Whitney Museum Staff Settle a Contract at the Eleventh Hour

Unionized staff (members of UAW Local 2110) at the Whitney Museum of American Art have ratified a contract with the Museum after three days of intense negotiations before a strike deadline Monday. The Museum's major retrospective exhibition of artist Roy Lichtenstein opened this week with multiple VIP, donor and press events and a strike could have proved disruptive.

The contract will provide increases to everyone of at least 14.75% over four years. Workers in lower paid positions will get even larger raises, ranging from five to twenty-three percent in the first year of the contract. The agreement also includes a first time win of longevity bonuses for staff with ten years of service, paid child care leave of up to twelve weeks, strengthened health and safety provisions, and increased bereavement leave. Minimum rates for newly hired staff will also increase.

“Solidarity across all ranks of our union made a huge difference at the end,” says Erika Wentworth, who works in Graphic Design at the Museum. “The Museum knew we were serious about striking and in these last few days, we made a lot of progress.”

The Whitney Museum agreement is only the latest in a series of New York City museum union wins for Local 2110 this fall. In the last month, workers at the Guggenheim Museum, the Jewish Museum, the American Folk Art Museum and the Brooklyn Museum have all settled contracts. In each instance, workers voted to authorize a strike if necessary. Members at the South Street Seaport Museum are still at the table, having also authorized a strike if necessary- follow them on Instagram!