NEW YORK (PIX11) – A nationwide wave of layoffs at Alamo Drafthouse has hit New York City, with 70 employees losing their jobs this week.
The local layoffs impact employees at the movie chain’s Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan locations. A handful of former staff rallied in Lower Manhattan Friday, speaking out against the layoffs that they say are unjust.
Ariana Fatalia said she's struggling to make ends meet after being laid off from the cinema, which has left her without income or health insurance.
"There wasn't any kind of plan for me to get ahead of this, and I'm struggling right now,” she said.
Former employee Orion Macias said he’s relying on his savings just to get by.
"I have to cut into my own savings in order to survive, and I'm very lucky that I have savings to begin with,” said Macias. “Plenty of people are living paycheck to paycheck. I was barely staying afloat paycheck to paycheck."
The layoffs come as the union, NYC Alamo United, remains in the middle of contract negotiations with the cinema. The union advocates for higher wages, better health insurance, and improved safety measures.
Union liaison Anthony Squitire said he was blindsided by the proposal of layoffs and immediately pushed back. He worries that cutting jobs could impact customers who are already grappling with staffing shortages.
"We have servers forced to serve 120 customers all at once,” Squitire said speaking on his experience working at Alamo’s Brooklyn cinema. “We have dishwashers who are the only person washing dishes when 400 people are currently in the building making dishes."
While Alamo Drafthouse declined to comment, a source close to the company said the layoffs were due to a seasonal slowdown at the movies. But Squitire argues Alamo should have reduced hours instead of cutting jobs, as it has done in the past.
The union filed a labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Alamo Drafthouse refused to bargain in good faith before the job cuts. Employees hope the rally will pressure the company to reverse its decision.
"We just hope it puts enough pressure on the company that they realize what a terrible decision they've made,” said Squitire.
A source close to the company says the former employees can re-apply for their jobs when business picks up. In the meantime, an online petition has been launched in support of the employees getting their jobs back.
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