LOS ANGELES – Some 300 employees at two famed museums here have won formal recognition for their joint union.
After an official count of union cards revealed 70% support, the Natural History Museum & La Brea Tar Pits Workers Union (NHMTPWU) recently made history recently by becoming an official entity. This means workers can begin working on the details of their first contract.
Workers formed the new union through AFSCME District Council 36.
According to a letter circulated among staff, employees want to address issues such as better pay and benefits, transparency and the lack of a voice when it comes to decisions that affect staff, safe working conditions, stronger job security and opportunities for career growth.
In a separate letter to senior management and the board of trustees, the staff union called on them to respect and empower workers who provide valuable services to the Los Angeles community and keep the two institutions running.
The letter also included a request for voluntary recognition, which union members said management responded to promptly.
Shortly after announcing their unionization efforts on March 25, union members quickly amassed more than 700 signatures on their community letter of support, which included allies from various labor unions, museum patrons and former employees.
Guest Associate Raquel Cornejo was excited for a new era of collaboration between staff and management at two institutions.
“I’m so proud of the work we have done as workers to organize our union,” said Cornejo. “We hope to begin the process of negotiating our contract soon.”
Members of the new union will now join workers at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and Academy foundation of Motion Pictures, all of whom successfully won voluntary recognition and unionized with Council 36 and are part of AFSCME Cultural Workers United, the largest organizing movement for cultural workers in the country.