Et Tu, Drafthouse? Popular Movie Theater Chain Accused of Union-Busting. Again.

From the WGA strike to SAG-AFTRA’s unprecedented strike authorization vote, the corporations that profit from hawking Hollywood’s wares are feeling the heat from an increasingly engaged labor movement.

That labor movement isn’t limited to film and TV, of course. Concern for workers’ rights is being expressed throughout all areas of the entertainment industry and beyond. The latest example comes from projectionists trying to unionize at an NYC Alamo Drafthouse.

You know, the movie theater chain known for serving food during its screenings, union-busting activity, and abusive working conditions.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include an official statement from the Alamo Drafthouse.

What did Drafthouse do now?

Last week, the projectionists at an NYC Alamo Drafthouse filed a petition with the National Labor Review Board (NLRB) to unionize under the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 306. As reported by 1010 WINS:

“Two days after the petition was filed and one day after the NLRB sent official notice to the company, Alamo sent an internal email notifying staff of the company’s intention to do away with the projectionist position and replace it with a more expansive ‘technical engineer’ role.”

Drafthouse claims that they announced this transition before the projectionists filed their petition. They also said that the decision to eliminate the projectionist position has nothing to do with the petition to unionize, but rather, with changes in the industry and technology.

In the email that was sent out, Drafthouse said that the new “technical engineer” position, in addition to doing everything projectionists already do, “will be responsible for preventative maintenance of equipment, orchestrating testing and evaluating new projection technology.”

So, it’s less a “new position” so much as it’s a rebrand of projectionist … as well as an excuse to get rid of anyone calling themselves a projectionist, because that position “no longer exists.” It’s also adding the responsibilities of a whole other job to the projectionist job, and it’s unclear whether this expansion of responsibilities comes with an expansion in pay.

Drafthouse apparently invited their current projectionists to apply for the new position, but anyone who isn’t hired will lose their current employment.

Despite what the chain said about the reasoning behind the new position, IATSE isn’t buying it. Local 306 rep, Michael Fewx, had this to say about how he heard about the change:

“I was already in the process of organizing them when I first heard about it, so I don’t know if Alamo was already aware of the union sentiment that was growing in the workplace when they came up with their plan, but I’d have to believe they were. I really don’t see why else a movie theater would want to get rid of their projectionists.

I think Alamo’s decision to remove the job title ‘projectionists’ from their movie theaters and rebrand those employees as something else doesn’t change those workers’ ability to organize their work place, but it does reinforce the constant threat workers face when organizing.”

A representative for Alamo Drafthouse contacted The Mary Sue to share an official statement in response to the petition. Per the statement, the new technical engineer position comes with “an increased compensation package.” As for full-time projectionists not hired as engineers, “Alamo Drafthouse will provide an opportunity for other roles within the company, and/or offer severance packages.” Read the statement in full below:

We wanted to clarify some of the recent speculation about the projectionist roles at Alamo Drafthouse. As anyone who’s seen a film at an Alamo Drafthouse knows, our theatrical presentation has always been—and always will be—held in the highest regard. The spectacle of cinema begins and ends with spectacular picture and sound, whether projected digitally or on film. 

Over the past several months, the Presentation Team has conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the projectionist role, taking into account the evolving nature of the industry, the advancements in technology, and the continued success of our teammates. As a result of this evaluation, we have decided to introduce a new career path for Projectionists as Technical Engineers. This transition, announced prior to the NLRB petition, will come with an increased compensation package and additional responsibilities that were not previously associated with the role. 

For any full time projectionist who will not be selected for the new role, Alamo Drafthouse will provide an opportunity for other roles within the company, and/or offer severance packages if there is not another position for which they are interested.

Alamo Drafthouse treasures the cinema and we value all of our teammates who help to bring the theater’s unique experience to our guests.

Another black mark on Alamo’s already-spotty track record

This isn’t the first time Alamo Drafthouse has acted in opposition to the best interests of its workers. Some examples include:

• AUSTIN, TX: Last year, as reported by ABC affiliate KVUE, Alamo employees attempted to unionize, and not only did Alamo not bother negotiating with them, but they proceeded to illegally fire one of the union’s organizers.
• KANSAS CITY, MO: The Pitch reported in 2020 that 30 current and former Drafthouse employees began speaking out about abusive and toxic work conditions at the theater, ranging from sexual harassment to grueling work hours for minimal pay.
• FANTASTIC FEST (also in Austin): as far back as 2017, we’ve been hearing about Drafthouse’s ties to notorious abusers like Devin Faraci, former head of Drafhouse’s now-defunct movie site Birth.Movies.Death, and Harry Knowles, co-founder of their genre film festival Fantastic Fest. At the time, TMS‘ Vivian Kane reported on the totally inadequate response from Drafthouse co-founders Tim and Karrie League.

It’s not at all surprising that Alamo Drafthouse would, yet again, prioritize itself over the well-being of its employees by finding loopholes to dealing with actual worker needs through union-busting activity. However, equally unsurprising is the growing desire to unionize from workers no longer willing to put up with abusive treatment from employers.

Drafthouse employees in the flagship Austin location became the first to unionize as Drafthouse Workers United, under the International Workers of the World (IWW), which represents workers across all fields. Workers at the San Francisco Alamo Drafthouse announced their intention to unionize late last year, and are still in the process of doing that.

So the projectionists in New York are not alone. Alamo Drafthouse should really come up with a new routine because this abusive workplace schtick is as stale as their popcorn.

(featured image: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema)