A view of the Egyptian Theatre during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 26, 2025. (Photo by Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images) Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Three months ahead of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, the workers of the Sundance Institute are launching a unionization effort. Over 40 staffers at the Sundance Institute are seeking unionization with Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9003. Hours after being asked, management at the non-profit voluntarily recognized the union. "After our numerous efforts to express concerns have gone unaddressed, including multiple staff letters, we have reached the conclusion that we need the structure and power of a union to advocate for ourselves," reads the mission statement from the Sundance Institute workers. Related Stories Business Writers Guild Says Potential Warner Bros. Discovery-Paramount Merger Would Be a "Disaster" Business Workers at Major D.C. Concert Venues Launch Unionization Effort The workers are asking for "fair" compensation and benefit offerings, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and transparency in promotion and hiring practices. The hope, according to the workers, is to limit employee turnover and "resist the erasure of institutional memory." "We, the Board and Leadership of the Sundance Institute, acknowledge the decision from a group of staff to organize as a union under the Communications Workers of America Local 9003," reads a statement from the Sundance Institute management recognizing the union. "We strongly support unions and their contributions to American society. We respect staff's ability to organize collectively, value their dedication to the Institute's vision, and we are committed to working collaboratively with them. Sundance Institute looks forward to engaging with staff in this process to support the needs of our employees and look forward to working together to continue to carry our mission forward." The Sundance Institute workers' request for voluntary recognition of their union comes after years of headwinds for the Sundance Institute, which is behind the eponymous festival, as well as year-long filmmaker programs and labs. Since the pandemic, the Institute has undergone layoffs and turnover in its top posts, including the CEO. This July, it was reported that Sundance would be seeking a permanent replacement for its interim CEO, Amanada Kelso, who took over the top position after Joana Vicente stepped down from the post after less than three years on the job. The request also comes as the Sundance Institute prepares for the next Sundance Film Festival, which will be the final year in its longtime Park City home before a move to Boulder, Colorado, for the 2027 festival. "We are the staff of the Sundance Institute that are on the ground and working face to face with our audiences and artists," said Sara Kenrick, a coordinator at the Sundance Institute in event operations, in an announcement of today's unionization efforts. "We are the most valuable voices to this organization's purpose and we have slowly but surely been pushed aside. We are understaffed, underpaid, and our concerns have been overlooked. If Sundance wants to continue being Sundance they need to welcome us back to the table." October 27, 1:25 p.m. Updated to include the Sundance Institute's statement voluntarily recognizing the union. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Yellowstone Taylor Sheridan's Manifest Destiny Is NBCUniversal, But Paramount Keeps the (Dutton) Ranch THR, Esq 'Terrifier' Actress Sues Over Backend Deal international Vancouver's Iconic Park Theatre Rescued From Shuttering Representation 'Too Hot to Handle' Breakout Melinda Melrose Signs With CAA (Exclusive) Suzanne de Passe Suzanne de Passe, Madison Jones, Corey Martin Launch New Venture Immortal Studio Warner Bros. Discovery Amid Sale or Split Uncertainty, Warner Bros. Discovery Dates 2026 Upfront For Discovery Global Yellowstone Taylor Sheridan's Manifest Destiny Is NBCUniversal, But Paramount Keeps the (Dutton) Ranch THR, Esq 'Terrifier' Actress Sues Over Backend Deal international Vancouver's Iconic Park Theatre Rescued From Shuttering Representation 'Too Hot to Handle' Breakout Melinda Melrose Signs With CAA (Exclusive) Suzanne de Passe Suzanne de Passe, Madison Jones, Corey Martin Launch New Venture Immortal Studio Warner Bros. Discovery Amid Sale or Split Uncertainty, Warner Bros. Discovery Dates 2026 Upfront For Discovery Global