Employees at Austin Alamo Drafthouse Location Vote to Unionize

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Another Alamo Drafthouse theater is poised to go union.

Last Friday, a significant number of workers at the Slaughter Lane Sony-owned theater in Austin, Texas chose to align with the United Auto Workers (UAW) in a vote overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The tally was 52 votes for unionization and 16 against, with an impressive 94% of eligible employees casting their ballots. Pending certification from the NLRB, this union could become official.

After four months of dedicated effort and outreach, SlaughterHouse United announced on Friday their accomplishment. They eagerly await swift confirmation from the NLRB and are ready to negotiate sincerely with Alamo to achieve a just agreement that benefits our working environment.”

Or more casually:

“SlaughterHouse United declared their success after four months of hard work on Friday. They can’t wait for the NLRB to confirm it, so they can sit down and talk fairly with Alamo to secure a fair contract.

According to a representative from Alamo Drafthouse, they acknowledge the Slaughter Lane theater’s ability to unionize, and they are dedicated to negotiating sincerely.

As per the organizers’ announcement, approximately 73 staff members working on an hourly basis – including concierges, line cooks, bartenders, guest attendants, as well as their hourly supervisors – are set to join the union.

Back in March, I joined forces with my fellow gamers at our Austin location, taking our unionization efforts out into the open. This move came after some tough layoffs that hit our company hard. For us, these job cuts were the final straw. We’ve been dealing with stagnant wages for too long and feeling like there haven’t been any real changes to make our daily gaming experience better. We’re fighting for meaningful improvements that will make a difference in our workplace, not just on paper.

At multiple theater locations, including Slaughter Lane, the management made significant job cuts. In response to these layoffs, unionized theaters in New York City and Colorado went on strike in February. The Colorado strike ended swiftly within a few days, whereas the Alamo theaters located in downtown Brooklyn and lower Manhattan picketed for an extended period of 58 days.

Once the outcomes are officially confirmed, the Slaughter Lane union and management will then move forward to discuss and establish their initial labor agreement.

On Friday, the organizers urged all Alamo Drafthouse cinemas to form unions as they perceived a shift in the company’s labor strategy. They stated that CEO Michael Kusterman and VP of Operations Kelley Bondelie seem to be guiding the company towards a state of being neutral on labor matters.

On Saturday, I found myself joining fellow dedicated fans and employees of Alamo Drafthouse’s South Lamar location in Austin, who have been advocating for unionization over the years, in taking a stand. In solidarity, we organized a one-day “sickout,” where instead of serving our usual movie-and-meal experience, we asked patrons to exchange their tickets for another day or request refunds, as we voiced our concerns about labor conditions.

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2025-05-04 05:24