Portland Museum of Art, union ink first labor contract
COURTESY / PMA
The Portland Museum of Art moved forward on plans for its first major expansion in four decades.
The Portland Museum of Art and the newly formed union representing 40 employees have signed a three-year contract, the first collective bargaining agreement in the museum’s 139-year history.
The contract covers almost half of the staff, including full-time, regular part-time, and on-call positions within the museum, but excludes managers, supervisors and security guards, the museum and union said in a joint statement.
Some of the museum's 100 workers unionized in April, becoming part of the Technical, Office and Professional Union, Local 2110 of the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. PMA employees had never previously organized.
The employees petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a union election, citing low pay rates and job security as reasons for organizing.
The two sides disagreed about which employees could be part of the union, with the museum balking at the inclusion of gallery and security workers. The NLRB ruled that gallery workers could vote but security guards could not.
Contract negotiations, however, were productive and cooperative, the two sides said.
“Our negotiating process was a productive one and we are pleased that we were able to reach an agreement that will significantly improve conditions for bargaining unit staff,” says Maida Rosenstein, president of United Auto Workers Local 2110. “We look forward to good labor relations with the museum.”
The two sides said they agreed “to work together to support the mission of the museum, and its core values of courage, equity, service, sustainability, and trust.”
Museum Director Mark Bessire said, “We are pleased to have reached a contract agreement with Local 2110. We deeply value all our staff and their contributions in fulfilling our Art for All mission. Together, we will continue to embody our values, reflect our communities, and create a unique, exceptional, and accessible center for art.”
The Technical, Office and Professional Union, includes about 3,000 workers in other museums, colleges and offices, primarily in New York. The local is part of the UAW, which has more than 400,000 active members and more than 580,000 retired members in the United States and Canada.
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