More than 500 workers at the Art Institute of Chicago and its school who were in the vanguard of a union-organizing wave by museum staffers in Chicago have ratified their first contract.
By an overwhelming vote, the workers approved a four-year agreement that over its life will increase wages from 12.25% to 16.25%, with lower-paid staff getting the largest percentage gains. The contract approval was announced Tuesday in a joint release from the museum and the workers’ union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
