Bros, and RKO.
The original civil suit filed with the U. S.
District Court of Connecticut named Columbia,
Universal-International and United Artists
as other defendants, but they have not
ducted under the auspices of the American
Arbitration Ass'n.
Fabian withdrew when the Strand Amusement
Co., operating eight theatres, and Jack
Schwartz, operating two theatres, failed to
indicate their Intention to participate. He
said then that the theatres not being subject
to "the award of this arbitration, will
then undoubtedly, if dissatisfied, go to court,
so that court action has not been eliminated."
The interveners accepting arbitration at
lATSE Board Studies Six Proposals
For New Distributor
DETROIT—Six important proposals to be
used as a guide in negotiating contracts with
distributors for employes in exchanges were
presented to general executive board of the
lATSE at its convention here this week.
Whether negotiations will be carried on by
the locals or on a national scale is to be
determined in a referendum of the locals.
The working conditions of film exchange
employes came to the fore Wednesday afternoon
when some significant changes in the
demands to be made by the union after the
pre.sent contracts expire were indicated. The
basic question of local vs. national negotiation
was to.ssed up to the general office of
the union, which will conduct a referendum
of the exchange locals. A proposal for each
local to have an option whether it would
negotiate locally or through the national
office was on the floor— this would apply to
all described as "special department locals,"
commonly referred to as "B locals."
An informal referendum has been taken
by President Richard Walsh in the past en
this question, and on each occasion has resulted
in a substantial majority for national
negotiation, and the present convention
moves indicated that the majority sentiment
still favors this practice. There is some
sentiment that "some locals are now capable
of local negotiating which proponents assert
promotes better spirit and understanding between
the locals and the film distributors."
But the strength of those taking this view
will be tested in the poll to be taken.
Contracts
Six important proposals for provisions to
be included in the next contract with distributors
were turned over to the general
executive board for action. While not actually
adopted, they indicate the line of thinking
of individual leaders in the exchange
locals. They are
1. A "logical" pension plan with each distributor
to take care of members "who devote
their entire lives in behalf of distributors."
2. Security of employment through provision
for severance pay of 26 weeks after
five years of service and 52 weeks after ten
years with the same distributor.
3. Simplification of rate scales with only
one minimum scale for each job classification,
in place of the existing rate-range scale.
It is contended that the rate-range type of
agreement has forced a low minimum into
effect for skilled job classifications, and has
resulted in lowering the quality of new employes.
4. Vacations with pay at the scale of one
week after six months of employment, two
weeks after one year and three weeks after
ten years.
5. Prohibition against office managers performing
duties that are considered to belong
to union job classifications; specifically,
booking and cashiering, in exchanges employing
ten or more persons.
6. Pointing out that distributors have "successfully
effected layoffs," the proposal
pas.sed on to the board asks for a 35-hour
w'ork week on a five-day basis. Monday
through Fi-iday only, with all Saturday work
to be paid at time and a half and Sunday
work at double time.
that time were Albert M. Pickus, operator of
the Stratford in Stratford, and the West Side
Amu.sement Co., operator of the Barnum in
Bridgeport. Now they have decided not to be
a party to the arbitration.
Monroe E. Stein of New York is attorney
for Elmwood, Herman M. Levy, general counsel
for the Theatre Owners of America, represents
the other original interveners except
the West Side company, whose attorney is
Herbert O. McDonald of New Haven. None
would say why the dispute has narrowed
down to one of Elmwood against the Big
Five.
The original plan to resort to arbitration
to take the dispute out of the courts was
hailed as a step in the right direction. Fabian
was selected as arbitrator because of his wide
knowledge of the industry. Before that, under
the old court decree, no arbitrator could
be chosen who was associated with the industry.
But it was pointed out that because
the case came into being during the term
of the old AAA three-man appeal board, Fabian's
decision could be appealed to the
board. The same situation holds true today.
The dispute concerns the Hy-Way Theatre,
part of which is in the town of Stratford and
the rest in Bridgeport. Fabian began physical
inspections of the theatres involved April 11
along with attorneys representing distribution
and exhibition. Sam Pinanski, TOA
president, said then, in applauding the selection
of Fabian, that the industry badly needs
"some form of arbitration to take these
things out of the courts . . . TOA is very sincere
about this. I'd like to see all in the
business join in a full discussion. The news
about the Bridgeport matter is an encouraging
move in the right direction." He hoped
for a conference in which all segments of
the industry would participate. Distribution
company heads had replied to a TOA letter
suggesting one. and Pinanski said he had
high hopes of an early conference. It is still
pending, however.
Fabian was to begin taking testimony May
3 at AAA headquarters in New York, but he
withdrew officially on that day. Several days
before, there had been a postponement to a
tentative date of May 17. Fabian remarked
that he still believed that "arbitration can
settle almost all of the disputes that arise
in the operation of our business."
Emanuel has named August 29 as the day
he will make his inspection of the theatres.
W. F. Rodgers 'Flattered'
By Ben Marcus Mention
NEW YORK—William F. Rodgers, MGM
vice-president and general sales manager,
said Friday (18) he had been flattered to
hear that Ben Marcus, president of the Allied
Independent Tlieatre Owners of Wisconsin,
had suggested him as head of a proposed
new system of arbitration boards.
Rodgers said he hadn't been approached directly
on the matter, and that if he was, he
would have to decline because he is under
contract to MGM.
BOXOFFICE :
: August 19, 1950 N 35