The Alliance, through President Shay’s aggressive efforts, was successful in getting studio jobs for IA members. The International felt confident enough to call a general strike in 1918 against producers, demanding recognition of the IA as the bargaining agent for its members, calling for a closed shop and a wage increase. The IA also demanded overtime pay, and double time for Sunday work.
IA called out the projectionists in a secondary boycott.
But the timing wasn’t right. Several studios remained open thanks to strikebreakers from the Carpenters. The Department of Labor eventually settled the strike, with a wage scale granted but no union recognition.