IATSE-2nd2018_web

More documents

Recommendations

Info

In 1921, the collective salaries of corporate executives, writers, actors, directors, and other creators and managers totaled more than $22 million. The collective wages of all production workers — carpenters, painters, prop makers, wardrobe and others — totaled just $14 million. Yet, of course, it was the lower-paid workers who took the hardest hit. Union leaders met to decide what to do. Actors’ Equity would not agree to a strike, despite winning a big victory on Broadway with the strong support of IATSE members just two years earlier. In July 1921, approximately 1,200 studio employees walked off the job. Many producers seized the strike as an opportunity to shut down production for the rest of the summer and avoid paying expensive salaries to stars. Briefly, the building trades unions and IATSE put aside their differences to fend off the producers’ attack, but their unity could not hold. and picket lines began to be crossed. This strike, and its damaging impact on the smaller studios, contributed to the dominance of a few, powerful studios. Wall Street bankers favored fewer, larger studios as a way of supporting their investment. All this gave the producers even more power, forcing those who returned to work to accept whatever wage rate was offered to them. Adding insult to injury, many of these workers faced horrible working conditions. The laboratory technicians toiled in some of the most dismal environments in the entire industry. Thirty years later, a technician from those days in Hollywood would recall: The expression ‘lab rat’ ... is a mock-title, self bestowed by the [motion picture] technicians themselves. Wrapping film upon racks which were carried by hand and dipped by hand in one tank after another, until developing processes were completed, then winding the developed film onto large, hand turned drums for drying was a far cry from present techniques [in 1954]. With the realization that every day was spent wading in the various solutions or working in the dark, airless rooms with the end of the shift being the completion of the job, then perhaps the phrase ‘lab rat’ will have a little more significance. In August 1921, IATSE won jurisdiction over cinematographers and lab technicians. But it wasn’t until 1929 that a successful contract was negotiated on behalf of these much-abused workers. LABOR IN DECLINE The problems in Hollywood were not unique. Throughout the U.S. in the 1920s, labor was in decline. Union membership decreased by almost two million between 1920 and 1924. All sorts of tactics were used against unions, including red-baiting and charges of being unpatriotic. The “open shop” movement had been revived, with antiunion forces renaming it “the American Plan.” In Los Angeles, with its long history of union-busting, the American Plan was renamed as the “Better American Foundation” and took off with a vengeance. The question had to be asked: Better for whom? Certainly not the workers. Nevertheless, some unions were making progress, most notably California Local 150 — the IA projectionists. Throughout these tough times, IATSE was continuing to fight and it was adapting to changes in the industry and economy. In a vitally important development that would set the stage for later gains, Local 33 was divided into two, with the original Local representing stagehands, while the new Local 37 represented studio mechanics. Three-thousand miles to the East, the Alliance chartered a sister studio mechanics Local in New York City — Local 52. And in 1926 and 1927, camerapeople organized, while 1928 followed with a charter for the laboratory technicians. 24
THE PRODUCERS’ HIRING HALL In 1924, the producers created the Mutual Alliance of Studio Employees (MASE) — a company hiring hall for craft workers and technicians designed to circumvent the theatrical unions. This only added to the difficulties facing the IA workers in Hollywood. In 1925, IA International Representative Steve Newman described the situation: Conditions here are deplorable. We have more men out of work than we have had at any time since we organized. MASE are sending men out every day into the studios… MASE organization has the support of bosses as well as managers of studios, and their representative is allowed to go into any lot at any time. Their [MASE] men are called first and retained when our men are laid off. … Members of the Alliance have been approached by bosses on the lots to sign a long term contract with the company, but must agree to stay on the job in case of trouble and renounce their union affiliation. When they refuse, they are laid off that night. For IA members this was just another form of the yellow dog contract — join the company union or lose your job. ALLIANCE RESPONDS — THE STUDIO BASIC AGREEMENT In the face of such brutal abuse, the Los Angeles unions briefly put aside their differences. The IA and Carpenters Local 1692 signed an agreement restoring prop building and miniature set work to Local 37. In 1926, IATSE signed new jurisdictional agreements with the IBEW, thus stopping cold the producers’ “divide and conquer” strategy — at least temporarily. The Alliance and the other unions threatened to strike. The IA, with its projectionists, had the power to make such a strike truly damaging. On November 29, 1926, the producers and the unions signed the first Studio Basic Agreement — not so much a contract but an agreement to negotiate wages, benefits, hours and working conditions, as well as grievances. The Studio Basic Agreement would become the cornerstone of labor relations in Hollywood and still exists to this day. It was a major breakthrough in Hollywood labor relations — and just in time. The “talkies” were about to burst on the scene, with a whole new field of work opening up to entertainment industry workers. THE MOVIES SPEAK When Al Jolson sang to his “Mammy” in The Jazz Singer ANIMATION AND IMAGINATION The early cartoonists were among the most innovative and creative people working in movies. In fact, some of the most remarkable advances in sound came through animation, and most of these were produced by Walt Disney. The first sound cartoon by Disney was Steamboat Willie, in 1923. The cartoon used Cinephone, the optical sound system, and was remarkable for its integration of picture and sound. Despite these achievements, the cartoonists had to battle the anti-union animosity of the studios and found their early efforts at organizing thwarted at every turn. Finally, after a long struggle, Local 839 was chartered in Hollywood and Local 841 was chartered in New York. The screen cartoonists at last had union representation as part of IATSE. 25
Page 2 and 3: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Matthew D. Loeb
Page 4 and 5: PRESIDENT MATTHEW D. LOEB reflectio
Page 6 and 7: The year is 1893. Grover Cleveland
Page 8 and 9: THE LEGACY OF LEE HART Lee Hart is
Page 10 and 11: order its members to withdraw from
Page 12 and 13: THE FIRST JURISDICTIONAL BATTLES Me
Page 14 and 15: THE MOVING PICTURES When moving pic
Page 16 and 17: at West End Park. The Holland broth
Page 18 and 19: The city became an open battlegroun
Page 20 and 21: never seen before. Steps, ledges an
Page 22 and 23: 22
Page 26 and 27: (1927), Hollywood changed forever.
Page 28 and 29: widely considered the Golden Age of
Page 30 and 31: In the studios, craft workers gaine
Page 32 and 33: The Alliance and a splinter group,
Page 34 and 35: WAR: AT HOME AND ABROAD With the ou
Page 36 and 37: 36
Page 38 and 39: Carpenters, the AFL committee issue
Page 40 and 41: systems set up in many theaters aro
Page 42 and 43: the organizing difficulties when he
Page 44 and 45: AND NOW FOR THE NEWS During this ti
Page 46 and 47: THE STORIES IA MEMBERS CAN TELL As
Page 48 and 49: “AND NOW IN LIVING COLOR” By th
Page 50 and 51: manship of theater-based IA carpent
Page 52 and 53: to start rebuilding its theater com
Page 54 and 55: THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY TRANSFO
Page 56 and 57: acting in a Cinemascope picture was
Page 58 and 59: ALFRED W. DI TOLLA — PIVOTAL LEAD
Page 60 and 61: CENTENNIAL In July 1993, the IATSE
Page 62 and 63: HEALTH AND RETIREMENT SECURITY Prov
Page 64 and 65: pants were primarily projectionists
Page 66 and 67: 66
Page 68 and 69: 4 Local 796 Texas, covering the Hou
Page 70 and 71: GAINING POWER AT THE BARGAINING TAB
Page 72 and 73: DIGITAL AGREEMENT As motion picture
Page 74 and 75:
74
Page 76 and 77:
The work in safety that began in th
Page 78 and 79:
IATSE included George Fern Co., All
Page 80 and 81:
NEW LEADERSHIP RISES The year 2002
Page 82 and 83:
82
Page 84 and 85:
Colorado. Workers at these faciliti
Page 86 and 87:
opportunities in legitimate theatre
Page 88 and 89:
history and culture. Young people o
Page 90 and 91:
coverage with the Producers paying
Page 92 and 93:
track the Hollywood Basic Agreement
Page 94 and 95:
Office. The database has built-in r
Page 96 and 97:
EMPOWERING MEMBERS THROUGH EDUCATIO
Page 98 and 99:
In its first four years, the IATSE
Page 100 and 101:
tainment Safety OSHA 10 class at th
Page 102 and 103:
able, and taking other bold initiat
Page 104 and 105:
AV ESSENTIALS For many years, sever
Page 106 and 107:
A 21ST CENTURY UNION FOR 21ST CENTU
Page 108 and 109:
INTERNAL RESTRUCTURING In, 2012, th
Page 110 and 111:
time staff who work out of the IATS
Page 112 and 113:
112
Page 114 and 115:
Ratifying this wisdom of this strat
Page 116 and 117:
Acknowledgments This special issue
Page 118 and 119:
M 634 SUDBURY/NORTH BAY, ON‐Keith
Page 120 and 121:
S 629 AUGUSTA‐Anthony Capaz, 2312
Page 122 and 123:
M 616 MERIDIAN‐Benny Eggler, abeg
Page 124 and 125:
(216‐621‐9537) (Fax: 216-621-35
Page 126 and 127:
M 141 LaCROSSE‐Peggy Sannerud, ps
Page 128:
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
show all

IATSE-2nd2018_web

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?