Academy Museum Union Ratifies First Contract
Over a year after it was voluntarily recognized by management, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ union has officially ratified its first contract.
The new three-year deal sets a wage floor of $20 per hour, with workers receiving a minimum of 3 percent wage increases annually. Paid parental leave was established as part of the pact, in addition to augmented stipends for work apparel, improved medical leave benefits and “employer-provided commuting options,” the union said in a statement Tuesday.
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One-hundred and seventy-odd workers are members of the union, which is allied with AFSCME Local 126. Of that group, front-line staff who work in visitor experience, theater operations, retail and facilities will see the greatest compensation increases, with their wages bumping up 19.1 to 21.3 percent in the course of the contract’s three years.
The bargaining unit nearly unanimously approved the pact in a referendum on Sept. 22, where 98.6 percent of votes were in favor.
“I’m thrilled we were able to win good wage increases, especially for our front-line teams. We also secured a number of protections for the health and safety of museum staff,” union member and Academy Museum visitor experience associate Cheryl Jones said in a statement. “We all came together to make this happen, and I’m proud to have represented my co-workers in this historic win.”
Staffers at the Academy Museum first announced their organizing drive in May 2022, citing their interest in having a greater say in working conditions and benefits. They were also seeking wage increases. A few months later, the museum voluntarily recognized the union, which represents workers in 40 job titles and across 17 departments, and not long after workers at the Academy Foundation announced their intention to form a union, also with AFSCME. (That union was voluntarily recognized in December 2022.)
In her own statement, Academy Museum director and president Jacqueline Stewart said the museum leadership takes pride in “maintaining a wage level that aligns with industry standards and a robust benefits package for our staff.”
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