Kendall Square Cinema Employee Union! - Organizing

Almost there....

Sat, 10 May 2008 13:53:24 -0400

Victory! - IWW Helps Landmark Cinemas Corporation Discover Cash

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 11:31:43 -0400

Posted on:
http://www.iww.org/en/node/2760

Submitted by bruce on Sat, 08/05/2006 - 3:16pm.

Workers at Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley and all Landmark Cinema employees nation wide are about to receive a pay increse.
At Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley the starting wage goes up to $8 per
hour from $7.25. That's if the workers choose to accept it. Landmark
attorney Tom Pavone sent a letter announcing the pay raises to the IWW
along with spread sheet data showing the increase for each worker.

The
IWW-Shattuckunion considers this to be a clear demonstration of union
power and will continue to press the company for gains in benefits and
improvments in working conditions. The IWW in the Bay Area
along with union workers at Kendall Square cinema in Cambridge Mass.,
are the first two Landmark Cinemas to go union. There are
approximately 60 Landmark theaters in total.

IWW-Shattuckunion will hold a rally in front of the Shattuck Cinema on September 1st at 6:30 pm.

Happy Birthday Kendall Union!

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 23:52:11 -0400

One year ago the Kendall Square Cinema staff voted 17-1 to join UFCW Local 791. Today, we
still do not have a contract. However, with 65% of the staff involved in the vote still working at the Kendall, new employees taking part in the process, negotiations continuing at a regular pace, plus our new drum-beating, song-singing, BFFs at the Shattuck …we’re still going strong.

Maybe if we had reached this point without support of patrons, local activist groups and all the well wishes from you all who read this site, or maybe if another Landmark hadn’t voted to join a union, we could be dismissed as just a bunch of disgruntled
ruffians and scalawags.

That’s not the case, give or take a scalawag.

Over the past three years, three Landmarks held union elections. While we’ve all worked together, all three discussed unionizing before contacting each other. Theatres in Minneapolis, Cambridge and Berkeley are reacting to cultural shift taking place in the service industry. We don’t live in a vacuum. Look at Borders and Starbucks. Check out what Chicago is doing. And the current minimum wage increases being debated.

And to everyone else who has been asking about organizing, why not? What do you have to loose? Just a $7.00 an hour job that may or may not give you a raise, where you are an “at-will” employee who can be fired at the
drop of a hat (literally, they could fire you for dropping your hat there's nothing you can do about it).

Union Wins Landslide Victory - Shattuck Cinema Workers Pull Through with Vote for The IWW

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 14:26:48 -0400

BERKELEY 6:30 PM -- This afternoon workers at Landmark Shattuck
Cinemas voted an outstanding 22 to 2
in favor of unionization. Despite new promises by Landmark and an attempt by
CEO Bill Banowsky to thwart the union attempt, workers at the Shattuck say
they've never really been worried about the vote.

"I've felt extremely confidant that the union would go through since
the beginning." said Ryan Hatt, cinema employee age 21. "Support has
been almost unanimous since day one. There was no contest, if you would have
asked me two months ago I could've guaranteed a landslide victory."

Read entire article

Guess who's union too

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 01:39:32 -0400

22 to 2!!!

Today the Shattuck workers voted to join the IWW in what one could call a landslide.

Congrats to all!

Workers Say NO! To unjust work conditions

Tue, 09 May 2006 10:48:22 -0400

BERKELEY 8:30AM-- This morning workers at Landmark Shattuck Cinemas turned in authorization cards to the National Labor Relations Board, filing a certification petition for representation with the Industrial Workers of the World. Rising tensions at the Shattuck Cinemas over the year have pushed workers to demand an end to unfair working conditions and greater accountability from management. “We're only asking for work conditions that are reasonable and humane. Management needs to start listening to our concerns and valuing its workers. We need our voice to be heard. It's time we had a union!” says Lauren Grady, cinema employee age 25. 23 out of 28 workers have signed authorization cards, the last straw in a long debate with management. Primary worker concerns include the recent revoking of worker privileges, lack of management accountability, inconsistent raise policies, inadequate breaks, all contributing to the increasingly hostile work environment at the Shattuck cinemas. Further source of tension lies in a worker wage cap at over three dollars less than the city standard. “We treat moviegoers with the utmost dignity and respect, and we expect our employers to grant us the same courtesy,” says Nick Hubbard. Shattuck cinema workers' discontent with Landmark corporate policy has grown over time, especially since its purchase by Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

Cingular Wireless is fantastic, Verizon Wireless is mean

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 13:25:57 -0500

Edward Sabol, Organizing Director of the Communications workers of America was on The Rachel Maddow Show yesterday.

Rachel Maddow: “When workers are considering whether or not to join a union, what’s your argument to the inevitable argument you are going to hear from them, as well as from employers, as well as from the community that unions are too expensive and that they are bad for business and that they hurt the bottom line?”

Edward Sabol: “It certainly hasn’t hurt the bottom line at Cingular or Southwest Air or any number of examples you can give of unionized companies.

“The big difference with union representation is that you have a voice on the job, you have some security and you have a contract you can look to. And the way you see that is that without union representation, each year the employer decides how much of a raise to give and who is going to get it and on what basis they’re going to get it.

You've probably all seen this already, but just in case...

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 15:54:42 -0500

Check out the Flash movie and sign the petition!

http://www.walmartworkersrights.org/

American Rights at Work Tour - October 20th

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 11:05:12 -0400

Right to Organize Teach In - 10/20
Harvard University, Sever Room 113 7:30 PM
http://www.massjwj.net/

Hear from workers and organizers:

·        Harvard Janitors demanding living wages and benefits

·        Kendall Square Theatre employees, recently unionized

·        Campaign for hotel workers justice in 2006!

·        The national campaign to unionize Verizon Wireless

Kendall sees red

Wed, 17 Aug 2005 17:42:34 -0400

Boston's Weekly Dig
Published August 10, 2005
by Arna Wilkinson

“Bosses beware, when we’re screwed, we multiply,” the old union battle cry goes. If so, then Landmark Theatres better keep an eye on the agitators at the Kendall Square Cinema, who, with a 17-1 vote, recently joined the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 791, making it the first Landmark Theatre in the country to be unionized.

Following the vote, Landmark talking heads and the theatre’s general manager remained tight-lipped on how the move would affect the future of the beloved art house cinema, and some employees, though “ecstatic” at the decision, remained uncertain about whether the theatre’s avant-garde image would suffer as the staff pushed for health insurance, retirement benefits and an end to the current wage freeze.

“I am not sure if ultimately this is going to be the best or the worst for the theatre,” said former Landmark city manager Brian Murray, who left the theatre in April after four-and-a-half years, due to disagreements with the company. “I am hoping the staff will get what they deserve. My fear is that bringing in the union is going to make it more of a hostile environment.”

Lauren Ryder, part of the floor staff, said morale had been decreasing since 2929 Entertainment purchased Landmark in 2003, and began showing advertising before films and pushing for digital projectors instead of 35mm film equipment, while maintaining a prolonged employee wage freeze. In May, the staff contacted Local 791, which also represents 6,200 Shaw’s Supermarket employees, after talking to Landmark staff in Minneapolis who had launched a failed bid to unionize.

“We’re just hoping the company won’t fight the contract too much, and that whatever happens, we will have the support of patrons in the community,” said Ryder.

We Won!!!

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 12:58:32 -0400
Kendall Square Cinema Votes 17 - 1 to Join UFCW Local 791

Thank you to UFCW organizers Bob "Moose" McClay and DJ Cronin for working with us from day one, and for continuing to work with us as long as it takes.

Thank you to all the UFCW members who came out to stand with us election day.

Thank you to the patrons of The Kendall Square Cinema for all your support.

Thank you to all the former employees who came out to lend their support.

Thank you to everyone in Minneapolis who shared their experiences with us.

Thank you to Labor Relations Solutions. If you also want a union in your workplace, I highly suggest their services.

I have many more "Thanks" as well as pictures from election day. They will be up later this week. Until then, please read Pete Stidman's piece below.

-Lauren Ryder
Kendall employee since January 2000
Member of the UFCW Local 791 since Saturday July 30th, 2005

Kendall Square Cinema employees join union

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 15:27:12 -0500

by Pete Stidman
http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/39973/index.php

After only three months of organizing at the Kendall Square Cinema, the Landmark Theatre chain's biggest theatre, employees voted 17 to one to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local 791 on July 30.

“Kendall Square cinema is now 100% union,” yelled a cinema employee as movie-goers left the theatre, “wall to wall union!”

The vote comes as a result of recent management changes, lack of full-time status even for employees who average over 35 hours per week, small and sporadic raises, and a starting wage of $7.25 that hasn't changed since 2002, according to employee and organizer Lauren Ryder.
kendall.jpg
"I've worked here for two years,” said Rhyland Gillespie, “and the new employees that I'm training earn as much as I do."

The UFCW represents around 6,700 employees of the Shaw's/Star supermarket chain as well as the Excel Case Ready Beef plant in Taunton, MA.

The Kendall is their first organized theatre and it may be the only wall to wall union-organized theatre in the country. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) organizes projectionists on a wide scale, but does not organize ticket takers, concessionaires, and other movie theatre workers.

It's showtime: Movie theater workers set to vote on union

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 12:57:08 -0400
Business, Patriot Ledger
Published: July 21, 2005

CAMBRIDGE - Employees of the Kendall Square Cinema will vote next week on whether to join a union as the workers seek improved benefits and more structured wage increases.

The vote on July 30 will determine whether the 20 members of Kendall Square's floor staff become part of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 791, a chapter representing more than 6,000 workers in Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island.

The Kendall Square Cinema opened in Cambridge in September 1995 and quickly became one of the most popular art-house theaters in the country. It is owned by Landmark Theatres, a Los Angeles-based chain focused on art-house and foreign films. The company couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.

If the union vote is successful, it will lead to the first union at any Landmark theater.

The floor staff are responsible for selling tickets and working the concessions, as well as cleaning the nine-screen theater. Starting wages have remained at $7.25 an hour since 2002, and few staffers are employed full-time.

The floor staff do not receive vacation pay or sick days, and are paid only time-and-a-half on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, said Lauren Ryder, a 30-year-old Somerville resident who has worked at the theater for five and a half years. They also did not receive promised wage increases in January, she said.

CINEMA WORKERS FILE FOR UNION ELECTION WITH UFCW LOCAL 791

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 12:57:32 -0400
Workers Battle Billionaire "Benefactor"

On July 30th, 2005, the floor staff of Landmark's Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge, MA will vote to
become part of UFCW Local 791. If successful, this will be the first unionized theatre staff in the Landmark Theatre Chain and possibly, the country.

The decision to petition for union representation came as a result of recent management changes, a wage freeze and general lack of benefits for employees. Landmark does not offer full time status to most of its regular local employees, some of whom work, on average, between thirty-five and forty hours per week. The starting wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since the fall of 2002 at the Kendall Square location. Since that time, merit raises and reviews have been sporadic at best. Many of these employees work multiple jobs to make ends meet and rely on state-funded healthcare programs.

"I've worked here for two years, and the new employees that I'm training earn as much as I do," says employee Rhyland Gillespie. While the increase they hope to attain is small by most standards, even a minimal raise would have a large impact on those who work here.

"Without the opportunity for higher wages, as long as I work here I will not be able to escape living paycheck to paycheck", employee David Greene states. "People work at this theatre because they support independent films. It is disturbing that complaints about recent operational changes by not only the staff, but loyal patrons, have been met with apathy, bordering on contempt by upper management," explains former, longtime assistant manager Nancy Campbell. "There is a growing disparity between the original mission statement of the company and the behavior it

Union drive at theaters falls short

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 12:56:15 -0400
Union drive at theaters falls short

May 27, 2004

MINNEAPOLIS — An effort to create the first totally union movie theaters in Minnesota fell short Wednesday, when Landmark Theater workers voted 20-13 against representation.

If a majority of the workers at the Edina Cinema, Lagoon Cinema and Uptown Theatre had voted to join United Food & Commercial Workers Local 789, they would have created the first wall-to-wall union movie theaters in Minnesota, perhaps in the United States.

“We were a little surprised,” Local 789 Organizer Chris Conry said of the outcome of the vote. He said union supporters believed they would win, but in recent weeks Landmark management had employed a union-busting firm from California “and they must have done a pretty good job to spread fear, doubt and division.”

Thirty-six people were eligible to vote and 33 actually did so. “We’re glad so many people turned out to vote,” Conry said.

The workers’ committee and union representatives will meet to debrief and discuss what happened, he said. “What happens next is really in the hands of people working there,” he said.

Under federal labor law, the soonest another vote on UFCW representation could take place is one year from now.

"Obviously, we are disappointed by the outcome. However, we applaud the workers who had the courage to make this happen. They took real risks, hoping to improve their workplace and they deserve recognition for that," said Don Seaquist, president of the United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 789.