September 16 Warning Strike

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART WORKERS LAUNCH WARNING STRIKE

For immediate release: September 15, 2022

(Philadelphia, PA) On Friday, September 16, members of AFSCME DC47, Local 397, PMA Union will engage in a one-day Unfair Labor Practice strike. Union members will not report to work in person at the museum or virtually. This action comes in the wake of a 99% vote on August 30 by union members authorizing the Local 397 executive board to call a strike, and the filing of a lengthy Unfair Labor Practice charge against museum management.

The PMA Union has been in contract negotiations with museum management since October 2020, after winning our union election by a landslide 89% in August of that year. In our Unfair Labor Practice charge, we allege that museum management has committed eight different violations of federal labor law and engaged in union-busting tactics.

Since that vote, museum management has neither remedied their Unfair Labor Practices nor come to the bargaining table with offers that address our membership’s priorities.

“Museum management needs to stop union-busing and make serious offers that improve workers’ wages, healthcare, and parental leave. Our membership would not have authorized a strike if they were not united in these demands. We cannot accept a status quo that subjects workers to violations of federal law, wages well below the national average for art museums, and benefits that do not allow workers to support their families.” - DC 47 President Cathy Scott

Friday’s ULP strike is a warning to museum management. The PMA Union’s executive board is authorized to call for further action if necessary.

“We take this very seriously. If museum management does not remedy the Unfair Labor Practice charge and come to the bargaining table ready to make real progress, we are prepared to take further action. We have made it very clear what PMA Board Chair Leslie Anne Miller and COO Bill Petersen can do to avoid the disruption of museum operations.” - Adam Rizzo, Museum Educator and Local 397 President

Local 397 represents museum workers across nearly all museum departments, including visitor services, retail, education, installations, curatorial, conservation, marketing, and development. Workers will be picketing locations at the PMA’s Main Building, the Perelman Annex, and the Rodin Museum.