Gateway Film Center is a loved and respected cultural institution in Columbus, and rightfully so. Every single member of GFCU loves the Film Center’s programming, values, and community—if we didn’t, none of us would be here. 

The catalyst for our unionization was the firing of a loved, valued, and long-tenured team member who was planning to stay at the Film Center for years—they took a significant pay cut and demotion from her previous position just to be a part of the Film Center team. They believed deeply in the power of the Film Center, and we were utterly shaken by management’s willingness to discard them as if their years of work and devotion were meaningless. 

Over the years, we have witnessed the responsibilities, expectations, and pay of entire positions altered without any formal communication to the affected employees; multiple associates be silently fired by being removed from the schedule and having their inquiries, emails, and phone calls entirely ignored by management; the release of team schedules become more and more sporadic and unreliable (and the hours dispersed within them even moreso); and associates who have given 3+ years of service to the Film Center be refused any sort of formal recognition or raise in pay.

When asked for clarification on these issues and more, management has been unwilling to communicate, and history has led us to fear retaliation. The Film Center claims that all employees should officially approach conflict with a “seek first to understand, then to be understood” mindset; however, leadership has failed time and time again to live into this value. Instead, they have fostered a culture of fear and resentment, even when it comes at the cost of our livelihoods, health, and safety. 

We love the Film Center. We believe it is a vital cultural resource and a pillar of the Columbus arts community. As the employees on the floor, we are responsible for signing up myGFC members, connecting with patrons, and building the strong sense of community that keeps Gateway Film Center alive and well. That is the work we love doing, and that is the reason we have continued to work here through it all. It is also why we could not sit back and take leadership’s indifference and insulting policy changes.

To use the words of the Film Center, we are “committed to screening films from around the world within a sustainable business model.” We want the Film Center to run sustainably; this means ensuring that workers are protected, respected, and empowered, as well as excited—and able—to work at the Film Center for years, not months.