Workers at the Museum of Science and Industry have voted to unionize, continuing a string of victories in the Chicago area by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
The staff members will join AFSCME’s Council 31, which over the last 18 months has won the right to represent employees at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum and other cultural institutions.
Voting occurred within two groups of Museum of Science and Industry employees. Anders Lindall, spokesman for Council 31, said the larger group voted 79-26 in favor of unionizing. He said the National Labor Relations Board verified the count late Saturday.
Lindall said the smaller group voted 9-6 for the union, but three more ballots were not counted because of a management challenge over who can belong to the proposed bargaining unit. He said the challenge should be resolved in a few days, and he expects the smaller group to also favor unionizing.
The union expects to represent about 140 workers in the museum’s guest experience, guest operations and education departments.
Kelsey Ryan, public relations director at the museum, said Sunday it respects the workers’ right to organize.
“Although we do not yet have the full results of yesterday’s vote, the outcome will not change our commitment to our employees. Our priority is to continue building our positive workplace culture that supports the Museum of Science and Industry and benefits the greater Chicago community,” Ryan said.
The workers’ organizing committee accused management of backing an intense anti-union campaign that relied on disinformation and sowing tension in the ranks. The group calls itself Museum of Science and Industry Workers United.
“Now we call on management to take a new approach of positive collaboration and respect for us as co-equals going forward,” said a statement from the committee.
It was AFSCME’s seventh straight win in a union election for cultural organizations in Chicago. It also has organized at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Newberry Library and, in separate elections, the staff and non-tenure track faculty at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
The groups are in various stages of contract negotiation.
