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all Cinemas news
SkyCity Cinemas sold
Fri 4 Dec 09
SkyCity Cinemas have been sold to Australian entertainment group Amalgamated Holdings Ltd (AHL) for $59 million. This included 14 Skycity cinema complexes in New Zealand, including Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, plus joint venture interests in the Rialto Group and interests in Fiji.
AHL is the parent company of Greater Union and the Event cinemas which are a both prominent Australian cinema companies.
Dude - where are my comps?
Wed 5 Aug 09
Hoyts Cinema chains have mounted an assault on long standing conditions of cinema workers. Skycity is also proposing to remove the longstanding admit 2 complimentary staff tickets.
For years, cinema assistants have been able to access one complimentary movie ticket for themselves and one for a friend each week. They have to use these “comps” at off peak times, so they don’t actually cost the company any real money. The rationale has been that cinema workers ought to be well informed about the movies being shown. After all, they have to answer the movie-going public’s questions.
Readings Movieland bargaining update
Tue 30 Jun 09
Unite has been negotiating with Readings cinemas over the Movielands contract over the past three months. There has been some improvements being offered on the transport allowance, projectionist tools, providing milk and sugar along with the tea, coffee and milo and implementation of breaks. Three claims remained outstanding; security of hours, food and beverage discount and the term of the agreement. It seemed like progress was being made on these issue but Readings notified Unite that they will not include security of hours in the contract, they want to remove all food and beverage discounts and have a three year contract!
Short till? Don't get forced to pay
Tue 30 Jun 09
Unite recently got a Pizza Hut worker $100 back after they had been pressured to reimburse for a till that was short. Unite members are advised not to offer to personally reimburse for till shortfalls. Get in touch with the union if you come under pressure to make up the difference yourself.
Rosters and Hours of work in Cinemas
Mon 18 May 09
Over the last month several issues have been raised with Unite organisers regarding security or hours and roster protocols, the following is a summary of what your contract says about these important issues.
Cinema workers accept new company offer and settle with SkyCity Cinemas
Mon 18 Aug 08
SkyCity and Rialto cinemas workers voted overwhelmingly last week to accept a new contract that will lift their wages to equal the highest cinema rates in the country.
The settlement followed strikes taken in June this year when workers rejected a minimum wage offer by NZ largest cinema operator.
Unite union cinemas organiser Tom Buckley says the union will send a letter of appreciation to those workers who took strike action at the St Lukes and Henderson cinemas.
"If these workers hadn't taken action we would have been left with the original offer which only included a discount on parlour ice-cream and 3.5% wage increase for senior positions," he explains.
Unite back to the drawing board with Skycity Cinemas
Tue 17 Jun 08
This Thursday Unite will enter into further negotiations with Skycity Cinemas. It is hoped that this round of negotiations will result in an improved offer from the company that goes beyond the attendants being offered discounted parlour icecreams.
Skycity's 'final offer' - Why we need to take action
SkyCity/Rialto made their final offer to the union in late May.
- The offer included a 3.5% pay increase to positions above Cinema Attendant. Cinema Attendants in Rialto and SkyCity were offered the minimum wage of $12 per hour.
- Gold Class staff were also reduced to the minimum wage. The company disregarded their claim for a higher pay rate even though in the last round of negotiations they recognised this by offer an additional 50c pay increase.
Suspension notices and strikes
Tue 17 Jun 08
At the end of the strikes taken at the Westcity and St. Luke's complexes, the company's operations manager issued staff with suspension notices. For some people it can be slightly troubling to receive a suspension notice after taking strike action. Unite members need to be very clear that a suspension notice is nothing to be nervous about:
- The law requires the company to issue you a suspension notice for the time that the strike is on.
- If the company does not issue you a "suspension notice" then they have to pay you for the time you are on strike.
- When you return to work after your strike the "suspension notice" is lifted automatically and you get paid again.
- A "suspension notice" is not a warning of any type.
Cinema workers: you have the right to strike
Tue 17 Jun 08
Many members have asked what rights they have if they take strike action. Here are the key points:
- Unite members have a legal right to take industrial action at any time until a new union contract is agreed.
- We do not have to give the company any notice before taking action.
- We can take action either as a whole with every member involved or we can decide to take action with just some people (minimum is two people).
- Action could involve a total stoppage of work or a partial refusal to do normal duties (e.g. clean up at end of shift).
- Only union members can legally take action. You can join immediately before a strike.
- The company cannot use contractors or non-SkyCity Cinemas employees to do the work of striking workers.
Cinema campaign demands better deal for cinema attendants
Tue 17 Jun 08
Unite recently launched a campaign with cinema workers to lift pay rates and conditions for the hundreds of members in cinemas around the country.
Skycity Cinema workers have overwhelmingly rejected the company's latest offer, which consisted of a discount for cinema attendants on parlour icecreams and no pay rise. They are now participating in "popcorn strikes" - requesting customers not to buy popcorn or confectionery - as a way to ask for support for their claims.
The union wants to see the pay rate equal to the best cinema contract in the country that sees workers paid a start rate of $12.20, rising to $13.10 over two years.
Cinemas organiser Tom Buckley says this is a modest demand considering that in Australia cinema workers are paid between $A15 and $A20 an hour.
