ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE WORKERS IN BROOKLYN, MANHATTAN UNIONIZE WITH UAW

Workers at Alamo Drafthouse, the movie theater chain known for dine-in service and strict policies on etiquette, have voted to unionize at the Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan venues in elections held Friday, September 29th and Thursday, October 12th, respectively.

In Manhattan, 65% of Alamo employees voted in favor of unionizing with United Auto Workers Local 2179 on Thursday. The bargaining unit consists of approximately 100 full-time and part-time employees, including wait staff, line cooks, bartenders, box office, custodians and dishwashers. This does not include Brooklyn’s bargaining unit of approximately 190 workers.

This victory comes less than two weeks after Downtown Brooklyn became the first Alamo Drafthouse venue to win union recognition. The workers of two of Alamo’s most profitable locations will now force the company to negotiate and create a contract that ensures sustainable livelihoods for all.

The company launched an anti-union campaign of misleading and poorly written fliers and staff meetings with management (including CEO Michae Kustermann and founder Tim League). The workers challenged and rejected such efforts and will now exercise their right to bargain with the 12th largest cinema chain in the country.

For years, Alamo workers have tried to solve problems through dialogue with management, to no avail. Now Alama Drafthouse must meet us at the bargaining table as we join the fight against the billionaires and hedge funds who are cannibalizing the American economy and its working class.

“We’re incredibly excited to join the UAW family and to hold Alamo Drafthouse accountable to their employees,” said Jordan Baruch, who works at the Alamo Drafthouse in Downtown Brooklyn. “Solidarity to Alamo workers and theater workers across the country!”