In early February, Alamo Drafthouse laid off corporate and hourly workers, citing box office slowdowns in the first quarter of 2025. This culling of the workforce included 47 people across Colorado’s three Alamo locations.
The layoffs, which the Communications Workers of America Local 7777 union claims violated national labor laws, triggered a strike at Denver’s Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake.
The strike began Feb. 14 and ended after four days. About 60 employees in west Denver location went on strike, demanding that Alamo rehire the 11 workers laid off from their location.
The union did not get Alamo’s parent company, Sony Pictures Entertainment, to agree to their demands. But union president Anthony Scorzo said they did make some movement on the issue.
“The company and the union identified three of the laid off workers who they would bring back,” said Scorzo. “But [they] have not done so to date.”
Though employees also were laid off from Colorado’s Littleton and Westminster theaters, only Sloans Lake employees walked out. Scorzo said the focus was on Sloans Lake because the union has been bargaining a contract for that location.
“The Alamo workers that were out on strike, not only did they miss work because they were on strike, but, following the strike, the Alamo management did not immediately put all of them back on the schedule. So we have quite a few people that have missed a substantial amount of time,” Scorzo said.
In response, he set up a fundraiser that has raised about $11,000. “Continue to go see movies in the theater. That's their bread and butter,” he said.
But, Scorzo warned, theaters are still understaffed.
“They're doing the best they can … so just have patience with them.”
Alamo Drafthouse did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A handful of employees did not participate in the strike.
