my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Projectionists Union Unrest at Odeon/UCI (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Projectionists Union Unrest at Odeon/UCI Ben Wales Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Southampton. England Registered: Jul 99 posted 05-19-2007 08:07 PM                     This week posted on the BECTU website states the current talks with the Odeon/UCI board over their proposed change of contracts for Projectionists. It seams that talks are not going in BECTU's favour and (if) the Projectionists were to sign the new offered contracts, most are likely to see a pay cut in real terms. See details on the BECTU website BECTU  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 05-20-2007 05:08 PM                     But based on that article, they're already being paid more than the market rate for projectionists. Just because a union refuses to let its members be paid less than they currently are that doesn't mean that the other side is being unreasonable.  |  IP: Logged Alex Cross Film Handler Posts: 34 From: Eccleshill, Brafdord, West Yorkshire, Registered: Dec 2005 posted 05-20-2007 05:41 PM                     Chris, There's a lot more to it than is on the BECTU website. We may be well paid, but the objections are to the other issues that are being proposed Alex  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 05-21-2007 03:07 AM                     Enlighten me then. What are the proposals and reasons for objections? It's hard to an outside person to make a conclusion if even the party in question (the union itself in this case) leaves out most of their own complaints.  |  IP: Logged Alex Cross Film Handler Posts: 34 From: Eccleshill, Brafdord, West Yorkshire, Registered: Dec 2005 posted 05-21-2007 06:27 AM                     Chris, Sadly, not without breaching my contract. But, take the terms and conditions of your currant contract, take all the good contitions that you benifit from. How would you feel if your then proposed rewriting it? You might want to check our odeonstaff.co.uk. You'll have to register, but it will answer a lot of questions. Alex  |  IP: Logged Caleb Johnstone-Cowan Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 593 From: London, UK Registered: Mar 2006 posted 05-21-2007 01:19 PM                     Odeon projectionists may be paid over the market rate but my guess is, and correct me if I'm wrong, compared to the other two main exhibitors their sites are generally older and techs will have to deal with a lot more problems than newish multiplexes. Stand firm. Cineworld got away with far more than they should have with UGC downstairs staff. Some changes were for the better whilst others I think should be illegal in the UK and EU. Can't go into detail for the same reason as Alex. I don't blame the company, the directors wouldn't be doing their jobs properly if they didn't try to save/make money. The main reason was the complacency of staff and the union.  |  IP: Logged Ben Wales Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Southampton. England Registered: Jul 99 posted 06-23-2007 04:28 AM                     At the resent Ballot with Odeon Projectionist's Bectu Members there has been 60% Vote against the Union recommation in favour for the new Odeon/UCI Harmonisation contracts. Taken From Bectu News Odeon Proposals Rejected Again Almost 60% of Odeon cinema members have rejected the second sound and projection harmonisation proposals in a ballot. In a surprise move 59% of members responding to the ballot rejected the proposals which negotiators had recommended for acceptance. The latest proposals are the second to be rejected, and were intended to harmonise conditions for staff in the former Odeon and UCI chains, now owned by Terra Firma. These had been produced following "lengthy and challenging negotiations" according to union officials. To guide negotiators on the next move a questionnaire is being circulated to Odeon members, which includes asking them to list ten improvements to make the proposals acceptable. The questionnaire closes Monday 2 July 2007.  |  IP: Logged Ben Wales Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Southampton. England Registered: Jul 99 posted 07-16-2007 11:34 AM                     Odeon Projectionist's Stand Firm against over Odeon/UCI Management for new Contracts. Taken from BECTU News Today Odeon Questionnaire Revealed The results of an Odeon questionnaire by BECTU members have been presented to the cinema chain management. Results of questionnaire given to Odeon management (Picture: Tony Scott) The questionnaire was held after members rejected the second sound and projection harmonisation proposals in a ballot towards the end of June. Over half of those who returned the questionnaire said they were not prepared to accept the current proposals even if they were better explained or improved. However the company is mounting a series of meetings this week around the country where Paul Schofield, from the Odeon Technical Department, will explain the proposals in more detail. BECTU has indicated to the company some areas where improvements might be made to the proposals. The union meets again with Odeon management on 25 July in London. BECTU negotiators have said that if revised proposals cannot be agreed at the meeting that can be presented to members, then the union "will almost certainly end up in dispute".  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-16-2007 06:01 PM                     I have an interest in this issue as a very old friend of mine has works for Odeon. His site is in all honesty a mess technically and no thought is given to the needs of the projection department. It seems the current, latest, who will own us tomoorow, owners have no real idea of whats involved with running a cinema. The peoplr concerned are nothing more than yes men who will do nothing to rock the boat. Yes I'll admit that a new purpose built cinema is different to a traditional site. But if the owners have no concept of how to run a building than it make's little difference. Cinema exhibition in the UK is a bit of a mess right now. Venture calitalists buy in the hope of a quick profit and this has been the case for the past few years. Virgin being a very good example of that. Consider their purchase of NTL/Telewest cable and the fact that they are already taking offers!. Virgin did exactlt the same with the cinemas they bought. Buy it cheap and sell it off at a big profit. If you treat staff as a comodity that will do as it's told then you can, and should, expect them to fight back. The whole concept of using front of house staff to run shows devalues the role projection plays. I do hope that Odeon staff will make a stand against the new contracts and don't allow their employers to walk over them What loyalty should they have when they are sold off to new owners in the same way as pork belly is on the stock market. City Screen learned recently that their staff have a voice and will take action to defend their standard of living. They have stood down and settled.I did soooo enjoy that as they are a very arrogant employer. The same applies to Odeon. Just because it's what you want does not make it true or fair and you should expect your staff to voice their anger. I hope Odeon staff get the respect they deserve and hold on to the conditions they currently have. 'Odeon - passionate about film' is their loge.... 'but not passionate about our staff' is the bit they forgot to include! Good for you Ben to raise the issue.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-16-2007 07:59 PM                        Thank God for America and at-will employment!  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 07-17-2007 12:51 AM                     quote: Ben Wales Over half of those who returned the questionnaire said they were not prepared to accept the current proposals even if they were better explained or improved. Unless I'm reading too far into this, it sounds like the union members aren't going to compromise no matter how much the owners compromise. Which would mean they aren't really negotiating in good faith. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this questionnaire would be used to show just that. This questionnaire could easily be a way to dissolve the union; they go to court and point out that the union members said they'd reject all proposals, improved or not. edit: Of course, I don't have the proposals in front of me so I can't comment on them of course. But I'll admit that I tend to be against unions for the most part (I've just seen too many of them breed complacent staff; people who do the minimum because they've got a union behind them). Though I don't automatically think highly of a corp either; it all depends.  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-17-2007 03:43 AM                     Chris, from what I've been told the employer, Odeon, has made it clear that their proposal is not up for negotiation or compromise. It's what they want and what they intend to do. The cinema union, BECTU, has made a number of attempts to negoiate but these have fallen on deaf ears. So if anyone is not negotiating in good faith it's not the union. Compromise is a two way thing and if the only way to get Odeon to listen to its staff is for them to take some sort of action then thats the way it will go. City Screen had high profile strike action and settled. They certainly don't pay high wages and the staff were faced with no choice. One thing that should be made clear is that this situation did not come about as a result of a union demand. Odeon decided to introduce new contracts without negotiation and that is the stand they have taken ever since.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 07-17-2007 05:23 AM                     Who actually owns Odeon these days?  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-17-2007 10:20 AM                     Hi Stephen the current owners of Odeon/UCI is Cinven, a venture capital group. But ask again next week and who knows, such is the state of affairs in this country at the moment with so many venture capital groups buying up everything they can and selling it off again at a profit. I spoke to my friend at Odeon today and he explained that they have gone thru the contract very very carefully and there is nothing at all in it for them. He's been 'sold on' with the business about three or four times now and all that happens is each new owner tries to take something away from them. Moral is very low within the company and it's no wonder they feel ready for a fight. As I've already said Cinven started all of this and have no intention of negotiating.... They set the rules the staff can only play by them thru their union. What else can they do? Oh I forgot they could always let the company walk all over them.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 07-17-2007 10:37 AM                     quote: Ken McFall Oh I forgot they could always let the company walk all over them. Sounds like some of the companies that some of the locals deal with here in the states. It's not going to get any better. Are they trying to limit your hours from full to around 25 hours, but giving you a little more per hour? Have they cut most of the overtime? Is management in the booth? Have they put into the contract if the theatre is under six screens it is a manager/operator, and above six screens a union operator? This is what New York and Los Angeles locals have to deal with now. And it changes with every new contract towards the chain running the house. Good Luck  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.