MASS MoCA Staff Authorize Strike Over Pay Dispute
Approximately 100 employees at MASS MoCA have voted to strike on Thursday, 19 August, protesting the museum's current minimum wage of $16 per hour without guaranteed raises. Represented by UAW Local 2110, the union demands a starting minimum of $18 per hour, with increases in 2023 and 2024 to reach about $20 hourly. Currently, two-thirds of staff earn $15.50 per hour, below the local living wage. Maro Elliott, a union organizing committee member, criticized MASS MoCA's representatives for being antagonistic during months of bargaining, quoting them as saying 'the arts and artists come first.' The museum asserts it has negotiated in good faith with UAW for a fair contract. This action is part of a broader unionization wave in the cultural sector, with UAW Local 2110 now including chapters at institutions like MoMA, the New Museum, and the Guggenheim.
Key facts
- Around 100 MASS MoCA staff members balloted to strike on Thursday, 19 August.
- The strike is over a pay dispute, with staff protesting a $16 per hour minimum wage and no guaranteed increases.
- Staff are part of UAW Local 2110, a trade union with chapters at museums including MoMA, the New Museum, and the Guggenheim.
- The union demands a minimum of $18 per hour for the first year of the contract, with increases in 2023 and 2024 to approximately $20 per hour.
- Two-thirds of MASS MoCA's staff currently earn $15.50 per hour, below the living wage for the area.
- Maro Elliott, a union organizing committee member, stated MASS MoCA's representatives were antagonistic during bargaining, emphasizing 'the arts and artists come first.'
- MASS MoCA claims to have been negotiating in good faith with UAW to reach a fair contract.
- The strike reflects a wave of unionization occurring internationally in the cultural sector.
Entities
Artists
- Maro Elliott
Institutions
- MASS MoCA
- UAW Local 2110
- MoMA
- the New Museum
- Guggenheim
- artreview.com
Locations
- Massachusetts
- United States