Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-09-11
ACTORS STRIKE IS
FINALLY SETTLED
New York Theatres Reopened--
Equity, Fidelity and Man.
ayers All Pleased

New York, Sept 1.-The actors strike
which is said to have caused loss of
several million dollars to managers
actors stagehands, and musicians was
officially terminated last night when the
terms of agreement were ratified by
representatives of the Producing Man
ayers association and the Actors Equity
association after an all-day conference
at tho Bar association.
The text of the agreement was not
made public but here are the terms as
outlined in joint statement made last
night by Arthur Hopkins for the man
ayers and Frank Gilmore for the actors:
An open shop agreement Is made for
five years, to terminate at the end of
the theatrical season in June, 1924
The Actors Equity association is
recognized as official spokesman of the
actors.
There is to be no blacklist.
The actors. stage hands, and musicians
agree not to go out on sympathetic strikes
during the life of the contract
A board of arbitration of three. one
| representative of the actors, one of the
managers, and the third TO be chosen
Jointly, to judge all disputes.
Existing contracts will be lived up to
by both parties.
All members displaced from casts
| through the strike will be taken back,
but in cases where their places have
been taken by other actors the striking
actor is to be placed in another produc-
| ton, or a cash settlement shall be made.
to be agreed on by both parties. or the
matter may be referred to arbitration.
All lawsuits shall be discontinued
| Members of the chorus shall receive
$50 week as minimum in New York
and s35 out of town.
| Full salaries shall be paid to actors
fter four weeks Of rehearsal in legiti-
mate dramas and after five weeks of
| rehearsal in musical plays.
Eight performances shall constitute a
weeks work. All extra performances to
be paid for at the rate of eighth of
| the actors salary.
THEATRES REOPEN
| Hardly had the agreement been rati-
fed before seveiul theatres opened and
| plans were made to open others to-mor-
row night. BY the end of the week all
theatres that were closed by the strike
will be opened and new productions will
be running in many Of the other houses
The Actors Equity association closed its
performances this week. Money re-
ceived in advance sales will be refunded
| at the box Offices tomorrow. Tele-
graphic instructions to all the stage
hands of Shubert houses to strike were
| cancelled and the men were ordered Ia
go back to work Immediately.
All sides claimed the victory yesterday
The managers said they won the open
shop" the Equity was pleased with
recognition of the organization. and the
Fidelity members were elated because the
managers will also give their member a
contract.
Hereafter, the managers will have three
forms of contract, one for Equity actors
one for Fidelity members, and an in
divdual contract for unattached actors
! Statements by all concerned In the
strike indicated they were glad hostilities
were over, but it was felt that the VIC
tories in each case were somewha,
tempered by the conditions. The EQUITY
members realized that they were no,
alone in the field. and would have a rival
organization in the Fidelity. The latter
organization. fathered by George NJ
Cohan began making plans to extend its
work and to gain recruits, indicating tina,
the stage will in the immediate future
be the scene of a scramble for members
between the two organizations. The man.
ayers were satisfied with the guarantee
of five years without strike, but the cost
was the recognition of the Equity, which
some of them had sworn never to do.