Page:Trade Unions in Soviet Russia - I.L.P. (1920).djvu/94

 theatrical hair dressers, and costumiers, dressmakers, shoe makers, carpenters, electrical engineers, house painters, theatre servants, watchmen, circus saddlers, and stable boys. The great employees (managers, cashiers, controllers, etc.), and the door keepers, Chaliapine as well as the simple ticket porter, enter with equal rights into the Union. We must add that the Union includes also tuners of musical instruments, musical instrument makers, teachers in all branches of art as well as employees in picture galleries and museums and all employees in the following departments of the Peoples Commissariat for Education: (1) The Theatre Department, (2) Music Department, (3) Photographic and Cinematographic Department, (4) Department of Fine Arts, (5) Department for the safe-keeping of museums and monuments of antiquity.

Each theatre, circus, cinematograph and workshop has a local committee which is the primary organ of the Union. The functions of the latter are the same as the functions of local factory committees in other Unions. At the present time the Union numbers nearly 150,000 members and has branch offices in more than 150 towns.

Since the annexation of Siberia, Ukraine, Crimea and Turkestan the number of members and branch offices increases every day.

The All-Russian Congress of Art Workers which was held in Moscow in May, 1919, elected a central committee composed of 5 musicians, 1 composer, 5 actors, 3 kino players, 2 music-hall actors, 1 juggler, 3 stage workmen, (1 dress maker, 1 carpenter and 1 mechanic) 1 painter and 1 sculptor.

The Union unites all the Art Workers without any consideration of their political opinions. The union has a communist fraction which exercises great influence.

The principal question dealt with by the Union is the salary question. Detailed rates are settled for every category and are strictly based on grades of skill.

Under the reign of the Tsar the artists were in a miserable position; now they are in better conditions than other workers. Before the revolution theatres played every day; theatre workers did not know what rest was. Now, according to a decree of the Soviet Government, all theatre workers have their holiday on Monday instead of Sunday because it would be unreasonable to deprive working people of theatres on Sunday. Before the revolution managers and impresarios took from theatre workers everything they could. Now, all theatres are nationalised and are administered by a collegiate board which includes representatives of the Union of Art Workers. The Union has also its representatives in the collegiate boards of the Art Section of the Commissariat of Education and in the corresponding departments of local Soviets.

Now that the blockade may soon be raised, we are ready to take the initiative for the organisation of an International Union of Art Workers.