Herb Sorrell
Encyclopedia
Herbert Knott Sorrell, known as Herb Sorrell, was a union organizer and leader. He headed the Conference of Studio Unions (CSU) in the late 1940s, and was the business manager of the Motion Picture Painters union, Local 644 until the 1950s.
When he was 12 he got a job in a sewer pipe factory in Oakland, California
, and later in Oakland he worked with union leader Harry Bridges
. At one point he tried boxing as a career. He moved to Los Angeles
in 1925, became a scenery painter for the movie studios, and joined the local painters union. In April 1937, Sorrell's local union was one of those unaffiliated with IATSE
which formed the Federation of Motion Picture Crafts (FMPC). That same month, the FMPC went on strike against the major studios. In the picket line at Warner Brothers
, Sorrell's determination earned him the rank of "picket captain", and the attention of Blayney F. Mathews, head of Warner Brothers' security, who had him arrested. Sorrell was never charged and was released several days later. This notoriety led to his subsequent position as the business representative for the painter's union and as a result he became one of the major negotiators who settled the strike in June.
In May 1941 Sorrell called for a strike against the Disney
film studio. The strike was supported by the newly formed Screen Cartoonists Guild, and the cooperation resulted in the organization of the Conference of Studio Unions (CSU), which Sorrell proceeded to lead.
In 1945, Sorrell lead the CSU strike that led to Hollywood Black Friday
. The strike originated from a dispute between two unions, CSU and IATSE
, over which one of them had union authority over seventy-seven set decorators. After an NLRB
vote and War Labor Board decision in favor of CSU, the studios refused to recognize CSU's bargaining authority, and the strike began. After the violence on Black Friday
, the strike quickly settled. However collusion between the IATSE leadership and the studios resulted in another strike in September 1946, which the CSU did not have the financial strength to endure. Sorrell was convicted of "contempt of court" and "failure to disperse" in connection with the 1945 strike, but acquitted of all the felony charges which included "inciting to riot" and "rioting".
says that archives released by the Russian government after the fall of the USSR show that Sorrell was a Soviet spy. Peter Schweizer
adds that the strikes led by Sorrell were secretly funded by the Communist Party
; The Communist Party did not advocate strikes after the dissolution of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
in June 1941.
In 1941 and in 1946 Sorrell testified before the California Legislature's Joint Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities (the Tenney Committee), but there was insufficient evidence that he was tied to the Communist Party. The CSU strike of 1945 which Sorrell lead was actively opposed by the American Communist Party
. In 1947, Walt Disney
testified before the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities that he "believed at that time that Mr. Sorrell was a Communist because of all the things that I had heard and having seen his name appearing on a number of Commie front things". In 1953, in an actor's lawsuit Sorrell testified that while he was never a communist, he did feel free to spend their money.
When he was 12 he got a job in a sewer pipe factory in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, and later in Oakland he worked with union leader Harry Bridges
Harry Bridges
Harry Bridges was an Australian-American union leader, in the International Longshore and Warehouse Union , a longshore and warehouse workers' union on the West Coast, Hawaii and Alaska which he helped form and led for over 40 years...
. At one point he tried boxing as a career. He moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1925, became a scenery painter for the movie studios, and joined the local painters union. In April 1937, Sorrell's local union was one of those unaffiliated with IATSE
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or I.A.T.S.E., is a labor union representing technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion...
which formed the Federation of Motion Picture Crafts (FMPC). That same month, the FMPC went on strike against the major studios. In the picket line at Warner Brothers
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, Sorrell's determination earned him the rank of "picket captain", and the attention of Blayney F. Mathews, head of Warner Brothers' security, who had him arrested. Sorrell was never charged and was released several days later. This notoriety led to his subsequent position as the business representative for the painter's union and as a result he became one of the major negotiators who settled the strike in June.
In May 1941 Sorrell called for a strike against the Disney
Disney animators' strike
The Disney animators' strike was a labor strike by the animators of Walt Disney Studios in 1941.-History:The 1930s led to a rise of labor unions in motion pictures as in other industries such as The Screen Actors Guild which was formed in 1933. Animators of Fleischer Studios went on strike in 1937...
film studio. The strike was supported by the newly formed Screen Cartoonists Guild, and the cooperation resulted in the organization of the Conference of Studio Unions (CSU), which Sorrell proceeded to lead.
In 1945, Sorrell lead the CSU strike that led to Hollywood Black Friday
Hollywood Black Friday
Hollywood Black Friday is the name given, in the history of organized labor in the United States, to October 5, 1945. On that date, a six-month strike by the set decorators represented by the Conference of Studio Unions boiled over into a bloody riot at the gates of Warner Brothers' studios in...
. The strike originated from a dispute between two unions, CSU and IATSE
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or I.A.T.S.E., is a labor union representing technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion...
, over which one of them had union authority over seventy-seven set decorators. After an NLRB
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
vote and War Labor Board decision in favor of CSU, the studios refused to recognize CSU's bargaining authority, and the strike began. After the violence on Black Friday
Hollywood Black Friday
Hollywood Black Friday is the name given, in the history of organized labor in the United States, to October 5, 1945. On that date, a six-month strike by the set decorators represented by the Conference of Studio Unions boiled over into a bloody riot at the gates of Warner Brothers' studios in...
, the strike quickly settled. However collusion between the IATSE leadership and the studios resulted in another strike in September 1946, which the CSU did not have the financial strength to endure. Sorrell was convicted of "contempt of court" and "failure to disperse" in connection with the 1945 strike, but acquitted of all the felony charges which included "inciting to riot" and "rioting".
Communist Ties
Peter SchweizerPeter Schweizer
Peter Schweizer is a conservative author and a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.Schweizer's book Do as I Say : Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy received praise from conservative political pundits including Bill O'Reilly. Schweizer's book Reagan's War was the basis of the...
says that archives released by the Russian government after the fall of the USSR show that Sorrell was a Soviet spy. Peter Schweizer
Peter Schweizer
Peter Schweizer is a conservative author and a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.Schweizer's book Do as I Say : Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy received praise from conservative political pundits including Bill O'Reilly. Schweizer's book Reagan's War was the basis of the...
adds that the strikes led by Sorrell were secretly funded by the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
; The Communist Party did not advocate strikes after the dissolution of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and signed in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939...
in June 1941.
In 1941 and in 1946 Sorrell testified before the California Legislature's Joint Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities (the Tenney Committee), but there was insufficient evidence that he was tied to the Communist Party. The CSU strike of 1945 which Sorrell lead was actively opposed by the American Communist Party
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
. In 1947, Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
testified before the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities that he "believed at that time that Mr. Sorrell was a Communist because of all the things that I had heard and having seen his name appearing on a number of Commie front things". In 1953, in an actor's lawsuit Sorrell testified that while he was never a communist, he did feel free to spend their money.
External links
- excerpt from Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty-Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism by Peter Schweizer Washington Post November 25, 2002;
- "Review of Class Struggle In Hollywood, 1930-1950: Moguls, Mobsters, Stars, Reds, & Trade Unionists" Politics and Culture by Amitava Kumar and Michael Ryan;