As we received an up to date list of addresses from the Local in Hollywood, with this issue we start sending Top Cel to about thirty more service men stationed overseas. Feeling that they are even more interested than we in knowing "what goes" Top Cel made its business from the beginning to include in its mailing list, not only our own members, but the West Coast members overseas. We trust they like our little paper and we hope they let us hear from them. We certainly would appreciate it if they report to us their changes of addresses.
OUR UNION
At our last General Membership the members approved the Executive Board recommended proposed contract for Famous Studios. The main points are basically like Smith's agreement. It is asked seven holiday with pay; 12 days sick leave per year and four months maternity leave with rights accrued. One working day vacation for each month of employment; severance pay at the rate of one day's pay for each month employment. Famous and the Union will agree to set job descriptions and rate ranges. The salaries proposed are as follows:
Head Animators....................$150
Animation I............................ 105
Animation II........................... 85
Assisting................................. 70
Breakdowns............................ 55
(minimum of 6 employees)
Inbetweeners (singles)............ 37.50
Story........................................105
Background Layouts I.............105
Background Layouts II............ 85
Background I........................... 90
Background II.......................... 70
Apprenticeship period of six months
starting at................................. 50
Letterer.................................... 50
Animation Checking............... 57.50
Apprenticeship period of six months
starting at................................. 45
Inking....................................... 37.50
Apprenticeship period of six months
starting at................................. 25
Planning, P&I Checking.......... 47.50
Color Marking.......................... 45
Matching, Special Effects......... 37.50
Paint Technician........................ 75
Paint Dispensary........................ 30
Cel Polishers.............................. 27.50
Film Cutter, Analyst.................. 55
Camera Man.............................. 80
Department Supervisors 50% above
Department Minimum
Negotiations were started officially already. The Committee is composed of President Calpini, John Gentilella, Shirley Knoring and Sylvia Palasky.
A Terry's, the company and the Union have signed application to the War Labor Board for increases to 3 workers, Don Figlozzi, Carlo Vinciguerra and Tony Creazzo.
At Famous, the WLB approved the latest increase of salary requested for 14 workers. Most of them were retroactive to Oct 30. One to Nov 6. (Unfortunately at Terry the increases are not retroactive, being effective whenever the Board gives the approval)
In requesting exemption from income tax, the following information of our operation during 1944 was sent to the proper authority.
Receipts from members:
Dues.........................3,651.47
Initiation Fees........... 693.90
Laywer assessments.. 994.40
TOTAL GROSS INCOME $5339.77
Disbursements
Per Capita tax............1,051.10
Salaries......................2,461.50
Taxes (SS)................. 27.50
Operating Expenses..1,002.63
Debt to Local 852..... 260.00
Attorney's Fee...........1,094.40
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS $5897.13
The Union submitted to the New York Stat Mediation Board "Where on not Wilmuth Stevens (Background artists at Terrytoons) shall be paid at the rate of $37.50 for the period from February 1, 1944 to June 23, 1944 (the last day of her employment with the company). If not, what rate shall Wilmuth Stevens receive for this period?" After considering the facts in the case and reaching to certain conclusions, Mr. Ernest Lenoue, the Arbitrator, made the following award: "Wilmuth Stevens shall be paid at the rate of $37.50 for the period from Feb 1, 1944 to June 23, 1844. The contract shall include the following classification:
Background Tracer...............................29.00
Background Tracer Apprentice............22.00
After Two Months...........24.00
After Four Months...........26.00
After Six Months..............29.00
The General Membership accepted the ruling on it meeting March 13.
That wonderful little booklet that West Coast Cartoonists put for their men in the service is out again. We bought 100 copies for our own members in uniform, and the remnant is for the members that wish to buy them at 10cents a copy. Please place your order with your steward if you want one copy for your service men. you can mail it with one penny within the US and six cents for overseas.
EDITORIAL
We have received a letter from England asking us for information on the West Coast strike. Herb Sorrell, the Hollywood bad boy is again on the war path, and the press makes a good case of the claim. But some of us who were involved in the Disney strike should know that this is another round in the fight to keep gangsters out of unions and to preserve the American right of majority.
We don't expect the daily press to remind us that Dick Walsh, the president of the notorious IATSE is the heir Willy Bioff and George Browne. When these two characters were sent to jail thanks to the titanic work of Herb Sorrell carried out, in Hollywood, Walsh and the International took things easy. They gave their Locals back part of the autonomy Bioff took away (not the thousands of dollars, tho) and they told everyone they were going to be good boys.
That was years ago. People forget easily... There is a war going on, and even the Government freed Bioff and Browne when they turned stooges for the US District Attorney. However, the democratic forces were getting terrific impetus in Hollywood. Not only did the liberals clean up the corrupt Central Labor Council, but Herb Sorrell and the Conference of Studios Unions (of which the Cartoonists in Hollywood are part) were making it tough for Walsh. The IATSE could not afford to wait any longer. Bioff has been out of the picture too long, but it was about time for him to start holding those reins again, although of course, his name would not appear. That's the background. Bioff tying to come into the picture again, and the Producers doing all they could to help.
The details of this fight are simple. Very briefly: The Decorators Union, decided to affiliation with the Brotherhood of Painters, like any other union that has the right to join any group the majority wishes. (In this case 99% of the members) However the Producers did not approve the change and soon the IATSE, out of a clear sky, said it claims that group.
The Producers asked the Decorators to go to the War Labor Board. And a short strike last fall forced the WLB to take action. Finally, at the end of January, an Arbitrator was named. The IATSE ignored the Board and its Arbitrator completely. The Producers played ball, but when the decision was in favor of the Decorators that they had to start all over again, to go to the NLRB! As in the case of Montgomery-Ward, the workers had no alternative, but to make the Board enforce its own decision.
Now, Walsh is in Hollywood offering charters to all strike breakers. (In NY he gave a charter to some office employees in spite of the fact that the AFL in its last convention created and International specially for those worker) The dream of Bioff to have one big union in the movie industry seems nearer. The Producers needed something like that because they know they can trust Willie. It means paying gangsters, but it is cheaper than giving money to the workers.
So nasty Herb Sorrel is still at his fight to make Hollywood a clean place where to work. With the active part the Producers play it is not easy, because the IATSE members, like the cameramen and the lab technicians, are sick and tired of being pushed around and want to help. But their constitution does not allow them. We all hate rackets and crooks in unions. We should learn to recognize a clean leader, and above all, Bioff should never be allowed in the American Labor movement. It is a pity how much money and effort is used to extradite Henry Bridges of San Francisco and the his character is free to enjoy his ranch in California. (Incidently, furnishing and trees, rugs and lamps were presented to him by the grateful Producers) All Disney strikers remember that well.
THE SOUTH. Hot Issue.
The voting rights of Negroes continued to be the hottest issue in the South. Alabama's New Dealing Senator Lister Hill call on his state to "follow the admirable example set by Georgia" and repeal the poll tax. His proposal was 1) cheered by editorialists. 2) ignored by Alabama legislators.
Having taken one step forward by its admirable example, the Georgia Legislature now took two steps back. Up rose greyhaired Senator Roy McGinty to propose that Negroes be permitted to vote in
Democratic primaries. The Senate listened politely. When the vote came, down went McGinty in a solid chorus of Nos.
HEROES. The Honorable Roll.
His home town is ashamed of Frank T. Hachiya, but his country honors him. His was one of the 16 names which the Hood River (OR) American Legion Post struck from the county memorial roll because they were Japanese. Last week Private Hachiya's name was on another roll.
Twenty-five year old Hachiya, who had fought at Kwajalein and Eniwetok, finally landed on Leyte with the 7th Division. On Dec. 30 when a man was needed to cross a valley under fire and scout Japanese positions, Hachiya volunteered. He had worked out ahead of his protecting patrol, when he suddenly staggered with a sniper's bullet in his belly. He emptied his rifle at the enemy and crawled back to the US lines, gave his scout's report. Soon after, Private Hachiya died.
TRADE NEWS
Walter Lantz has inked a five year pact with Whitman Publishing Co. by which firm will print a Cartoon magazine, titled "Walt Lantz' Funnies."
According to "Hollywood Daily Variety" difficulty of retaining girl employed by studios as inkers and painters is proving a serious threat to production of animated cartoons. With minimum for those classifications as low as $30 per week, girls are said to remain only long enough to land a defense job, slowing production and creating a bottleneck because of the necessity of studios training new workers... Producers are said to realize the necessity of upping scales in the lower brackets, and Cartoonist Business Agent Maurice Howard expressed confidence the two groups would get together on minimums. Prod. generally have agreed to go along with procedure established in Disney case.
George Pal is preparing special two-reeler to commemorate 10th Anniversary of his Puppetoons. Short with star Pal's characters Jasper, Rusty, Punch and Judy and will be released by Paramount as a special.
The dialogue and lyrics of "The Lady Said No" Daffy Ditty cartoon now being produced by Morey and Sutherland will be translated into Spanish, French and Portuguese for distribution overseas and Latin America.
War Labor Board has delayed action for three weeks on wage dispute between Disney and Cartoonists Guild. Board decided to postpone action on setting up wage brackets pending receipt of additional information. Decision has already been handed down on conditions.
Production needs and uses of films in education will be the subject of a two day conference of teachers, producers and distributors of educational films at New York University on March 23/24. The Conference is sponsored by the New York University Film Library.
A whole new field for films has been opened through literacy film experiments conducted by the Committee on Inter-American Affairs in Mexico, Honduras and Ecuador. The tests, over a period of months, indicate that the use of literacy films is proving most successful in teaching illiterates to read. Four films produced at Disney studios were used in the test on illiterates more than 14 years old.
"Mouse Trouble" a Joe Barbera-Bill Hanna directed cartoon won the 1944 Academy Oscar.
Through a survey designed to determine if exhibitors are effectively exploiting and publicizing Cartoons, Walter Lantz has learned that 42% of theaters playing his subjects are now plugging them on their marquees and in their newspaper ads. LABOR. Effective Answer. (Time, Feb. 26/45)
When Congress enacted the War Labor Disputes Act in June 1943, it gave the National Labor Relations Board the sole right to conduct the strike ballots. Last week NLRB gave an accounting of its first year's stewardship under the Act's terms. Some findings:
Unions have used the strike ballot to try to force favorable and quicker decisions from Government agencies.
Of the 1,089 strike notices file with the board (726 by AF of L, 156 by CIO. 201 by unaffiliated unions. 6 by individuals), 688 were withdrawn, 232 led to strike votes, the rest were settled otherwise, only 64 resulted in strikes.
In each of the strike ballots, NLRB asked the employees "Do you wish to permit an interruption on war production in wartime as a result of this dispute?" 71% voted yes.
FREE LANCE WORK
Since the General Membership put prices for all after working hours animation, no one has reported to the union to be engaged in the same, not the price being paid. The Executive Board in its last meeting decided that those members engaged or planning to take work, have to notify the Union or have charges made against them. This ruling of course implies only any aspect of animation work whether inking, painting, or handling the work. But before accepting any work, the member should secure the Union's OK.
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