SENT ON AUGUST 21, 2020 AT 2:43 PM EASTERN (US)
WHAT IS A UNION?
We are the Union!
The museums work because WE do!
We, the United Museum Workers, are coming together from across all museum departments to collectively improve our working conditions. We know there are a lot of questions about our efforts and we address some of the biggest ones below.
Why are we unionizing?
Together, our labor has fulfilled CMP’s mission to “bring the world to the people of Pittsburgh” for over 125 years, and we are dedicated to the growth and sustainability of the institution.
Together, we can win a seat at the table in determining the future of the Carnegie Museums.
Building our union gives us the ability to create a legally-binding contract with our employer - the only way for us to guarantee real change in the workplace.
Fair compensation of wages and benefits for all workers throughout the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh will promote diversity and equity for all current and future employees.
Who is eligible to be in the union?
We are seeking a “wall to wall” bargaining unit - we want to include as many eligible workers as possible in the group of workers covered by our union. We’re much stronger together than apart.
Essentially: if you receive a paycheck from CMP and you are not a supervisor or confidential employee, then you are eligible.
How do I join?
The first step towards joining us as a United Museum Worker is to sign an authorization card.
An authorization card is a document that will be used to secure union recognition and collective bargaining rights. By signing it, you are taking an important step towards achieving a genuine voice in workplace decisions that affect you.
Signing a card is a confidential process - CMP management will NOT know you signed unless you tell them. You can sign an authorization card online at: http://usw.to/museum
Can I be fired or disciplined for publicly supporting unionization, signing an authorization card, or voting in the election?
NO.
These are rights protected by federal law, the National Labor Relations Act. It is illegal for your supervisor or anyone at CMP to discipline, harass, or fire you for supporting a union campaign.
Ok, so what happens after we win the election? Who decides what to include in a contract?
Collective bargaining is the formal negotiation process that begins after we win our election. We will survey all of our coworkers to determine what is important to us: which improvements are top priorities, as well as which aspects of our workplace should be preserved and left in place.
We, the UMW, will democratically elect a representative bargaining committee from across the museums. These will be workers that you elect, know, and trust to represent the widest possible range of interests when negotiating with management. The negotiation process will begin with the benefits and provisions currently in place - we won’t start from scratch!
Our bargaining committee will then sit with management representatives as equals to negotiate an agreement. Our bargaining committee will communicate with us throughout this process, asking for opinions about certain issues and reporting back about progress. When our bargaining committee and CMP’s representatives have agreed to everything—this is known as a “tentative agreement”—then we will have a chance to vote on whether to approve the contract or not. If we reject it, we go back to the bargaining table until we have a contract we ratify and approve.
What’s the deal with dues?
Union members pay dues. As in any nonprofit, dues are used to pay operating expenses, including office space, representatives’ salaries, printing, phones, arbitrations, legal costs, and training programs. We would begin paying dues only after we vote to ratify our first contract. Dues will very likely be automatically deducted from your paycheck, and you would only pay dues on actual hours worked. If you don’t work any shifts in a pay period, then you don’t pay dues.
A typical contract is negotiated to cover the cost of dues, in addition to overall wage increases. Organized workers earn significantly higher wages than their non-unionized counterparts.
Will you stand with us?
We, the United Museum Workers, are fighting for a seat at the table, to take part in making decisions that will directly affect our work, our lives, and the community we serve. We bring the skill and expertise that make our museums an iconic cultural institution. We should be trusted to have a say in decisions about our work. Will you stand with the majority of our coworkers and vote for our union?
Show your support by taking the first step in the legal process of forming a union and sign your authorization card: http://usw.to/museum
Happy Hour on Monday!
Come join us for a union happy hour! Drink, chat, and meet other union-supporting co-workers from across the museums! We’re meeting up virtually this Monday, August 24th at 7pm.
Join us at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88169943684?pwd=WmZvNEhrM0U4L2ovcHNYUkt1VDUvZz09
Password: tango
Questions? Ideas? We want to hear from you! Reply to this email and someone from the UMW will be in touch with you.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @umwpgh
We look forward to hearing from you!
In solidarity,
The United Museum Workers
WHAT IS A UNION?
We are the Union!
The museums work because WE do!
We, the United Museum Workers, are coming together from across all museum departments to collectively improve our working conditions. We know there are a lot of questions about our efforts and we address some of the biggest ones below.
Why are we unionizing?
Together, our labor has fulfilled CMP’s mission to “bring the world to the people of Pittsburgh” for over 125 years, and we are dedicated to the growth and sustainability of the institution.
Together, we can win a seat at the table in determining the future of the Carnegie Museums.
Building our union gives us the ability to create a legally-binding contract with our employer - the only way for us to guarantee real change in the workplace.
Fair compensation of wages and benefits for all workers throughout the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh will promote diversity and equity for all current and future employees.
Who is eligible to be in the union?
We are seeking a “wall to wall” bargaining unit - we want to include as many eligible workers as possible in the group of workers covered by our union. We’re much stronger together than apart.
Essentially: if you receive a paycheck from CMP and you are not a supervisor or confidential employee, then you are eligible.
How do I join?
The first step towards joining us as a United Museum Worker is to sign an authorization card.
An authorization card is a document that will be used to secure union recognition and collective bargaining rights. By signing it, you are taking an important step towards achieving a genuine voice in workplace decisions that affect you.
Signing a card is a confidential process - CMP management will NOT know you signed unless you tell them. You can sign an authorization card online at: http://usw.to/museum
Can I be fired or disciplined for publicly supporting unionization, signing an authorization card, or voting in the election?
NO.
These are rights protected by federal law, the National Labor Relations Act. It is illegal for your supervisor or anyone at CMP to discipline, harass, or fire you for supporting a union campaign.
Ok, so what happens after we win the election? Who decides what to include in a contract?
Collective bargaining is the formal negotiation process that begins after we win our election. We will survey all of our coworkers to determine what is important to us: which improvements are top priorities, as well as which aspects of our workplace should be preserved and left in place.
We, the UMW, will democratically elect a representative bargaining committee from across the museums. These will be workers that you elect, know, and trust to represent the widest possible range of interests when negotiating with management. The negotiation process will begin with the benefits and provisions currently in place - we won’t start from scratch!
Our bargaining committee will then sit with management representatives as equals to negotiate an agreement. Our bargaining committee will communicate with us throughout this process, asking for opinions about certain issues and reporting back about progress. When our bargaining committee and CMP’s representatives have agreed to everything—this is known as a “tentative agreement”—then we will have a chance to vote on whether to approve the contract or not. If we reject it, we go back to the bargaining table until we have a contract we ratify and approve.
What’s the deal with dues?
Union members pay dues. As in any nonprofit, dues are used to pay operating expenses, including office space, representatives’ salaries, printing, phones, arbitrations, legal costs, and training programs. We would begin paying dues only after we vote to ratify our first contract. Dues will very likely be automatically deducted from your paycheck, and you would only pay dues on actual hours worked. If you don’t work any shifts in a pay period, then you don’t pay dues.
A typical contract is negotiated to cover the cost of dues, in addition to overall wage increases. Organized workers earn significantly higher wages than their non-unionized counterparts.
Will you stand with us?
We, the United Museum Workers, are fighting for a seat at the table, to take part in making decisions that will directly affect our work, our lives, and the community we serve. We bring the skill and expertise that make our museums an iconic cultural institution. We should be trusted to have a say in decisions about our work. Will you stand with the majority of our coworkers and vote for our union?
Show your support by taking the first step in the legal process of forming a union and sign your authorization card: http://usw.to/museum
Happy Hour on Monday!
Come join us for a union happy hour! Drink, chat, and meet other union-supporting co-workers from across the museums! We’re meeting up virtually this Monday, August 24th at 7pm.
Join us at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88169943684?pwd=WmZvNEhrM0U4L2ovcHNYUkt1VDUvZz09
Password: tango
Questions? Ideas? We want to hear from you! Reply to this email and someone from the UMW will be in touch with you.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @umwpgh
We look forward to hearing from you!
In solidarity,
The United Museum Workers
| umw_an_what_is_a_union_newsletter.8.21.20.pdf |
