Shattuck Cinema Workers Prepare for Contract Negotiations; Support Rally on Saturday June

Workers from Shattuck Cinemas emerged victorious in their fight for a union after voting 22-2 in favor of unionizing with the Industrial Workers of the World. Their union drive became public on May 8th, and a little over a month later, on June 16th, they had a union.

Congratulations! It was a fast process that wouldn't have been possible without community support. The Shattuckunion is an inspiration for cinema workers everywhere who are receiving poor pay with little or no benefits. However, many of the workers' biggest concern was never whether they would gain recognition as a union, but how the company would respond during contract negotiations. Landmark Theatres has been generally unresponsive to the campaign -- they've been unavailable for comment whenever questioned. Their attorney recently responded to the union's demand to bargain letters, and both sides are now preparing for contract negotiations. The union's main objective right now is to get a fair contract - and in a reasonable amount of time.

"We know from prior attempts to deal with the company in this way that they are prepared to stall out talks indefinitely, leaving my fellow workers and I in the lurch," says theater worker Jason Ramsey.

One other Landmark cinema--the Kendell Square Landmark in Cambridge, Massachusetts--recently organized a union with the UFCW, and they've been in contract negotiations for nine months now. Nine months is far too long for workers to wait while not making a living wage! Furthermore, in letters sent to Shattuck workers during the union drive, Landmark stated that there were no unionized Landmark Cinemas--indicating that they aren't taking the Kendall Square union seriously. As Fellow Worker Ramsey says, "The Landmark CEO, Bill Banowsky, is currently travelling the nation to convince our fellow workers not to organize. To them, we are a threat to their continuing exploitation and assault on low wage theater workers nationwide."

We want to make sure that the Shattuckunion is taken seriously, and that the workers get not only a swift contract, but a good one--so we're going to keep the pressure on the company, and one of the best ways to do that is a demonstration of solidarity from the community.

For an establishment that caters to the progressive community, showing independent films, it is only consistent for Landmark to treat their workers fairly, and respect their right to organize collectively. We hope that their customers and supporters from around the Bay Area will let them know this by coming out and joining the workers for a rally in front of the theater on Saturday, July 22nd at 2pm.

For more information, please visit: shattuckunion.iww.org