Hey TC DUers: See a good film, and support unions!

[no name no slogan]

Hey everyone, I just got this message in an email from a fellow activist. The employees of the Lagoon and Uptown theatres in Minneapolis are attempting to organize a union, and are being "discouraged" by the theatre owners.

However, they've come up with an ingenious way to show their employers how serious they are. They are encouraging supporters to go to "Supersize Me!" tomorrow night (Tues May 25). I've attached a personal message from an organizer and the press release, which so far has gone unpublished in any major local paper, as far as I know.

I'm going to try to see it tomorrow, if at all possible, and maybe we'll see some of you there too!!!!

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All local newspapers are refusing to cover this or print paid advertisements for this event because they are afraid of losing revenue from the Landmark Theater Corporation.

This is a MESSED UP situation, please help us make it better by packing "Supersize Me!" the night before the election . We need to show the company that the workers have leverage with the community despite the choice of local media to ignore our ordeal and our forthcoming attempt at positive action.

The movie starts at 7:15pm on Tuesday the 25th, it's $8.00 for adults, $5.25 for Seniors (over 65) and Kids (under 12) at the Uptown Theater.

"Supersize Me!" is a great film with an awesome message and that is why we picked it. Go to www.supersizeme.com for more information. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!! - Dan Schneidkraut

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Uptown/Lagoon Theater

Theater Workers Want To Pack Film Night Before Union Election

Employees of Landmark's Minneapolis Theaters Remain Positive In The Face Of Hostility From Professional Union Discouragers.

On April 14th the employees of the three Twin Cities Landmark theaters applied for a union election through UFCW Local 789. The Landmark Corporation immediately responded by enlisting the services of Labor Relations Solutions out of California. Since that time the individuals from Labor Relations Solutions have been
aggressively trying to discourage Landmark employees from standing up for their rights.

Meanwhile, in spite of Landmark's resistance, the staff members have been able to garner overwhelming support from the local community. "A couple weeks ago we were outside the theater collecting signatures in support of the union and answering questions when we were accosted by Landmark's City Manager and accused of trying to boycott the theater. This was distressing because the truth is that the last thing we want to do is affect the business of the theaters in a negative way. Two wrongs don't make a right and I think that staging a boycott at this point would hurt our cause and contribute to more tension in the work place. It will be nice to counteract the frightening antagonism coming from the union busters with something fun and constructive. We've already collected more than one thousand signatures so we feel that people in the community are willing to help." said Uptown and Lagoon employee Dan Schneidkraut.

Uptown and Lagoon employee Emily Davis said, "This has been a very difficult situation because the company has chosen to deal with our decision to unionize in an extremely negative way. We are trying to be constructive and we wouldn't do this if we didn't believe that a unionized theater would have long term benefits for this company and its customers. We think that packing 'Supersize me!' the night before the election would be a fun and positive way to show the company and our managers that despite their perception we are also interested in the success of these great theaters."

[Supormom]

1. Excellent idea.

Thanks for sharing.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. I'm going to try to make it

and if you can bring along one of your No Right Turn buttons, I'll buy one on the spot! :-)

[no name no slogan]

4. Good idea!!!

I've got a number of them left, and I bet the crowd there would be a natural place to sell them! :D

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. I looked for you, but I didn't see you

:shrug:

I enjoyed the movie, though, and I recommend it highly. There are a lot of funny and ironic scenes, as well as a few that make you go EWWW.

(The thought that Morgan Spurlock ate the equivalent of a pound of sugar a day practically gives me cavities in and of itself.)

[no name no slogan]

6. Sorry to say I missed it :(

I've been kind of sick since the state convention-- I think I may have caught a stomach bug of some sort. That and the fact that I only averaged a few hours of sleep each night didn't help much, either.

I found out today I'm not alone, either. I got a call from somebody who was there on an unrelated topic who also got sick, and is just getting better. So I'm beginning to wonder.....

It could have been at the Dayton bash. The food was kept out on warmers for a while, but it didn't seem "bad" in any way. However, I believe the beer was Coors (notorious right-wing politics) so maybe that had something to do with it. I had three 10oz glasses Saturday night (normally not a problem for me), but I had a killer headache most of the day Sunday. Dang.

[mzmolly]

3. Great idea!

:hi: