Latest news with #UnitedAutoWorkersLocal2179
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alamo Drafthouse Strike Ends With All Laid Off Staffers to Be Rehired
Alamo Drafthouse workers in New York City ended their 58-day strike after reaching an agreement with the management of the dine-in cinema chain. Employees at the lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn locations announced their union had successfully struck a deal in which all laid-off staffers will be rehired. The union went on strike in mid-February after months of bargaining with management over key issues like scheduling, wages and safety concerns. The agreement, which was ratified on Sunday, will reinstate the roughly 70 workers who were let go. It will also restore those employees' previously accrued paid time off, sick days, seniority and hire date, the union said. Struck staffers will resume work on Friday. More from Variety Alamo Drafthouse Opts Out of Meta Second-Screen Experience for 'M3GAN' Rerelease, No Phones Policy Will Be Enforced (EXCLUSIVE) Alamo Drafthouse Lays Off 70 Staff Members From New York City Locations Ahead of Expected Strike Alamo Drafthouse Lays Off 15 Corporate Employees Amid Box Office Downturn 'Strike won! All jobs are back!' the union announced on Instagram. 'We will be returning to work officially on April 18 but feel free to start patronizing the Alamos in [Brooklyn] and Manhattan as soon as today.' Alamo Drafthouse workers in lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn are organized with United Auto Workers Local 2179. (Alamo operates a third New York City venue in Staten Island, which isn't unionized.) Employees went on strike on Feb. 14 after accusing the theater chain of not bargaining 'in good faith.' Alamo Drafthouse has declined to comment on the strikes, but sources at the time said those layoffs were part of the seasonal slowdown at the multiplexes. Cinema chains typically staff up around the Christmastime holidays and then shed the extra workforce after attendance stalls in the early winter months of the new year. The circuit also let go of an unspecified number of venue staff across the country's 44 locations in January, as well as 15 corporate employees, for the same reason. Alamo Drafthouse was acquired last year by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Before that, the circuit had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021 as global theater chains were struggling to survive the prolonged COVID-related closures. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alamo Drafthouse Lays Off 70 Staff Members From New York City Locations Ahead of Expected Strike
Alamo Drafthouse has laid off approximately 70 workers from its Manhattan and Brooklyn locations. These cuts were implemented ahead of an expected strike at two of the company's New York City venues. Alamo Drafthouse declined to comment, but sources say these layoffs were part of the annual seasonal slowdown at the movies. Cinema chains usually staff up around the holidays, which is regularly the busiest time for moviegoing. But attendance tends to stall in the early months of the year, so there aren't enough hours to accommodate the extra staff, according to knowledgable individuals. They add that most of those people were part-time employees who will be eligible for rehire in the spring when the box office is expected to regain steam. More from Variety Alamo Drafthouse Lays Off 15 Corporate Employees Amid Box Office Downturn Alamo Drafthouse to Open Two New Cinemas in San Francisco (EXCLUSIVE) 'The Devil's Bath,' Horror Film Selected as Austria's Oscar Entry, Sets Theatrical Re-Release From Shudder (EXCLUSIVE) The circuit, a favorite among cinephiles for its strict 'no talking, no texting' policy, let go of an unspecified number of venue staff across the country in January for the same reason. At the corporate level, 15 employees, or 9% of its workforce, were let go at that time as well. Layoffs in the New York venues were delayed in an effort to 'meet in good faith' with the recently unionized workers, according to sources. An unfair practice charge was filed on Monday to the National Labor Relations Board by the United Auto Workers Local 2179. The union, formed in 2023, represents staffers at the company's lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn locations. (Alamo operates a third New York City venue in Staten Island, which isn't unionized.) The complaint alleges that Alamo Drafthouse 'failed or refused to bargain in good faith' prior to making operational changes. For months, the union has been bargaining with management over key issues like scheduling, wages and safety concerns. Alamo Drafthouse was acquired last year by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Before that, the circuit had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021 as global theater chains were struggling to survive the prolonged COVID-related closures and subsequent lack of new releases. Like most movie theater chains, Alamo Drafthouse has yet to recover from the residual effects of the pandemic as well as 2023's dual labor strikes. Domestic box office revenues in 2024 fell to $8.75 billion, down 3.3% from last year, marking first time post-pandemic that yearly revenues didn't improve upon the last. Hollywood is hoping that fortunes will rebound in 2025, though the box office revenues have been glacial in January and into February. Moviegoing is expected to pick up in mid February with Marvel's 'Captain America: Brave New World,' followed by blockbuster hopefuls like 'Superman,' 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' 'Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning,' 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' and 'Wicked: For Good.' Best of Variety Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
