“Wage Increase Given Mill City Movie Operators”

Headline: “Wage Increase Given Mill City Movie Operators”

Subhead: Dispute Which Threatened Closing of 58 Theaters Is Settled Amicably.

Settlement of the fight between Minneapolis theater owners and the union motion picture machine operators over a new age scale was effected Thursday night when representatives of both factions agreed on a wage increase ranging from 7 to 15 per cent.

This action ended a two-day fight which for a time threatened to close 58 theaters in various sections of the city.

A dispute between St. Paul theater owners and musicians will result in the closing of the Astor theater, after tonight’s performance.

Astor Will Close.

A walkout of musicians was threatened unless an orchestra was kept employed as long as the Astor remained open, and the matter was settled by announcement of Finkelstein & Ruben, owners of the Astor, that the theater will be closed.

The St. Paul machine operators’ contracts were settled satisfactorily.

The Minneapolis agreement includes an increase of from 7 to 15 per cent on the existing wage scale ranging from $1 to $1.45 na hour for a six and one-half hour day, and a similar increase in the overtime scale.

Work Will Be Reduced.

Operators at the majority of large theaters will make an average of $1.80 an hour overtime while operators in smaller theaters will make an average of $1.55 an hour overtime. A few changes also will be made to reduce the amount of work done by the operators at the theaters.

Nearly all movie and vaudeville houses remained closed in Chicago Thursday night as a result of the rupture of relations between owners and employes over contracts, an Associated Press dispatch said.