TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — One of Arizona’s last remaining independent movie theaters is undergoing a major change, and it goes beyond a fresh coat of paint or a revamped snack bar.
The Loft Cinema, located at 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., a Tucson mainstay known for screening independent, foreign and avant-garde films, has voted unanimously to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 415, one of the largest entertainment unions in North America.
Christopher Conley, who works the floor at The Loft selling concessions, taking tickets and cleaning theaters, was one of 16 employees who voted unanimously to join IATSE in late June.
“I love it there… It really is, it’s a Tucson institution,” Conley said.
Conley and his coworkers first reached out to IATSE in the fall of 2023. “We weren’t feeling like we were being heard,” Conley said. “And the main thing is that we wanted our voices to be heard. It wasn’t about how loudly we were saying things, but about the impact.”
Shannon Foley, president and political coordinator for IATSE Local 415, which covers Southern Arizona, said the union represents workers across both the U.S. and Canada.
“We’re (in) Canada and the U.S.,” Foley said. “And we’re all the film, we’re stage shows, all your touring Broadway shows, some smaller theaters.”
The Loft employees are hoping to negotiate for improvements including overtime pay, increased wages and better benefits.
“They’re also looking for better working conditions,such as overtime pay,” Foley added.
Ron Barber, former U.S. Congressman and current president of The Loft’s board of directors, expressed optimism about reaching an agreement.
“We feel like we’ve done a lot over the years to support our staff,” Barber said. “But now they would like to have a bargaining unit and we welcome that. And we’re getting ready to sit down with them as soon as they can schedule a meeting.”
As of mid-July, no date has been set for the start of formal collective bargaining. However, both union representatives and The Loft's leadership say negotiations are expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Founded in 1972, The Loft Cinema is a nonprofit, community-supported theater in Tucson. According to its website, it screens over 400 films annually and is a member of the Art House Convergence, a national coalition of mission-driven cinemas
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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