Posts tagged Museum of Science and Industry
Unionization Wave Hits Nonprofit Sector
December 17, 2025 // ASeveral key economic factors are driving this current union organizing trend, including inflation and job security. In this environment, employees are motivated to seek the protections that higher pay and increased benefits offer. However, about one-third of nonprofit museums and cultural institutions are also struggling to confront the loss of government grants or contracts. More than half of museums reported fewer 2025 visitors than in 2019, according to a Novemberreport by the American Alliance of Museums. In spite of these conflicting economic difficulties, employees are continuing to push back, feeling that they have been taken for granted for many years. Bottom line: unions continue to seek out new groups of workers to organize as their traditional targets, such as manufacturing and production jobs, wane or move overseas. Nonprofit employers would be well advised to stay engaged with their employees, keep an eye on employee morale, and look for ways to reward employees' hard work even when funds are scarce.
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.
Museum of Science and Industry workers look to unionize
April 14, 2023 // Organizers say their goal with unionizing is to win increased pay, improve professional development opportunities, and improve overall workplace health and safety protocols.