tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post5030404957665003567..comments2024-03-26T22:42:06.412-07:00Comments on TAG Blog: Union Thuggery?Steve Huletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05537689111433326847noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-57365698997805109492009-04-18T09:21:00.000-07:002009-04-18T09:21:00.000-07:00There was some violence in the early days of the 1...There was some violence in the early days of the 1937 Fleischer strike, but when some Fleischer loyalists tried to cross the picket line. Dave Fleischer, according to his widow, had no desire to move the studio to Miami, but instead wanted to move to Hollywood (though this would have certainly aided the Fleischer union, which would likely have merged with the nascent Screen Cartoonists Guild.)<br /><br />I never found any reference to the Fleischer Studios having an IATSE contract for their camera operators; their only union contract, as far as I know, was with the Musicians Union (of which Dave Fleischer was a member); Charlie Schettler, the head of the camera department, had his nose broken by a picket sign when he tried to cross the picket line; but his desire to cross the picket line was simply motivated by company loyalty.<br /><br />Tom is wrong when he states that "Most hard-core union animators refused to move [to Miami] and stayed in New York; the rest were intimidated into forgoing further union activity." While the company certainly did not make it comfortable for union members, the union (which had never been able to get a closed shop contract) was able to negotiate terms for the move to Miami knowing that Florida Sen. Claude Pepper would see to it that it was enforced; however, the agreement did stipulate that a certification election would be held in Miami, which the union lost (though a number of members did make the move just to vote with the intention of coming back to New York as soon as possible). Despite losing the election, the terms of the union contract remained in place. <br /><br />The remnants of the Fleischer union eventually returned to New York and it essentially merged with the New York local of the Screen Cartoonists Guild in 1943.Harvey Deneroffhttp://deneroff.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22906998.post-13622877338294716872009-04-16T12:10:00.000-07:002009-04-16T12:10:00.000-07:00In addition to Sito, animation historian Harvey De...In addition to Sito, animation historian <A HREF="http://deneroff.com" REL="nofollow">Harvey Deneroff</A>, whose wrote his USC Doctoral dissertation ("Popeye The Union Man") on the Fleischer strike, makes no mention of any Fleischer being beaten up by "thugs".Jeff Massiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01025023288241410877noreply@blogger.com