What have we accomplished as a union?
2021
- On December 15, 2020 we won our election and became the largest museum union in the country, with 79% of voters choosing “Yes”.
- Earned the rights of union membership, including but not limited to the right to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, bargain over wages and working conditions, request union representation at investigatory interviews that may lead to discipline (Weingarten rights), request information from management through the union regarding issues in the workplace, and wear union buttons or other insignia at work.
- Formed a Contract Action Team (CAT), a volunteer network of our peers that shares information with the broader membership, serves as a resource for members who have questions or need support, relays issues to the Bargaining Committee to address directly with management, publishes our newsletters and social media, and plans meetings and special events.
- Elected a Bargaining Committee of our peers with representatives from all four Museums and the CMP central offices to negotiate a contract (“collective bargaining agreement”) with management on behalf of all UMW members.
- Distributed and participated in our bargaining survey that is shaping our collective bargaining agreement.
- Negotiated the first raise to the minimum wage in four years, along with one-time, pre-contract raises for certain positions and pay grades.
- Strengthened policies and procedures around health and safety concerns at the Museums, such as additional signage explaining our policies, stronger mask-wearing policies at events, and improved radio systems. As this is an ongoing, ever-changing issue, we continue to inform management about the concerns and needs of our workplace, and we encourage members to contact us so we can help get these issues addressed.
- Assisted with the reorganization of departments including ACE, AWM Education, CMOA Education, and CSC Outreach. These reorganizations have allowed for new positions to be created and existing positions to be updated with input from union members, and provided more uniformity of job duties and consistency in pay for similar positions across the Museums.
- Gained access for CMNH Interpreters to take part in virtual training and tours.
- Organized a virtual visibility day to celebrate Labor Day.
- Hosted our first-ever UMW potluck and celebrated our victory in-person for the first time!
- Coordinated a member appreciation day and rally for CMP’s Crash the Carnegies anniversary event in partnership with the United Library Workers. We distributed buttons, flyers, and over 20 dozen donuts to our union colleagues as well as friends in custodial, security, and ULW. We created a beautiful poster and conducted a series of speeches from UMW, ULW, USW, 32BJ, and the new Union of Pitt Faculty.
2022
- Negotiated multiple wage increases, including a 2.5% cost of living adjustment for 2022 - the highest such raise offered in over five years - and a third pre-contract wage increase for our lowest-paid workers.
- Finalized a new system for frontline staff members at all four museums to receive commissions for membership sales.
- Improved communications across our museums by convincing management to provide CMP email addresses for every worker in the bargaining unit.
- Demonstrated for a living wage at the opening of the Carnegie International, an iconic exhibition which was UNION-MADE.
- Negotiated a reorganization of The Andy Warhol Museum’s department of Learning and Public Engagement which resulted in substantial wage increases for part-time arts educators.
- Demonstrated at the screening of American Factory at the Carnegie Museum of Art as part of their Working Thought exhibition.
- Marched in our first ever Labor Day Parade!
- Supported our members and coworkers with snack breaks, happy hours, sticker and button days, and other actions of solidarity, as well as training and info sessions about Weingarten Rights, FMLA, ADA, and what it means to serve as a union steward.
- Engaged visitors and staff during the opening of Mars: the Next Giant Leap outside of the Carnegie Science Center.
- Stood in solidarity with workers across our city and industry, including members of the Pitt Faculty Union, the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, Starbucks Workers United, La Prima United, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art Union.
2023
- In February, workers started signing UMW membership cards for the first time.
- In the spring we held multiple education sessions to prepare workers for a potential strike. We were ultimately able to avoid going on strike by holding rallies and maintaining a strong sense of worker solidarity when faced with CMP’s negotiation tactics.
- As we pushed through the final stretch of contract negotiations, we ramped up our solidarity actions! On March 29, we hosted our first silkscreen printing party and started creating UMW merch. On March 30, workers rallied outside the closing of the 58th Carnegie International to promote receiving a fair contract now! And on April 14, workers rallied outside the Carnegie Science Center’s Speakeasy Science event to raise awareness of our ongoing contract fight.
- On May 18, we ratified our first contract, raising the minimum wage at CMP to $16 an hour along with raises throughout the museum system. We also secured other rights including better working conditions, recognition of seniority for part-time employees, and paid floating holidays. Our union amalgamated with USW Local 9562, which also represents workers at the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh, HCL, the Persad Center, and MK Elections.
- Over the summer, we selected union leadership. We elected Jenise Brown (CMNH) as our Unit President and Jim Kappas (CSC) as our Unit Secretary. Both Jim and Jenise served as representatives on our Bargaining Committee, and Jenise is now a USW staff organizer helping the University of Pittsburgh graduate student workers unionize.
- On September 4, members of our union marched with the United Steelworkers in our second Labor Day Parade.
- On October 24, we sent two delegates to attend our first Women of Steel conference. Members of our union marched with conference attendees at a rally in Oakland in support of Pitt grad students, faculty, and staff.
- In October, UMW President Jenise Brown made Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list.
- In November, Local 9562 released their first political statement, voted upon by general meeting attendees.
- Our Grievance Committee handled a wide variety of grievances during our first six months of assembling, addressing issues such as uncompensated work, emergency evacuation procedures, wrongful terminations, and unfair break schedules.
- In December, UMW was named People of the Year in Labor by the Pittsburgh City Paper.
2024
- In March, we selected new union leadership across UMW and Local 9562. Jenise Brown and Jim Kappas remained our UMW President and Vice President, respectively. Jenise also took on a new role as Local 9562 Vice President, and UMW griever Zeja Copes became the Local 9562 Secretary.
- Also in March, UMW Vice President Jim Kappas spoke at the USW International NextGen Conference, which focuses on new and younger generations of union organizers.
- On March 24th, members of UMW and Local 9562 had a great turnout at the kickoff rally for the union campaign of the United Children’s Museum Workers. UMW President Jenise Brown and Local 9562 President Stephen Laskaris both spoke at the rally, along with Congresswoman Summer Lee. The United Children’s Museum Workers won their union election on April 24th.
- On April 17th, UMW President Jenise Brown had the opportunity to meet US President Joe Biden at an event at the United Steelworkers headquarters.
- On May Day, we marched with Casa San Jose, LCLAA, APALA, and other local labor organizations in the May Day Rally and March celebrating immigrant workers.
- In June, members of UMW and Local 9562 marched with Pride At Work in the Pittsburgh Pride Parade and the People’s Pride Parade.
- Also in June, UMW president Jenise Brown and griever / local secretary Zeja Copes attended the USW District 10 conference in the Poconos. They met workers in a variety of industries supported by the Steelworkers and learned about how the union helps organize political campaigns and promotes labor-friendly legislation. Jenise received the District 10 Achievement Award in honor of her work for our union.
- At the end of June, we ratified a new Memorandum of Agreement that helps new part-time workers receive their benefit of two paid floating holidays after one year of employment, regardless of their hiring date. Prior to passing this MOA, management only allotted this benefit once a year, in January, meaning that workers hired early in the year needed to wait nearly two years before getting to use their paid floating holidays.
- In August, we successfully defended the regular part-time status of Natural History Interpreters after disputing an attempt by management to reclassify them as occasional employees.
- On September 2nd, UMW workers marched in our third Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade and celebrated the holiday at a wonderful Labor Day Picnic with our fellow Local 9562 members.
- Also in September, UMW president Jenise Brown spoke to WBUR NPR Here & Now about her experience as a union organizer and the impact of our first contract. Listen to her interview at this link: https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2024/09/03/museum-unions-pittsburgh
