[HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES OF THEATRICAL STAGE EMPLOYEES UNION]

[Music] ladies and gentlemen of the alliance you have been in the habit of seeing this bug stuck away in a corner on credit cards of every Motion Picture This is one production in which the Ia bug is featured our Insignia represents a half century of struggle sacrifice and service truly we can be proud of it Mr Walsh Mr Dan Tracy calling from Washington yes sir I have Mr Walsh for you go ahead please hello Dan how are you what's on your mind I see you have a problem there yes I'll drop over to Washington next week and we'll see if we can't take care of that it's been nice hearing from you I'll be seeing you and in case you see Scott give my regards so long now so you think you've got problems eh I don't seem to know you my name is Williams John G Williams I was the first president of the alliance I was elected in 1893 H card number one local number one New York it's a pleasure meeting you brother Williams say this is great the first president of the alliance and uh but I thought that you and you were right I left this Earth some years ago Mr Walsh dick is the name dick thank you well sir was the longest road tour I ever took I had told St Peter about the that pink contract we got after the Peoria convention that I was supposed to be sent back to where I came from and then a sleeper too but uh St Peter just smiled at me I can understand that yes sir we've got a pretty good local up there we're all fllying now well brother Williams I'm glad you dropped uh down would you have a chair well thanks I haven't got long you see where putting on a benefit show for some of the Fallen Angels now don't let a problem or two worry you dick our path is strewn with them I remember back before the alliance was organized it was 1886 the stage hand of yester year like the actor worked untiringly in the belief they had in the future of the theater the stage hands were paid the Magnificent sum of 50 cents a show and they carried in and out for nothing the electrician of today was the gas man of that era there were miles of pipes in the theater they were lit by the sandbox which ground out a spark to ignite the gas and the gas man was no better paid than other stage hands even with the price of pork chops AT3 lb for 25 and eggs at 26 for a quarter and the still was the land lady who wanted her rent and 50 cents a show didn't go very far in 1887 the people's theater on the Barry introduced electricity it was the first theater to be equipped with it of course they had to generate their own juice but uh that was before you became an electrician dick a few years anyway Martin Krueger of the Chicago opera house built the first AR lamp our boys made valuable contributions to the art of lighting the Carpenters improved the technique of building sets and still they were paid starvation wages the stage hand had to take odd jobs to keep himself alive and to support his family he realized that if he could get a dollar a show and 50 cents for carrying in and out then he'd be sitting pretty so the first strike of the stage craft took place in 1800 88 one of the theaters affected was the Academy of Music strike Breakers were brought in the strike itself was the shortest in [Music] history Lewis James the famous tragedian unwittingly helped the cause as he was saying to be or not to be that is the question whether it is nobler in the mind to St I'm sorry Mr James terribly sorry when the regular stage hands come back Mr Gilmore I'll go on with my performance and not before my life is worth more than this engagement so we got our dollar a show and 50 cents for carrying in out but this increase only benefited the stage hand in one locality others still received the 50 cents a show and in some instances 25 cents and those who went with Road companies had another problem and that was getting home this is probably the reason why so many of our members have inherited fallen arches the Chicago World's Fair played an important part in the formation of the National Alliance from every key City came theatrical mechanics and viewpoints were exchanged the boys had organized in various parts of the country but were not satisfied with their progress we all realized that great benefits would be derived from and through a National Organization our first Convention of the alliance was held in Elks Hall at 27th Street in Broadway New York City on July the 17th 1893 we only had 16 delegates but it was a start anyway Brothers will the convention please come to order brother chairman I make a motion that each local be assessed $2.75 to pay the expense of printing the bylaws brother chairman I move we should lay $100 aside for current expenses brother chairman we owe the sum of $11 for special services I make a motion that each local pay a dollar a piece what a chairman I moved to be by tyy what do you want to do bankrupt the alliance but of course we had more important business to discuss dick but then everything was important to us you boys deserve a lot of credit but no one man or group of men can take vows for the success of the IIA but at that first convention there was one man present who did his share H he sure did I never saw such a hustler yes sir Li M Hart carried the IIA in his pocket and our loyal forces struggled desperately in the face of overwhelming odds and the cause and the sacrifices at times seemed almost hopeless but our boys fought on undaunted inspired with the spirit that makes real union members out of men who flatly refuse to be defeated and our drive for recognition and new members went on untiringly and then it happened in July 1894 we were chartered by the American Federation of Labor and at the second convention which was held in the crystal Hall in Chicago lie M Hart became our president Hart was one of the really great leaders of our alliance it was under his leadership first as president later as general secretary treasurer that the economic strength of the alliance began to assert itself under his administration the IIA emerged from a few scattered organizations to a powerful Nationwide Union even then we felt that members of The Alliance had the ability and the knowledge to take over all the technical jobs in the theatrical field we had no idea what the peep show would lead to then every every man was his own projectionist and didn't carry a card either [Music] conditions and salaries were improving though it was a very slow process the road men must be given credit for not only making friends for the alliance but spreading trade unionism among the theatrical workers of the country even the most optimistic men never dreamed that the alliance would someday become one of the most powerful labor organizations in the world it was hard to be optimistic with the average wage of grips operators and flymen at $125 a show this even included doing odd jobs for the manager or his family and people still got a kick out of the penny version of the cinema the amusement parks gave our men employment for they were invaluable with their knowledge of stagecraft meanwhile the National Alliance had added the word International to its illustrious title then One Fine Day the peep show grew up of course it still wasn't too good but it was a big Improvement the IBEW wanted the projectionists to affiliate with their Union but in 198 at Philadelphia the boys decided to bring the projectionists into the IIA the road to success was still rough we had powerful opponents and even then the Press would never give us a fair break during this period we had many controversies some we won and some we lost but we continued on our way we even got used to the bumpy road at the 19th annual convention at Niagara Falls Charles C Shay was elected president Charlie Shay was more wedded to the ideals and principles of the alliance than the countless Newly Weds who viewed the eighth wonder of the world he pledged at this convention that the decision made at Philadelphia to bring the projection ists into the alliance would become a reality and he kept his promise Charlie always had an angle you've probably heard about the strike in the crescent and Delaine theaters in New Orleans the only way the strike Breakers could get in or out of the theaters was up through a manhole outside the stage door the strike didn't last long Charlie did everything in a very dignified manner he always gave it that little Personal [Music] Touch it was through the efforts of Charlie Shay that Sunday shows were permitted in New York at the Peoria convention in 1912 the white contract was originated it was our first IIA contract for the roadman prior to this we signed a manager's contract on his terms later that contract became known as the pink contract now why it changed color I don't know but now the workers had to receive 2 weeks notice and be returned to the town from which they came and in a sleeper too it's practically the same contract as the one used today that's right I always get a kick out of the story they tell on Louie Krauss when he Hicks hike from Philadelphia to the Seattle Convention in 13 to get a charter for his [Music] local and when he couldn't get a lift he walked and when he got tired of walking he ran Louie was always superstitious about that cap it brought him luck at the Seattle Convention in 1913 so he took it to every convention after that well it was at Seattle that the biannual convention meeting was conceived and the yellow card system was originated by District number one oh yes uh Krauss got his Charter Louie Krauss served the alliance as an international officer for over 30 years and was retired at half salary in 1945 through the untiring efforts of Charlie crickmore and Ernie Clark a perdum fund was established no more hitchhiking for delegates every local regardless of the number of its members could now be represented at all conventions about this time Hollywood started to make Motion Pictures and many stage hands who had previous experience in the East came West at the old Universal Studios they called The Crew snowbirds because they came from all over the country the stage itself prospered the stage hand was treated with consideration the alliance commanded respect it was in 1919 that the actor Equity went on strike Ethel barimore Lilian Russell pearl white the wolf Hopper Eddie caner Joseph sley Barney Bernard Ed win Ned Sparks yes and many many others fought vain mainly for fair play among those who were in there pitching was our beloved friend Marie Dressler Ethel baramore made the shortest speech of her career when she said all my family are with you heart and soul the wolf Hopper said I could not live with myself if I didn't stand beside my friends and my co-workers what is money compared with Integrity the actors had many many friends among them the IIA who went out on strike to help their brothers and sisters as Charlie Shay said the managers are betting on a color that I don't believe exists in the actor you're not going to lose but if you do go down in defeat you'll have the stage hands with you and we'll stick together as long as God lets us live in the early 20s when William F canovan so successfully guided the destiny of the alliance there was a un bust and drive throughout the country the alliance not only escaped it but Rose to new heights on January the 1st 1925 the studio mechanics Local 37 joined the IIA and the organization of the studios began in Earnest the previous organizational attempts had ended in Failure due to the strike of 1919 in 1927 the cameramen joined forces with us that was in the silent era and then one fine dat m m the sunshine be the sunshine West but I know where the Sunshine's best mmy [Music] M my heart rings are Tangled [Music] around I'm coming S I made you wait I I'm coming I hope and trust I'm not late m M i' walk a million miles for one of your smiles on my M Manny my little mny the Sunshine's East the Sunshine's West but I know where the Sunshine's best it's on my mmy I'm talking about nobody else's my little mmy my heart strings are Tangled [Music] around M I'm coming I hope I didn't make you wait M I'm coming oh God I hope I'm not late Mary don't you know me it's a little baby I walk a million miles smile [Music] my it's a fad it can't last oh yeah well that's what you think get a load of this a pretty girl like a that night just like the of auning refrain she'll start upon a marathon and run around your brain you can't escape in your M by morning night [Music] and she will leave you and the come back is just like a [Music] you I he will and the [Music] in 1929 the laboratory technicians were chartered the IIA continued to grow then came the sound technicians the film exchange inspectors shippers the motion picture theater employees the motion picture makeup artists the costumers the treasurers and ticket sellers were added to the ever increasing family and they were closely followed by the office employees of the film exchanges the theater wardrobe attendants got their Charter and so did the first aid employees and the film editors one of the most important crafts in the motion picture industry then the television broadcasting Studio employees joined the Ia we've got quite a gang now you know dick there's only one man still with you who helped us set up that first local in New York who is he George Olstead he's still working at Gran's Chinese Theater in Hollywood I didn't realize that he was the only one left yes sir he has seen the alliance grow from that first local in New York to the great organization it is today and that's the story of the IIA haven't you forgotten a few things no I don't think so how about 1933 oh the strike I guess I forgot that one on purpose dick we really took a beating we tried to gain recognition for the sound local in the motion picture industry but we failed miserably our membership in Hollywood dropped to practically nothing yeah maybe if you think of 1935 you'd feel better yes 1935 really started us going again the strike started in the theaters in Chicago and spread and it wasn't long until the producers were ready to talk and the alliance was restored to the position it held in 1933 and the studios began operating closed shop now the Ia label appeared on every motion picture all labor was performed under the jurisdiction of the iatse the IIA basked in the sun of prosperity but in 1940 came the greatest test the alliance had ever been called upon to face trusted and honored leaders betrayed us our great organization was defamed we were harshly criticized by virtually every newspaper in the nation the repercussion of this Dark Hour shook the very foundation of the alliance and if the structure hadn't been sound we never would have survived we weathered the storm and came through stronger than ever that's where you came in dick and we're forever grateful for what you've done I had a lot of help and cooperation especially from a man by the name of Fred r and our friends in the American Federation of Labor H I don't think any labor man ever stepped into as difficult a spot as you did well it wasn't exactly a better Rosen frankly I never thought you'd be able to negotiate contracts for the Hollywood locals that was really something dick I told some of the boys up there that the locals actually had signed contracts with the Hollywood Studios and by God they wouldn't believe me you know it took us some time to believe it ourselves oh I'll never forget when you went before the Columbus Convention that built up a lot of confidence in you but your biggest job was selling the alliance to the people to recapture the fine reputation the I had enjoyed and dick you certainly did do that you mean we did it brother Williams as I've said before no one man a group of men can take credit for the success of the IIA it's what we've done together well have it to Own Way dick but you will admit that you helped a little bit to settle the 1945 strike in the Hollywood Studios won't you I did my best and sometimes it didn't seem to be good enough we were fighting for our very existence we didn't ask for this fight but we couldn't avoid it so we squared off and once again came out Victorious I hope things will be a little easier for you now dick we we all hope that but we're bound to have our problems with the far Market shaking television and the TA heartley Bill we can't afford to let down now not for one minute you're really worried about the Taft heartley Bill aren't you naturally it directly affects our members and no one can forell what the future holds but there's one thing certain that we must work together now as we always have only now we must work harder we must preserve the Integrity of the alliance which was dedicated to the founders and Pioneers of our alliance in some of whose blood its early history was written it was their sweat their sacrifice their physical and moral courage that laid the groundw from which to build these men most of whom never achieved theer recognition to unselfishly and tirelessly in behalf of the organization and what it represented whose Deeds are unsung because of their anonymity but who actually formed the backbone of our International nor should we be unmindful of those who followed and endured unbelievable hardships to maintain and be to us the grand institution that stands today all made Noble and Lasting contributions to the cause which can be repaid only only through the perpetuation of the ideals for which they so vant struggle just you [Music] he you and [Music] [Applause] I [Music]