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Flying Picket at Oaks Theater, Friday evening, 2/25
There will be a community solidarity picket in front of Oaks Theater in Berkeley on Friday evening, February 25 to oppose the brutal practices of the Metropolitan Theater Corp., which recently took-over the Oaks Theater in Berkeley.
In the spirit of the flying pickets held in support of the locked-out hotel workers in San Francisco late last year, on the evening of Friday, February 25, there will be a community "flying picket" at the Oaks Theater on Solano Avenue in Berkeley.
We will be showing support for the two long-time projectionists who were told that they had to quit the union and take a big wage-cut when Metropolitan Theater Corp. took over Oaks Theater last Friday, February 18th.
A picket was in effect for most of this three-day weekend and will continue throughout the week.
The community flying picket strives to break-down and dissolve the separations between workers in different sectors and industries which keep us weak. The flying picket says to employers everywhere: If you attack one of us, WE will counter-attack!
Stay tuned for exact meeting time (based upon the Friday evening's movie schedule; we intend to meet about 45 minutes before the first evening showing). Bring noise-makers, placards, musical instruments, and prepare to have fun!
Oaks Theater is located on Solano Avenue between The Alameda and Colusa in North Berkeley and is easily accessible by AC Transit from Downtown B-Town (the 43 and the 15).
We will be showing support for the two long-time projectionists who were told that they had to quit the union and take a big wage-cut when Metropolitan Theater Corp. took over Oaks Theater last Friday, February 18th.
A picket was in effect for most of this three-day weekend and will continue throughout the week.
The community flying picket strives to break-down and dissolve the separations between workers in different sectors and industries which keep us weak. The flying picket says to employers everywhere: If you attack one of us, WE will counter-attack!
Stay tuned for exact meeting time (based upon the Friday evening's movie schedule; we intend to meet about 45 minutes before the first evening showing). Bring noise-makers, placards, musical instruments, and prepare to have fun!
Oaks Theater is located on Solano Avenue between The Alameda and Colusa in North Berkeley and is easily accessible by AC Transit from Downtown B-Town (the 43 and the 15).
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The picket by IATSE, the union that the projectionists are in, picketed all weekend this last weekend at the Oaks(during movie showing times that is).
Picketing should be going on today on the 22nd from around 12pm to 8:30pm or so. There should be at least one weekday per week, in addition to the weekends, when the informational picket will be up at the Oaks until the struggle is won. Weekday business is not such a big deal at the Oaks, but picketing during the week will allow more projectionists and other folks who work weekends to show support and spread the word.
At any rate the Oaks needs to be hit hardest on the weekends, so if you can show up Friday or any other time over the weekends it would be really helpful. The IATSE organizer should be sending out an update sometime later this week with more info, and it sounds like the Eastbay Express may be printing a story soon.
Picketing should be going on today on the 22nd from around 12pm to 8:30pm or so. There should be at least one weekday per week, in addition to the weekends, when the informational picket will be up at the Oaks until the struggle is won. Weekday business is not such a big deal at the Oaks, but picketing during the week will allow more projectionists and other folks who work weekends to show support and spread the word.
At any rate the Oaks needs to be hit hardest on the weekends, so if you can show up Friday or any other time over the weekends it would be really helpful. The IATSE organizer should be sending out an update sometime later this week with more info, and it sounds like the Eastbay Express may be printing a story soon.
A picket in support of the projectionists (and workers in general who have to deal with such shit) is a great idea. Can't let those chumps get away with it. I'll be there Friday, ready to make some noise...
Yes indeed - I'll be there in the spirit of the earlier flying pickets.
I'll be at the Oaks on Friday and hopefully we'll persuade moviegoers to go somewhere else as a direct demonstration of their solidarity with the projectionists. The popcorn will be stale by morning! Community pissedoffedness is how to get the new owners to rethink how they have treated these people.
...Is an Injury to All.
These two projectionists are really getting fucked over, especially Richard with one year to retirement and having his hours cut by 33% and his wage by 20%--from only $15-something an hour after 26 years.
We should all be there as a community in solidarity.
SHUT THE OAKS DOWN!
These two projectionists are really getting fucked over, especially Richard with one year to retirement and having his hours cut by 33% and his wage by 20%--from only $15-something an hour after 26 years.
We should all be there as a community in solidarity.
SHUT THE OAKS DOWN!
It is great to hear solidarity with the local IATSE projectionists by the flying picket folks!
Just to let everyone know, the pickets will continue through the weekend and folks are encouraged to come out whenever possible.
This predatory theater chain has a history of breaking the IATSE local in SoCal and some think that the Oaks is a spring board for them to gobble up locally owned theaters up here --thus breaking the projectionists local in the bay area.
solidarity!
-jankyHellface
Just to let everyone know, the pickets will continue through the weekend and folks are encouraged to come out whenever possible.
This predatory theater chain has a history of breaking the IATSE local in SoCal and some think that the Oaks is a spring board for them to gobble up locally owned theaters up here --thus breaking the projectionists local in the bay area.
solidarity!
-jankyHellface
Another local Labor/immigrant fight to connect with. Oakland Adult Ed. teachers get screwed.
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/02/1723112_comment.php#1723170
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/02/1723112_comment.php#1723170
Sources:
http://www.calfund.org/3/governors_3.4_corwin.php
http://print.google.com/print/doc?articleid=bi97YxSNa9J
http://www.smartvoter.org/1998nov/ca/state/vote/tucker_j/paper1.html
Some history:
Bruce Corwin, a Beverly Hills "Mr. Liberal," is former Southern California Chairman of the Democratic Party, former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley's finance chairman, and owner of Metropolitan Theatre Corporation. When he bought Film Processing Company, he put his brother in law in charge of the enterprise. · On a Wednesday, employees at the plant met with union officials from the Graphic Communications International Union and were instructed how to organize and get cards signed for a unionization drive. On Thursday, they signed up 75% of the plant. On Friday all of them were fired. By Saturday, even after the organizers were fired, 95% of the workers had signed union cards. · The workers had nothing to lose by being fired: every woman in the plant had been sexually harassed by supervisors and one had been raped by the plant manager. Almost every worker in the plant had been chemically poisoned--one man who'd previously fathered normal children fathered a genetically mutated child after going to work there. The child was so genetically damaged from his father's chemical poisoning, it died shortly after birth. · Jan Tucker got the workers to picket Bruce Corwin's Beverly Hills home. He developed a strategy that got the factory thrown out of Mexico after the plant manager's father, a corrupt Mexican customs official, allowed the machinery to be brought there in violation of Mexican law.
http://www.calfund.org/3/governors_3.4_corwin.php
http://print.google.com/print/doc?articleid=bi97YxSNa9J
http://www.smartvoter.org/1998nov/ca/state/vote/tucker_j/paper1.html
Some history:
Bruce Corwin, a Beverly Hills "Mr. Liberal," is former Southern California Chairman of the Democratic Party, former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley's finance chairman, and owner of Metropolitan Theatre Corporation. When he bought Film Processing Company, he put his brother in law in charge of the enterprise. · On a Wednesday, employees at the plant met with union officials from the Graphic Communications International Union and were instructed how to organize and get cards signed for a unionization drive. On Thursday, they signed up 75% of the plant. On Friday all of them were fired. By Saturday, even after the organizers were fired, 95% of the workers had signed union cards. · The workers had nothing to lose by being fired: every woman in the plant had been sexually harassed by supervisors and one had been raped by the plant manager. Almost every worker in the plant had been chemically poisoned--one man who'd previously fathered normal children fathered a genetically mutated child after going to work there. The child was so genetically damaged from his father's chemical poisoning, it died shortly after birth. · Jan Tucker got the workers to picket Bruce Corwin's Beverly Hills home. He developed a strategy that got the factory thrown out of Mexico after the plant manager's father, a corrupt Mexican customs official, allowed the machinery to be brought there in violation of Mexican law.
<<Bruce Corwin, a Beverly Hills "Mr. Liberal," is former Southern California Chairman of the Democratic Party, former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley's finance chairman, and owner of Metropolitan Theatre Corporation....>>
That's the same Democratic Party the unions give tens of millions of dollars in dues-money to every election cycle!
That's the same Democratic Party the unions give tens of millions of dollars in dues-money to every election cycle!
Maybe they need some calls as well?
Metropolitan Theatres Corporation
8727 West 3rd Street Suite 301, Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 858-2800
Metropolitan Theatres Corporation
8727 West 3rd Street Suite 301, Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 858-2800
It will take more than a picket at a theater in Berkeley to get to these people. They will simply dismiss it to their shareholds as "that's just those commies in Berkeley"
I suggest coordinated pickets at their offices in LA and the theaters they own statewide.
Maybe a posting on the LA-IMC will help to mobilize activists in So. Cal.
I suggest coordinated pickets at their offices in LA and the theaters they own statewide.
Maybe a posting on the LA-IMC will help to mobilize activists in So. Cal.
If concerted collective activity makes Oaks Theater a losing venture under the terms Metropolitan seeks to impose, it doesn't matter *who* is making it so.
("Oaks is eating shit Mr. Chairman, but it's those dastardly Berkeley commies, so it's no problem."--not)
But you're right that exerting pressure from more than one angle is important. You wanna post on LA-IMC?
("Oaks is eating shit Mr. Chairman, but it's those dastardly Berkeley commies, so it's no problem."--not)
But you're right that exerting pressure from more than one angle is important. You wanna post on LA-IMC?
Unless we hear otherwise about any resolution, we'll meet for the Flying Picket tomorrow at 6:00 PM (Friday, February 25).
Blank picket signs and art supplies will be available, so bring your imagination and working class solidarity--and noise makers.
See ya there.
gifford
Blank picket signs and art supplies will be available, so bring your imagination and working class solidarity--and noise makers.
See ya there.
gifford
the first movie is at 6pm so if you can get there by 5:30 that would be better. otherwise there is a showing at 7pm and at 9pm. the more empty seats at all these showings, the better.
According to the web, today's showings at the Oaks begin at 4:45 and the last show plays at 7:15. Here's what the online schedule says:
Son of the Mask
4:45 7:15
Pooh's Heffalump Movie
5:00
Finding Neverland
7:00
Son of the Mask
4:45 7:15
Pooh's Heffalump Movie
5:00
Finding Neverland
7:00
Hasn't the Metropolitan made a new offer that the union will vote on by Monday.
I'm sure a communication said that the picket's off til then.
Anyone else with other news?
gifford
I'm sure a communication said that the picket's off til then.
Anyone else with other news?
gifford
There will be no flying picket tonight because there has been an oral agreement reached. People should stay tuned in the days and weeks to come.
I've lifted this from another thread:
NO pickets this weekend
by Local's Business Agent Friday, Feb. 25, 2005 at 3:50 PM
voodoo [at] bari.iww.org 415 515 3387 PO Box 29284 Oakland CA 94604
An oral agreement was made today with Metropolitan. A contract should be signed on Monday, and the membership will vote on it on Tuesday. There will be no pickets in the interim. I want to thank everyone for their support. We would never have gotten anything without the leverage of the pickets, which many community members supported. I will update again on Tuesday after the vote or before if anything changes.
I've lifted this from another thread:
NO pickets this weekend
by Local's Business Agent Friday, Feb. 25, 2005 at 3:50 PM
voodoo [at] bari.iww.org 415 515 3387 PO Box 29284 Oakland CA 94604
An oral agreement was made today with Metropolitan. A contract should be signed on Monday, and the membership will vote on it on Tuesday. There will be no pickets in the interim. I want to thank everyone for their support. We would never have gotten anything without the leverage of the pickets, which many community members supported. I will update again on Tuesday after the vote or before if anything changes.
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