UAW Workers at MASS MoCA Set Strike Deadline for March 6

TL/DR -

Unionized employees at MASS MoCA plan to strike from March 6 if wage agreements are not reached. The union, part of Local 2110 UAW, is seeking to raise the hourly minimum rate to $18.25 by October 2023 and achieve a minimum 4.5% increase this year, with the union claiming that the difference between its and the museum's base wage proposal equates to an additional $150,000 for this year. This follows previous conflicts, including a one-day strike in August 2022 and a complaint filed against the museum with OSHA in November 2022 due to workers being ordered to remove asbestos-contaminated flooring without adequate training or equipment.

Unionized Employees of MASS MoCA Set for Strike Amid Wage Negotiations

NORTH ADAMS, MA — MASS MoCA's unionized staff are set to strike from Wednesday, March 6 unless wage negotiations reach a satisfactory conclusion. The plan is to picket daily from 8 am until an agreement is finalized.

The employees' union, part of UAW Local 2110, was formed in April 2021. A wage increase was discussed in October 2023 after an initial agreement was reached post a one day strike in August 2022. However, the past four months of negotiations have yet to yield an agreement.

About 58% of the 120 employees earn just $16.25 per hour and the average full-time salary is $43,600. According to The Economic Policy Institute’s family budget calculator, a modest living in Berkshire County requires individual earnings of approximately $47,000 and a family of four needs around $118,000 annually. The Union aims to raise the hourly minimum rate to $18.25 by October 2023 and seeks a minimum 4.5% increase this year.

The Museum, in a March 1 email to union members, explained its rejection of the Union’s terms, expressing concerns about jeopardizing mission, operational sustainability, vital partnerships, programs, and workplace culture.

The Union maintains that the wage gap between its proposal and the Museum's offer is a mere $150,000 additional for this year, highlighting that workers need the raise to sustain. They also accuse the Museum of prioritizing higher-paid management positions over unionized staff.

"MASS MoCA seems oblivious to our needs as employees," said long-term employee Meg Labbee, adding that workers deserve respect and fair conditions. Labbee believes increasing pay would not just support employees but would uplift the community.

Previous negotiations with the Museum have been contentious, leading to unfair labor practice charges and strikes in 2022. Recently, the Union filed a complaint with OSHA due to improper handling of asbestos-contaminated flooring, which is under ongoing investigation with confirmed presence of asbestos.

MASS MoCA staff, a group of approximately 120 educators, curators, custodians, museum attendants, box office staff, art fabricators, technicians, and additional staff, voted in favour of unionizing with UAW Local 2110 in April 2021. This union represents numerous museums and cultural institutions in the northeast.

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