“Stagehands Here Picket Theaters”

Headline: “Stagehands Here Picket Theaters”

Subhead: Three Outlying Houses Closed in Strike—All Others Remain Open

Striking stagehands in the Minneapolis theaters today posted pickets in front of the showhouses affected by the walkout.

With the exception of three outlying picture houses, all of the theaters in Minneapolis were open and continuing usual performances today.

Late yesterday the strike spread to a number of other theaters. Motion picture operators, who joined the strike of the stagehands, said that owners locked out the union men.

“A few of the smaller theaters may have been slightly affected by the strike,” W. A. Steffes, president of the Northwest Theater Owners Association, said today, “but, we are providing the theaters with operators just as rapidly as we can get in touch with them. The theaters are open and will remain open.”

Joseph Elwood, business agent of the Motion Picture Operators Union here, said today that three theaters closed rather than employ nonunion men, and that four retained their union help.

The main item in the controversy between the owners and the stagehands is the demand of one day off in seven with pay. Under the old contract the stagehands were allowed one day off, but not with pay.

Although it has been rumored that the theater musicians would join the stagehands and the operators in the strike, Fred Birnbach, secretary of the Minneapolis Musicians Association and an office of the international musicians organization, said today that he had received no official word from international headquarters authorizing them to join the strike.