There’s a new plot twist unfolding at the Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood as workers take center stage in a unionization bid.
On February 20th, the crew union IATSE filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board, seeking an election to determine whether 44 employees at the Universal City location will opt to join their ranks. This unionization effort aims to represent a diverse range of roles, including ushers, cooks, bartenders, janitors, and more, at the sprawling 19-theater complex nestled within the Universal Studios theme park campus.
While AMC theaters generally aren’t known for unionization, IATSE points out that it has previously successfully organized staff at another location in the chain, the AMC Dine-In South Bay Galleria 16 in Redondo Beach.
The main grievances driving the unionization push revolve around concerns such as enhancing wages and improving scheduling practices. Workers at CityWalk were particularly spurred by recent reports of pay raises granted to managers while rank-and-file employees, who have not seen wage increases for some time, were left out.
In recent years, there has been a notable uptick in union organizing efforts at select movie theaters, with New York City serving as a focal point for such activity. Film Forum, Anthology Film Archives, and Alamo Drafthouse locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn have all recently joined United Auto Workers Locals, showcasing a growing trend. Additionally, in early February, employees at Nitehawk Cinema in Prospect Park also launched a unionization campaign, while staffers at Amherst Cinema in Massachusetts have already successfully formed a union.
As the curtain rises on this unfolding saga, the outcome of the union election at Universal Cinema AMC promises to be a pivotal moment for the workers and the broader theater industry alike.
