Employees at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston vote to unionize
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Wednesday, December 25, 2024


Employees at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston vote to unionize
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Art of the Americas Wing. © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

by Zachary Small



BOSTON (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- An overwhelming majority of the employees eligible to unionize at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, have voted to join the United Auto Workers, becoming one of the latest bargaining units within a leading American cultural institution.

Election results were tabulated Friday, showing a 90% margin of victory for union hopefuls after a monthlong mail-in election and nearly a year of organizing.

“I find this redistribution of power meaningful,” Jon Feng, a members and visitors services representative at the museum, said. “I believe in our ability to work together to negotiate and then uphold a more just workplace for all.”

The 133-14 vote comes as officials navigate the economic challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. The Boston museum enacted a number of cost-saving measures over the summer after projecting a budget shortfall of about $14 million. Those moves included executive pay cuts and a staff reduction of about 100 employees — through layoffs or early retirement. The museum closed in March, then reopened in September with a workforce that had decreased by 20%.

“We have said throughout this process that above all, we support our employees’ right to make this decision and we want to ensure all voices are heard,” the museum’s director, Matthew Teitelbaum, said in a statement. “We are pleased that the election played out smoothly and fairly, and we are committed to working with the union moving forward.”

The union includes members from more than 30 departments, including curatorial teams and front-of-house staff. But the negotiations are not over; the museum is challenging the inclusion of more than 40 employees, including those classified as full curators and conservators.

Like many of its peer institutions where workers have unionized in recent years, the Museum of Fine Arts made clear its opposition to organizing; however, it never conducted an anti-union campaign or hired lawyers to quash employee efforts.

On Monday, Film at Lincoln Center employees voted 88% in favor to also join the union.

Through the union, employees hope to advance diversity efforts and fair compensation at the museum. “We cannot call ourselves a world-class museum until all of our employees are treated with fairness, dignity and respect,” said Kat Bossi, a staff member in the exhibitions department. “With a union, we can achieve hard, metric-based goals for increasing diversity in our workforce.”

© 2020 The New York Times Company










Today's News

November 25, 2020

Two Darwin notebooks, missing for decades, were most likely stolen

A record of horseback riding, written in bone and teeth

MoMA announces gift from the Legacy Emilio Ambasz Foundation to establish a research institute

How archaeologists are using deep learning to dig deeper

Employees at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston vote to unionize

New paintings by Lester Rapaport in dialogue with a 1980s series on view at David Richard Gallery

Christie's to offer a selection of over 200 works from private European and Asian collections

Milestone for Notre-Dame as fire-damaged scaffolding cleared

Forum Gallery announces representation of the Estate of Claudio Bravo

A weird monolith is found in the Utah desert

Phillips announces 'Arts du Feu: Works from the Collection of Jason Jacques'

The ASU Art Museum announces new public art commission by artist Leo Villareal

New solo exhibition by Yan Pei-Ming opens at Massimo De Carlo

Edward Burtynsky gifts career-spanning archive to the The Ryerson Image Centre

Sarah Sze donates important work to benefit non-profit organization, to be sold at Christie's

The Exceptional sale and The Collector: Le goût français achieved a combined total of €4,789,878

Charles Conlon's iconic photograph of Ty Cobb stealing third base to be auctioned

Poster Auctions International's 82nd Rare Posters Auction totals $1.3 million in sales

A new exhibition by artists from Maruku Arts in central Australia showcases Walka (Design)

Christie's Fine & Rare Wines and Spirits including Historic Madeira direct from the Island totaled $1,859,188

Josef Hoffmann to take centre stage at the Art Nouveau sale

Dinner is no longer served: Theater that built careers is gone

A film festival in Poland feted his work. Now he may face prison there.

Piguet Auction House reveals its end-of-year auction catalogue

Vacation Essentials

Tips To Choose The Best Online Casino And Know The Advantage

Studios with standing sets in Miami helping local artists improve their production value.

How Pandemic Boosts the Online Casino Industry

Are you tired of mice in the house?

'I Like It, Actually': Why So Many Older People Thrive in Lockdown

Older People Need Geriatricians. Where Will They Come From?




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
(52 8110667640)

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Houston Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง
Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful