Gordon Sandison (trade unionist)

Gordon Sandison (1911 – 3 July 1958) was a British trade union leader.

Sandison won a scholarship to study at St John's College, Cambridge, before becoming a barrister. During World War II, he served in the Auxiliary Fire Service, and was its first member to serve on the executive of the Fire Brigades Union. At the 1945 UK general election, he stood unsuccessfully for the Labour Party in Southend-on-Sea.^[1]

Sandison was elected as acting general secretary of Equity in December 1946, and was appointed to the post on a permanent basis the following year. As leader of the union, he supported actors while theatres were closed due to a fuel shortage, organised more actors in film studios, and worked with the Musicians' Union and Variety Artistes' Federation to negotiate specific agreements for actors on television and radio, including repeat fees.^[1][2]

Initially, many union activists were suspicious that Sandison wanted to use the post for his own political ambitions, but he countered this by establishing democratically elected committees to oversee each aspect of the union's activity.^[2]

In 1956, Sandison was elected as president of the International Federation of Actors. However, his health became increasingly poor, and he died in 1958.^[2]

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