“Picture Operators Get Wage Increase; Sign One-Year Pact”

Headline: “Picture Operators Get Wage Increase; Sign One-Year Pact”

Members of the Motion Picture Operators’ union have secured an increase in wages ranging from 7 to 15 per cent. The same percentage of increase applies to overtime as well as straight time.

The agreement was reached between the union and the theatre managers after several days of negotiation. Almost up to the last, hopes for a settlement did not seem bright, and it appeared that there was a hopeless deadlock.

Finally a basis of settlement was arrived at. The agreement is for the duration of one year instead of the two-year contract that was terminating. This contract, however, was the only time an agreement had been entered into for more than a year.

Under the new agreement the minimum wage for operators will be $1.15 an hour and the maximum $1.45. The agreement calls for time and a half for overtime.

Motion picture operators work six and one-half hour shifts. Where the operation of the theatre requires a longer period of operation the job becomes a split shift job and two operators are employed.