Forming a union at CT maritime museum would give workers a say in its future
MYSTIC, Conn. – Workers at one of the nation’s leading maritime museums are seeking a voice on the job and a say in the institution’s future. To achieve those goals, the employees of Mystic Seaport Museum want to form a union through AFSCME Council 4.
On March 20, Council 4 said it filed a union petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on behalf of the museum’s workers.
“We are honored to stand alongside these dedicated professionals as they exercise their right to organize and secure a meaningful voice in their workplace,” Council 4 wrote in a press release.
Mystic Seaport Museum was recently voted one of the nation’s best museums by readers of USA Today. Workers teach the public about our nation’s maritime heritage and care for ships and related artifacts.
Despite their commitment, workers worry about their future. They want stronger job security, more affordable and reliable health care, and wages that better reflect their skills and contributions. Council 4 said these concerns have intensified as workers’ questions about the museum’s financial picture have gone unanswered.
“Instead of engaging collaboratively with staff to address these issues, the administration recently implemented layoffs and cuts to key visitor programs — decisions that have damaged both the museum experience and its long-term standing,” Council 4 said. “Mystic Seaport Museum employees want what every worker deserves: a voice in their working conditions and honest answers about the finances of their workplace.”
Ashley Giordano, a docent at the museum, is among the activists leading the organizing drive.
“Mystic Seaport Museum is a great place to work, but it could be an incredible place to work. We need more protections for our staff and a voice to ensure the museum continues to be a place that visitors want to go to,” she said.
The workers are the ones who make the museum special, Giordano said, adding: “Time and time again, that is what visitors say they value the most. I believe the way to keep a dedicated workforce at the Mystic Seaport Museum is to unionize.”
The workers say they want to help rebuild and revitalize the museum, expand programming, and create offerings that bring visitors back season after season. By forming a union, they want to be heard and to work with museum administrators.
“We hope that the Mystic Seaport Museum will (stay neutral) and recognize the right of these workers to organize rather than pursue a divisive campaign,” Council 4 said. “But make no mistake: we are ready to fight to ensure these workers are heard, respected, and empowered to protect the programs and staff that make the museum what it is.”
More than 50,000 workers at museums, libraries, zoos and other cultural institutions across the United States have gained a voice on the job through the AFSCME Cultural Workers United campaign — the largest of its kind in the nation.