It was a calm Tuesday when Alamo Drafthouse union workers decided to go on strike at the South Lamar location — although some of the employees were fed up with the pay, they didn’t want to disrupt a busy movie night.
It was a show of good faith, said Bernard Klinke, the organizing department liaison with The Industrial Workers of the World Austin. This sick-out occurred July 5, two days before the release of "Thor: Love and Thunder," which grossed $143 million nationally on its opening weekend.
If workers' demand for a raise ranging between $4 to $5 an hour isn’t met, the next action won’t be on a traditionally slow day, Klinke said. During the July 5 sick-out, Klinke estimates sales were less than half of what they would have been, but management did not share any numbers. In addition to some patrons canceling their tickets, others canceled their season passes.
Alamo Drafthouse pays many servers $3 base pay, but with tips the average wage is about $11 an hour, according to Glassdoor.com. The job review website pegs pay for concierges at $12 an hour, and a line cook may expect $12 an hour, according to Glassdoor.
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