Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Somerville, MA projectionist strike

This is topic Somerville, MA projectionist strike in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 05-19-2003, 06:21 PM:

It's amazing what can go on in your back yard without you noticing. Yesterday, I became aware that projectionists at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA (just north of Boston), were striking, and otherwise attempting to gain union recognition. I only heard about it anecdotally, from someone who saw their pickets.

What seems weird to me is the lack of press coverage. Most of what I can find is on Infoshop.org, "your online anarchist community", not exactly an unbiased well-read newspaper of record. Digging about, the Boston Herald had a brief 140-word piece on May 3rd ("Movies; Somerville projectionists go on strike", abstract here); there was incidental mention in a Boston Globe article yesterday about the Independent Film Festival of Boston, where some small number of moviegoers refused to cross the picket line ("First Independent Festival A Hit", abstract here).

The Somerville Theatre is a 2nd-run discount house with 5 screens, and the main house is not infrequently used as a concert venue. Apparently projectionists are concerned about low wages and want to join IATSE 182. There are about 6 articles in infoshop.org, which seems to be a combined news source/bulletin board. According to Somervilleg Theater Projectionists Attacked on Picket Line (2 May), projectionists requested recognition on 30 April, and then started striking on 1 May, at which point non-union projectionists were hired. Apparently they're no longer striking, but are continuing to picket.

news.google.com has a good summary of the infoshop articles.

I don't really understand what happened to IATSE 182 after their negotiations problems with Loews in Boston over the past few years. I never really heard how that was resolved.

--jhawk
p.s.: UBB seems to barf on URLs with %22 in them. In this case, it seemed that stripping didn't break the URL, fortunately.

Edit: fixed typo in web site address.

[ 05-20-2003, 12:33 AM: Message edited by: John Hawkinson ]

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 05-20-2003, 12:04 AM:

I have edited this post after talking to someone from local 182 and finding out more information on this matter. My comments are in the "Ground Level" forum "Projectionists fight for rights" thread.

[ 06-18-2003, 10:20 PM: Message edited by: Sean McKinnon ]

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 06-18-2003, 04:42 PM:

*bump* for discussion in Ground Level: Projectionists Fight For Rights.

--jhawk