Meow Wolf union files unfair labor practice complaints

Teya Vitu, The Santa Fe New Mexican
·2 min read

Jan. 21—A year-old union representing some Meow Wolf employees in December filed unfair labor practices complaints against the company with the National Labor Relations Board.

The 142-member Meow Wolf Workers Collective announced the filings Wednesday on Twitter and Instagram.

"This came after multiple attempts to resolve issues directly with the company," the collective stated on social media.

The collective is a local unit with the Communications Workers of America, designated as Local 7055.

"The law is very clear," said Milagro Padilla, a CWA organizer speaking on behalf of the Meow Wolf collective. "The Meow Wolf collective needs [to be able] to sit down with management to make any changes in working conditions. They are making changes to working conditions without bargaining."

The workers collective's list of complaints includes:

* Meow Wolf changing holiday and time off policies without negotiating.

* Requiring new employees to sign an agreement in order to be hired without negotiating the agreement with the collective.

* Refusing to provide critical information needed for the contract negotiation process.

The union said it is asking the company to stop engaging in what it said were unfair labor practices, accept the collective as an equal partner in the future of the company and "stay true to our values."

The Meow Wolf Workers Collective, then a bargaining unit of 130, announced its intentions to unionize in early September 2020. Meow Wolf formally accepted the union in October 2020, but a contract with the union still has not been completed 15 months later.

"It happens regularly, especially a first contract," Padilla said of the protracted negotiations. "There are tentative agreements on various matters but not any agreements on serious ones. We haven't touched on economic issues yet. I wouldn't say an agreement is imminent."

Meow Wolf issued a written statement in response to the complaints.

"We are aware that the MWWC/CWA has filed unfair labor charges with the NLRB and we are awaiting further details as to the nature of the charges at this point in time," the company said in the statement. "Meow Wolf has been negotiating in good faith with the Union and we anticipate reaching a final contract soon."

Padilla said the National Labor Relations Board is interviewing union members and management.

"It may take some time," he said. "They are not known for being expedient."