Unionizing Philadelphia Museum of Art Staffers Are Trying to Leverage the Support of One of the US’s Biggest Labor Unions

Employees at the Philadelphia
Museum of Art are launching a campaign to unionize, the latest in a
wave of such efforts at major institutions across the US. On
Friday, staff announced their intent to unionize in affiliation
with District Council 47 of the American Federation of State,
County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME DC 47).

Employees filed their request
with the National Labor Relations Board and have written a letter
to museum management seeking voluntary recognition, which would
eliminate the need for a vote. Employees have already collected
authorization from a “supermajority” of eligible staff, and are
waiting to hear back on the request. Their statement notes that
voluntary recognition of staff unions was recently granted at the
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and The Shed in New York.
Such a move would clear “ the way for more expeditious and
collaborative bargaining,” they write.

The museum said in a statement
that it received the employees’ letter and it “recognizes the right to organize,” adding that
it “will give the letter close attention.”

By unionizing, the employees say
in their statement
that they are taking important
steps to ensure that the eventual reopening of the museum
prioritizes both visitor and staff safety, as well as empowers
employees “in the face of harassment and discrimination”—a
reference to issues documented in the New York
Times earlier this
year. (According to reports, museum officials failed to respond to
complaints that a manager named Joshua Helmer, who resigned in
2018, had made advances toward numerous female staffers during his
tenure. Helmer, who had moved on to a position as director of the
Erie Museum, resigned from that job in January.)

Employees say the unionization
effort also aims to prevent the financial impact of the museum’s
current closure “from landing on programs that serve our community
and workers who are already the most vulnerable.”

Conversations about organizing
first started roughly a year ago, Nancy Cook, program manager for graduate academic
partnerships, and a member of the union organizing committee, told
Artnet News. The first conversations happened when a widely
circulated art museum
“transparency” Excel spreadsheet made the rounds in the art world last May, she
said. “That opened an honest conversation not only about
compensation but also about more tangible benefits, as well as
about equity and inclusion in the workplace, which very organically
led to conversations about organizing for better
conditions.”

So far, the museum has not had
any layoffs related to its closure, which is currently in effect
until June 30, the end of its fiscal year. Instead, the museum
implemented salary cuts for all workers making $30,000 and
up.

“I think I speak for everyone in
my unit when I say that we’re very grateful for what the museum has
been able to do for us and we’re excited to work in collaboration
with upper management,” said Cook. “We very much hope that they
will decide to voluntarily recognize us… and start working toward a
contract.”

Cook, who has been working at
the museum for two and a half years, added: “This is coming from a
place of sincere love and respect for the institution and we really
do think a more empowered staff will lead to a better
museum.”

The post Unionizing Philadelphia Museum of Art Staffers Are
Trying to Leverage the Support of One of the US’s Biggest Labor
Unions appeared first on artnet News.