BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Some workers at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum are crying foul saying their efforts to unionize about 75 employees are being thwarted and are now stepping up their efforts.
“Woo Hoo!”, cheered AKG workers as cars whizzed by with drivers honking their horns in support.
Wednesday workers stood along Elmwood Avenue in front of the art museum announcing they've filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
“They've ramped up their covert anti-union campaign, through active surveillance of employees, stricter enforcement of existing rules, and they attempted to emotionally manipulate staff as well,” declared Sophie Goodwin, Visitor Experience Associate at AKG.
“The museum has not been cooperative; they're stalling the election. this has led us to determine that our best option right now is to file for an election with the national labor relations board, with the front-facing departments, excluding preservation and safety, so visitor experience, food beverage facilities,” explained Natalie Hayes, Barista at AKG.
The employees say they are not feeling the love of this legendary art museum. The art gallery workers are claiming the museum leaders are doubling down by going out and hiring a major union-busting law firm.
“The clearest sign of their union-busting has been their hiring of Jackson Lewis because of their union busting. We are filing charges with the NLRB,” Goodwin noted.
“If they really want to respect our right to organize, they can fire Jackson Lewis today. They can sign the fair election principles that were presented to them and they can agree to an election in a timely manner,” remarked Lydian Standeford, Visitor Experience Associate at AKG.
The employees work in the museum's visitor experience, food and beverage, and facility planning.
“We are doing this because we love our jobs. We want the museum to be the best place that it could possibly be both for ourselves and for the guests that come into the museum,” Standeford commented.
Some workers say they're not getting water breaks after being on their feet for extended periods of time. I also asked if they were upset about wages.
“I can say with confidence that there is not currently pay equity across the workers at the museum and that's certainly something that we would start talking about that negotiation,” Hayes replied.
The art museum shared that the starting wage for these workers is $18.00 an hour:
Compensation & benefits:
- Starting wages for frontline staff: $18/hour
- The City of Buffalo’s living wage is $17.93/hour
- Tipped employees (Food and beverage staff) are paid between $12/hour and $17/hour, but after tips are included the lowest-paid employees earn more than $21/hour
- Summary of benefits for frontline staff
- Medical (premiums covered by Buffalo AKG up to 100%)
- Group dental and vision
- Paid time off (PTO) accrual for all employees (up to 4 weeks of PTO in the first year; 5 weeks after 2 years; 6.5 weeks after 6 years)
- Sick leave accrual
- 12 paid holidays
The AKG issued a written statement from Janne Sirén, Director of the Buffalo AKG:
“Since the Organizing Committee announced its intention to form a union at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, we have been unequivocal in voicing that employees have the right to organize and that the decision whether or not to form a union rests with our team. We held several productive meetings with the Organizing Committee in November and December, and prior to the holidays together agreed to advance an election process overseen by a neutral third party. We were in the process of drafting an election agreement, to be shared with the Organizing Committee for review and input by January 10, when we learned yesterday that the Organizing Committee decided to file an NLRB petition. While this is not the process we had understood we were working towards, it is the Organizing Committee’s right to file a petition seeking an NLRB election. This is the gold standard for union elections, has been used successfully at other museums around the country, and the NLRB’s processes typically move expediently.”
Janne Sirén, Director of the Buffalo AKG
