Posts tagged Field Museum
Art Institute, School of the Art Institute Workers Ratify Union Contract in a First for a Chicago Cultural Institution
August 17, 2023 // Under the terms of the deal, employees throughout the unit will see pay rise between 12.25% and 16.25%, with a new minimum hourly rate of $18 taking effect in 2025. The four-year contract also keeps health insurance premiums status quo in the coming fiscal year, and creates a labor-management committee aimed at resolving workplace issues and maintaining open lines of communication. In June, workers at the Museum of Science and Industry voted in favor of unionization, according to results from organizers. Museum management has argued some staffers who voted were ineligible to do so, and the National Labor Relations Board has yet to formally certify the results. This past March, Field Museum employees also voted to organize and are preparing to begin the bargaining process. Additionally, employees at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Newberry Library have voted to unionize. Workers at both organizations are currently negotiating their first contracts.
Workers at Museum of Science and Industry vote to unionize
June 19, 2023 // According to its website, the museum sees nearly 1.5 million guests each year, approximately 40% of which visit for free. Employees at the museum first announced plans to unionize in April 2023. More than 50 workers signed an open letter, in which they called for pay increases, professional development and improved health and safety protocols. In March 2023, employees at the Field Museum approved a union contract while those at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum filed for an election.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum employees vote to unionize
May 30, 2023 // The vote was 31-4 in favor of unionizing in an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board, AFSCME said. Ballots were mailed in recent weeks and counted Thursday. Two ballots were not counted because of management challenges. The employees will join AFSCME’s Council 31. The bargaining unit will cover 45 workers at the museum’s Lincoln Park location and at a collections facility in Ravenswood. The unit will include full- and part-time employees, according to its filing with the labor board.
Notebaert Nature Museum workers urge support for union
March 27, 2023 // Unions typically need to show via signed cards support from a substantial majority of workers before scheduling an election with the National Labor Relations Board. An employer can voluntarily recognize a union, but most want an election that will give them time to make anti-union arguments to the workers. While known for representing government workers, AFSCME also counts more than 10,000 members at museums nationwide.