In a significant development for the cinema and service industries, the employees of the Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane location in Austin, Texas, have voted to unionize, joining a growing labor movement within the company. In a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election held on Friday, a majority of eligible workers at the Sony-owned theater chain voted in favor of affiliation with the United Auto Workers (UAW).
The vote passed with 52 votes in favor and 16 against, with an impressive 94% participation rate from eligible employees. Although the results are still pending certification by the NLRB, this marks a key step in what could be a larger movement within Alamo Drafthouse locations across the country.
“This is the result of four months of hard work and outreach by organizers,” the newly formed group, SlaughterHouse United, stated in their announcement. “We look forward to the result being officially certified by the NLRB post-haste and to begin bargaining with Alamo in good faith to secure a fair contract for our workplace.”
The Road to Unionization
The unionization effort at the Slaughter Lane location comes on the heels of broader unrest within the company. In March, Alamo Drafthouse workers publicly declared their intentions to unionize after a round of company-wide layoffs affected the Austin location. Union organizers described the layoffs as the “last straw”, citing stagnant wages, a lack of meaningful workplace improvements, and a growing sense of employee frustration.
Among the 73 workers who will be part of the union are hourly employees such as concierge staff, line cooks, bartenders, guest attendants, and hourly supervisors. Organizers argue that a union will help secure better wages and working conditions, which they claim have been neglected by the company’s management.
Solidarity Across Locations
This victory for Slaughter Lane comes amid a wave of union actions within the Alamo Drafthouse chain. Earlier this year, unionized locations in New York and Colorado went on strike in response to the layoffs. While the Colorado strike lasted only a few days, the Brooklyn and Manhattan locations staged a more prolonged protest, with picketing lasting 58 days.
The success of the Slaughter Lane vote seems to signal that the momentum for unionization is growing. Following the announcement, the SlaughterHouse United organizers urged workers at all Alamo Drafthouse theaters to consider unionizing, citing what they described as a shift in the company’s approach to labor.
“It is apparent to us that CEO Michael Kusterman and VP of Operations Kelley Bondelie are moving the company closer to a position of labor neutrality,” the group stated, encouraging further labor action across other locations.
The South Lamar Location Joins the Movement
Over the weekend, the push for labor organizing at Alamo Drafthouse locations continued with a one-day sickout at the South Lamar location in Austin. Employees there, some of whom have been attempting to unionize for years, staged the action as a show of solidarity and to draw attention to their demands for better working conditions.
The employees at South Lamar also encouraged patrons to swap their tickets for another day or request refunds, as part of their protest. This bold move could signal the beginning of further union efforts at the flagship South Lamar location, which has seen several unsuccessful attempts at organizing in the past.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Slaughter Lane Workers?
With the results of the union election still pending official certification, all eyes are on the negotiations that will follow. Once certified, SlaughterHouse United will begin working with management to secure their first labor contract—an essential step for addressing the concerns of hourly workers at the location.
As union efforts grow at Alamo Drafthouse, the company faces mounting pressure to reconcile with its employees and address the grievances that have led to strikes and union votes. Whether this movement will expand to more theaters nationwide remains to be seen, but the victory at the Slaughter Lane location represents a key milestone in the ongoing fight for labor rights in the entertainment and service industries.
