In the News
“MASS MoCA Workers Celebrate First Union Contract” Hyperallergic, (December 15, 2022)
“Mass Moca workers walk off the job for one-day strike” The Art Newspaper, (August 19, 2022)
“Workers at Mass MoCA back affiliation with union, 53-15,” The Berkshire Eagle (April 28, 2021)
“Mass MoCA Employees Voting On Whether To Unionize,” Spectrum 1 (April 2, 2021)
“The Top Left Corner Interview with Amanda Tobin,” Radio Free Berkshires (March 31, 2021)
“MASS MoCA Union Election To Be Held In April,” WAMC (March 31, 2021)
“Workers at Massachusetts museum to take union vote,” AP News, (March 9, 2021), as also reported by NEWS10 ABC, U.S. News & World Report, The San Francisco Chronicle, SFGATE, The Houston Chronicle, The Buffalo News, The Salem News, The Washington Times, CTPost, The Quad City Times, The Sentinel, The Daily Progress, and many more.
“Union Says Majority Of Staff At MASS MoCA Push To Organize,” WBUR, (March 9, 2021)
“MASS MoCA workers look to form union,” Times-Union, (March 9, 2021)
“Union Says Majority Of Staff At MASS MoCA Push To Organize,” NEPM, (March 8, 2021)
“Mass MoCA employees make first move to unionize,” The Boston Globe, (March 8, 2021)
“Mass MoCA Workers File for Union Election,” iBerkshire, (March 8, 2021)
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Press Releases
Monday, March 20, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MASS MoCA Workers Vote to Reject Latest Offer from Museum and Stay on Strike
March 20, 2024 – MASS MoCA staff, who have been on strike since March 6, 2024, voted overwhelmingly to reject a new offer from the Museum which would have added bonus amounts to the Museum’s previous, pre-strike offer.
”We went on strike to raise our pay rates,” said Union Chairperson Meg Labbee, a 25-year veteran of the Museum. “We want MASS MoCA to invest more in us as staff, not throw money away on bonuses that will disappear and not change our future rates.”
Over half of the striking staff currently earn an hourly wage of $16.25. The Union is seeking an $18/hour minimum and an across the board increase of 4.25% for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024.
The strike has already caused MASS MoCA to cancel events. The popular band The Magnetic Fields was scheduled to perform at the museum this weekend but elected to postpone indefinitely because of the strike. Several school groups in the area have also canceled tours in order to avoid crossing the union picket lines.
”We’re ready to bargain,” said Labbee, “But MASS MoCA needs to make a fair offer to us. We all love the Museum and want it to thrive but one element of that has to be investment in us as staff.”
MASS MoCA staff includes curators, graphic designers, electricians, museum attendants, art fabricators, buildings and grounds staff, custodians, communications and development staff, box office and retail workers. Workers voted in 2021 to join Local 2110 of the United Auto Workers Union which represents staff at other museums including the MFA, Boston, the Portland Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and the Dia Foundation.
Communicate with: Chelsea Farrell, chelseafarrell@2110uaw.org, 860.371.0058 or Maida Rosenstein, maidarosenstein@2110uaw.org, 917.495.8492.
Email: MassMoCAUnion@2110uaw.org
Website: www.massmocaunion.org
Instagram: @massmocaunion