Yesterday morning, Alamo Drafthouse laid off 70 workers from its Brooklyn and Manhattan locations. Workers, represented by their independent union Alamo United, say this is in violation of its obligation to bargain in good faith with the union prior to making any operational changes.
The layoffs come in the midst of the union’s active development of their contract with Alamo, with continual demands being made of the theater to increase staffing, better healthcare, better hours and more protections for workers.
Dozens of workers and supporters picketed the theater’s two New York City locations last night, demanding that Alamo bargain with Alamo United in good faith, reinstate the workers and reinstate any retracted benefits, like paid sick leave and paid time off.
“They’ve been trying to operate with a skeleton crew for as long as possible,” a member of Alamo United told The Indypendent. “We’re often understaffed; we can’t find coverage; they cut our hours to literal skeleton-crew hours sometimes. People can’t put food on the table; they can’t pay rent… We just want better conditions.”
Back in December, Alamo notified its employees that 25% of its workers would be laid off nationally as part of its corporate “restructuring” following a buyout of Alamo Drafthouse by Sony Pictures over the summer.
Because the Brooklyn and Manhattan locations unionized in the fall of 2023, Alamo was required by labor law to negotiate with the union before moving forward with any layoffs — but despite multiple bargaining sessions, in mid-January, the union was informed that Alamo intended on moving forward with the layoffs.
“We’ve gone to the table with them about this, and have said, “Hey, we’re not agreeable to layoffs; there are alternatives; let’s discuss them … They straight up said at the table, ‘We are interested in layoffs only, and nothing else,’” a member of Alamo United told The Indy.
According to Alamo United, when the union asked Alamo to prove the financial necessity of the layoffs, the employer’s arguments and internal data only showed the opposite. Records provided by Alamo’s chief content officer showed that, across the board, the company’s profits, including the first business quarter — the typical “slow season” — have only been growing over the years.
“If anything, it galvanizes us,” a member of Alamo United said of the layoffs. “It makes us even more determined to get this contract, to get these workers’ protections, to get these workers rights, to get these jobs back.”
