posted 05-26-2004 03:55 AM                    

quote:

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Theater workers hold union vote Wednesday
May 23, 2004

MINNEAPOLIS — Workers at Landmark Theatre's three Twin Cities theatres -- the Edina Cinema, Lagoon Cinema, and Uptown Theatre -- are poised to vote Wednesday whether to join United Food & Commercial Workers Local 789, creating the first wall-to-wall union movie theater in Minnesota, perhaps in the United States.

Supporters of the workers' drive to join the United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 789 will be attending the 7 p.m. screening of the popular documentary Super Size Me on Tuesday, May 25, at the Uptown Theatre. Union supporters will be handing out free buttons to those who attend the screening. The Uptown is located at 2906 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

On April 14, the employees of the three Twin Cities Landmark Theatres petitioned the National Labor Relations Board requesting a union election. Within a week, Landmark Theatres responded by enlisting the services of Labor Relations Solutions, a California-based union-busting firm. Since then, Labor Relations Solutions' consultants have been holding weekly "mandatory meetings", having one-on-one meeting with workers, and showing what one worker characterized as "the Reefer Madness of union videos."

In spite of Landmark's resistance, the theatre's workers have been able to garner overwhelming support from the local community, the union said. "We've already collected more than 1,000 signatures so we feel that people in the community are willing to help," said Uptown Theatre employee Dan Schneidkraut.

Lagoon Cinema employee Emily Davis continued saying, "We think that packing Super Size Me the night before the election would be a fun and positive way to show the company and our managers that we are interested in the success of these great theatres."

In September 2003 Landmark Theatres was purchased by 2929 Entertainment Company, which is co-owned by Dallas Maverick's owner, Mark Cuban. Landmark Theatres Corporation was founded in 1974 and operates 57 theatres with 204 screens in 14 states across the U.S.

UFCW Local 789 is part of the 1.4 million United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, AFL-CIO. Local 789 has 7,500 members and represents workers in the grocery stores, drug stores, book stores, nursing homes, meat packing plants, and manufacturing and laundry facilities. Source

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posted 05-27-2004 09:03 AM                    

quote: Joe Redifer

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(I have no idea what we are talking about, btw.)

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Joe, I'm just as lost as you are!

posted 05-27-2004 09:53 AM                    

quote: Jim Spohn

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Con: Demand a salary that a person could actually live on.

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