Columbus Museum of Art workers seek to unionize
Around 100 people gathered outside the Columbus Museum of Art on Monday afternoon, many of them staff members, as employees announced plans to form a union.
Workers at the Columbus Museum of Art sent a letter to the museum's management staff asking them to recognize their union, formed in collaboration with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
"Our goal is just to help the museum achieve its mission by helping to attract and retain the necessary workforce to do so,” said Mark Harrison, a one-year employee at the museum and a leader of the union group.
Museum layoffs:With attendance down, Columbus Museum of Art forced to slash staff and budget
The response from the museum management was a positive one, Nicole Romey, one of the leaders of the union and a staff member for six years, said.
"They were enthusiastic. I believe they are trying to cooperate with us as much as they can and I think it will be an ongoing partnership,” Romey said.
Columbus Museum of Art staff join Wexner Center for the Arts employees in seeking unionization
In a statement sent to The Dispatch, the museum responded: “The Columbus Museum of Art greatly values the talents and contributions of our colleagues, which make it possible for the museum to serve our community every day. We respect the interest of our colleagues in engaging in a conversation about collective bargaining, as is their legal right, and we remain supportive and committed to all our staff, regardless of their affiliation.
The decision by museum staff members to seek unionization comes just months after the staff at the Wexner Center for the Arts filed for a union in March. They also partnered with AFSCME Council 8 and staff members from Wexner Center for Arts, who are still in the process of finalizing their union and were also at Monday’s rally to show support for the CMA staff.
News:As union membership hits historic low, Wexner Center for the Arts workers want to unionize
"There’s a limited amount of cultural institutions in Columbus and we are all pretty connected. We have common missions, so we are here for each other,” Matt Reber, who manages the center's bookstore and is a leader of the union staff said. “Some of these folks reached out after we went public and we gave them the support like, ‘If we can do this, you can do this,’ and they just took it and ran with it. "
Why do Columbus Museum of Art employees want to unionize?
The Wexner Center members' decision was inspiration for the Columbus Museum of Art workers. As was other museums around the country such as the Philadelphia Art Museum, which unionized in 2020. With other museums creating unions, the Columbus Museum of Art started considering the option.
“COVID was a jumping off point for us based on everything that was happening in the world and at the museum,” Romey said.
Concerns the staff had were emphasized even more by the pandemic, Romey said. In their letter, the staff expressed frustrations about the fall of 2020 when the museum "reduced its workforce by 30% and decreased budgets across the institution, leaving the remaining staff with financial uncertainties and grueling workloads."
Things to do:Who is performing in Columbus this week? Wiz Khalifa, Albert Cummings, Interpol and more
According to the letter, the staff members who were not laid off not only had to carry a higher burden, but also were told to return to work, on-site, despite what was described as a “constantly changing and poorly communicated COVID policy,” before vaccines were readily available.
One example the letter cited was the popular Van Gogh exhibit in November, which brought in record crowds during the pandemic. The staff, in the letter, said it added more mental health and safety concerns.
The love for art and the artistic culture in Columbus is what keeps many of the staff members motivated, but they want to see a better work environment. The hope now is that the Columbus Museum of Art directors voluntarily choose to recognize their union, especially after the response the union received in person, Romey and Harrison said.
CTeagueRob@askubby