CBAs from the good ol' days

I think we've probably overwhelmed everyone with the history jag Steve and I have been on, but I can't resist one most posting from the material I got via Tom Sito from Judy Levitow. Today's goodies come from the Screen Cartoonists, Local 852 agreements with Warner Bros. (Feb. 1947 - Feb. 1948) and Loew's Incorporated (Dec. 1948 - Dec. 1949). Scanning those CBAs, I'm amazed at how similar they are to our current CBA. I shouldn't be, I guess, since I've seen first hand how both sides in these agreements are loath to make radical changes when they negotiate. Of course, some things are similar but with a retro twist, like sexist job titles. Here are some classifications, with their minimums (I'll only show the journey minimums): Animator Class I -- $125.00 Assistant Animator - $81.25 Inbetweeners ------- $54.69 Layout Man -------- $125.00 Background Artist - $112.50 Tracer -------------- $53.13 Senior Checker ----- $75.00 Storyman ---------- $125.00 Cue Sheet Girl ----- $62.50 Ink and Paint, Asst. Supervisor --- $68.75 Inkers -------------- $54.69 Painters ------------ $51.25 Final Checkers ----- $53.13 Color Model Designer $62.50 Paint Laboratory, Mix and Match ------- $46.88 Cell Washing -------- $45.00 There's also a 1947 contract with George Pal Production, Inc. that has job categories that remind me of current CG classifications. Here are some: Production Technician, Story & Script ------- $125.00 Drafting Animator ---- $100.00 Production Technician, Staging & Animation -- $125.00 Operating Animator --- $100.00 Production Technician, BG, Props & Painting - $125.00 Set Maker ------------ $100.00 Production Technician, Set Up & Lighting ---- $125.00 Set Up Men ----------- $100.00 Film Technician ------ $ 82.50 Production Technician, Puppets & Models ----- $125.00 Puppet Maker --------- $100.00 Painter, Decorator --- $ 85.00 Painter, Painter ------ $ 55.00 Substitute Production Technician for Technical Director and it's pretty similar to what we have now. Though I think Production Technician might be the more apt phrase in either case. Some things, however, have changed a lot. To wit: Female employees shall not be required to work in excess of fifty hours per week. All male employees shall be entitled to not more than five days sick leave with pay per year ... All female employees shall be entitled to not more than ten days sick leave ... Hey, that doesn't sound fair! There were also provisions to protect the jobs of those who were drafted or who volunteered for military or civilian service, which does seem fair, given the realities of that time. And there was an Equal Treatment Clause: There shall be no discrimination with regard to pay, benefit or emolument under this contract on account of sex, color or creed of the employee. Which sounds like window dressing, considering that some of those job titles are sex-based, and that there was virtually no one of color working in those days ...