After 58 days on strike, workers at two Alamo Drafthouse locations in New York City can return to the multiplex.
On Monday workers at the Sony-owned cinema chain’s lower Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn locations announced that their union had reached a deal with management over layoffs that the union had previously claimed violated labor law. The union, aligned with the United Auto Workers Local 2179, ratified the tentative agreement on Sunday and said work will resume as usual starting Friday.
“Strike won! All jobs are back!” the union announced in a social media post on Monday. “We will be returning to work officially on April 18 but feel free to start patronizing the Alamos in BK & Manhattan as soon as today.”
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Said union member Matthew Rivera in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “We did what we set out to do. We showed them our independent spirit. Union strong forever.”
The agreement addresses layoffs that occurred in early February at both locations amid negotiations over a first union contract for the workers. At the time, the union alleged that the theaters had “failed or refused to bargain in good faith” and had not responded to requests for information in violation of federal labor law and filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. An insider close to the company rejected the union’s depiction of events and said the theaters would continue to negotiate in good faith.
The agreement ratified on Sunday will reinstate the 70-odd staffers that were cut at the theaters as well as restore their previously accrued paid time off, sick time, seniority and hire date, the union said on Monday.
“We hope all workers, especially those in the service industry, see our win and are inspired to organize their own workplaces,” said union member Anthony Squitire in a statement.
The labor group, which is still negotiating its first labor contract, will return to the bargaining table with management on Wednesday, a UAW Local 2179 representative told THR.
THR has reached out to Alamo Drafthouse for comment. An insider close to the company says Alamo Drafthouse always planned to rehire laid-off staffers once the box office picked up, and the offer to New York theaters matched one made to all recently cut employees across the country on April 7.
The strike-ending deal puts to rest a period of labor turmoil for Alamo Drafthouse, which was acquired by Sony in the summer of 2024. In mid-February workers at the chain’s Sloans Lake location in Colorado also went on strike over their own round of layoffs. That ended a few days after workers voluntarily returned to work.
Still, concern over the layoffs conducted earlier in the year remains. In late March, staffers at the Austin, Texas-based Slaughter Lane location announced their intention to unionize with the UAW, saying the reductions in force were the “last straw” for the group.
April 14, 8:38 p.m. Updated to include the perspective of an insider close to the company.
April 15, 12:01 p.m. Updated to correct details of the Sloans Lake strike.
