The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Massachusetts has the reputation of being as one of the country’s premiere art house movie theatres. Operated as a non-profit since 1989, it has received strong financial support from the community, recently completing an impressive $14 million renovation that added on two new screens and a spacious and modern new entrance and lobby. The new look Coolidge prompted many to proclaim it as being a “leading center for film exhibition.”
While this expansion was in process, a majority of the staff voted to form a union to manage contract negotiations with the non-profit’s leadership. Earlier this week, local news outlet WBUR reported that the union’s representatives are expressing frustration over what they see as a lack of progress in negotiations with management.
On October 2nd, the union submitted a proposal requesting an increase in pay and benefits for employees. A counter proposal from the Coolidge Corner Foundation amounted to a decrease in hourly wages on certain days of the week, treating proceeds from tips as part of worker’s wages and adding the shift supervisor into the pool of employees that would share tips. The union chief described management’s proposal as “disappointing” and “insulting.” The Foundation countered by saying they “support our employees’ decision to join a union…and look forward to the next bargaining session.”
This unionization of the Coolidge Corner’s staff follows similar developments at theatres across the country. Last fall, after the sudden spike in theatre traffic during last summer’s “Barbenheimer” craze, workers at a handful of New York’s independent cinemas and several Alamo Drafthouse locations formed unions to assist in negotiating new contracts with theatre owners. It remains to be seen whether a more widespread movement to unionize cinema workers takes shape, and what additional pressure it may put on exhibitors. Meanwhile, the public’s support for unions remains at an all-time high.
