Post from Community: Milwaukee Art Museum Workers petition Board of Trustees for living wages and a fair first contract | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Anne Wiberg
November 1, 2021
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Eleven months after the certification of their union election with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), workers at the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) are sending letters to the MAM Board of Trustees in anticipation of the Museum’s annual membership meeting which was held virtually on Thursday, October 28th.
Their letters emphasize a renewed call to MAM leadership to provide living wages, increased access to health insurance, a workplace that fosters diversity and equity, and to achieve a first contract that recognizes the essential contributions of MAM workers to fulfilling the Museum’s mission and strategic direction.
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A public letter to the Board of Trustees is also being circulated on Action Network in support of the workers.  A link to sign the petition is available HERE.
MAM workers’ campaign to organize with the IAMAW reflects their dedication to MAM’s mission and their desire to strengthen the Milwaukee community.  Nearly 90% of MAM employees in the newly organized bargaining unit call Milwaukee County home.  To do the best work possible, and to lead in the arts and culture sector regionally and nationally, the Museum must begin by valuing its employee base equitably.
Without providing fair and living wages to its workers, the museum will not be able to recruit and retain a diverse staff across all departments that truly reflects the Milwaukee community. Counting just those employees covered by the contract, the Museum has lost over 120 cumulative years of experience in the past 4 months. Improvements in working conditions are essential to reducing turnover.
About the IAM – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America and represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members in aerospace, transportation, manufacturing, shipbuilding, woodworking, and other industries. To learn more, visit www.iamawd10.org or contact Alex Hoekstra, Directing Business Representative at hoekalex@yahoo.com or (920) 210-7754.