Nearly 200 American Museum of Natural History Workers Move To Unionize

Workers at the world-famous American Museum of Natural History filed a union petition last week to organize with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 37, the city’s largest public-sector employee union, which already represented dozens of workers at the museum. The new union will encompass 184 employees in a range of positions, from museum educators and post-doctoral fellows to curators and visitor services representatives.

"I think for all of us, top concerns were COVID safety, especially for visitor-facing staff, and issues of compensation and benefits," American Museum of Natural History employee and union member Alexandra Walling told Patch. "Many staff were on the extended furloughs at 80 percent of 60 percent pay for many months since the start of COVID." Read more in Patch and Hyperallergic.