The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-06-09
Actors to Join
AT. OIL. Soon
viii Submit the Question of
Affiliation to Members
June 10

From the present outlook it will
not be long until the theatrical pro
fossion will be a component part of
The American Federation of Labor.
The Actors Equity Association held
Il large and enthusiastic meeting in
New York last week and voted unani-
mously to submit the question of af-
filiatiOn with the federation at the
annual meeting the third Monday of
this month.
Among the members of the Actors
Equity Association will be found most
of the prominent stars of the profess
sion The membership includes such
Unknown artists as Francis Wilson,
who presided at the recent New York
meetings; John Drew, Blanche Ring,
Fred Niblo, Wilton Lackaye, Edward
Arden and Frank Mills. Those prom
say there is no question but that it
viii decide to affiliate with the Amer
| 'ean Federation of Labor, and that
thereafter practically all the leaders
in the profession will carry union
cards. While the actors state that
the movement is only for the purpose
of obtaining equitable contracts from
the managers and their enforcement,
if a situation should arise and the or
ganization were strong enough it
could call strike of actors. While
in the chair at the New York meet
ing, Francis Wilson took occasion to
say:
"Hitherto actors have refused to or
-anize for their own protection, giving
as an excuse that theirs was an ar
tistic profession, and that it was be-
meath the dignity of an artist even in
his own protection to employ the
methods of the mechanic. That was
| all very well at time when few
| classes Of people were organizing and
there was but little need for protec-
lion as apr ofession but at this par
tcular time and period, when all
classes, that is, artists and artisans
and professors, are organizing for
protection, even the actor has at last,
! hank God! his protective association.
| So that there is no need to hide our
dignity, our artistic dignity, which
| has given way to necessity.
"Our members, having suffered for
years under various injustices, or
from various injustices, felt, of course,
that our demands were equitable, and
| the managers felt that they were
equitable They not only felt that
they We're equitable, but knew they
were. But they also said, equitable
as they may be, let us see you come
on and get them. They even dared
us, they have even dared us to come
and set them, and up to the present
time we have been afraid to take the
dare.
Are we any less important as a
profession, as a people, than the
stage mechanics? They took the dare
and they have now equitable con
tracts. Are we any less important
then the musicians? Are we not more
artistic? Are we not more tempera-
mental? Are we not more hysterical
! han musicians? Yet these tempera-
mental and hysterical musicians,
from the snare drummer up to Pade-
rewsH, took the dare and they now
have equitable contracts
81 am not discouraged. | have
! great confidence in the fact that the
actor viii not stand forever under
/ the insulting declaration of the man
ager Of being the chief business boob
! of the universe, blind to his own in
/ terests and to his own dignity. We
must move in this matter. Listening
| TO the voice of caution, we have de-
| layed, and delayed, and delayed until
nothing has been accomplished to-
ward our equitable demands.
Nothing has been heard but the
voice of the manager, who said, !
| told you so Now, what do you ex-
pect of these managers? That they
will give you what you ask simply
for the asking, on a silver platter?
Do you not know, and have you not
been told often enough, that they are
business men, pure and simple; that
they will not yield a single point I'M
less they are obliged to?
But, God bless your souls! I know
what you are going to do. You are
going at last to be men and women,
and in this year 1916, by loyal, legal
cooperation. you are going to break
this chain of professional business in
justice under which you and our pro
fession have suffered for quarter OF