#Film Forum Union Ratifies First Contract

Unionized workers at the renowned New York cinema Film Forum have ratified their first contract, about a year after the group voted to unionize.

An “overwhelming majority” of the 45-member bargaining unit, including both full- and part-time staffers, voted to ratify the five-year agreement, the union said, declining to give exact numbers. The deal will go into effect on July 1, 2023 and will run through June 30, 2028.

“After 8 months of negotiations, we’re thrilled to have reached an agreement on a union contract,” repertory programming manager and bargaining committee member Stephanie Gross said in a statement. “This contract is going to make a real difference for the workers of Film Forum. The wage increases are long awaited and well-deserved.”

The union is allied with UAW Local 2110, which represents workers at museums, universities, publishers and other cultural institutions. In the film space, the union also represents workers at Anthology Film Archives.

The new contract will boost salaries an average of 12 percent. Entry-level pay for administrative workers will rise from a minimum of $35,000 a year to $46,000 a year, while all administrative staff will receive annual percentage increases ranging from 3 percent to 5 percent. Part-time theater staff will receive a minimum of $18 an hour, with annual increases ranging from $1 an hour to $1.25 an hour. Facilities staff minimums will be $33 an hour, with annual increases ranging from $1 an hour to $1.25 an hour.

The pact also creates a 403(b) matching program, raises holiday pay for cinema and facilities workers, continues Film Forum’s single health coverage that does not require employee contributions and institutes four weeks of paid parental leave. Full-time salaried employees will receive 10-20 days of vacation, depending upon their tenure at the cinema. The contract also codifies a grievance procedure, paid time off for diversity training and a labor-management committee, among other provisions.

In June 2022, the Film Forum workers voted unanimously in a National Labor Relations Board vote to unionize with UAW Local 2110. At the time, the union said its new members were looking to change compensation, standardize working conditions and transform organizational development practices by bargaining collectively. “Representation from a union ensures safety, security, and equity in the workplace during these uncertain times,” theater manager Claudia Francois said in a statement at the time.