Movie Theaters Fear Hike in Minimum Wage: ‘That Would Kill Us’

[Raeph]

SOURCE: [B]*snip*

I think the days of mass market theater maybe done and over with but even during the pandemic some theaters were barely staying afloat with private showings. If theaters turn from 300-500 person viewings for $10-20 a head with cheap food into a 10-50 person viewings for $30-100 a head but with 3+ star dining then they could work.

It would change the service from mass-market to niche market, with large numbers of job losses as some locations would not be able to compete in the new paradigm, but I think something of the business model would survive.

You already see a proof of concept like this with some theaters where they show current releases but serve full meals and alcohol and are 21+ only.

[Logwyn]

It is not like you always have it with the worst possible disruptions, far from it, no need to exagerate, I rarely had real issues with other being morons. Also superior sound system tends to drown them out for me, so...

And fuck me, but the audience reaction to the SW's "lets ram cruiser at lightspeed into the giant capital ship" scene was amazing and there were other episodes of watching movie and feeling tons of people going WOAH. Kaleredar has a point with this one.

I used to work in a movie theater and know first hand how people act. The best time to see a movie was always Wed night last showing of the day about a week after the first release date. Because there was hardly anyone else in the theater.

I got a pretty good setup at home anyway. Nice large TV and surround sound. Much better than the theater honestly. Plus I can pause and go to the bathroom and not miss anything.

[Endus]

which part of Ontario?

do you have to preorder tickets for new releases to guarantee yourself a seat? do you need to show up early to get a decent seat, let alone couple of seats next to each other?

because in my area - i don't. there are a lot fewer people here in general (part of the reason i chose to live here in a first place, I like the privacy) and even highly anticipated new releases do not get a full theater on an OPENING night. I can watch new releases for $5 or at least used to pre pandemic. if I pay $15, its at a slightly father away theater where that price includes a full dinner.
trust me, it makes a difference. and that dinner and the movie theater? may just end up being dinner only IF they survive.

As it says in the Location bar, the Ottawa region.
For new releases, if they're the big blockbusters, yeah, you usually have to pre-purchase tickets. The local theaters mostly do assigned seating, but you get to pick those seats yourself.

Before this, I was in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, and the same thing was true. And prices didn't significantly change over that period, even with the minimum wage hikes we'd had from $10ish to the current $14/hour. Not so much that I'd noticed, at least.

I'm gonna suggest your area's the more likely outlier in this.

[Vash The Stampede]

Like GameStop, they need to worry about their business model first, not how much they pay employee's. If you need to raise prices then you need to sweeten the deal like giving everyone who saw the movie a free DVD copy of it or the ability to download it so they can watch it again later. Or just pay the CEO less money and distribute the wealth to employees instead. In the digital streaming age where Disney may make more money releasing movies on Disney+ instead of theaters, you better find a way to stay relevant in 2021 let alone 2025.

[Witchblade77]

As it says in the Location bar, the Ottawa region.
For new releases, if they're the big blockbusters, yeah, you usually have to pre-purchase tickets. The local theaters mostly do assigned seating, but you get to pick those seats yourself.

Before this, I was in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, and the same thing was true. And prices didn't significantly change over that period, even with the minimum wage hikes we'd had from $10ish to the current $14/hour. Not so much that I'd noticed, at least.

I'm gonna suggest your area's the more likely outlier in this.

maybe. maybe not. we are not unique in a way people here are spread out. and its kinda brings me back to my point, which is also a point you were making at one point. there is no universal number, it varies from area to area, so creating a universal number doesn't seem to be particularly helpful, as becasue its so in between, its not enough for more expensive areas and too much for areas like mine.

as for changing the business model. some do. the problem is, when part of your business model - licensing movies - is a drain... what is the incentive to continue being a movie theater? when you can make more profit... JUST being a restaurant, JUST being an arcade or whatever?

[Naiattavain]

popcorn and soda would cost 80 bucks.

[Adam Jensen]

Okay. It's cool movie theaters.

I got Netflix and Disney+ so . . . if you can't pay your workers honest livable wages . . .

[Endus]

Okay. It's cool movie theaters.

I got Netflix and Disney+ so . . . if you can't pay your workers honest livable wages . . .

I'd miss going to theaters. I grew up with it at a time when we had shitty CRT televisions and the retrospectively obnoxious resolution of VHS tapes as the best common "at-home" experience. But I'll freely admit that's nostalgia speaking, nothing more.

If the multiplex were to die, and we went to a system where theaters were charging a lot more for tickets, as a premier experience, really diving into realizing that feeling for those of us who enjoy it, I'd honestly be all for that.

It's only the big blockbusters for major properties that I feel any real desire to see in theaters any more, anyway.

[kamuimac]

they are right

and the solution will be very simple - automatization will fix it - the only ones who are needed there will be cleaners after each movie - everythign else can be fully automated .

thats the future of cinemas.

[Felya]

popcorn and soda would cost 80 bucks.

As opposed to 25$? Why has the price of movie concessions gone from less than 2 buck in the 70s to 25 bucks now, while the minimum wage paid to workers, hasn’t changed?

Are we really arguing that theater concession prices are reasonable and we are to fear them increasing? What’s next? Celebrate a 20 dollar hot dog and beer at a ball game? lol

- - - Updated - - -

they are right

and the solution will be very simple - automatization will fix it - the only ones who are needed there will be cleaners after each movie - everythign else can be fully automated .

thats the future of cinemas.

How is that a solution to increased minimum wage, when it’s happening regardless? It’s not an either or scenario... wtf?

[Elegiac]

they are right

and the solution will be very simple - automatization will fix it - the only ones who are needed there will be cleaners after each movie - everythign else can be fully automated .

thats the future of cinemas.

Y'all threatened supermarket workers with this nonsense during the wage hike push in Seattle and guess what - supermarkets still employ actual people.

[Endus]

As opposed to 25$? Why has the price of movie concessions gone from less than 2 buck in the 70s to 25 bucks now, while the minimum wage paid to workers, hasn’t changed?

Are we really arguing that theater concession prices are reasonable and we are to fear them increasing? What’s next? Celebrate a 20 dollar hot dog and beer at a ball game? lol

I mean, real talk? Theaters mostly don't make money off ticket sales for the first few weeks of a release; they have to pay a lump sum up front to get the film. And that ain't cheap. Especially for big-budget blockbusters.

Theaters are making their money off those overpriced concessions, not ticket sales during the early rush of views.

This is a problem that fundamentally ties back into Hollywood accounting and other such bullshit. It's kind of like trying to blame your local gas station for how wildly gas prices fluctuate. They're not the ones responsible for how the system works.

[ghotihook]

I mean, real talk? Theaters mostly don't make money off ticket sales for the first few weeks of a release; they have to pay a lump sum up front to get the film. And that ain't cheap. Especially for big-budget blockbusters.

Theaters are making their money off those overpriced concessions, not ticket sales during the early rush of views.

This is a problem that fundamentally ties back into Hollywood accounting and other such bullshit. It's kind of like trying to blame your local gas station for how wildly gas prices fluctuate. They're not the ones responsible for how the system works.

And that's why, in my opinion, the old traditional theater is no longer a feasible model. But the cause is somewhat directly influenced on the raising of minimum wage (though it obviously effects bottom line some), but more influenced on home movie watching. The theaters around me have converted to "destination locations" with more than a big screen and regular seats.

When I go see a movie at the theater it's an all night event. Movie, dinner, games etc. all in the same location that used to just offer movies. It also cost me anywhere from $30-50 for that night. Massively more that was going to a movie used to be.

You CAN still go see only a movie there. A regular ticket is $7 and matinee is $5. They charge $2 more or imax movie and $1 more for the 3D movies.

[Kathandira]

SOURCE: https://variety.com/2021/film/news/m...se-1234904416/

National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO):


Perhaps the era of "going to the movies" is finally coming to an end.

Then they shall end. Any business who isn't able to provide their employees a living wage should not be catered to.

[Felya]

Then they shall end. Any business who isn't able to provide their employees a living wage should not be catered to.

I’m starting to think if workers were plywood or some other inanimate object, they wouldn’t care about price going up and it driving movie business out. Where is the demand for cheaper steel from China, to make theater infrastructure cheaper? Why it totes cool that prices in general are going up, without pay going up, but it only being a problem when it comes to paying people?

Just pretend people are advertising...

[Adam Jensen]

they are right

and the solution will be very simple - automatization will fix it - the only ones who are needed there will be cleaners after each movie - everythign else can be fully automated .

thats the future of cinemas.

They'll automate what they can no matter how high or low minimum wage is.

[Kathandira]

I’m starting to think if workers were plywood or some other inanimate object, they wouldn’t care about price going up and it driving movie business out. Where is the demand for cheaper steel from China, to make theater infrastructure cheaper? Why it totes cool that prices in general are going up, without pay going up, but it only being a problem when it comes to paying people?

Just pretend people are advertising...

I'm sure if we broke it ALL down, there are many reasons why the employees are paid so little, not just CEO's pocketting it all. And yes, it should all be audited and figured out. The employees should get paid more. But that is not my responsibility, nor the ground floor workers at the theaters or any business to figure out how. It is those who are in the financial and executive positions to make it happen.

[Witchblade77]

Y'all threatened supermarket workers with this nonsense during the wage hike push in Seattle and guess what - supermarkets still employ actual people.

the thing is... supermarkets seem to employ a lot fewer actual people and the ones that they still employ, have increased workload to compensate for higher salaries. every supermarket has self checkout with one harried employee running around, assisting people with issues. registers are still there. but most of them are closed most of the time and half the time the only reason they are still there is because it costs too much to remodel. there is starbucks with a single barista in one of the supermarkets in my area where some of the registers used to be.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkel...-minimum-wage/

and here is the thing. we are NOT doing universal income here. had this been implementation of universal income, fine, that would actualy fix the poverty. but we are not doing that. we are just raising minimum wage without making sure there is a proper safety net for people who will inevitably lose their jobs. (before welfare and unemployment gets brought up, those systems... have issues themselves. and are NOT a substitute for universal income or living wage in any way shape or form)

https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/202...nimum-Wage.pdf

honestly, my opinion is... work on universal income first or at least better unemployment and THEN fuck around with that degree of flat increase.

[Elegiac]

the thing is... supermarkets seem to employ a lot fewer actual people and the ones that they still employ, have increased workload to compensate for higher salaries.

I'm curious why you think lean staffing is a result of higher wages and not just like, an inevitable result of prioritising profit.

"Seem" isn't evidence and you're going to have to demonstrate a causative relationship, to boot.

honestly, my opinion is... work on universal income first or at least better unemployment and THEN fuck around with that degree of flat increase.

And again, your opinion is wrong because it's not borne out by any real world evidence besides hypotheticals mostly pulled out of the arse of the Heritage Foundation.

[Witchblade77]

I'm curious why you think lean staffing is a result of higher wages and not just like, an inevitable result of prioritising profit.

"Seem" isn't evidence and you're going to have to demonstrate a causative relationship, to boot.



And again, your opinion is wrong because it's not borne out by any real world evidence besides hypotheticals mostly pulled out of the arse of the Heritage Foundation.

underline - its literally one and the same. one causes the other. companies prioritize profits, therefore ANYTHING that cuts into those profits? will be adjusted until profits are back.

higher wages cut into profits. therefore, they compensate by employing fewer people. mandatory medical insurance cuts into profits. therefore - full time hours are cut so that they no longer have to provide insurance.

are you expecting for profit companies to develop conscience now? is THAT what this is?

what real world evidence YOU have to show that companies just gird their loins and NOT fire people so they end up with NO salaries whatsoever?

that hypothetical is non partisan study the link for which i got from a very left leaning news source, btw. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...ckage-n1257077