Academy Foundation Workers Ratify First Union Contract In Unanimous Vote

Erik Pedersen
·2 min read

It’s unanimous: The Academy Foundation Workers Union has approved its first contract.

The AFWU membership ratified a three-year contract with the Academy Foundation that secures significant gains for workers, including a minimum of 3% annual wage increases. The deal includes wage increases between 11% and 27% over the next three years, as well as regular step increases.

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Workers also will have access to an additional four weeks of paid parental leave and an extended medical leave option. Job security benefits include protections against subcontracting and language to create more professional development opportunities.

The final tally for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 126: 64 “yes” votes, zero against.

“Our first contract signals to our bargaining unit and management that a new era at the Academy Foundation has arrived – an era of a more fair and equitable partnership with management and workers,” said Jessi Jones, a film archivist and member of AFWU’s bargaining team. “As we move forward, the bargaining unit will benefit from wage increases, health care and benefits stability and a system of checks and balances.”

Added Brendan Connell Jr., Chief Operating Officer of the Academy and General Counsel for the Academy Foundation: “On behalf of Academy leadership, I am delighted that the contract that we negotiated with the Academy Foundation union was approved by its members, many of whom are long-serving employees. With this contract, joining the contracts that the Academy successfully reached in recent months with the Academy Museum union and IATSE, we are proud of the great work that happened at the bargaining table and the focus on our remarkable employees.”

AFWU, which is affiliated with AFSCME Council 36, is the second unit at the Academy to organize with AFSCME Local 126. Academy Museum Workers Union having ratified their own first contract in September.

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