PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Nearly 200 Philadelphia Museum of Art employees are back to work for the first time in three weeks after they ratified a new contract Sunday night.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art Union, Local 397 of AFSCME DC 47, posted on its social media accounts that 99% of its members voted to approve the terms of the deal.
“Over 3 years since we started organizing, we finally won our contract by striking, stopping work for 3 weeks and forcing management to move,” the union said in a tweet.
The two main issues that kept the workers off the job — wages and health care costs — are addressed in the new deal.
The union said employees will get six raises over three years, totaling 14%. Minimum wages will go from $15 to $16.75 for hourly employees and the high $30,000 range to $42,000 for salaried workers.
There will be longevity pay to reward employees who have stayed at the museum for a long period of time. Health care costs will also be cut by 50%.
In a statement shared on social media, the Philadelphia Museum of Art said it is "pleased to have been able to work with the union and the City of Philadelphia to reach a strong agreement that works for everyone."
“The only reason we were able to get everything we did was because of the incredible solidarity between the workers who stayed out on strike for 19 days,” Local 397 President Adam Rizzo said on Friday after a tentative agreement was announced.
“I know that the world was watching. I know that our colleagues at other museums are watching. And I believe and I hope that this will have ripple effects in the field.”
The workers had a single-day “warning” strike on Sept. 16 and then started their weekslong strike on Sept. 26. The union members picketed at each entrance, through good weather and bad, while the museum stayed open for visitors. Managers and other non-union employees filled in where they were needed.
“No contract, no peace! No contract no Matisse!” was a chant the workers used frequently during the strike, referring to the major Matisse exhibit that is scheduled to open to the public on Oct. 20.
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