PONDERS TAFT-HARTLEY WAL

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FILM INDUSTRY PONDERS EFFECT
OF TAFT-HARTLEY LABOR ACT
Law Has An Immediate
Effect on the Current
Strike in Studios
There is every indication that the Taft-
Hartley labor act. passed by Congress over
President Tiuman's veto this week, will
have widespread repercussions throughout
the motion picture business.
Within 60 days, when most of the specific
provisions of the act go into effect,
the labor relations in the studios, at the
home offices, and in exhibition across th-;
country will undergo their most drastic
change since the Wagner labor act went
into effect a dozen years ago.
UPPER HAND TO PRODUCERS
Its immediate effect is to give producers
a strong upper hand in dealing with studio
unions which have been involved in a jurisdictional
dispute for many months. The new
law. in unequivocal language, makes the
Jurisdictional strike an illegal act. Here the
law is expected to accomplish what almost a
year of continuous negotiations between
unions and producers and conciliators has
failed to do.
The new law prohibits "featherbeddmg,"
eliminates the closed shop, forces unions to
bargain collectively with employers, makes
unions liable for damage suits in jiurisdictional
strikes and for breach of contract,
permits the government to obtain injunctions
again.st unions to stall off a strike for 80
days, and contains a number of other provisions
that will have an effect in employeremploye
relations in the film industry.
There were no immediate comments from
either the film companies or the unions, except
that there was every indication that
interpretations of the law will be many, that
most of them will wind up in the courts for
decision. Various labor leaders, although
none in the motion picture mdustry itself,
already have indicated a desire to test the
provisions in the courts. The year promises
to be one of legal maneuverings in the field
of labor law.
AFFECTS 17 STUDIO UNIONS
The clo.sed shop provision of the law will
affect 17 of the 40 unions m the studios, and
many others in distribution and exhibition.
All contracts which existed on June 23, when
the Taft-Hartley bill became law, continue
until they expire. For 60 days after June 23,
It is permissible to sign clo.sed shop agreements,
but for no longer than one year.
When the 60-dny period is up. no new contracts
with this provision may be signed,
nor may old ones be renewed. All lATSE
projectionists, for Instance, who now hold
closed shop agreements with exhibitors will
not be able to retain this provision after
present contracts are up.
The new law also presents the problem of
Industrywide contractual negotiations, which
have been a pattern In many levels of the
motion picture business. Under the act. a
union may not force an employer to bargain
through an Industrj'wlde a.ssociatlon of employers
If he prefers to bargain by himself.
It probably Is permissible, but cannot be
mandatory.
This happens to be an Immediate problem
facing the American Guild of Variety Art-
Provisions Directly
Affecting Industry
Unions cannot bargain for foremen or
supervisors. This may prevent theatre
managers and other key supervisory employes
from forming unions to bargain
with e.vhibitors.
Unions cannot force an employer to
pay for services not performed. This is
aimed at "featherbedding." It is expected
to strike at such industry practices
as standby orchestras, standby stagehands,
etc.
Jurisdictional strikes are illegal. A
union cannot strike or boycott to force
an employer to assign work to one union
instead of another. This will affect the
current Hollywood studio strike.
Unions are prohibited from restraining
or coercing an employer in his choice of a
union with which to deaL In effect, this
means that a union cannot strike to force
a company to bargain through an industrywide
association of employers instead
of bargaining by himself. This restriction
may affect industrywide contracts
with such groups as the Screen
Actors Guild, Screen Extras Guild, Screen
Publicists, etc., and the studio crafts.
Closed shop clauses will not be permitted
in new contracts. Of the 40 unions
at the studios, 17 have closed shop provisions
in their contracts. This provision
also will concern many of the I.ATSE
contracts now in force throughout the
industry.
Union shop provisions, i. e„ workers
must join the union within a specified
period after being employed, may be
included in contracts only if a majority
of the emplo.ves vote for a union shop
in an NLRB election.
Damage suits may be filed against
unions for breach of contract, jurisdictional
strikes and boycotts. This is a provision
which would allow studios to sue
for damages in the event production was
disrupted in a labor situation as currently
exists on the west coast.
Employes holding executive posts in
unions .seekins recognition must file
affidavits disclaiming membership in the
Communist party or any group favoring
overthrow of the government by force.
Ists, known as AGVA. Matt Shelvey, national
administrative director of the organization,
said that the law may affect pending
contracts covering 20 presentation houses
operated by RKO, Warners, Paramount and
Loew's. Pacts were agreed upon several
months ago, but actual signing was delayed
pending outcome of the Taft-Hartley bill.
Shelvey said the union's lawyers will meet
with circuit lawyers to determine whether the
law prohibits a single contract for several
circuits operating interstate. The union is
prepared to negotiate separate agreements
for each presentation theatre If the decision
Is that clrcultwlde pacts are Illegal.
Unions which will be hard hit by the closed
shop provisions are the lATSE, Associated
Actors and Artistes of America (AAAA), and
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the American Federation of Labor Th
overwhelming majority of these unions a'
of the closed shop variety and the remamd
are union shop.
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Along the home office front, officers or
United Office and Professional Workers
America iCIOt, and its locals, the Sere.
Publicists Guild, and the Screen Office ai
Professional Employes Guild already ha
held meetings in New York to discuss pli
to fight for repeal of the law. and to jo'
with other unions in seeking defeat of co
gressmen who supported the veto. The la
however, says unions cannot spend mon
or make contributions for political car
paigns and one of the points of strateg)-
be discussed is how to provide labor n
financing for its campaign.
NEW COAST DEVELOPMENT
Meanwhile, on the west coast, there wii
second development on the week's lal
front. It concerned the brief probe cc
ducted in Hollywood by representatives
the House labor committee, Congressir,
Carroll D. Kearns and Congressman Irv
McCann. Following their shortlived inu.
gation, the pair returned to Washim:-
promising to return within a month to :
ther propose the possibilities of racketet:
within film capital labor circles and metr.
Whether the enactment of the Taft-Har
bill will make such further probing nece.v
is still to be determined.
While on the coast, the congressmen he
testimony from Pat Casey, retiring ;a
chief for producers: I. E. Chadwick. pr^
dent of the Independent Motion Picture P
ducers Ass'n; Ray Young. Eagle-Uon 1* i
head: Fred Steele. Monogram's studio m* I
ager: Edward Nassour, owner of the Nas*(
studio: Chris Beute, studio manager, h^
tion Picture Center: and Herman Dt
stein. Pine-Thomas business manager.;
Featherbedding Is Out
In New Ohio Labor Act
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COLUMBUS—Featherbedding practice*
theatres, such as standby orchestras a'l
extra stagehands, will be prohibited ua"
terms of the Van Aken labor bill passed.'
the Ohio legislature and awaiting OoTeri
Herbert's signature. Strikes in support) j
such practices are specifically forbidden. 1
"Any strike to compel an employer to
money for services not performed or to f* ,|
employment of any person or persons not
quired, or to use material or equipment,
required by the employer," is forblddec^
this language.
Unfair labor practices of both emplft
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and employes are defined In the bill, i
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ployers are forbidden to interfere Inu
organization, to use the "yellow dog"
tract, to fire workers for filing charges it
the act and to refuse to bargain collect
with union representatives. Employes
forbidden to use violence in picketlnf
engage in illegal picketing: to partld
in sympathy, jurisdictional or sitdownst,
or secondary boycotts: to strike in suppo
featherbedding practices, or to strike to
pel employers to recognize a represent,
not chosen by a majority of the workers
Unions may be sued for injurj' caust
"person or property" by such illegal st
Fines may be levied against imlons If
are found guilty under terms of the i>
8 BOXOFFICE :
: June M.