The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) Union, which got a hard-earned contract last fall after a 19 day strike, alleges that the museum reneged on a mutually agreed indemnification clause. According to the union, PMA CEO Sasha Suda and General Counsel Al Suh communicated at a union leadership meeting yesterday, June 29, that the museum would not honor specified terms of an “increase salary related to longevity” which will have an impact on employees in all departments.
As one of the five major museum trade-offs outlined in the contract, the longevity pay increase schedule was originally intended to reward full-time and part-time employees with additional pay increases of $500. and $250, respectively, for every five years of employment with the institution. (up to 20 years). Under this structure, a full-time employee (working more than 25 hours per week) would receive an additional $1,000 added to their annual base rate for their 10th anniversary of employment, and a part-time employee (less than 25 hours per week) would receive an additional $500 for their 10th anniversary of employment. If an employee has worked at the museum for more than 20 years, they would receive retroactive longevity increases.
Now the PMA reportedly indicated that from July 1, the longevity clause would only apply to employees whose employment anniversaries fell within the three-year life of the contract and that those increases would consist of stand-alone increases of $500 or $250 rather than cumulative amounts. . This means that an employee with a 15-year employment anniversary would receive the same $500 or $250 as an employee with a five-year anniversary, rather than a proportional increase for years of employment.
“This interpretation is absurd; it will also have the opposite effect of the intent of the provision,” the PMA union said in a statement. “Instead of rewarding employees fairly and equitably for their service, management will cause even more inequity and confusion in the museum’s compensation structure.”
The PMA has yet to respond. Hyperallergic request for comment.
“Emotions are running high,” said PMA union president Adam Rizzo Hyperallergic. “Everyone is disappointed that all this talk and promises has essentially led to a regression on the part of the museum.” He also noted that the move follows the museum’s announcement last week regarding raise entrance fees and parking fees for increased income.
Rizzo said the contract was otherwise fully effective and included a no-strike/no-out clause. “We’ve started our three-step grievance process, and if that fails, we’re ready for arbitration,” Rizzo said. “It would probably take place in the winter, though, so it’s a long and tedious process.”
In the meantime, the union has other actions in mind to put pressure on the museum, including information pickets, rallies, email campaigns and a petition which will be presented to the management and the board of directors of the museum. Rizzo encouraged empathetic supporters to express their concerns and disappointment to the museum via email or onsite. Some supporters mentioned on social media that they would not withdraw their museum membership in solidarity with the union.
“We never asked members to withdraw their membership, but it was a powerful motion during our strike,” Rizzo said.
