Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Loft Cinema Workers Unanimously Ratify First CBA

Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Members of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 415 who work at Loft Cinema in Tucson, Arizona, have voted unanimously to ratify their first union contract.

The nonprofit art house cinema has a historic connection to Local 415—Loft projectionists were represented by the union in the first few years of the theater’s operation, but that ended after the theater management changed in the early 1970s. Decades later, current staff have revived their membership and now have a contract that ensures wage increases, expanded paid time off, paid breaks, overtime pay for work on holidays, weekly hours guarantees and more.

“We’re very proud of the hard work of the Loft employees during their campaign to unionize and their persistence in bargaining this agreement,” said Local 415 Business Agent Ian Fritz. “Our union is honored to represent them, and I hope their success sends a message to movie theater workers across Tucson that joining a union is every worker’s right.”