Unionized workers at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, known as MASS MoCA, have taken to the picket lines to demand higher wages following a standoff with museum management. According to NBC Boston, employees are seeking a minimum hourly rate increase to $18.23 and a 4.5% increase this year to meet the cost of living in Berkshire County. The union, affiliated with United Auto Workers Local 2110, is making a stand with signs reading "Living Artists Living Wages" and "Our Power is in Our Unity." They intend to continue their strike action daily until they reach a resolution.
The museum has remained open amid the labor dispute, with management stating an offer has been made of a 3.5% salary increase and a hike in the minimum wage to $17.25 per hour. This comes after negotiations were said to have begun back in October 2023, stretching now into their fourth month. Despite MASS MoCA management’s claims of “negotiating in good faith,” as told by Director Kristy Edmunds to NBC Boston, the union has opted to solidify its actions by striking indefinitely.
Workers formed the union in March 2021, joining a wave of unionizations across renowned museums including Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and New York's Museum of Modern Art. Their one-day strike in 2022 led to an agreement that allowed them to reopen the agreement in October 2023 for further wage increase negotiations. Of the union's arguments, a union representative stated in a press release acquired by WCVB, “Management’s offer does not keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living, leaving our members unable to cover the expenses of living in Berkshire County.”
On the other hand, MASS MoCA's spokesperson stressed the presented offer as "the largest in our wage history," and argued it exceeds any state-mandated minimum wage, as reported by WCVB. The union accused the management of increasing higher-paid management positions while to cut down on union staff. Through social media and community outreach, UAW is urging museum patrons to support the strike by not crossing the picket lines and is calling for the museum to push forward with negotiations, emphasizing that employees are forgoing pay to make their stand.
