BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo AKG Art Museum employees say they have been at odds with leadership since Nov. 16. They want a workers union. The employees allege poor labor practices coming from leadership.
"We hoped the museum, as a public institution, would respect our right to organize. Their actions have directly contradicted that," Sophie Goodwin said.
Goodwin works in the visitor's experience department at the art museum. She announced, alongside other employees, that they're filing charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
They're charges the employees express they're trying to avoid. They and 75 other workers at the museum say they want to establish a union for unfair labor practices from leadership.
"They can fire Jackson Lewis today. They can sign the fair election principles presented to them, and they can agree to an election in a timely manner," Lydian Standford said.
Jackson Lewis is a firm hired by the museum, which employees claim is known for union busting. Workers stood outside the Buffalo AKG Art Museum with signs reading "Yes we can!" promoting the need for a workers union. Initially, they wanted a Non-National Labor Relations Board Election or have leadership recognize their union.
Having a non-NLRB Election will allow security guards to be in the union since a few laws exclude them. They want Visitor Experience, Food and Beverage, and Facility Planning in the union.
A statement sent by the art museum's director, Janne Siren, said:
“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 before 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.”
"Then gave us a date significantly further out than it would've been if going through the National Relations Labor Board, which is to say they were attempting to stall," said Natalie Hayes, a barista at the museum.
She continued, "To expedite the process for us, we think going the National Relations Labor Board route is the best because we're grantee an election within 21-28 days."