Children's Museum of Pittsburgh workers vote to unionize with the United Steelworkers
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Workers at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh on Wednesday voted to join the United Steelworkers union.
The 65 workers at the museum are educators, event staff, cleaning crews, exhibit technicians, retail workers, visitor services, and more.
Last month, they announced their intention to organize during an event at Allegheny Commons Park West citing issues such as improved workplace health and safety, better working environments to serve customers better, and more transparent communication with museum management.
"We are thrilled to become USW members and are eager to get to work bargaining a first contract that ensures museum staff can continue to support Pittsburgh's youngest learners," said Annette Mihalko, an educator at the museum. "We're extremely proud that The Children's Museum was recently voted among the top museums in the country, and we know that's in large part because of the work we do day in and day out. We look forward to having a seat at the table and a voice in the decisions that impact our workplace."
The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh's workers now join more than 500 museum employees at all four of the Pittsburgh Carnegie Museums.
"It's an honor to welcome the dedicated employees of The Children's Museum to our union," said Bernie Hall, USW District 10 director. "Every day, children and families from across our region rely on these workers to provide a safe, welcoming atmosphere for children to learn and play. We know the patron experience will only be enhanced as workers are able to have a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions."
As of last year, Carnegie Museum employees are the largest museum union in the United States.